Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader, top Congressional recipient of contributions from lobbyists, PACS.

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/16/us/politics/16congcnd.html?hp&ex=1163739600&en=ff1c971279854b88&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Mr. Hoyer came in for criticism of his own Wednesday from an outside watchdog group, Public Citizen. It ranked him as a top Congressional recipient of contributions from lobbyists and political action committees, receiving more than $5.6 million in PAC money since 2000. Mr. Murtha collected about half that much.

“Both candidates for House leadership have taken large amounts of special interest money,” said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2318

Nov. 15, 2006

Murtha and Hoyer Both Rank High in Special Interest Money

Hoyer Ranks No. 1, Murtha Is No. 18 in Dependency on Special Interest Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Both men vying to be the next House majority leader have taken large amounts of special interest money, according to a Public Citizen analysis. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) ranks No. 1 in dependency on special interest dollars; Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) ranks No. 18.

Public Citizen developed the rankings after analyzing contributions from lobbyists, out-of-state donors, political action committees (PACs) and the percentage of contributions from donors who gave $200 or less. The data include contributions from January 1999 to June 2006, except for contributions from lobbyists, which stop at Dec. 31, 2005.

According to the analysis, Hoyer took $609,836 from lobbyists (ranking fifth among House members in lobbyist contributions), $2.46 million from out-of-state donors (ranking 10th in out-of-state donor contributions) and $5.67 million in PAC money since 2000 (ranking sixth in PAC money taken).

Murtha took $684,550 from lobbyists (ranking second among House members in lobbyist contributions), $2.66 million from out-of-state donors (ranking seventh in out-of-state donor contributions) and $2.55 million from PACs (ranking 44th in PAC money taken).

Hoyer received $3.79 million from business PACs, while Murtha took $1.98 million.

[redqueen]

1. I'm glad the first thing on the list

is to clean up the lobbying mess.

They darn well better do it right.

[texpatriot2004]

2. Hoyer is HORRID! nm

[DaveinMD]

3. no he's not

He's a good Democrat who really believes in party building.

[Stand and Fight]

5. That is NOT the case.

Do your research on the two candidates and see who is closer to your views. Hoyer has a solid Democratic record; whereas, Jack Murtha has largely distinguished himself for coming out against the Iraq War. Hoyer has been fighting hard for progressive policies, raised and gave a lot of money in 2006, and is to the left of Jack Murtha on most issues.

Honestly people... Can we get pass this bullshit and get down to how we're going to solve problems like Iraq, health-care, and education than having petty debates? We're the majority party now. Maybe we ought to act like it and cut the crap.

[OzarkDem]

24. What's Hoyer's position on health care reform?

That's a pretty good litmus test...

[Stand and Fight]

4. Enough with this nonsense.

:rant: Is that what we're going to spend our time in the Majority doing? Attacking Democrats for petty reasons like who took more money from special interests? This is all so much bullshit and I am getting sick and tired of the gosh-damn circular firing squad. We need to put our efforts together to form a cohesive and realistic stance on the issues that really matter like taxes, health-care, the Iraq War, and education to name a few. Attacking fellow Democrats or arguing about them is a egregious waste of time at this point, and I hope DUers will focus their energies on more positive pursuits than the smearing bullshit of articles like the one posted above.
:rant:

[flpoljunkie]

7. Can you imagine Hoyer supporting real lobbying reform--reform that breaks the ties between lobbyists

and legislation? We will all have to wait and see if Democrats are really serious about cleaning up Washington.

D.C. Dispatch January 24, 2006

Political Pulse by William Schneider (CNN's political analyst)

K Street's Capitol Connection

Republicans are hoping that the corruption issue won't hurt them in November. (As we found out yesterday, it hurt them "big-time!")

Columnist Michael Kinsley once wrote,"The scandal in Washington isn't what's illegal. It's what's legal."

Consider, for example, what lobbyists do. They make campaign contributions. They chair re-election committees. They give money to foundations and political action committees controlled by members of Congress. They hold fundraisers that yield a lot more money than individual lobbyists are allowed to contribute. They sponsor retreats for lawmakers. They throw lavish parties to honor politicians.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200601...

