Who will finally take the blame for the massive gulf oil spill is still to be seen but according to OpenSecrets.org (the Web site for the Center For Responsive Politics), BP's lobbying arm extends deep into the pockets of Washington, D.C. In fact, the top recipient of BP related donations during the 2008 cycle was none other than President Barack Obama himself, who collected $71,000.Some interesting facts that could affect the outcome of the ongoing "Blame Game":
- In 2009, BP spent a massive $16 million to influence laws relating to such issues as oil drilling safety and environmental regulations.
- During the first quarter of 2010, BP spent $3.53 million on federal lobbying efforts (you can expect this number to rise dramatically in the coming weeks).
- During the 2008 election cycle, individuals and PACs associated with BP spent half a million dollars on political candidates, forty percent going to Democrats.
- Last year (when BP spent $16 million), the most active environmental lobbying group, the Nature Conservancy , spent a paltry $2.2 million in comparison.
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