The Anti-Sam Brownback Blog

From the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington comes a report(pdf) on members of Congress who accept campaign donations from porn purveyors. It may surprise some to know that ‘ole Sam was one of the politicians highlighted. You may be asking yourself if this is this the same Sam Brownback who held hearings on the alleged awful effects of pornography on society. Yes. The same.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) accepted $17,000 in contributions from corporations and executives who profit from pornography… Sen. Brownback held a hearing on pornography addiction in November, 2004. After hearing testimony from experts about how porn affects the brain, Sen. Brownback said, “[i]t is the crack cocaine of sexual addiction” and “its pervasiveness affects our families.” In early 2005, Sen. Brownback praised U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales when he announced he would appeal the dismissal of federal criminal indictments against a California pornography producer, stating “[t]he Justice Department’s decision indicates a renewed effort to go against purveyors of pornography, whose products are so damaging to our culture, our families, and our nation.”

The importance of this is twofold.

1. Brownback’s most ardent supporters are fundamental Christians. His comments and hearings against porn are specifically designed to play to this base. The fact that Brownback accepts funding from pornography purveyors can serve to plant seeds of doubt about Brownback’s true feelings. People do not like a pandering corporate politician, and the more his ties to corporate porn are discussed the better.

2. If there is one thing the voting publics dislikes more than a pandering corporate politician it is a hypocrite. This whole affair reeks with the fresh dollar bill scent of hypocrisy. This flies in the face of the image that Brownback has of a “straight shooter” and a moral, Christian man. This is, in my opinion, the most important angle of this story. Far be it from me to condemn pornography. The discussion of morality is for a different place and time. However anyone feels about the business, the hypocrisy is what is important.