It has been said that it’s easy to tell if a politician is lying: all you have to do is see whether his or her lips are moving. I’m not that cynical about politics but when I do hear a politician speaking I would like to know which interest groups have contributed to that individual so I can better understand who they are really “representing.” (This information would be very helpful during the current debate over health care reform.)
Such information is, of course, available through sites such as the Center for Responsive Politics. But in today’s “app-centric” world what I want to see is a downloadable app for my iPhone that allows me to point my phone at a politician (or a picture of that politician) and have the names—and the dollar amounts—of the lobbying organizations that have contributed to that individual appear on the image. To make the app more fun—and, arguably, realistic—perhaps the developer could even dress up the politician in a NASCAR-like racing suit so that their various “sponsors” logos are appended on their suit.
If such an app already exists, I’d love to hear about it. If one doesn’t, my guess is that one will within the next year.
