EGObaMANIAC10:11AMAug 8th 2008

Barack Obama's Fundraising Hypocrisy—a Lobbyist by Any Other Name...
July 21, 2008 12:24 PM ET | Bonnie Erbe | Permanent Link
Bonnie Erbe

The latest campaign finance figures show Sen. Barack Obama's pledge not to take money from lobbyists is a distinction without a difference.


"As I've noted before, Sen. Obama's fourth-largest corporate donor is Exelon, the nation's largest provider of nuclear power.

Did he take donations straight from the pockets of the company's lobbyists? No. But did he accept largesse in the amount of more than a quarter million dollars from Exelon's CEO and top executives? Yes. In the process, he watered down to oblivion an antinuclear amendment he had sponsored, originally to force nuclear power producers to report even the most negligible of radioactive leaks. He then went on to tell mesmerized campaign audiences he had "passed" his antinuclear bill, which never passed the U.S. Senate.?

RIChris10:15AMAug 8th 2008

It's good to see some transparency in McCain's fund-raising operations. What are the odds we would ever see any in Obama's?!? Zero to none.

EGObaMANIAC10:17AMAug 8th 2008

How Big Are Those Bundles?
Barack Obama's failure to practice what he legislates

Washington Post
Saturday, July 19, 2008; Page A14

IT WASN'T so long ago -- last September, to be specific -- that a senator with a particular interest in campaign finance reform introduced a bill to provide important transparency in presidential campaigns. The measure, S. 2030, would require presidential campaigns to report the names of fundraisers who bring in "bundles" of individual contributions totaling $50,000 or more. The campaigns would have to report the occupations of the bundlers and the specific amounts they are credited with raising.

This was a terrific idea. It's too bad that the bill's sponsor, Barack Obama, is failing to follow the rules he set out.

EGObaMANIAC10:19AMAug 8th 2008

By Mark Impomeni
Aug 6th 2008 11:15PM
Filed Under:eBarack Obama, Breaking News, 2008 President, Fundraising

Sen. Barack Obama far and away outpaces any other presidential candidate in the total amount of money he has raised for the Democratic primary and the general election, having raised almost $340 million. But Sen. Obama also leads the other candidates in another, more dubious, category: most money raised from big money donations of $1,000 or more. Fully one-third, or $112 million, of Obama's fund-raising total has come from a network of big donors, bundlers, and the well-connected, including lobbyists.

The New York Times took a look at the records and finds that Sen. Obama's big money network contains over 500 bundlers, fund-raisers who combine smaller donations into one larger one, thereby skirting campaign contribution limits. One hundred and thirty of those are lawyers, many of whom work for firms with lobbying operations. Each of the bundlers had brought in at least $50,000 to the Obama campaign. Three dozen collected $500,000 each. Six brought in over $1 million; and a couple raised more than $2 million. The Times further reports that many of the bundlers and well-heeled donors to the Obama campaign are long-time Democratic Party insiders and activists that Sen. Obama began courting soon after securing his Senate seat in 2004.

Kwaayesnama10:20AMAug 8th 2008

Is John McCain in the pocket of oil companies?
Is John McCain in the pocket of insurance companies? Is john McCain in the pocket of pharmaceutical companies? Here is a list of lobbyists and employees of major companies working in major positions in the McCain campaign. It will answer any questions you might have about the people who are advising and influencing him.
http://mccainsource.com/corruption?id=0006

Vera From Sedona10:20AMAug 8th 2008

I would bet you that if Obama's supporters buckled into Clinton's blackmail and paid off her debt the Clinton's would play nice. The Clinton's do not follow the moral standards of the rest of society.
We had, Cattle gate, Travel gate, Billing-gate, and File-gate. Now we have CAMPAIGN DEBT GATE.
I for one am very sick of hearing about her 18,000,000 supporters. Please, Please all 18,000,000 of you please send her $2.00. That will play off her debt and leave a bit extra for a vacation for the Clinton's. Get off my back, all the money I am able to spare I'm sending to Obama.

