Who's funding Gibson?

Rookie Rep. Chris Gibson had a relatively mediocre first quarter in fund-raising, according to this diary at Daily Kos.

Follow the link in the diary, and you'll find who's funding our Congressman who wants to eliminate Medicare.

There are the usual local Republicans, developers and builders mostly, and lots of PACs and lobbyists interested in Gibson's committee assignments (Agriculture and Armed Services).

Highlights include:

Longtime county GOP operative Rich Crist, who lies about his employment, gave $500.

Former county resident. and state and county GOP chair, Bill Powers, who now lives in Massachusetts, gave $250, and his kids gave another $950.

Mike Russo, a union guy who worked for Kirsten Gillibrand when she held this seat and now does PR for Global Foundries, gave $500.

Gerry Solomon's widow, in for $500 from her government entitlements.

Lots of money from sugar-related PACS -- American Sugarbeet Growers Association ($500), Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group PAC ($2,000), Great Lakes Sugarbeet Growers PAC ($1,000), Snake River Sugar Co, ($1,000), Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative ($1,000), South Texas Sugar Cane Producers ($125), Florida Sugar Cane League PAC ($375), Alexander And Baldwin Federal PAC ($62.50), and the American Crystal Sugar PAC ($5,000).

Lots more from special interests who agree with Gibson on killing Medicare -- Covidien PAC ($1,000), Independent Insurance Agents And Brokers ($2,000), MVP Health Care Federal PAC ($1,500), New York Life Insurance Company PAC ($5,000), Rain And Hail Insurance Society ($1,000), and Blue Cross/Blue Sheild South Carolina ($385).

The military industrial complex has bought instant access to Gibson -- BAE Systems PAC ($1,000), Boeing Company PAC ($2,000), Honeywell International PAC ($6,134.38), ITT Corporation PAC ($1,000), Lockheed Martin Corporation Employees' PAC ($2,000), Rockwell Collins Good Government Commitee ($1,000), and, last but not least, General Electric Co. PAC ($1.000).

These lists are necessarily incomplete, because some contributors have no doubt, like Rich Crist, decided to disguise the real reason they are giving to Gibson.

But one thing is crystal clear -- Gibson is and will be more interested in public policies that benefit his benefactors than he ever was in representing the interests of the working people of the 20th Congressional District.

His voting record so far has shown that in spades, and will continue to do so for what remains of his one term in Congress.