Obama's K-Street "Stealthy Operation"

[wyldwolf]

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is benefiting from the support of well-connected Washington lobbyists even though he has prohibited his campaign from accepting contributions from them and political action committees (PACs).

Mike Williams, the director of government relations at Credit Suisse Securities, said of the network of lobbyists supporting Obama: “I would imagine that it’s as large as the Clinton list,” in reference to rival presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is an entrenched favorite of the Washington Democratic establishment.

He said that while lobbyists cannot give money to Obama, they can give “policy” and “campaign support.”

Williams is actively building support for Obama among lobbyists and the corporate clients they represent. While other Obama supporters have described him as a leading activist, Williams demurs: “I wouldn’t want to put my position as a spearhead.” He acknowledges that the gains Obama is making among Washington’s Democratic establishment are hard to see because Obama’s K Street supporters have kept a low profile. As a result, Obama’s K Street network is a stealthy operation.

Other K Street players working to build momentum for Obama are former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), a consultant for Alston & Bird; Broderick Johnson, president of Bryan Cave Strategies LLC; Mark Keam, the lead Democratic lobbyist at Verizon; Jimmy Williams, vice president of government affairs for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America; Thomas Walls, vice president of federal public affairs at McGuireWoods Consulting; and Francis Grab, senior manager at Washington Council Ernst & Young.

Some of Obama’s K Street boosters keep their support a secret to uphold Obama’s image as a Washington outsider untainted by D.C.’s influence business.

One of the lobbyists, who supports Clinton, said that Shomik Dutta, a fundraiser for Obama’s campaign, called to ask if the lobbyist’s wife would be interested in making a political contribution.

“I was quite taken aback,” he said. “He was very direct in saying that you’re a lobbyist and we don’t want contributions from lobbyists. But your wife can contribute and we like your network.”

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obamas-k-street-project-2007-03-28.html

(Quoted by David Sirota here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/the-marriage-of-corruptio_b_44529.html)

[mahina]

1. What world does Sirota live in, I wonder.

What better, more practical response? Sorry, I don't think that's wrong. Compared to what, especially? K street didn't win this time, and that was a major surprise.

[Adelante]

2. These "No PAC" promises are always nonsense

There are too many ways around it. What's the difference between a PAC and a corporate bundle, for example? Not a whole lot.

[skipos]

3. I expect lots of "Obama is no better than Hillary" articles & statements

now that Clinton Inc sees what a threat Obama is.

Alas, it is going to take a LOT more than this to convince me that Hillary should be our nominee.

[Colobo]

4. I expected Hillarites to come up with this kind of threads

This is called desperation time, ladies and gents.

[zulchzulu]

5. Woe is me. I thought Obama got money from little forest nymphs

Sheesh...

I'm glad to see Carville and McAulliffe with their panties in a bunch.

[mmonk]

6. So

he can control other people or he would stop them from contributing since they are getting around his rule about lobbyists?

[ieoeja]

7. Obama outmaneuvers Clinton AGAIN!!!

For a team that was supposed to have sooooooo much more political savy than Obama's, Clinton's team is looking pretty inept. This is especially true considering the fact that Obama did not even start putting his team together until the start of this quarter while Clinton's was years in the making.

I don't find this particularly surprising. Clinton's team is largely made up of the same people who decided we should cede more than half the United States to the Righists, overseeing the deconstruction of the national party in the progress. I wonder if they apply that same logic to fund-raising, or just to voters?

[Learn2Swim]

8. Indeed.

[Cameron27]

9. It looks like Sirota's backing Edwards,

"John Edwards: The People Party Candidate of 2008"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/john-edwards-the-people-_b_45053.html

and there we part company. I say expose the PAC & bundling deals of all the candidates before singling out Obama.

[rinsd]

10. Sorry wyldwofl but fuck Sirota. He's still bitter about Lamont.

That is why you will see him ceaselessly attack Obama from now until election day.

He was so sure his guy could win if Obama had campaigned hard for him and since Obama gave a mere endorsement he holds a grudge. Fuck him.