Is That a Politician in Your Pocket: Washington on $2 Million a Day (Paperback)

~ Micah Sifry (Author), Nancy Watzman (Author) "The alarm clock rings..." (more)
Key Phrases: gun rights groups, federal candidates, ergonomics regulations, New York, White House, President Bush (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An e-mail newsletter called "OUCH! How Money in Politics Hurts You" forms the backbone of this predictable but solid exposé of campaign finance. Sifrey and Watzman, staffers at Public Campaign, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, present materials distributed over the past six years by the group that detail how corporations, wealthy individuals and other "special interests" drive politics through targeted campaign contributions to both parties. Chapters cover pharmaceuticals, gun control, agribusiness, oil and chemical corporations and cable. Recurring graphs distinguish between money allotted to Democrats and Republicans on particular issues and show the financial responses, sometimes punitive and sometimes compensatory, toward elected officials who vote certain ways on certain issues. While the authors have all the elements of an argument for campaign finance reform in place, its seams show, perhaps due to the "mad rush to produce this book." The impressively clear statistics and delineation of specifics never quite gel into a unified critique.
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Review

"Get rich quick! Read this book and learn how to invest in politicians for fun and profit! Just don’t leave this book where any regular voters can read it!"
—Arianna Huffington, author of Pigs at the Trough

“Sifry and Watzman lay it all out with no bark on it in this devastatingly straightforward book—the overt corruption of our country through what we politely call “the campaign finance system.” Legalized bribery is the root of our political rot and few people know more about how to fix it and have done more to fix it than the good folks at Public Campaign.”
—Molly Ivins, author of Bushwhacked

"Sifry and Watzman are two of the most astute observers of political influence in this country. Their important new book names names and cuts through the bull about the issues that affect our daily lives, in a wonderfully amusing but drop-dead accurate way!"
—Charles Lewis, author of The Buying of the President 2004

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (July 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047167995X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471679950
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #877,243 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The clear case for campaign finance reform, July 20, 2004

By	Christine of the Valley (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

If you want to read a book about how money and politics affects your daily life, this is the one. Everyone knows that political fundraising is ever on the rise; in both major parties, the money just keeps growing. But it's more than a race to amass the millions it takes to win office, it's an endless cycle where the stakes affect every significant matter of public policy today. This book shows how our food is less safe to eat, how the environment is more polluted, and how we all pay more taxes, thanks to the influence of campaign contributors. Buy it, read it, pass it on. In the middle of a record dollar-raising presidential election, it is more important than ever to keep the drumbeat rolling for meaningful campaign finance reform.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Or are you one of the 99% who can't afford to buy one?, July 23, 2004

By	LAL (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

After reading this book you'll want to shout from your window, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" I've always known money drives policy in Washington, but this book makes it so crystal clear in a quick-read and fun-graphics way! Also, there is no doubt Campaign Finance reform must be an issue for the November elections - it's the only way 99% of us that don't have access to politicians through money can be heard!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book gets you out of your chair..., July 22, 2004

By	D. Donnelly (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

... and ready to Take Back America. It chronicles compelling examples of Congress and Bush putting the special interests' agenda before what is right for the people. It bypasses the sometimes arcane process of political fundraising straight to where the rubber meets the road: the making of government policies that affect our daily lives. Buy it. Read it, but have Maalox ready, it could turn your stomach. And get active in stopping the wholesale auction of public policy to those who can afford to bid the highest.