There is strength in numbers, but only if those numbers join together.  The U.S. has about 26 million small business owners (defined as having under 500 employees) but there is very little in common between these businesses.  Of the 26 million, most (about 20 million) were solo businesses, with no employees.  That is a lot of one-person businesses!
The average income for these solo small businesses is under $10,000 in annual receipts.  Not a wealthy group, by any means.  Small businesses struggle in the best of times, and these certainly aren’t great times for business.  And it is difficult for small …read more

Opensecrets.org has a couple of very interesting pages up, especially worth looking at now that the government’s plans for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have circulated.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Invest in Lawmakers — This page lists campaign contributions that came from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 1989. There are 354 lawmakers on this list.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Takeover Costs Congressmen Who Were Invested — This page lists 28 lawmakers who were invested in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Freddie Mac — This page is run down on Freddie Mac’s lobbying and influence.