White House Petition Calls for Bribery Investigation of MPAA Chief
White House Petition Calls for Bribery Investigation of MPAA Chief
Posted 01/24/2012 at 3:58pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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In the wake of the near miss that was SOPA/PIPA, the forces of the Internet are looking to exact some revenge, to go on the attack if you will. MPAA President and former Senator Chris Dodd presented an inviting target recently when he said on Fox News that the entertainment industry’s campaign contributions to politicians would be tied to their support of anti-piracy legislation. The result is a White House petition calling for a bribery investigation, and an Internet heavyweight calling for Dodd to be fired.
"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 said, “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.” The White House’s petition system allows citizens to post concerns that can be signed onto by other individuals. If a petition reaches 25,000 signatories, as this one has, the White House will respond. The petition asking for Dodd to be investigated calls his statements an “open admission of bribery.”
Also piling on is Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, who is was an ardent critic of SOPA and PIPA. Wales criticized Dodd’s Fox News statements and said the MPAA should fire the former Senator. He went on to express hope that the entertainment industry might come to the negotiating table with a little more humility next time.
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win7fanboi
January 25, 2012 at 9:55am
btw this is the link to the petition :
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/investigate-chris-dodd-and-mpaa-bribery-after-he-publicly-admited-bribing-politicans-pass/DffX0YQv
ocnier
January 25, 2012 at 9:26am
I always love how these articles always leave out that this guy was and is a...... wait for it....... drum roll........"DEMOCRAT!!!!". I would bet a hundred dollars that if he had been a Republican that would have been plastered all over this article. I'm still waiting on the valley to wise up and realize the Republicans were more friendly to the net and tech than the Democrats (too bad that just not hip or sexy, oh well one can dream).
Ghok
January 25, 2012 at 1:46pm
"I always love how these articles always leave out that this guy was and is a...... wait for it....... drum roll........"DEMOCRAT!!!!"."
Because it doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with this issue, and only does if you're trying to be divisive. This is an issue that's important to regular people on both ends of the political spectrum, and not all of us are zealots who have to identify with a political party. Most liberal minded people vote for democrats because they're the best choice (or rather, the least bad choice). I'd say that a lot of people who identify as conservative feel the same way about the Republicans.
"I would bet a hundred dollars that if he had been a Republican that would have been plastered all over this article."
This was the last article I could think of involving this issue and a Republican:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/sopa_author_says_opponents_lack_credibility
It doesn't mention he's a Republican anywhere in the article. It's also one of the most commented articles, so it's pretty high profile.
"I'm still waiting on the valley to wise up and realize the Republicans were more friendly to the net and tech than the Democrats (too bad that just not hip or sexy, oh well one can dream)."
I don't know which republicans you're referring to, so it's hard to respond to this. I have not seen any evidence of it. I can think of many issues regarding the net that Republican representatives have been on the wrong side of, and some the Democrats have had a hand in. No doubt, I can think of more Republicans because I am more liberal minded and naturally at least a little biased...
But overall, when it comes to the net and tech and BOTH parties, I mostly see a bunch of old white guys who have no idea how the internet works, and are happy to destroy the internet so they can line their pockets with the money of lobbyists.
And you're still hung up on which party is better for the net and tech?
We don't need your partisan nonsense, we have more important things to pay attention to.
Nimrod
January 25, 2012 at 3:20pm
ive seen plenty of times where a R was in an article like this and they mentioned every time they printed his name. Dont jizz all over your self the next time you post ok? i didnt read past your first line and i doubt many other people did either.
Ghok
January 25, 2012 at 10:11pm
Sorry! Sometimes I forget this is a place where we're supposed to snipe insults at each other instead of talk about things!
It is actually pretty standard in the media to report what party someone belongs to if they are holding government office. So I don't see why anyone would get upset over that. Still, the article I linked to doesn't have an party affiliation named for a serving member of congress. Dodd isn't even a senator any more. That was my only point.