Just A Reminder10:23AMAug 8th 2008

George Bush, Dick Chaney, Condoleezza Rice and John McCain are responsible for the murder of 94,330 innocent people while they looked for nonexistent weapons of mass destruction. Of that total 4,134 were Americans. They are also responsible for the wounding of 30,464 people as of 8 - 07 - 2008.

iynaroc0210:23AMAug 8th 2008

Keating 5
In John McCain's America, any politician who accepts a large
contribution or gift from a donor, and then takes steps consistent
with the donor's interests — even though there is no legal quid pro
quo — is corrupt. Well, then, by his own standard, McCain is
corrupt.
McCain was one of the so-called "Keating Five" senators. He was
investigated by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics in 1991
regarding the acceptance of favors from Lincoln Savings & Loan
Association (Lincoln) and its owner, Charles H. Keating, Jr. Simply
put, the issue was whether McCain and the other senators used their
official positions to attempt to pressure Federal Home Loan Bank
Board officials to go easy on the troubled institution. Eventually
Lincoln went bust, costing depositors and taxpayers millions.
In its final report (November 20, 1991), here is what the Senate
Select Committee on Ethics concluded about McCain's conduct:
"Mr. Keating, his associates, and his friends contributed $56,000 for
Senator McCain's two House races in 1982 and 1984, and $54,000 for his
1986 Senate race. Mr. Keating also provided his corporate plane and/or
arranged for payment for the use of commercial or private aircraft on
several occasions for travel by Senator McCain and his family. Mr.
Keating also allowed Senator McCain and his family to vacation with
Mr. Keating and his family, at a home provided by Mr. Keating in the
Bahamas, in each of the calendar years 1983 through 1986.
"…[F]rom 1984 to 1987, Senator McCain took actions on Mr. Keating's
behalf or at his request. The Committee finds that Senator McCain had
a basis for each of these actions independent of the contributions
and benefits he received from Mr. Keating, his associates and
friends.
"Based on the evidence available to it, the Committee has given
consideration to Senator McCain's actions on behalf of Lincoln. The
Committee concludes that, given the personal benefits and campaign
contributions he had received from Mr. Keating, Senator McCain
exercised poor judgment in intervening with the regulators without
first inquiring as to the Bank Board's position in the case in a more
routine manner. The Committee concludes that Senator McCain's actions
were improper and attended with gross negligence. The Committee finds
that Senator McCain took no further action after the April 9, 1987
meeting when he learned of a criminal referral.
"The Committee reaffirms its prior decision that it does not have
jurisdiction to determine the issues of disclosure or reimbursement
pertaining to flights provided by American Continental Corporation
while Senator McCain was a Member of the House of Representatives.
The Committee did consider the effect of such on his state of mind
and judgment in taking steps to assist Lincoln.

McCain was the only Republican implicated in the Keating Five
scandal, yet today he lectures his party and his president about "the
corrupting influence" of money in politics. He rails against the
so-called "wealthy special interests" and their ability to buy access
to elected officials, yet this is precisely what the Keating Five
scandal was all about. And, of course, under McCain's current
standard, a politician who takes a principled position that may
benefit a donor is corrupt, even if no law has been violated.
The John McCain of old should be thankful that his political fate
wasn't determined by John McCain the reformer

Just A Reminder10:28AMAug 8th 2008

National Debt Clock
9,3337,475.095,899
Your families share $148,707
http://www.babylontoday.com/national_debt_clock.htm

Choices - Choices - Choices10:29AMAug 8th 2008

Lets see my choice is John McCain or that smart black man Barack Obama?

McCain who does not know how to use a computer but is willing to learn if we elect him – I’ll just vote for that smart black man.

My Choices are: John McCain who says the economic downturn is psychological? - Na! I'll vote for the smart black man.

McCain who says you are better off under George Bush? - Nope I'll vote for the smart black man.

Mc Cain who wants to continue killing more people looking for weapons of mass destruction that do not exist? - Gee! I'll vote for the smart black man.

