Did the big banks offer the Senate Democratic Caucus a bribe?

[KellyW]

I was looking through my email and there was something from DFA about the banks threating to withhold campaign contributions if the Senate Democratic Caucus didn’t ‘rein in’ Sen Warren. Isn’t that an offer of a bribe? That is a specific quid pro quo, I give you money if you do something, spoken explicitly.

[jwirr]

1. I don't think it was a bribe. It was more like a threat if they did not shut Elizabeth up.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Not really, we could all with hold our donations doesn't make it a bribe.

A bribe would be taking money with a specific request getting honored

[valerief]

3. I think it's called Business As Usual. nt

[freshwest]

4. Did the Democrats accede to their demand? No, Warren is still free to say truths. EOM.

[KellyW]

5. The point is that offering a bribe is a crime

I don't see why they couldn't be prosecuted for attempted bribery, other than that banks are not held to account for anything they do that is illegal.

[DeSwiss]

6. Oh! I see!

You didn't know we were living in Total Corruption® now. Yeah, we're screwed. And that was a bribe. Or you could call it extortion. Or: ''The threat of withholding of their allowance.''

- Parents and guardians must sometimes use monetary punishment if they are to raise their Congresses properly......

K&R

[newfie11]

8. That certainly discribe the world today! Nt

[DeSwiss]

9. Speaking of accurate descriptions:

[FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=DARKRED]THE IRON HEEL

CHAPTER XVII - THE SCARLET LIVERY [/FONT]

(Excerpt)

I sat in the gallery that day. We all knew that something terrible was imminent. It was in the air, and its presence was made visible by the armed soldiers drawn up in lines in the corridors, and by the officers grouped in the entrances to the House itself. The Oligarchy was about to strike. Ernest was speaking. He was describing the sufferings of the unemployed, as if with the wild idea of in some way touching their hearts and consciences; but the Republican and Democratic members sneered and jeered at him, and there was uproar and confusion. Ernest abruptly changed front.

"I know nothing that I may say can influence you," he said. "You have no souls to be influenced. You are spineless, flaccid things. You pompously call yourselves Republicans and Democrats. There is no Republican Party. There is no Democratic Party. There are no Republicans nor Democrats in this House. You are lick-spittlers and panderers, the creatures of the Plutocracy. You talk verbosely in antiquated terminology of your love of liberty, and all the while you wear the scarlet livery of the Iron Heel."

Here the shouting and the cries of "Order! order!" drowned his voice, and he stood disdainfully till the din had somewhat subsided. He waved his hand to include all of them, turned to his own comrades, and said:

"Listen to the bellowing of the well-fed beasts."

Pandemonium broke out again. The Speaker rapped for order and glanced expectantly at the officers in the doorways. There were cries of "Sedition!" and a great, rotund New York member began shouting "Anarchist!" at Ernest. And Ernest was not pleasant to look at. Every fighting fibre of him was quivering, and his face was the face of a fighting animal, withal he was cool and collected.

"Remember," he said, in a voice that made itself heard above the din, "that as you show mercy now to the proletariat, some day will that same proletariat show mercy to you."

The cries of "Sedition!" and "Anarchist!" redoubled.

"I know that you will not vote for this bill," Ernest went on. "You have received the command from your masters to vote against it. And yet you call me anarchist. You, who have destroyed the government of the people, and who shamelessly flaunt your scarlet shame in public places, call me anarchist. I do not believe in hell-fire and brimstone; but in moments like this I regret my unbelief. Nay, in moments like this I almost do believe. Surely there must be a hell, for in no less place could it be possible for you to receive punishment adequate to your crimes. So long as you exist, there is a vital need for hell-fire in the Cosmos."

The Iron Heel by Jack London, 1908
Project Gutenberg

[bemildred]

7. They are threatening to withold the standard bribes is what is happening. nt