Paul Krugman: Lobbyists, Guns & Money @ New York Times Ed/Op

Frank Smith, retired reporter and public policy expert, and current member of the Kansas Progressive Caucus posted: "This piece by my favorite economist is an absolute killer!  He makes the Times worth reading!"

[Excerpt]  ...  And if there is any silver lining to Trayvon Martin’s killing, it is that it might finally place a spotlight on what ALEC is doing to our society — and our democracy. 

What is ALEC? Despite claims that it’s nonpartisan, it’s very much a movement-conservative organization, funded by the usual suspects: the Kochs, Exxon Mobil, and so on. Unlike other such groups, however, it doesn’t just influence laws, it literally writes them, supplying fully drafted bills to state legislators. In Virginia, for example, more than 50 ALEC-written bills have been introduced, many almost word for word. And these bills often become law.... Read more at the New York Times.