Edwards and Obama take lobbyist money even though they said they would not

[rinsd]

I am so sick of the hit and run bs attacks on Hillary Clinton by a small group of so called supporters of these two camapaigns

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?cycle=2008

[wyldwolf]

1. yeah... but... but... not as much as Clinton. The acceptable level ends where Hillary's begins!

[rinsd]

10. And we're talking freaking peanuts here compared to their overalls hauls!

I have done my best to not attack other Democrats but the bullshit smearing of Hillary has to stop.

[Tellurian]

24. It won't.!

There isn't another candidate besides Hillary that can guarantee she will fight the Republicans and Win the White House.
And if they try to steal votes, I trust Hillary and Bill will fight them with everything they've got.

[maddezmom]

2. just googled, found this right away

Obama returns more than $50,000 in lobbyists' contributions

By JIM KUHNHENN
The Associated Press
Published April 13, 2007, 9:25 PM CDT
WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign has returned more than $50,000 in political contributions after discovering the donors were lobbyists

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070413obama-lobbyists,1,108302.story?ctrack=3&cset=true

[Catchawave]

4. We all knew it was a mistake, he apologized and returned the money

But sometimes that's never good enough on DU :silly: I think the OP just wants to start something?

[Forkboy]

5. Ya think?

I am so sick of the hit and run bs attacks on Hillary Clinton by a small group of so called supporters of these two campaigns

[rinsd]

11. Yup I'm spoiling for a fight.

Obama won't take federal lobbyist money. But he will take their advice and he will take money from their spouses and he will take state lobbyist money.

People wanna call Hillary dirty for a total of below one half a percent of her haul from lobbyists,
then we're gonna have a frank and open discussion about what candidates really mean when they say no lobbyist money.

[rinsd]

7. Read the fine print

Emphasis mine

"I'm not taking federal lobbyist money in this campaign."

He will take from state lobbyists in IL though.

"While shunning lobbyists money, the Obama campaign still has relied on political and policy advice from Washington lobbyists and does accept donations from lobbyists spouses."

[NYCGirl]

3. Does this include the $50,000 that Obama returned?

Yet the term “lobbyist” has become a loaded one in the public imagination, and the industry’s tarnished image is affecting how hopefuls campaign for the White House. Two 2008 presidential contenders — Obama and Edwards — so far have refused contributions from federally registered advocates. Obama has gone as far as to return $50,000 from lobbyists.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/veiled-lobbyists-give-700000-2007-04-18.html

[rinsd]

9. From the same article

"Donors identify themselves, including by occupation, on contributions to candidates. Of the major contenders, almost all report a few self-identified lobbyists on their donor rosters, including Obama. (While he has refused funds from federally registered lobbyists, he has accepted donations from lobbyists at the state level)."

[Colobo]

6. Obama returned the money. Next topic.

[rinsd]

8. Naahhh he just takes it from the spouses (nt)

[draft_mario_cuomo]

15. Why doesn't HRC do the same?

[rinsd]

16. HRC seems to be the only dealing with this honestly

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3224914&mesg_id=3225188

[SaveElmer]

22. You mean claim to not take PAC money, but then actually take it?

You mean that?

[GreenArrow]

12. yeah, pretty much everything HIllary gets accused of

is applicable to Edwards and Obama. What's good for the goose...

[FrenchieCat]

13. They all take money from Lobbyists........

and it is just that some use the "technicalities" of the label "Washington Lobbyist" to mislead us.....cause we're supposed to deal with the labels, not the facts. :eyes:

Now, as far as I know, Obama and Edwards have taken the same pledge - no PAC money for their Senate and Presidential campaigns and no money from "Washington" lobbyists. But it's a game, and everyone knows it, and as someone who's not a Clinton fan, at least she's honest about it. In other words, both Obama and Edwards have taken PAC money for their own "leadership" PACs. And both only ban contributions from "Washington" lobbyists, i.e. those registered in Washington, but not state lobbyists, even though the interests those state lobbyists represent may have business before the federal government. And neither bans contributions from lobbyists spouses or children or associates or shys away from corporations or interests that have PACS and lobbyists. For example, Edwards' supporters like to talk about how all the time he spent working for the Poverty Center at Chapel Hill in 2005-2006, but they seldeom if ever mention his employment from 10/05 to 12/06 at a big investment firm on Wall Street. Now that investment firm has a PAC, from which Edwards won't take a $5,000 contribution. But he did take $150,000 from that firm's employees in the first quarter this year, out of the $1 million he raised New York that quarter. So, someone explain to me the difference, real or perceived, in terms of influence and access: $5,000 from the investment firm's PAC or $150,000 from the investment firm's employees (the same people who fund the PAC after all).
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/17/132244/895?detail=f

[rinsd]

14. I know. But thanks for more evidence (nt)

[draft_mario_cuomo]

17. Why didn't you list the actual numbers? HRC beats even the Repubs at lobbyist fundraising

From your link:

Hillary Clinton (D)


graph $168,050

John McCain (R)


graph $147,850

Mitt Romney (R)


graph $93,874

Rudolph W. Giuliani (R)


graph $82,650

Christopher J. Dodd (D)


graph $59,750

Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D)


graph $48,750

Barack Obama (D)


graph $29,079

Bill Richardson (D)


graph $23,400

Duncan Hunter (R)


graph $15,250

John Edwards (D)


graph $12,950

Tommy Thompson (R)


graph $10,000

Sam Brownback (R)


graph $5,000

Mike Huckabee (R)


graph $500

[rinsd]

20. Wow a whole half percent of her haul, they really own her

:eyes:

At least she didn't misrepresent herself as not accepting PAC and lobbyist money only to skirt around it by taking state lobbyist as opposed to fedderal lobbyist money or taking money from lobbyist spouses.

[SaveElmer]

21. Edwards and Obama have a habit of doing that it seems...

Political pandering I guess....

Oops...guess I shouldn't have said that...you know you are only allowed to call Hillary a panderer around here... :sarcasm:

[Clark2008]

18. Does the Trial Lawyers Association qualify as a lobbiest?

I know that's where Edwards gets most of his money.

:shrug:

[rinsd]

19. Nope (nt)

[Cameron27]

23. Yep, I have to agree with you rinsd.

Clinton's getting hit on this, but the others not so much.