Next time you want to pretend not to read my post, a good tip is not to respond to it either.
win7fanboi
January 25, 2012 at 9:44am
people who get caught up in us vs them fight when it comes to political parties are morons in IMO. Both parties belong to the highest bidder : http://gizmodo.com/5877352/surprise-senators-with-huge-campaign-contributions-from-media-support-sopapipa
Biceps
January 25, 2012 at 11:09am
Yeah, if you think either party isn't 110 percent corrupt, you are either not paying attention, or you are just plain stupid. Dodd is awful and corrupt and purchased. So is Gingrich, and so is (especially) the loud and proud Obama. They are all bought and paid for, and not one of them gives a rat's ass about you or me or what is good for this country. They only want more money for them and their sick friends.
Nimrod
January 25, 2012 at 3:24pm
Ron Paul doesnt seem to be "paid for," not unless the Constitution is bribing people now :)
Who was it that FIRST!!!!! spoke out against SOPA and PIPA in the (R) party? Its was Paul, the rest didnt fallow suit until the internet backlash made it fashionable to be against SOPA. The media black of the issue kept them from having to sound off against it while Paul was faithfully attacking it! He also introduced a bill to repeal the NDAA, guess who wasnt in Congress that day, the rest of the (R) candidates! Paul made his way so that he could stand up for what right while the rest were standing up for their donners!
Biceps
January 25, 2012 at 8:09pm
Actually, you have a point - I haven't looked for it, but off the top of my head I have to say I haven't heard of any evidence of Paul being driven by contributions. I think that he may actually do what he thinks is right, which is saying a lot these days. That said, I think his views are simplistic and childish in the extreme and are based much more in a dream world than his supporters would like to admit. If you are a real Paul supporter, I probably just gave you a stroke, and I apologoze for that, but it is honestly how I feel about the guy. We could go back and forth on this, but I think we are getting pretty off-topic.
skirge01
January 25, 2012 at 9:02am
For all the complaining, sadly, it's the people with the most to lose who fail to bother voting every election or, even worse, they vote the same morons back into office (from president all the way down to school boards). Imagine what would happen if every elected official got voted out and only new blood got elected? Sadly, people listen to their employers or their unions or campaign ads or "their party" instead of to their common sense. 1984 will be here before people realize it, but then it will already be too late.
Morete
January 25, 2012 at 5:16am
Chris Dodd is just another indentured politician under contract by multiple corporate predators. We need corporations and we need capitalism. What we don't need are corporate supremacists stripmining our political freedoms.
SOPA/PIPA would erode sovereignty from the people thus making them nothing more than subordinates of the corporate behemoth.
Corporate predators see waste as greater sales, corruption as power, tax escapes and consumer penalties as profit centers, unilateral control as their birthright. Our political freedoms as well as our economy is out of control.
Polling shows that the American people are increasingly opposed to the privileges and immunities of giant corporations. They are aware that corporations (and their indentured politicians), have no allegiance to this country as they roam the world in search of serf labor and partnering oligarchs and dictators.
Let's not take our eye off of who really is behind SOPA/PIPA and let's stay free!
Biceps
January 25, 2012 at 8:13pm
+1 too. I was thinking that I haven't heard a more appropriate description for what is going on. I'll be recycling that one, thanks.
btdog
January 25, 2012 at 5:08am
Ryan -
Realizing MPC is teeming with die-hard, liberal democrats, that was quite brave of you to write this article. Kudos to you, sir.I hope you get this before Grayson and Lilly force you into the "re-education" training.
Ghok
January 25, 2012 at 1:55pm
Heh, are all right wingers as die-hard as they think all liberals are? People are no doubt biased because of their political beliefs in the work they do, but it's very rarely anyone's primary motivation. Many of the writers at this magazine may be liberal (I'm just assuming), but they weren't hired because they were liberal in order to spout a liberal agenda. They're here to write about issues that concern tech, and that's exactly what they do.
You just seem like some paranoid crazy when you make comments like this.
tekknyne
January 25, 2012 at 8:17am
Watch Fox News much? Way to show us all that insightful thinking with all those generalizations and labels. You really should get out more.
RUSENSITIVESWEETNESS
January 25, 2012 at 5:03am
Lobbying is legalized bribery. It's legal because the people getting payed off also get to decide what is legal in this country. They should all die, and we should start over with a fresh bunch, right after they bury the headless corpses of their predecessors--for inspiration's sake, of course.
Ashton2091
January 25, 2012 at 8:42am
When i read the title of the article...that was exactly my first thought.
