Greenhouse: browser plugin that automatically annotates politicians' names with their funders

boing
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Nice!!!

I thought about something similar, but more generic, as a public relations countermeasure. Some time ago I read an article on a website, about freedom of consumers. And then another. I agreed with both. The next one was claiming that it is good for me as a consumer to NOT know the food content. That made me wary and I looked up the website’s background - and it was sponsored by a fast food coalition! And an idea was born, and I am sadly too incompetent to properly implement it yet.

It would be good to have something that would allow quick identification of such astroturf groups.

A good source for such information is SourceWatch. I think they could be talked into providing data feed for such plugin.

…as of politicos, a fun thing for video would be something that’d identify them and then add the sponsor logos on their clothes, so they’d look like NASCAR drivers…

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I wish I had an app where I could select a politician and get the same information, along with links to any scandals, like anti LGBT stuff.

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I prefer Mark Thomas’s idea that politicians should be required to say the slogans of their sponsors before they say anything else.

I doubt it would change much though, it would maybe make Hansard more entertaining to read but that’s about it.

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Brilliant! Great execution of a timely idea. It’s working very well.

Edit - There seems to be one spelling issue - “Tea Party” seems to be spelled as “Retired.”

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Nick Rubin here - I’m the creator of Greenhouse. I wanted to clarify that the information in the popup is from the last full election cycle (ending in 2012) because it is most complete data available. I also provide access to the most up-to-date 2014 information on OpenSecrets.org if a user simply clicks on the name of the member of Congress in the popup, so all information is at most one click away. I plan to update the data in the popup itself later in this election cycle as 2014 contributions are more complete. Thanks everyone for your ideas and interest.

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