"Consider, for example, the curious case of Liz Fowler. Fowler went from being the chief counsel for the Senate Finance Committee to being the vice president for public policy and external affairs at health insurer WellPoint in 2006. But two years later, Fowler returned to the Hill as an aide to Democratic Sen. Max Baucus (Mont.), where she—guess what?—made sure that WellPoint's interests were favored during the health care reform debate.

"Naturally, she then moved on to a position in the White House, where her job description became 'to 'oversee' the implementation of the law.'

"I'm sure that Fowler took a substantial pay cut to do both of those [...]

Long Island-based Republican megadonor and hedge fund honcho Robert Mercer (and his wife, Diana) gave more than $100,000 in the 2010 election cycle to people like Michele Bachmann. (Also his three daughters donate big-time as well, at least in name, although certainly one of them has her own money, from her $2 million settlement against Duke, from when she was kicked off the football team for being a girl. So she's that unusual thing: a far-right gender equality litigant! She also runs, with her sisters, a bakery in New York City—while donating to Jim DeMint. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! We are a nation of diversity!) We bring up [...]