[PVnRT]

9. Can you imagine Murtha supporting abortion rights?

Guess what, both candidates are slimy in their own way. I am sick of Murtha being the Progressive Hero of the Hour because he spoke out against the Iraq war and Jean Schitt decided to be a bitch about it.

For that matter, do you really think campaign finance reform will pass until we sweep out 75% of Congress anyway?

[flpoljunkie]

10. Democrats control the agenda. There will be no votes on abortion. Public financing of campaigns

will not pass unless we, the citizens, demand it.

[PVnRT]

11. ...and what makes Murtha friendlier to it than Hoyer?

hmmmmmmm?

[flpoljunkie]

13. Murtha said he would be support Pelosi. Will Steny "K Street" Hoyer? I doubt it!

[PVnRT]

26. What does this have to do with campaign finance reform?

?

[Robbien]

23. There you go. Now that's the best answer I've seen yet

It is the GOP which keeps pushing polarizing social agenda legislation. If Dems do not put forth polarizing social agenda legislation, then we don't have to worry about who would vote which way on whatever.

[donkeyotay]

14. They legalized bribery

Columnist Michael Kinsley once wrote,"The scandal in Washington isn't what's illegal. It's what's legal."

This was once the top issue - getting the money out of politics. Let's see, we had McCain-Feingold, then there was the election where they sopped up the discontent with Ross Perot and the movement/party he started. We've had the 3rd party fiascoes. Now here we are down the road with things so bad we don't have the ability to even talk about how they got this way.

It's the money. It's the legalized bribery. It's the corruption.

And the beauty of the system is that everyone in Washington and the media is a success under the system and motivated to go along, while anyone criticizing is will pay the price. It's baked in.

[OzarkDem]

22. Yep, and it stops now n/t

Anyone have candidates on the Dem farm team who can be ready to challenge Hoyer or Emmanuel if they don't listen?

[mtnsnake]

17. Great post

thank you

[OzarkDem]

21. If we do it right, it shouldn't take long

send the message real quick and real clear that Dem voters aren't going to tolerate corporate influence and pay to play in our own party and anyone who shows even a hint of playing that game is on their way out.

Otherwise, there's no point in being the Majority if we let the same old gang of thieves run the show in Congress.

[wisteria]

6. meet the new Dem's same as the old Dem's- nothings going to get

accomplished.

[JaneQPublic]

8. The irony is Hoyer doesn't need a huge campaign war chest to get re-elected.

This last election, the GOP didn't even bother to run anyone against him. And in prior elections, he consistently won by huge margins.

As a resident in Hoyer's district, I can't for the life of me see why he needs all those campaign contributions when he's a sure bet to win each time.

[texpatriot2004]

12. kick nm

[KoKo]

15. flpoljunkie, your subject line misleads...Article says "one of top" not "top,"

just so you know. Someone posted yesterday that Murtha was the top in receiving lobbyist money. So, he's one of the top but not the top, either.

:hi: I'm sure you couldn't fit it in the subject line..but just wanted to clarify.

[flpoljunkie]

16. Hoyer Ranks No. 1, Murtha Is No. 18 in Dependency on Special Interest Funding

[oc2002]

18. The democrats have nothing to be proud of here.

Both are bad, but at least Murtha actualy stood up for something when it counted.

Hoyer is just a DLC hack.

[sandnsea]

19. Why am I so not surprised

Nothing on Hoyer's ethics for the last week. He gets elected and now this. lol. Hoyer was a fucking idiot for attacking Murtha on ethics. Stupid stupid stupid. If we don't put serious reform out very quickly next year, we'll completely lose whatever small moral authority we had to begin with.

[OzarkDem]

20. Its a new day - Pelosi cutting the influence of corporate lobbyist money

and Hoyer, et al had better be on board with it. Voters are very fed up. Corporations are not citizens and Dems who exert their influence to stop lobbying reform and the corrupt influence of pay to play politics should expect to see another Dem running against them in their next primary.

[Freddie Stubbs]

25. Public Citizen is a Ralph Nader front group

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_Citizen

His agenda is to tear down Democrats.

[flpoljunkie]

28. Ralph Nader no longer has any connection to Public Citizen.

[k_jerome]

27. time for the sour grapes. get it all out. nt.