Customer Reviews

The Big Buy - Tom Delay's Stolen Congress

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I won't mention any names, but one of the reviewers obviously didn't watch this film because they were too busy nitpicking the film technique to even get the message. No, this film is not as action-packed as say Mission Impossible 3 or have all the Noir element intact like Brick, but if you really want to learn about how our government works, put down your civics book and watch this film. And if you watch it, I mean really watch it, it should piss you off. While we're busy writing film reviews, politicians like Tom Delay are stealing our Congress and undoing the very fabric of our country by promoting corporate greed and the neo-con agenda. And I don't care which side of the political fence you straddle, it's time to get informed, ask questions and have a voice in our government. This film is entertaining, informative and one of a few films finally zeroing in on what's going wrong with America. If all you care about is film technique, go to film school; and if you really care about what's happening in our country, then watch this film!

Joe Leydon, writing for Variety on May 17th:

Documakers Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck methodically assemble a damning case against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, the pugnacious Texas Republican and former House majority leader who has been indicted on campaign fund-raising charges.

Chief asset of the pic is its easy-to-grasp explanation of his alleged crime: DeLay (who, not surprisingly, refused to be interviewed by the filmmakers) is charged with breaking a Texas law that prohibits corporate donations to individual candidates.

Specifically, DeLay stands accused of using the Republican National Committee to more or less launder contributions from companies as diverse as Bacardi USA and Sears Roebuck so GOP candidates for the Texas Legislature could receive funding during the 2002 election, then, with a Republican majority, radically redraw district boundaries to facilitate the election of Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004.

Interviewees include syndicated columnist Molly Ivins and populist commentator Jim Hightower, veterans of several other docs that view Texas politics as a contact sport. But the real star of the pic clearly is folksy Democratic D.A. Ronnie Earle, who comes off as sincerely aggrieved, if a tad self-righteous, while sounding personally offended by political corruption.

Vaguely malevolent images of DeLay are superimposed on billboards and sides of buildings as Birnbaum and Schermbeck make little effort to disguise their distaste for their titular subject.

Even so, the scrappy small-budget pic remains persuasive throughout, and occasionally offers "Gotcha!" moments that are laugh-out-loud funny. Chief among the highlights: a CNN interview in which DeLay, mildly pressed by Wolf Blitzer, quickly backs away from his claim that Earle's investigation has been supported (if not mandated) by the Democratic National Committee.

Docu was well into production long before DeLay's April 4 announcement that he will not seek re-election -- and, indeed, will resign his House seat -- but includes this and other up-to-date info in a smoothly incorporated coda.

Artful use of B footage and a jazzy score by John Bryant and Frank Hames enhance the pic's noirish flavor.

This DVD catalogues the rise of Tom Delay from Texas backbencher to US Congressional power broker to his indictment and downfall.

What makes Delay so special or infamous is his reform of congress for the worse. He parceled out money for votes, demanded that lobbying firms contribute money and hire republicans before he would even entertain their interests. (Some would call this bribery or conflict of interest. In our congress it's called business as usual.) He held votes open long after the normal voting period, and brought bills to the floor for vote without legislators even having a chance to read them.

He "gerrymandered" Texas redistricting in a deliberate attempt to gain republican seats in congress. He managed to pull this off despite Texas legislators fleeing across the Oklahoma border so that a quorem could not be mustered. The hammer lost that round but eventually muscled his way to victory, and got more republicans elected.

Delay's undoing was his insistence on corporate sponsorship (money) to his political action committee called Trmpac. This was patently illegal in a state that already has weak campaign laws. His reaction was to mount a campaign against the prosecutor that was unsuccessful. Finally, Delay resigns in disgrace and vows to help republicans win. His only hope was the people of Texas would re-elect a republican to his old seat. Even in this, Texans had apparently had enough of his shenanigans and elected a democrat.

This story may interest those fascinated with Delay, or for those who know very little about him. But it is clear that this is a low-budget production. A couple of times my attention wondered, and I found myself pressing the back button.

It is worth a look, and you can always resell it. So, don't delay.

I grew up in Pearland, Texas, the neighbor to Tom Delay's hometown of Sugarland and also one of the larger towns within his former Congressional district. Every time I go home I have the misfortune of having to stare at "Vote for Tom Delay" signs that litter the yards of my small hometown (still to this day). I wish I could purchase thousands of copies of THE BIG BUY and hand it out to every single one of these brainwashed zombies so they would have a clue as to what is going on in their own back yard.

Whether you are a Democrat, a Libertarian, or a Republican, you should be wary of Tom Delay and his Gang of Corporate C*&%$uckers. THE BIG BUY drives home the reason very clearly, concisely, and in an entertaining manner. Delay, Abramhoff, Norquist, Bush, McCain, Lienerman, et al are strictly in it to screw Joe American Citizen and to line the already overflowing stuffed pockets of Mega-Rich Corporate America.