McCain who believes that we should stay the course but is not willing to support the people he puts in harms way. - I'll take a chance on the smart black man.

Should I vote for a man that does not know that 9-11 was caused by Osama Bin Laden not Sedam Hussein? - Easy! I'll vote for the smart black man.

Vote for the man who does not know if the Sunnis or Sheits are our enemies? - No way I'll vote for the smart black man.

Vote for the man who helped put our government on the China, Saudi Arabia credit card? - Not a chance I'll vote for the smart black man.

Vote for the man with the worst temper in the Senate to have his finger on the nuclear button? - No way - I'll vote for the smart black man.

CHUCK10:33AMAug 8th 2008

THANKS "JUST A REMINDER". WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL JOHN MCCAIN ABOUT THE LINK TO THE NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK? OH! SORRY I FORGOT JOHN MCCAIN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO USE A COMPUTER.

Tom10:44AMAug 8th 2008

TIGER FOR PRESIDENT!

S. Merritt10:51AMAug 8th 2008

Of course Obama is raising hundreds of millions from millionbs of Americans who are sick of Bush and his Republicans and want a change. And how about contrasting McCains fund raising abilities where he had to go into a private home to raise money because there were so few supporting him that raising funds in public would be an embarassment. And of course big oil supports Mccain because they know McCain will keep their huge subsidies and profits growing while Mccain screws the American public at the gas pump

EGObaMANIAC10:54AMAug 8th 2008

August 8. Judicial Watch Files Open Records Lawsuit against Illinois Governor and Illinois State Senate

over Pork Barrel Spending

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption,

announced today that it has filed open records lawsuits against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

and the Illinois Senate and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones over documents related to pork

barrel spending in the State of Illinois and "secret-side deals" made between Governor Blagojevich

and Illinois state lawmakers.

read more

http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2008/jul/judicial-watch-files-open-records-lawsuit-against-illinois-governor-and-illinois-state

S. Merritt10:58AMAug 8th 2008

EGObaManiac : You neglected to mention Stevens, Senator from Alaska, the newest Republican about to go to prison for corruption > And you also forgot to mention that Mccain in his infinite wisdom to control pork had voted against the farm subsidy which is going to cost McCain the entire midwest vote. But you did mention one of Obamas biggest contributors was a Nuclear provider which is strange, because McCain keeps saying he wants 35 more nuclear plants but says Obama opposes nuclear.

Debra S.11:51AMAug 8th 2008

McCain's oil donors are second only to Obama's oil donors, according to a report running on CNN today. At least they report the numbers on both sides ....

RIChris12:14PMAug 8th 2008

S. Merritt; That's the thing about Obama, he does oppose nuclear, he just has no opposition to their contributions.

Chuck12:39PMAug 8th 2008

I see a lot of comments about Obama fundraising tactics. The truth of the matter is the republicans are against the wall & trust me... if there was even a hint that Obama's fundraising was in contradiction to what he says it would be all over the (Sly)Fox News. McSame's tactics are old & tired. He truly isn't the man I supported in 2003-4.

ANYBODY BUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA !1:51PMAug 8th 2008

Another Obama supporter tossed from the Happy Times bus.

Mazen Asbahi, hired to help with Muslim relations, is no longer a part of the bus as he was found to be associated with the Hamas terrorists.

Poor old Obama - his choice of friends seems to be a continual failure.

Osama and Achmadinijad still plan to vote for Obama.

HOW MUCH MONEY HAS OBAMA RECEIVED FROM MIDDLE-EASTERN MUSLIM COUNTRIES?

VOTE FOR JOHN McCAIN IN 2008.

Stella2:20PMAug 8th 2008

As if Obama didn't get any contributions from big oil? He did. You also failed to mention Obama's illegal T-shirt sales to Gaza?

You are in Obama's pocket, and you tell the story very unobjectively. I just wished AOL didn't call this political news, it's very biased. I call it an extention of Obama.com.

David Knowlesn you and your pal Tommy are 2 reasons why people don't trust the media.