Ari Berman

Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, the amount of money in our political system should be a cause for great alarm. President Obama plans to raise $1 billion to finance his reelection campaign, shattering all previous fundraising records. Republicans and a new breed of shadow "Super PACs" will no doubt raise just as much. Members of Congress now spend five to six hours a day fundraising. There are ten lobbyists for every elected member of Congress in Washington. American democracy is literally being sold to the highest bidder. Based on his extensive reporting in the field of money and politics, Berman will explain the threat to democracy posed by a staggering army of lobbyists in Washington, the disproportionate influence the wealthy and powerful have over our political process, and the adverse impact of the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision, which allows unlimited secret political contributions from corporations and unions to candidates for federal office. Just as importantly, Berman will detail how to fix this broken system and explain how citizens can get involved in the important fight to get money out of politics.