AETAaAS
January 25, 2012 at 3:38am
I'd like to think I called it when I said that there was something going on behind the scenes, in one of the earlier SOPA articles on MaxPC.
tekknyne
January 25, 2012 at 8:20am
You really aughts to get out more. News Flash: there's around 7 billion people on this planet and not everyon falls into simple little categories. I know if you simply label people, it makes it so the critical-thinking part of the brain doesn't have to work so hard. In some ways... I envy you.
Carlidan
January 24, 2012 at 10:10pm
Sweet coming in articles to make a stupid remark so it makes you feel better about yourself. :)
maxeeemum
January 24, 2012 at 8:14pm
Chris Dodd is a disgraced ex-senator from the state of Connecticut. He didn't run for office in 2010 because he got caught doing shady business with his own home mortgages. In his statement he shows that bribing congress is everyday business. He has taken so many bribes in his career he has forgotten it's illegal. It's time to take this clown down.
Google search Dodd and you will see what I'm talking about. How you say "crooked politician" turned CEO lobbyist.
tenchymuyo2
January 24, 2012 at 6:04pm
Proud to have done so. But I've always despised all of Dodd's points.
EthicSlave
January 24, 2012 at 5:39pm
BE PROUD for standing up for your rights and freedoms, and hopefully we as a people can stand up for said freedoms more often in the future!
on an even happier note: Arent you guys HAPPY you dont have to rifle through your web pages and forums for what would have been infringing material? personaly I would cry if maxPC was blocked...
steevonson
January 24, 2012 at 5:22pm
According to Citizen's United this isn't bribery this a corporation's free speech as protected under the First Ammendment.
This is a waste of time. If Dodd were to be fired or isn't elected next term he'd just retire into a government appointed oversight position. Such is the revolving door of politics.
warptek2010
January 24, 2012 at 11:16pm
Right... when they agree with the free speech they defend it. When they don't agree with it they denounce it as right wing propaganda and use our court system to silence it. Don't delude yourself into believing that Stalinists are suddenly for free speech.
Dodd is a corrupt con-artist scum. He's using his vast influence and the network of connections he's built over the years to do the bidding of the Hollywood elite. Not to mention the vast sums of money he's been given from them over the years. I see conflict of interest all over this.
Carlidan
January 25, 2012 at 12:01am
And who are these "stalinists"? I already know your answer. But still like your inquisitive responses. Now Corporation is not a real person, but somehow it is. So YOU ARE NOT stifling anyone's free speech. :)
Just FYI both sides of the political party have "connections" and use those connections to secure private insitution jobs that give them a cushy job later. Is Dodd is asshole. Yes. Should he get fired. Yes. It's nothing new in politics.
tony2tonez
January 24, 2012 at 4:51pm
Here is the petition if anyone else wants to jump on board. Its 28K+, pass this petition on to others who signed the SOPA/PIPA. Just to pile on the a$$hole.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/investigate-chris-dodd-and-mpaa-bribery-after-he-publicly-admited-bribing-politicans-pass/DffX0YQv
tony2tonez
January 24, 2012 at 4:43pm
We need him fired. Imagine if he got this to pass as well. Its bad enough Dodd-Frank was passed. We would really be in a collective shit whole. I think he has manage to piss off everyone full circle.
firefox91
January 24, 2012 at 4:39pm
We all know that Congress is bought and sold to those that have the most money. But it has gone on for this long because there isn't much proof of it and no one admits to it. This guy played both sides of the fence as both a senator and a lobbyist and still broke the number 1 rule for Fight Club. Not only is he a greedy, arrogant piece of crap, his is incredibly stupid. As of this post, the petition is well past 25,000 so he is going to get looked at. It's not often that anyone in government does something right. But they are going to do this so kudos to them for that.
DogPatch1149
January 24, 2012 at 4:33pm
According to The Escapist (as of 1830 EST), the petition has already went over 25,000 signatures. Awesomeness...I'd love to see this bastard taken down.
Zoandar
January 24, 2012 at 4:06pm
I, for one, would like to see this issue blow up in their collective faces.
Jox
January 24, 2012 at 4:32pm
Seconded. Assuming you were referring the the faces of the RIAA/MPAA folks.
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