Tags: 50-state-strategy, campaign finance, campaign finances, Democracy For America, DNC, Grassroots fundraising
Probably like all of you, I got this letter today.
"Dear Diana, I wanted to drop you a quick note about a major policy change here at the Democratic Party.
As we move toward the general election, the Democratic Party has to be the Party of ordinary Americans, not Washington lobbyists and special interests. So, as of this morning, if you're a federal lobbyist, or if you control political action committee donations, we won't be accepting your contribution.
This is an unprecedented move for a political party to make -- one that has sent shockwaves through Washington and has turned the debate on clean campaigns upside down. We've unilaterally agreed to shut lobbyists out of the process, and are we're relying on people just like you. Just imagine what hundreds of thousands of Americans donating $20, $30, or $50 at a time can accomplish together. Imagine the signal that it sends to anyone who looks at John McCain's political machine and the special interest money it needs to fuel every move it makes. We have a chance to change the way business is done in this country, and we're taking the lead. Will you join us and make a contribution right now to help us elect Barack Obama?
http://www.democrats.org/nonlobbyists
I've written before about guys like Charlie Black and Rick Davis, lobbyists who are at the highest levels of McCain's campaign. But they're just the start -- John McCain and the RNC suck up lobbyist money millions of dollars at a time.
In May, McCain had his best fundraising month of the campaign, and it was directly because he refuses to shut special interests out. But we did, and we need your help. This is an example of the kind of White House Barack Obama would run. Make a contribution to help elect him:
http://www.democrats.org/nonlobbyists
I'll be in touch later about our plans for the general election, but I wanted to let you know about our policy change right away.
Thanks, Howard Dean"
Now I'm thinking this could be great, or it could bankrupt the party. And what defines "lobbyists"? Are Unions lobbyists? They are special interests. They do try and get policy passed.
One one side this could get more individual donors realizing there responsibility is more then just a union due. This would get them to donate even more. On the other side we aren't letting organized groups (some lobbys are good) pool money and then give to the DNC.
I'm not an expert on how this stuff works, so please pass along information you may have (especially works sited) so that I can learn more.
Peace, Diana M. Painter
So those who bash this, which some will try to do, are just Republicans trying to stir trouble up. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
Your questions about definitions is warranted. I hope they are answered relatively soon.
Link
Here is a good article discussing it, taken straight from the RNC TP.
Link
"Obama now has 14 bundlers who are also federally registered lobbyists, but they are currently inactive, according to Public Citizen. [this means WERE](Clinton has 22 lobbyist bundlers; McCain has 70.) However, campaign-finance reformers point out that no campaign has ever taken the step of banning current and former lobbyists. “Itâ& amp; euro;™s hard to come up with any stronger of a firewall,†says Craig Holman of Public Citizen."
That’s not to say there isn’t a distinction between Obama and McCain. “The McCain campaign, you can’t spit without hitting another lobbyist there,†says David Donnelly, director of the Public Campaign Action Fund."
This really is a big step. The other thing I think is when individuals (even lobbyists) donate the law gets applied the same to everyone. We all can only give so much. Fairness (more balance) between me and those with LOTS of money is lowered , but not extinguished. This is one reason I like not taking PAC money. But I know it is hard for "little d" campaigns to not use them as a source of money. This is something that our county party has discussed in depth and we will continue to discuss. I like public financing. There, I said it.
Teal Baker, who recieved her first payment from Obama campaign on June 13, represented 18 corporation. The Podesta groug paid over 2 Mil for 6 months for BBaker to represent them. SENATE OFFICE OF PUBLIC RECORDS.
Hurlbut lobbyed for National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies while being a liaison to veterans, union members andd seniro citizens.
Link
I was googling the names and came up with the other article.
I'm looking for others that explain it well too, let me know if you have any.
I'll put the rest I collect together tomorrow morning. Looking at that RNC memo, and now it is written, with all it's sources and stuff, just reminds me how slippery language is. I'm seeing David Domke speak at our AFL-CIO convention on Monday and am going to bring it up with him.
Yeah for Linguistics! Only one of the many branches of Anthropology that keep the world interesting.
Also, it was a Republican legislature that passed the paper-trail bill.
You may still be angry about what may seem to you as being unfairly punished for your majority republican state legislature's behavior, but please use that anger as energy to make Florida more Democratic so that Republicans don't try and take away your vote like they did ever again.
If there were more Democrats in the statehouse, there wouldn't have been a problem.
Keep up the energy. Republicans are trying hard to keep you angry at democrats so they can continue to steal the power from the voters of Florida.
Protect your vote, don't give to the Big D races, if you don't want, give to your local or state party. Those are the wins that will protect you in the future.
Now that the DNC becomes Obama's de-facto campaign organization, the party will become even stronger: when we reject special interests money and compete by pooling the resources of millions of every day Americans, we begin to enact the very change we need to see happen in washington.
As the old activist saying goes: Think globally, act locally.
Go Dems!