Can we come to a consensus on opensecrets instead of the rampant hypocrisy now going on?

[rinsd]

Open Secrets is the website for the Center of Responsive Politics which uses the FEC database to compile donations, donor demographic, sector contributions etc.

When donating to a candidate you must state your employer and Opensecrets uses that info to compile donations from various industries. They only do that for contributions that are $200 or larger. Now not all of these contributions are from executives in a given industry

Here is opensecrets methodology.

METHODOLOGY: The totals on these charts are calculated from PAC contributions and contributions from individuals giving more than $200, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. Individual contributions are generally categorized based on the donor's occupation/employer, although individuals may be classified instead as ideological donors if they've given more than $200 to an ideological PAC.

Opensecrets has been a great resource and has been used frequently on DU usually to show that one candidate or the other take money from the industry.

Repeatedly one side has gone after a candidate using those figures without any qualifier. That was fine.

But now some Duers want to add this qualifier to uncomfortable numbers for their candidate.

I am okay with that as long as that standard is applied to both candidates.

[goldcanyonaz]

1. Around here we can't even agree that snow is white.

[scheming daemons]

2. Fine.... just represent the numbers properly.....

$213,000 out of $160,000,000 in donations to Obama came from employees of oil companies.


99.8% of Obama's donations have come from people with NO connection to oil companies - even as employees.


So let's describe the numbers accurately.


Also..... There's no reference at OpenSecrets as to the position that the individuals hold at their employers... therefore, when Hillary's campaign says "$213,000 from oil company executives"... they are lying, because they have no way of knowing their positions with the companies. They might be janitors or secretaries for all the Clinton people know.

[rinsd]

3. So I guess Obama supporters can shut up about Lobbyist donations, since they are .5% of her haul?

:evilgrin:

And if you check out the FEC database, people do list their position at the company.

http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/disclosure_data_search.shtml

Opensecrets does not do that, though the CRP will produce more specialized in depth reports.

[ProSense]

4. "although individuals may be classified instead as ideological donors" And those are charted

separately from business and labor PACs

No matter how you try to spin it, Hillary is deep in donations from PACs and lobbyists.

[rinsd]

5. 0.5%($850K) of her total is from lobbyists, 1% of her total ($1.5M) is from PACs.

There is no spin, those are the figures.

Speaking of spin, a month ago you claimed Hillary took money from Ambramoff's firm. You made no qualifier for who gave the money just insisted on the amount. When someone in the same thread posted about Obama also received money(about $100K) from the firm (using the same methodology opensecrets does) you scoffed that the donations were employees. What utter bullshit.

[tazkcmo]

6. Snow is YELLOW! duh. n/t

[question everything]

7. What I still don't understand, is how come Obama gets so much money

when, supposedly, we are in a recession and people are hurting.

Especially since his contributions, supposedly come mostly from individuals.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

8. Its an investment in our future

[question everything]

10. And while there is a food shortage worldwide

and people starving in developing country, "we" have the luxury to shade $500 million by now on a Presidential campaign.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4628103&page=1

[AllentownJake]

11. In all honesty

That's cheap for our democracy.

I think the numbers are close to 500 billion for gambling if you count lottery tickets. I'll look for a link but that's what I heard on the radio this morning.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

12. I donate $ to the food bank several times a year

I'm sure other Obama supporters give to charities, too

Don't forget where the campaign donations go - much of them is spent on meals, hotels, travel expenses in this country. Think about the impact on the local economies wherever the campaign goes.

[damntexdem]

9. So apply it to both candidates.

Or prepare for November and apply it to all three candidates.