At least he tells it like it is...

[hudebnik]

Christopher Dodd, who shortly after retiring from the U.S. Senate became the head lobbyist for the Motion Picture Association of America, says on Fox News:

“industry is watching very carefully who's going to stand up for them when their job is at stake.... Don't ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don't pay any attention to me when my job is at stake.”

In other words, "If you do what we say, you'll get big campaign donations. If not, not."

Last time I checked, there was a word for making campaign donations in exchange for favorable treatment. It starts with a "B" and ends with a "Y". And Dodd, after 30 years in the U.S. Senate, should know that.

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Link?

MPAA should fire his butt for saying plainly the illegal things they are doing. Thieves work best in darkness.

[hudebnik.livejournal.com]

As far as i can tell, the earliest story is this one from The Hill, which happens to also quote osewalrus in his professional capacity.

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

I've blogged on this some. I've got links to different sources in my last few posts. This is why I now refer to Dodd as "Tex Richman."

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

So the Administration responded by showing Hollywood some love in the SOTU by promising more enforcement and to keep sticking it to countries in trade agreements.
http://tales-of-the-sausage-factory.wetmachine.com/what-the-sotu-piracy-reference-means-back-in-the-ustr-with-special-301-and-the-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement/

I have this fantasy about it would have gone in the Bush years. About 5 minutes after Dodd made those statements, MPAA would have been replaced on the relevant USTR Advisory Committee with one of the tech trade associations and a discrete word dropped in Mr. Dodd's ear that if his trade organization no longer supported the Administration, well, that was a shame, we always used to value your advice, perhaps you will reconsider if you want so violent a break? After all, we have a TPP negotiation round coming up and it would be a shame if MPAA no longer wished to participate.