At protests across the country Occupiers fought back against a political system that too often looks out for their 1% campaign donors, the supercommittee made influencing-peddling easier for special interests, and the Supreme Court once again sided with big money. Those events and more make up our 2011 list of top money-in-politics stories. 

Check out the full list and if you have your own suggestions for items we left off, leave them in the comments below.

1. Occupy’s Message Delivered

Here's a recap of Public Campaign and Public Campaign Action Fund's (PCAF) work from November 21 through December 2, 2011.

Public Campaign, along with Oil Change international, released a new report yesterday: "Payback Time? The Supercommittee & Fossil Fuel Subsidies." The report shows that the 12 members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or “supercommittee,” have received at least $4.2 million in campaign contributions from dirty energy interests lobbying to keep their wasteful taxpayer subsidies.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), the co-chair of the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, will be holding a fundraiser for his JEBFund leadership PAC on Tuesday with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio).

According to Politico Influence, $5,000 will get you “admittance to all 2011 JEBFund events.”

That’s right ladies and gentleman, for the low, low price of $5,000 you too can have a season pass to the supercommittee co-chair.

A man of his word. The third quarter fundraising totals for members of Congress have been released, and records show that supercommittee member, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has kept his pledge to give up fundraising for himself while the deficit commission conducts its work.

Here's a recap of Public Campaign and Public Campaign Action Fund's (PCAF) work from October 11 through October 14, 2011.

Supercommittee member Dave Camp (R-Mich) has filed his third quarter fundraising numbers. While this isn’t a full analysis, here are some things that stuck out.

Yesterday our friends at Oil Change International, along with 52 other groups, sent a letter to the members of the supercommittee demanding that the elimination of government handouts to the oil, coal and gas industries be a central part of the deficit reduction plan they are to present to the full Congress by November 23^rd.

Here's a recap of Public Campaign and Public Campaign Action Fund's (PCAF) work from September 26 through September 30, 2011.

Public Campaign, along with National People's Action, released a new report today: "Wall Street and the Supercommittee: The $41 Million Question." The report details the close ties from Wall Street and other financial industry interests to the supercommittee.