When we released our first report in May about how much money subprime mortgage interests spent on lobbying and campaign contributions to fight consumer protections in Congress from 1999 to 2006, the word "subprime" was just starting to find its way in newspaper headlines. Since then, the media has been saturated with stories of how foreclosure rates continue to reach record levels, how investment firms from here to China that have holdings in the subprime market are getting burned, and how the effects of the subprime meltdown are leaking into other sectors of the economy. So we thought now would be a good time to revisit the issue.

We analyzed newly available data for the same top subprime lenders and trade associations from the first report to see what they've been doing. Here's what we found: despite facing serious financial struggles since the mortgage collapse, the biggest subprime lenders have spent $32 million in the first half of 2007 on lobbying and campaign donations to fight overwhelming public pressure on Congress to enact reforms for the subprime market.

To read the report, click here.

Last spring Common Cause released a report entitled "Under the Influence."  The study showed how, by making almost $900,000 in political contributions, the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association of Ohio used the state's most recent campaign finance "reform" law, quadrupling contribution limits, to buy influence in the Ohio legislature.

That influence won out again, in late September, when the Association lobbyists were able to cut a deal, behind closed doors, to persuade legislators to put a ban on direct shipments to Ohio consumers from large out of state wineries, convincing legislators they just were trying to protect Ohio's wine industry.

Despite the warnings that a sequel is never as good as the original (except for Godfather II, of course), Common Cause has just released Wolves in Sheep's Clothing, Part II: More Telecom Industry Front Groups and Astroturf.

Our March report exposed nine organizations that looked like think tanks or grassroots groups, but that were actually controlled by telephone and cable company interests. Since that time, the telecom reform debate has kicked into high gear and a handful of new Astroturf groups were launched.

Our latest report profiles five of these organizations: Hands Off the Internet, TV4US, NetCompetition.org, The Future... Faster and Video Access Alliance. You may recognize some of these names from their extensive - and misleading - ad campaigns in recent weeks. Now you can read about all the ways they are trying to fool `we the people,' and pass the information on to concerned friends and family as well.

Let us know what you think of the report and whether you've seen any of evidence of Astroturf campaigning in your community.