Sweeney and McCain both vote regularly for special interest legislation pushed by lobbyists and big donors, like the Bush/Cheney energy bill, and the $70 Billion tax subsidy to the rich and super rich just signed by President Bush. This allows unearned income from capital gains and financial assets to be taxed at a much lower rate than the hard earned wages and salaries of working families who can not afford to buy access.

"Ordinary citizens can't afford to contribute on this level, and end up being hammered by special interest legislation pushed by the high rollers," says Joe Seeman of Ballston Spa. "Sweeney and McCain just voted for another huge tax giveaway for the rich. But in December Sweeney voted for a $12 Billion cut in student aid, the largest in history. They both voted for the Bush/Cheney energy bill, which helped Exxon and other big oil companies make record profits. The oil and gas industries gave Sweeney $25,000, and made off with Billions - sweet! "

Under the tax bill, millionaires get a windfall averaging $42,000 each. That is a years pay for a typical full time worker, who would receive about $47. The wealthiest 10% of taxpayers will rake in 80% of the tax reduction, according to a report in the New York Times on May 11.

The protesters have signs attached to mops & brooms, symbolizing their demand to clean up the system of political campaigns financed by wealthy special interests. They are demanding a new system of Clean Elections, as enacted in Maine, Arizona, and recently Connecticut.

The Clean Money Clean Elections model gives qualified candidates a fixed equal amount of public funds, enough to run a solid campaign, if they agree not to accept private money which too often comes with strings attached. Years of experience in Maine have shown that Clean Money enables regular citizens without personal fortunes or rich backers to run on a level playing field, and often get elected.

"McCain talks a good game on campaign finance," says Ethel Silverberg of the Alliance for Democracy. "He once said, 'Bribery is the way the system works .... The whole system is rotten.' But he seems to have made up with the moneyed interests just as he made up with Jerry Falwell."

"Sweeney took $4,915 from Tom DeLay's ARMPAC, and voted with DeLay 89% of the time - before he was indicted," says Mark Schaeffer of Citizen Action. "Sweeney voted to weaken House ethics rules when DeLay proposed doing so as GOP Majority Leader, and also voted to allow the GOP House Leader to continue to serve after an indictment."

"Sweeney votes for every pro-corporate trade deal that comes down the pike," says Doug Bullock of the Albany labor council. "These trade deals and tax subsidies make it easier for corporations like GE to outsource jobs to low wage countries where workers are denied the right to organize. But Jack Welch gave him 3 thousand bucks."

"Forty three million people on Medicaid, and Medicaid is forbidden by law from negotiating a discount," says Albert Ormsby of Saratoga Springs. "It's corporate welfare pure and simple. Why are the corporations writing our laws? Big Pharma gave millions to the Republicans who rammed this bill through, and stand to reap TENS OF BILLIONS at our expense. The taxpayers must hold Sweeney and this Republican Congress accountable for these corporate giveaways."

"Sweeney opposed expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to Reservists and National Guard members," says Ed Bloch of Veterans for Peace, "though 20 percent of all Reservists have no health insurance. But Halliburton and Bechtel, which help fund Sweeney, get huge no-bid contracts in Iraq and New Orleans. Enough!"