White House Threatens to Investigate Chris Dodd for "Bribery" Over SOPA Dispute

Just when you thought politics in America couldn't get any more surreal, now you have the specter of a Democratic president potentially launching an investigation of a prominent retired Democratic senator for accidentally telling the truth about the way the political system really works. Last week, Motion Picture Association of America President Chris Dodd was none too pleased when President Hopey-Changey read the political tea leaves and actually managed to come out on the right side of an issue for once by saying he would veto the hideous SOPA bill that would have effectively killed the Internet as we know it. As reported by The Register, here is a recap of Dodd's reaction to Obama's position on the legislation:

“Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake," Dodd told Fox News. "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.”

Well, you just knew the White House wasn't going to take that lying down. But the administration's forceful reaction surprised even a cynical old bastard like me:

The comments caused a huge stir, and prompted a petition, hosted on the White House's "We the People" opinion-seeking site, that calls for an investigation of the MPAA on bribery charges.

Once the number of signatures on the petition reaches 25,000, the White House has to issue a statement – and as of early afternoon Washington DC time, over 19,000 signatures had been attached. It was such a petition, by the way, that prompted the White House to express its initial disapproval of SOPA.

“This is an open admission of bribery,” the petition reads, "and a threat designed to provoke a specific policy goal. This is a brazen flouting of the 'above the law' status people of Dodd's position and wealth enjoy. We demand justice. Investigate this blatant bribery and indict every person, especially government officials and lawmakers, who is involved.”

Dodd may have thought he was among friends on Rupert Murdoch’s “Fair and Balanced” Fox network, or could just have been angry at the temporary hold put on the legislation, but it’s highly unusual for anyone in his position to openly acknowledge the way the US political system works. Companies and individuals who "donate" to US lawmakers usually express the convenient fiction that their financial contributions are expressions of support for a candidate, and not attempts to bribe them on specific issues.

Now then, let me just state for the record that I absolutely loathe Chris Dodd and believe that he should have been vigorously investigated and prosecuted for the bribe sweetheart mortgage deal he accepted from Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo becuase of his oversight role of the mortgage industry as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Countrywide, you'll recall, was one of the prime movers in pushing subprime loans that were a primary cause of the housing crash. A U.S. Senator from Connecticut for three decades, Dodd was the very personification of the corrupt Washington insider. By hiring him as their president despite his having ZERO experience in the film industry, the MPAA expected that he would be able to twist arms in Washington on their behalf.

Unfortunately for Dodd and the MPAA, they ran into a Category 5 shit storm of public sentiment against the awful SOPA bill. No doubt smarting and all butthurt in the wake of the major Internet protests against the bill last week, Dodd stupidly let the cat out the bag as to why the MPAA actually pays him a huge salary. What he said is really the very essence of what lobbying is all about. The only thing that is surprising about this story is that so many people are actually surprised by it.

Do I actually think the White House will sic the Department of Justice on Dodd and see him indicted as a result of this? Not a chance. But I still enjoy seeing the fucker squirm, and if this story causes even a few more people to wake up and smell the coffee about how thoroughly corrupt our whole system of governance is these days, especially liberals and progressives who still persist in stupidly thinking that Democratic politicians are looking out for them, that can only be a positive.


Bonus: Just imagine what the Man in Black in his prime would have done to the sorry ass likes of Chris Dodd