Obama 'bundlers' sport close ties to lobbies Backers raise millions for 2012 campaign

Discussion in 'Current Events' started by DonGlock26, Oct 29, 2011.

  1. DonGlock26

    DonGlock26 New Member Past Donor

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    Obama 'bundlers' sport close ties to lobbies

    Backers raise millions for 2012 campaign, but do they undercut president's ban on lobbyists?


    Despite a pledge not to take money from lobbyists, President Obama has relied on prominent supporters who are active in the lobbying industry to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid.

    At least 15 of Mr. Obama’s “bundlers” — supporters who contribute their own money to his campaign and solicit it from others — are involved in lobbying for Washington consulting shops or private companies. They have raised more than $5 million so far for the campaign.

    Because the bundlers are not registered as lobbyists with the Senate, the Obama campaign has managed to avoid running afoul of its self-imposed ban on taking money from lobbyists.

    But registered or not, the bundlers are in many ways indistinguishable from people who fit the technical definition of a lobbyist. They glide easily through the corridors of power in Washington, with a number of them hosting Mr. Obama at fund-raisers while also visiting the White House on policy matters and official business.

    As both a candidate and as president, Mr. Obama has vowed to curb what he calls the corrupting influence of lobbyists, barring them not only from contributing to his campaign but also from holding jobs in his administration. While lobbyists grouse about the rules, ethics watchdogs credit the changes with raising ethical standards in Washington.

    But the prevalence of major Obama fund-raisers who also work in the lobbying arena threatens to undercut the president’s ethics push, raising questions about whether the campaign’s policies square with its on-the-ground practices, some of those same watchdogs say.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45072966/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/#.TqxkybJZ-uJ


    This administration stinks to high heaven. He tells the unwashed masses one thing and does another.

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  2. Agent Zero

    Agent Zero New Member

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    It is one of the lasting disappointments I think the progressive movement (such as it is) will feel with this presidency. Not all lobbies are automatically bad but the most powerful ones probably do what they do to our detriment. There is just too much money in politics.
     
  3. The Mello Guy

    The Mello Guy Well-Known Member

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    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mr-romneys-secret-bundlers/2012/06/09/gJQAkAqkQV_story.html

    A more troubling difference is that Mr. Romney provided almost no information about the key “bundlers” who helped his campaign vacuum up such huge sums.

    This omission distinguishes the former Massachusetts governor not only from his Democratic counterpart but from his two Republican predecessors. Both President George W. Bush, during his two campaigns, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, during his 2008 presidential race, released lists of their key fundraisers and, at least within general parameters, some indication of their hauls. But Mr. Romney’s campaign has repeatedly dismissed suggestions that he follow suit. The campaign has said that it has complied with campaign finance laws, which do not mandate such information except in the case of registered federal lobbyists.
     

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