Addicted to Porn

No, not Jonah Goldberg -- members of congress.

Washington, DC, -- Earlier today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington (CREW) released a report Addicted to Porn: Members of Congress
Accept Political Contributions from Porn Purveyors. The report details how
15 Members of Congress, including 11 Representatives and four Senators, all
of whom revile pornography, have accepted campaign contributions from
corporations and executives who derive substantial profits from selling
pornography.


The report contains four sections: 1) how companies make money from
pornography; 2) which companies have PACs that make campaign contributions;
3) which Members of Congress receive these contributions; and 4) the quotes
of Members of Congress named in the report who have publicly condemned
pornography. In addition, an appendix to the report details the
contributions made from corporations and executives to Members of Congress.


CREW's executive director Melanie Sloan stated "it is one thing to be silent
on the issue and accept porn purveyor's contributions. However, these
Members of Congress attempt to slap pornographers with fines and legislative
restrictions with one hand and turn around and accept porn profits with the
other. Our report details the hypocrisy of this 'skin caucus.'"


Some of the findings of the report: Kansas Senator Sam Brownback - who
equivocates pornography with crack cocaine - accepted $17,000 from porn
peddlers.


Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman - who has long campaigned against the
growing coarseness of our culture -- along with renown gambling addict
William Bennet, handed out "Silver Sewer" awards to those who made immoral
videos, and who has criticized MTV for having porn stars on the air,
accepted over $16,000.


Cong. Fred Upton, who leads the charge against indecency, accepted over
$56,000.
Arizona Senator John McCain, who claimed to be the "anti-porn" presidential
candidate in ads that ran prior to the South Carolina primary, pocketed
$46,000 from corporations and executives who profit from porn.


Melanie Sloan, CREW's executive director referred to Rep. Heather Wilson
(R-NM) as "the biggest hypocrite of all" for having written a letter to
former Vice President Al Gore demanding that he return a contribution from
an adult entertainment web site and for sanctimoniously ranting at Viacom
executives that they cared more about profits than morality, despite
accepting $47,000 in porn profits.


A copy of the report can be found on the web at www.citizensforethics.org or
contact Naomi Seligman at press@citizensforethics.org.
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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit,
progressive legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials
accountable for their actions.