Watch out for political mailers from "Califonians Vote Green" and several others.  They claim to endorse various Democrats for state and local office, but they were actually mostly funded by PG&E/Vote Yes on Prop 16.  Prop 16 has a prominent ad on each one.  Some of the candidates listed are opposed to Prop 16 and didn't know it was funding the mailers.

http://calitics.com/diary/11798/exposing-califonians-vote-green

If a company or candidate has enough money, they can (and often will) buy an election.

Check out this article in the LA Times.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik1-2009oct01,0,7502095.column

Calvert R CA44 (Riverside Co/Orange Co) is having "telephone" town hall meetings.  Constituents call in questions.  When asked if that avoided hecklers, the response was a weak "heh heh." 

There are two kinds of political bribary:

1.  campaign contributions.

2.  cash payments

If all politicians were limited to a single term, the ones who were obviously not doing the right thing would be getting the second type.  The rest of them wouldn't need the first type so they could be doing the right thing--whatever is best for their constituents.

Whatever we say it is.

This is my playground and I make up the rules.

We're free to exploit religion to win votes.

Protection for me and my friends from critics.

When all my corporate friends can't make any more money there.

--my way or the highway.