OddlyAmerican:

One good source for the special interest stuff is:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/indus.php?cycle=2008& cid=N00009638

I’ll get you some other links to articles, etc. that speak to this issue.

Peace.

Thanks for the info Maani,

I was wondering if you could direct me to a source for those fundraising figures for the purpose of future debates.

Thanks again

Eric:

“...It is the source of the money that is important...the majority of Sen. Obama’s money comes from people’s small donations over the Internet and is therefore democratic, end of story.”

If you believe that, then you must also believe there was a connection between Saddam and 9/11.  LOL.

Actually, the operative word in your statement is “majority.” Yet even this is misleading, especially depending on how you define “small donations.” If you mean $10, $25 and $50, you would be wrong.  If you mean $1,000 or under, you would be correct.  Yet $1,000 is not exactly “small,” at least as far as MY wallet goes.  LOL.

As for “majority,” it is true that, by sheer NUMBER of donations, the overwhelming majority came from individuals giving $1,000 or less.  However, the actual DOLLAR AMOUNT of donations for his primary campaign is not the same story.  In this case, of the ~$175 million he raised during the primary campaign, fully one-quarter to one-third came from “special interests” (yes, despite all the debates here, he took special interest money, just as Hillary did...) like the financial, energy, health care, and other industries.  “Wall Street” ALONE donated over $10 million, and the energy industry even more.  Still, it is true that Obama’s fundraising prowess from “the little guy” is what put him over the top, and he is to be commended for that.

However, to renege on a campaign promise to use public financing if his opponent did (and McCain did agree to it) is at best questionable and at worst dishonest.  And don’t be fooled: Obama knew when he made that promise that 527s would be an issue.  Yet NO ONE can control 527s: not McCain, not Obama.  So either Obama made the promise knowing full well he would not keep it, or he is “using” the 527 issue to back away so he can make an end run around the public campaign finance system.

BTW, everyone might find the following piece by David Brooks interesting (no ad hominem attacks, now, children; debate the piece on the merits):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/opinion/20brooks.htm l?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

Peace.

Why don’t you mention that Senator Feingold, an anti-war liberal, has pointed out that Obama lied when he claimed that the “system is broken”? Too bad for Obama to report? Feingold explained that the system is broken for primaries but not for the presidential race. Obama nose has grown another inch.

Purple Girl was that a rebuffal to my point?

If so I would ask you to point to one progressive stand Obama has taken.

I have always disagreed on certain positions he has taken i.e. death penalty, gay marriage, healthcare, and corporate subsidies but still supported him. On all those said issues Obama has taken a right wing stance. However, it bothered me little for his commitment to democratic values was his appeal. And now he backs out of an agreement to help curb the excesses of private money in politics. Obama has opened the floodgates for future wealthy elites to disenfranchise the less well-off all in presidential politics all for political his own capital.

He is an embarrassment to progressives, but seemingly many progressives cannot see the wood for trees because of the huge damage Republicans have wreaked since their so-called revolution in the nineties. The damage has manifested as a hatred so potent amongst many that they are reluctant to criticize a leader badly in need of a reality check from the very base that propelled him into this election.

Let Mac Wallow in his big donor money- Let them continue their Propaganda- No One is listening any more.They Road their Political Gravey Train as far as it will go.
The Voting Republicans have seen and Felt their lies. the independents saw it a long time ago and deserted, The Dems have Identified the Traitors from within. We know who and what have Highjacked our country.We even see those who have been covert operatives- taking on our causes as camoflague while undermining the very basic tenents of our movements (Hillary-Lying and Demanding the Door be opened and the chair Pulled out for her, as ‘heir Apparent’- Neo Con Tactics can not be disguised even when dressed up in a Blue Pantsuit).
so do your best with your big Money Arms length Away Campaigning - while we get out and commune with the masses- Mono e Mono.I’m having a Party with my numerous ‘Republican’ & Independent minded Friends and this old liberal will have 30 + yrs of Creditability and affection to combat your commercials and Lies. Believe Me they Trust Me far more than You- I’ve always been there When You have failed. I have been the ‘Lucy’ for personal problems and consolement- now they are admitting I also have some insight to Politics.You have Proven My point far better than I over the last 30 yrs. When You say shit about ‘Liberal Dems’ You are talking about Me- their life long friend,their Neighbor, their Co Worker, the gal who waves at them with the sign “support the Troops end the War Sign ‘ on her front lawn. ‘WE’ are far more ‘rich’ and Powerful then You.

This really takes the biscuit.

First he votes for the special interest dominated, povery exacerbatig corporate welfare boondoggle The Farm Bill, which, by the way EVEN McCain didn’t vote for because of the bloated subsidies.

Then the neo-con AIPAC speech, and now he disavows his intention to use public funds and cap nominee spending, setting a dangerous precedent for future nominees to spend willy-nilly thus making presidential politics even more the exclusive domain of elites. This portends very badly for the future of our democracy.

And the argument I hear relentlessly from Obama supporters that this is a true democratic campaign because the ‘real’ people are choosing where to put their money is ultimately a libertarian platform. It’s insane.  It cannot only prove beneficial to democracy when it serves only your candidate.

No matter how much some progressives hate the right, the field must be level. This is the very commitment Barack Obama has consistently campaigned upon, and now he renegs because he has the advantage?! Of course 527s must be addressed, even the recent Moveon.org ads against John McCain must be reigned in if we are to support this. We cannot have it both ways, we must stick to liberal democratic values and not hitch our star to a candidate of symbolism hoping to hitch our values on too.

Public funds for presidential candidates audaciously attempt to level the playing field, going some way to make the process more democratic. What if in eight years time we have a popular Republican in an arena where there is no sending cap and money flows to them. Would progressives accept that? Absolutely not. But this is the precedent Obama has set.

He is no better than McCain in spirit or in substance. The only issue I might be convinced of Barack Obama’s need to be President is the Supreme Court and reproductive rights. For all the rest of it, it’s just the same old tired politics.

Right now, I see nothing progressive about Obama nor, in fact, any allusions to change or strengthening of the democratic process. He is a disappointing politician hidden under a veil of symbolism.

It is not just his opting out of public financing. In the past few days, he has also tightened control over media access to his campaign, had secret meetings with religious leaders, backed away from his stance on NAFTA, brought “old guard” economists into the fold (including Jason Furman, who is not only pro-WalMart, but also for privatization of social security), brought “old guard” foreign policy advisors into the fold (Albright et al) and, of course, chose an “old guard” pol - with serious conflict problems - as head of his VP selection team, creating his first “mini-scandal” even before the convention.

It certainly seems like he is backtracking from campaign promises and formerly stated policies - and making errors - at an alarming rate.

So much for “new politics.”

Peace.

I clicked too soon. That is to finish up with..if he was maintaining the rules of campaign public finance. A bit of a handicap to say the least.

Sort of like putting a few thousand pounds of quicksand at ones feet, or using a popscicle stick in place of the standard golf club.

I knew this would bring out the Obama lynch mob.

Meantime, this is the only *intelligent* decision he could make.

He’s smart enough to know, (and makes it a point to acknowledge it) that McCains campaign finance team will be straight up “Rove”, and those scumbags KNOW how to manipulte ALL of the rules there. Five-Twenty-Seven PAC’s will be out in full force, and they WILL DELIVER the bucks for McCain. (lets face it, they’re the only ones who HAVE those big bucks).

So, it foolish to think that this does McCain any kind of ‘disservice’, just because his funds have been paltry so far.

Nope, when those 527’s get involved, (which they were going to do regardless) McCain will be rolling in the bucks. They’ll be rolling in from the very ones who have the most to lose, (at least in their sickly imperial minds) when Obama becomes the President. The last thing they want is to give up the power they’ve spent so much time in amassing.

Anyway, Obama knows the deal. Public financing would only have worked if there was a sliver of expectation of the repugs to actually abide by the established rules. (more irony for mcsame). They never have, and there’s no reason to expect them to do it now. As a matter of fact, it would be really dumb NOT to expect them to use their same tactics.

This should have been a no-brainer for Barack. It probably was, which is why that part about it being a difficult decision was probably some rhetoric.

Then again, maybe it was a tough decision, since I believe that HE honestly does believe in that system the way it was intended. But, he’s right, that system is truly busted..and he’d never survive the corruption if he was abiding the limitations and

troublesome, please. His entire primary campaign was essentially financed by the public. Why should he settle for a meager 80 million when he can raise much more from his impressively large base?

$$ Change He Can Believe In $$