Fallon discusses campaign finance donations

[pstans]

Ed Fallon held a press conference on Thursday saying that the other Democrat candidates for Governor are too comfortable with the current system of campaign finance. He also took a closer look at Chet Culver's financial records. Last week, he spoke about Patty Judge recieving money from large Ag industry.

From Blog for Iowa
Culver story: http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2006/2/2/1741872.html
Judge story: http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2006/1/26/1724762.html


Quoting the story on Culver...

“The whole campaign finance system is corrupt, with elections being sold to the highest bidder, rather than won by the candidates with the best ideas for moving our state forward,” Fallon said.

Over 65% of Culver’s donations in 2005 came from outside of Iowa, including over $300,000 from Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

“I think it’s obvious that donors from Chevy Chase, Maryland or Dallas, Texas who gave Chet tens of thousands will probably have more influence than a donor from Creston or Cresco who gave him $10,” Fallon said.

While refusing donations from political action committees, paid lobbyists and large donors, Fallon still received 2114 donations in 2005, compared to Culver’s 2080. However, Fallon’s average donor gave $52.08, while Culver’s average donor gave over $658.

The main issue in Fallon's campaign is campaign finance reform. He does not accept money from corporations and PAC's and caps individual donations at $2,400 per year.

http://www.fallonforgovernor.net

[rurallib]

1. And that is why I love him.

[tom2]

2. TV ads

I got to talk to Ed last night and asked him what would happen if he gets the nomination. What would happen if Nussle has 10 to 20 times as many tv ads as Fallon? After all, most Iowans pay no attention to politics. Most vote along party lines, and the rest vote mainly on who they see on television the most.

Nussle has out-raised Fallon about 20 to 1, and although Nussle's campaign expenses are much greater, the money left over for tv ads would be mostly in Nussle's favor. Ed said it would be more like 3:1 or 5:1, but I am skeptical.

I like Ed and his stances. I am also a fiscal conservative and have a libertarian streak. But could Ed pull it off without serious campaign money?

I hope so.

[pstans]

3. I see your point

However, I would also see outsiders spending money on ads against Nussle (I saw one over Christmas on Channel 9 out of Cedar Rapids about Nussle cutting money from Medicare and being bad for Seniors.). Groups would also spend money on ads supporting Fallon.

If Fallon gets the nomination, he would have the party's support behind him. I am not totally sure abotu this, but I'd think he accept money from the party. Did you talk to him about that?

[progressoid]

4. But wouldn't party money also come from big donors?

What Ed says about the system is true and his stand in noble. But, truth and nobility aren't going to keep the GOP from pouring a lot of money into their candidate's coffers. And if he doesn't have the cash to play the media game, he's going to have to have one hell of an efficient & low-cost grassroots operation to win.

[Debi]

6. Then Fallon would be a hypocrite

He'd let issue oriented groups (527s and PACs) who receive contributions from big money donors run ads against his opponent but won't take that money for his campaign?

I don't see how he could use the Party either, they also receive PAC money and large donor money.

Fallon shoots himself in the foot right after the primary if he does get help from any of these groups, he'll look like a fraud and the GOP will jump on it hard.

I've said it before, if he opposes PAC and interest group money then he can't use feet-on-street assistance from the Unions, he can't use Party assistance or money, he can't have and PACs help him in any way. And now that he's all about contributions only coming from within the state (since former Iowans or relatives or friends of current Iowans are now off limits as well) he has limited himself to only in-state contributions.

Iowa legislative and county elections were won in 2002 and 2004 by the Party's absentee ballot program. By Fallon's pledge he would not have use of that program, the one that the Kerry campaign ditched with two weeks left in the election (how'd that work out for Kerry?).

I'd like to get a Democrat elected, get a democratic controlled legislature and THEN enact campaign finance reform. Fallon's ideas aren't going to do us any good if we can't win in November.

[tom2]

7. Party Support

I assume that Fallon would take IDP financial support and certainly campaign organization if he got the nomination. But, I did not ask him about it. It would have been a good question.

There is also a question on how supportive the party would be of his campaign. They may prefer to let Ed twist in the wind.

[Debi]

5. I get what Fallon is saying overall

I just hope that he doesn't think that little of the other candidates as people.

Making such a broad assumtion that outside campaign contributions would sway the support one would have for their state (or their party??) means that the individual is very shallow and unintelligent (like, say, a Conrad Burns or Duke Cunningham).

I hope that Fallon is not implying that the individuals that he is running against for Governor all have souls to be sold and would sell Iowa and the Democratic Party out to the highest bidder.