Obama has famously (and rightfully) refused money from lobbyists and PACs. After he became the presumptive nominee, the DNC did the same. But both the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee still accept money from lobbyists and PACs.
As this issue of reform is (sadly) increasingly invisible in this campaign, we at Change Congress are launching a campaign to get the Dems to be consistent about this.
Ideally, the DSCC and DCCC should follow Obama’s lead, and swear off lobbyists & PAC money. Or at the very least, both should promise to do so if the Republicans do.
We’ve started a petition. Please help spread it.
Obama continues to take money from MoveOn.org, which is a political action committee.
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Source
“Barack Obama often boasts he is “the only candidate who isn’t taking a dime from Washington lobbyists,” yet his fundraising team includes 38 members of law firms that were paid $138 million last year to lobby the federal government, records show.
Those lawyers, including 10 former federal lobbyists, have pledged to raise at least $3.5 million for the Illinois senator’s presidential race. Employees of their firms have given Obama’s campaign $2.26 million, a USA TODAY analysis of campaign finance data shows”
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Obama’s K Street Project
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So it does appear the DSCC and the DCCC taking lobbyist money is consistent with the actions, not the faux message.
I am all in favor of eliminating lobbyists and lobbyist influences but let’s not pretend Obama is doing anything about it moreso than the other side. He also bowed out of federal financing after saying he would support it.
Candidate Obama would seem to be sending a contradictory message by his selection of Senator Biden with regards to this issue.
As one of the 2 million donors, I feel quite betrayed by Barack Obama.
On this specific issue, for example, his selection of Senator Biden contradicts the principles you’re rightly championing. Biden has been awash in lobbyist money for years.
What is the purpose of soliciting small donations if your intension is to ignore the will of contributors?
Senator Biden does have a lot of view that seem contrary but at this point don’t most Senators? If anything I would think a lot of Senator Biden’s policies will come more in line with Obama’s over time.
On the contrary… Obama has already shifted his position from an apparent anti-war stance to a pro-war stance with regards to Afghanistan. Voters are thus faced with a choice between two illegal wars when what they are calling for is peace and withdrawal.
Well i really hope Obama will win… and not becouse of him, but becouse of his promise to put Al Gore a vice presedent…
Even if the Democratic Party eschews PAC contributions to campaigns, PACs and corporations still exert influence through their sponsorship of the convention and other “celebrations”. AT&T just fetec legislators, lobbyists, and delegates in Denver at a secret closed-to-the-press party. Clearly they’re happy about the recent FISA bill passed with Obama’s support.
Prof. Lessig,
I heard you criticizing large contributions (from individuals?) as well. Could you elaborate on that?
B. Dewhirst:
You must not have been paying very close attention. Obama has been supportive of the war in Afghanistan and critical of the Administration taking resources away from it since 2002, and was reliably anti-Iraq and pro-Afghanistan throughout the primary campaign. His famous speech (the “speech he made in 2002” that Sen. Clinton said he’d bring to the table) was very clear on that: “I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.”
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama%27s_Iraq_Speech
Great video. You’re enthusiastic support is extremely refreshing and has motivated me to come out in vocal support as well…. http://is.gd/2u9p . I’ve used Joe Crimmings’ photo on my page and a few of your videos as links.