THE BIG BUY eventually narrows down to a simple battle of Good vs. Evil. We know who Evil is...What about Good? He comes in the form of one Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. I mentioned Earle briefly in my book, MURDERED INNOCENTS, about the Austin yogurt shop murders. Let's just say that he comes off better in THE BIG BUY. With extensive access, the filmmakers get a look at a man who is fighting the most powerful person in the country, simply because he knows it is the right thing to do. Earle stresses that men such as Tom Delay are beholden, not to the people that they represent, but rather the Corporate Interests and the Republican Party.

Tommorow is the mid-term election. I am curious to see if there is a change afoot in America. Hopefully, some voters out there will have had the opportunity to watch this film and do their part to get rid of the Culture of Corruption that has infiltrated and festered inside the Republican Party. THE BIG BUY is a warning to those of you that want to "Stay the Course."tm

When all aspects of government are controlled by one party, you are asking for pain. When government is controlled solely by corporate largesse, greed, and the bottom-line mentality, you are assured of receiving said pain.

Highly Recommended.

Corey Mitchell
Author of MURDERED INNOCENTS, EVIL EYES, DEAD AND BURIED and more.

"The Big Buy" may not have the slick gloss of other documentaries, but the content is invaluable in understanding how American democracy has been hijacked. Birnbaum and Schermbeck show how Tom DeLay deliberately reengineered the electoral system to create an incestuous alliance of lobbyists and government officials on a scale not seen before in American politics. This culture of corruption demands business representatives pay thousands of dollars for access to politicians -- akin to practices normally associated with self-serving Third World governments. In the meantime, the interests of average Americans are shunted aside. The documentary cautions that, even though DeLay has had to step down, others of his ilk have replaced him and are carrying on his legacy.

Another outstanding source revealing the magnitude of corruption that has taken hold is PBS's Bill Moyers on America. The first episode, "Capitol Crimes," connects the dots regarding Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Grover Norquist and others who brought an agenda to D.C. to buy out Congress with a view to creating a permanent Republican Congress whose power derives from monies given to it by big business.

One definition of Fascism is a government aligned in partnership with corporate businesses. "The Big Buy" shows how Tom DeLay has created that model for American in the 21st century. It begs the question -- as we now try to export democracy to other countries -- can we claim to be democracy anymore?

The Big Buy contains an accumulation of interviews from various politically-related individuals, including Molly Ivins, Ronnie Earle, and political columnists, authors, lawyers, and representatives. If you've followed the Delay trial at all, most of the information presented will be familiar to you, but it's nice to see it all organized here in an easily viewable and digestable manner.

If you don't know much about Delay, watching this DVD will really just remind you how important corporate money has become in our government and how corrupt our "public servants" have become.

If the story presented here seems fairly one-sided, check out the list of groups and individuals that denied the filmmakers an interview (including Tom Delay) and you'll see why there's not as much information coming from Delay's side, mainly because the case against them is very clear, especially as it is laid out here by lawyers and Ronnie Earle himself (and since Abramoff plead guilty and so did Delay's former top aide).

On the bonus features of the DVD, there's an interview with the filmmakers that really offers a lot of back story to their process of making the documentary. Originally they intended the documentary to be from Tom Delay's point of view as a strong political figure in the midst of a political controversy. When Delay's office didn't get back to them, they contacted Ronnie Earle and interviewed him, which helped to shape the film as it is.

Definitely worth watching if you're interested in politics, and especially if you're interested in Texas politics and Tom Delay.

This DVD was produced before Tom DeLay got his just rewards before the courts, but you can see it coming anyway. The "Republican revolution" of the 1990s turned into the Republican contest to see who could be the biggest sleazebag, and Tom DeLay was certainly in the running. This documentary pretty much gives him his comeuppance, and if ever there was anyone who deserved some upside-the-head comeuppance, this pest exterminator and pest to end all pests surely did. Highly, highly recommended.

Very entertaining film to watch while you gain an understanding of the incredibly complex issues of Tom Delay and the redistricting of Texas. It truly brings home the fact that this is not about democrats and republicans, it's about money and power.

While it may seem that a documentary on Tom Delay should be seen solely for its historical interest, it is as relevant and prescient today as it was when DeLay was the center of media attention because the subject matter connects to politicians and lobbyists alive-and-sleaz'n.

More important than anything DeLay did himself was the system he used, perfected, perpetuated, and which is still corrupting our government today. This is the best reason to see this excellent documentary: because it still matters.

DeLay was representative of the most destructive force in politics today: greed coupled with personal ambition elevated over civic duty. Here you have the evidence that proves that argument.

There is nothing more that corrupt politicians fear than light being shed on their backroom deal making.

This video really helped clarify what Tom Delay and his corporate pals did to steal the election... what a democracy we have! I highly recommend it.