Sorry for the big article:

Buying the GOP Congress Highly Profitable for Oil Companies
Posted by Joe Rospars on April 27, 2006 at 01:08 PM


When people talk about the Republican culture of corruption and the buying and selling of our democracy, a lot of times you think it's just preferential treatment or special access or inflated importance that they buy.

With folks scratching their heads over soaring gas prices and soaring oil profits, it's worth a simple look at the data, which shows that for oil companies, big spending on buying Republican leaders pays off with even bigger giveaways of your taxpayer dollars.

Here's how, courtesy PoliticalMoneyLine.com:


The top ten oil companies reported spending $33,173,092 lobbying the Congress and the Executive branches in 2005.

* ChevronTexaco -- $8,550,000
* ExxonMobil -- $7,140,000
* ConocoPhillips -- $5,098,084
* Marathon -- $4,290,000
* BP -- $2,880,000
* Occidental -- $2,042,177
* Shell -- $1,478,831
* Ashland -- $904,000
* Sunoco -- $540,000
* Anadarko -- $250,000

There's more from the same source:
No Disruption In Flow of Oil Company PAC $

A review of the PACs of the top ten oil companies shows that over $1 million in PAC money continues to flow in the 2005-2006 cycle, through March 31st. These ten oil company PACs gave out a total of $1,092,980 to federal candidates, plus other funds to party committees and leadership PACs. Of the $1,092,980 total, eighty-four per cent ($918,150) went to Republican candidates, and 16% ($174,830) went to Democratic candidates.

The top recipients in 2005-2006 (through 3/31) were Sen. Conrad Burns $39,500; Speaker Dennis Hastert $35,000; Rep. Joe Barton $31,500 (chairman, House Energy and Commerce Committee); Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison $28,250; Rep. Richard Pombo $27,000; Sen. George Allen $26,100; Sen. Craig Thomas $24,000; Rep. Tom DeLay $22,500; Rep. Bill Thomas $20,500; and Rep. James McCrery $20,000. [...]

The top ten oil company PACs giving to Members in 2005-2006 were:

* ExxonMobil giving $265,050 (90% to Republicans)
* ChevronTexaco giving $167,000 (77% to Republicans)
* Occidental $156,590 (89% to Republicans)
* Ashland $102,740 (75% to Republicans)
* Marathon Oil $90,600 (84% to Republicans)
* Sunoco $89,500 (75% to Republicans)
* Anadarko $44,500 (96% to Republicans)
* ConocoPhillips $49,500 (88% to Republicans)
* Shell Oil $29,500 (93% to Republicans)
* BP $64,000 (78% to Republicans)

In addition, these company PACs also gave to party committees and leadership PACs. Marathon's PAC gave $123,500 (103,500 to Republicans). Sunoco's PAC gave $116,000 ($108,500 to Republicans). Ashland's PAC gave $74,000 ($68,000 to Republicans). Anadarko's PAC gave $26,500 (all to Republicans). BP's PAC gave $10,000 ($5,000 to Republicans). Shell's PAC gave $5,000 (all to Republicans). Occidental's PAC gave $5,000 (all to Republicans).

In the last full twenty-four month cycle, 2003-2004, these oil company PACs gave out $2,801,824 to federal candidates, including $2,417,469 (86%) to Republican candidates and $384,355 (14%) to Democratic candidates. In 2003-2004 the top recipients were Rep. Tom Delay $51,675; Sen. Lisa Murkowski $50,000; Sen. Richard Burr $49,500; Rep. Joe Barton $45,000; Sen. Christopher Bond $43,400; Sen. Jim Bunning $38,500; Rep. Barbara Cubin $37,500; Rep. Richard Pombo $ 37,000; Rep. Don Young $37,000; and Sen. James DeMint and Sen. George Voinovich $35,500 each. [...]

In the full 2003-2004 cycle, these ten oil company PACs gave:

* ExxonMobil $728,545 (95% to Republicans)
* Occidental $361,000 (81%)
* ChevronTexaco $350,300 (88%)
* Ashland $306,600 (87%)
* ConocoPhillips $242,000 (88%)
* BP $220,499 (62%)
* Marathon Oil $181,250 (83%)
* Anadarko $178,000 (94%)
* Sunoco $148,630 (80%)
* Shell Oil $85,000 (84%)

The above figures do not include contributions made by officers, employees, or stockholders of the companies.

Now, what did they get for it? A few sweetheart provisions slipped into an energy bill: