Kerry Leads in Lobby Money -WP

[Rose Siding]

Anti-Special-Interest Campaign Contrasts With Funding
By Jim VandeHei

Saturday, January 31, 2004; Page A01

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who has made a fight against corporate special interests a centerpiece of his front-running campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, has raised more money from paid lobbyists than any other senator over the past 15 years, federal records show.

Kerry, a 19-year veteran of the Senate who fought and won four expensive political campaigns, has received nearly $640,000 from lobbyists, many representing telecommunications and financial companies with business before his committee, according to Federal Election Commission data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

For his presidential race, Kerry has raised more than $225,000 from lobbyists, better than twice as much as his nearest Democratic rival. Like President Bush, Kerry has also turned to a number of corporate officials and lobbyists to "bundle" contributions from smaller donors, often in sums of $50,000 or more, records provided by his campaign show.
snip>

Kerry on Jan. 19 said he would "happily release any lobbyist meeting I've ever had," but has yet to do so. Cutter said Kerry will not release records until he compiles data on every meeting over the past 19 years, which will be a "pretty lengthy process." Kerry will not release it "piecemeal," she said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64727-2004Jan30.html?nav=hptop_tb

[girl gone mad]

1. Pretty stark compared to..

Clark, who has released all of his records.

[krkaufman]

7. Pretty stark compared to...

.... what he'd told all the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire, etc.

SSDD

Crikey! It's time for a CHANGE in Washington! We keep asking for a candidate who's not tainted by politics, but lsalksdfjlkjjAFADSHG

[gulfcoastliberal]

2. Is Jim VandeHei a Nom de Plume

...for Nedra Pickler?

<edit to decapitalize "a">

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. F**K the Washington Post

This is clearly a smear piece. WP has no shame, the right is getting scared.

[krkaufman]

8. How is it a smear piece?

I view a "smear" piece as taking something out of context and using it against someone.

Say, like... one candidate correcting a Republican shill as to the candidate's military rank at retirement, with a side comment as to his opponents rank; and then his opponent and surrogates run about acting like the candidate had pissed upon all military men. Even going so far as to say something like: "I haven't seen a General be so dismissive of lieutenants. Lieutenants bleed a lot in wars."

That would be smear tactics. Twisting the facts to suit your political gain; honesty and integrity be damned.

Total bullshit. (And the number one reason I loathe the man.)

The Post piece appears to be factual. And in contrast to what the candidate has professed.

[porkrind]

19. Jim Carrey

Carrey: "Your Honor, I object!"

Judge: "Why?"

Carrey: "Because it's devastating to my case!"

;)

[molly]

4. I thought LBN meant LATEST BREAKING NEWS

like something compelling and IMPORTANT that just happened - kind of like a bombing or a train wreck or Bush resigns - know what I mean? Is this little piece of info any of those - don't you think it belongs in either of the 2 politics forums?

[Rose Siding]

5. Saturday, January 31, 2004; Page A01

Front page of a nat'l paper.

If this compelling and important story has been reported before, I missed it and I did do a search.

[girl gone mad]

6. Seems to be within the rules.

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[jamesinca]

11. It is called being the front runner

Dean was kicked around like this all summer and fall. Kerry and Gephardt were trying to hold onto third in the polls and were spreading most of this stuff along with Clark. Dean for the moment has fallen from grace and Kerry has assumed the role of front runner and all the garbage that comes with it. Dean, Clark and Edwards along with the press are going to go after him. If and when he falls from grace, somebody else will start getting torn apart. That is the sick reality of it.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

17. Waaaaa! They beat up on po' lil Kerry.

If you can't take the heat, stay out of politics. Cry baby.

JB

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

9. the phrase "in the pocket" comes to mind

If some interests have Kerry in their pocket then we have a right to know who these groups are-- then we can make a well informed decision about whether we'll support that.
There is nothing wrong with Lobbyists or the Lobby idea but there needs to be reform and they should refrain from political contributions.

I just want to know who owns each candidate so I can vote accordingly.

[Eloriel]

10. Hmm, sounds like he's learned some evasion lessons from the

George W. Bush administration and perhaps other GOPers.

[FubarFly]

12. If it turns out that Kerry is more in the interests of the corporations,

then the people, I won't vote for him.

This doesn't help.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

16. Is there any question about this? His record is CLEAR

Why Dean and others haven't talked about Kerry's corporate grubbing ways is beyond me. If any of the viable Democratic candidates scream "establishment," it's Kerry.

JB

[Rose Siding]

20. More lobbyist money than repubs, even

More than Lott or Santorum or Frist or STEVENS.

Some could be from public interest lobbyists, but the telecom industry is invested in him. I hope we find out who else.

snip>
One of Kerry's biggest -- and perhaps most controversial -- donors has been the Boston-based law firm Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo. The group, which lobbies on behalf of the telecommunications industry -- and employs the senator's brother, Cameron -- is his single largest contributor over the course of his Senate career. David Leiter, Kerry's former chief of staff, is vice president of a lobbying company affiliated with the Boston-based law firm.

[Rose Siding]

13. He learned what the people want

from someone else, too-

snip>
Kerry, who did not begin his campaign with a heavy emphasis on fighting lobbyists, appears to have usurped the special interest message from Edwards and Dean over the past few months. Now, Kerry's standard campaign refrain includes this warning to the "special interests" and their lobbyists: "We're coming, you're going and don't let the door hit you on the way out."

[Zinnola]

14. Why am I not surprised.....

Kerry's record is following the polls for what will garner him attention. The man is not a real leader and about time his inconsistencies get full view.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

15. Kerry is Corporate America's choice...no REAL change in Washington

Figures...

JB

[leesa]

18. Is this why corporate media is choosing him as our candidate?

Near the bottom in polling prior to Iowa and suddenly a huge frontrunner??? Sounds a bit like the elections of 2000, 2002 and the Governator. Miraculous alterations in reality.

[MikeG]

21. Compared to how much Whistle Ass is getting from these

people, its a drop in the bucket.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

22. Here are the numbers (FACTS) on Corporate Whore - Kerry

According to federal campaign contribution data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, Sen. John Kerry has received the most money from lobbyists than any other senator, current or former, dating back to 1989, when the Center first starting compiling data.

Contributions from lobbyists (excluding lawyer/lobbyists) to all senators 1989 through Sept. 31. 2003

1 Kerry, John (D) $638,358
2 Gore, Al (D) $595,589
3 Shelby, Richard C (R-AL) $490,314
4 Daschle, Tom (D-SD) $465,089
5 Specter, Arlen (R-PA) $434,143
6 Harkin, Tom (D-IA) $392,210
7 Dodd, Chris (D-CT) $391,026
8 Reid, Harry (D-NV) $376,004
9 Hollings, Fritz (D-SC)$369,209
10 Dole, Bob (R) $358,975


========
The top recipients of lobbyist contributions of all federal candidates (not limited to senators) include several current and former 2004 presidential candidates (data from January through Sept 2003).

Top federal candidates receiving lobbyist money in 2003:

1 Bush, George W (R) $845,262
2 Gephardt, Richard A (D) $229,942
3 Kerry, John (D) $226,450
4 Shelby, Richard (R-AL) $199,671
5 Reid, Harry (D-NV) $173,510
6 Daschle, Tom (D-SD) $156,300
7 Grassley, Chuck (R-IA) $135,500
8 Specter, Arlen (R-PA) $126,971
9 Lieberman, Joe (D) $106,935
10 Dorgan, Byron L (D-ND) $101,318


=====================

[KingofSwords]

24. that's unfair...

How do you except Democrats to raise enough money to beat Bush without accepting corporate donations? Kerry isn't a corporate whore for accepting corporate donations. The issue isn't accepting corporate donations, it's whether or not Kerry will do "favors" in return. Any proof of that?

[KingofSwords]

23. On one hand

It bothers me that Kerry is taking so much money from corporate interests but on the other hand it'd be hard for a candidate to beat Bush without raising billions of dollars and so far corporate interests are the easiest way to get this money.

The question isn't whether or not Kerry takes money from corporate interests but whether or not he'll trade favors for money. Frankly, I've seen nothing to point me to that conclusion.

[Rose Siding]

28. In 19 years in the Senate, Kerry has written

14 pieces of health care legislation. Not one has become law.

What kind of information, exactly would be evidence of favors?

[KingofSwords]

29. so what?

He can't unilaterally pass laws.

[Malva Zebrina]

25. Hope it is not more of the same

since we do not have much of a choice. We MUST get Bush outa there. I have my reservations about an entrenched candidate like Kerry. I really do, intuitively, think he has been there too long and too long a member of the good old boy club. Neverthe less I will commit to voting for him because there is and will be no other choice.

First choice is Kucinich whom I love, and second choice is Dean. If Kerry is the nominee, well then I am forced to vote for him in spite of my doubt and reservations. However, if it were to be Lieberman, I would NOT vote for him. I would choose , instead, the socialist candidate.

[KingofSwords]

26. How could Kucinich beat Bush...

When he can't beat even Al Sharpton.

[llmart]

27. This is just the beginning

which is why I am supporting Dean first and Kerry second. If you think what the media did to Dean was crushing, if Kerry wins the nomination you'll see the old line of "there's no real difference between the parties" which is what doomed us last time. So many Dems won't vote if they see one Washington insider pitted against another. And then Nader will jump in. I just wish we could all get on the same page here as Dems and see that what hurts us is that we've lost the distinction of the party of the people. Dean brings that to the party.