“The oil companies, the drug companies, the health insurance companies, the predatory student loan companies have had seven years of a president who stands up for them. It’s time we had a president who stands up for all of you.”
— U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, during her January 8 victory speech after the New Hampshire primary.
“$269,436″
— The amount of money Clinton’s campaign has raised from pharmaceutical (drug) companies, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. This is more than any other candidate (including Republicans) has raised.
“$220,550″
— The amount Clinton has raised from oil and gas companies, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. This is far more than any other Democratic Party contender has raised. (Rudy Giuliani leads the pack overall.)
“$567,950″
— Dollars Clinton has raised from registered lobbyists, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. This is far more than any other Presidential contender, and nearly as much as all other Democratic candidates combined.
Note: These numbers were current as of the end of October 2007. They could change considerably. (Read: They will get bigger.) It’s business as usual in Washington.
Nice try, but what she said wasn’t double-speak or deception. She probably takes money from big tobacco too, even though she doesn’t smoke. She may take money from Pepsico, even though she doesn’t drink soda.
Did you go over the figures for Obama? Almost exactly the same.
Barack Obama has clearly raised tons of money from special interests as well. That just makes him a typical “machine” politician — not necessarily a hypocrite.
I haven’t seen anyone other than Hillary Clinton, however, (a) suggesting that the current President is in the pockets of specific big-business sectors, (b) assuring the public that he/she would be very different if elected, and (c) blatantly feeding at the same financial trough.
If I’m wrong, let me know. And I don’t care which party the offender belongs to. There’s more than enough scorn to go around.
In fact, Obama is no better or no worse than any other national politician on this count:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/24/opinion/24krugman.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Following are Obama’s numbers on selected industries, and his rhetoric. Same political double speak. There clearly needs to be election finance reform. Everyone is double speaking.
Pharma: 262,000
Oil and gas: 106,000
Lobbyists: 77,000
Banks: 866,000
Computers: > 900,000 (beats Clinton)
Tobacco: > 8,000
Real Estate, 2.3 million
TV and Movies: 2.2 million
Insurance: 390,000
Investments: 4.6 million
From Obama: “Are we continue to allow lobbyists to veto our country’s progress, or do we finally put our national interests ahead of the special interests, and address the concerns people feel over their jobs, their health care and their children’s future? That’s why I’m running for President of the United States. Because to meet these challenges, changing parties isn’t change enough. We need something new. We need to turn the page,” said Senator Barack Obama.”
My Spidey-senses are tingling, and I sense the presence of a Hillary campaign operative. But nonetheless, it appears there’s lots of phoniness to spread around. Good sleuthing.
When my Spidey-senses tingle, I usually end up in the bathroom.
The only politician who isn’t the same old corporate sell out, in my opinion, seems to be Ron Paul.
Hoo hoo!
I invented saying hoo hoo. You’re ripping me off like all those other clones out there. Tell ‘em Fred.
Individual contributions
$79,218,370
99%
PAC contributions
$6,775
0%
Candidate self-financing
$0
0%
Federal Funds
$0
0%
Other
$1,031,282
1%
You can believe everything somebody puts up here guys, especially RG who don’t know what he’s talking about. Obama’s campaign contributions are listed online and you can see for yourself that all that crap above is a lie.
$79,218,370 (99%) in Individual Contributions
$6,775 in Political Action Committees
$1,031,282 - other - bank interest and so on from which PAC is deducted.
He hasn’t received a plugged nickel from lobbyists, or other interests. There must be some Clinton liars up here, too.
Erm, about Obama taking money from special interest groups, there is a big difference between taking it from GROUPS versus from individuals. Such as the chair in New Hampshire who is a Pfizer lobbyist that people were freaking out about after Hillary brought that up in the debate. Taking money from a group often means you’re going to bow to their interests.
An individual is different. I work for a media network. If I donate, does that mean that the candidate is taking money from a media network? I think not. Likewise, my fellow RG, your listing of TV and Movies…where are you getting these numbers? From a site that has added up all contributions from individuals who work in Hollywood? Come on. This is a different story from Hillary’s Take-Money-From-Anyone/Anything.
Let me tell you from someone who works in politics and works in politics in Chicago… When someone contributes to you that works for a development company as an individual… It 9/10 safe to assume they have a vested special interest in your election and won’t hesitate to remind you of that very kind contribution next time they need something…
If you want to talk about special interests though. What I find particularly interesting is that BO took marching orders from the IL planned parenthood lobbyist and voted present on a choice bill. Now, ok, every pol. cast political votes cause face it all votes have political consequences. Case and point, don’t sit on a stage and say you aren’t in the pocket of special interests when you vote the way they tell you to! Doesn’t anyone besides me see the irony in this? Call up IL planned parenthoods lobbyist–she’ll tell you they told him to vote that way, as she has told media outlets when questioned about this subject every time… And she nor he makes any bones about it
It is the same ole same ole. A politician is a politician. Every four years they stand up and mingle with us in their cheap suits and cheap shoes and run around getting them elected and they go to Washington and put their cheap suits and ties in the back of their closets and save them for the next four years and they say, “Those dumb jackasses will believe anything we say”. And the beat goes on, the lobbyists keep filling their pockets. And by the way, why don’t they call it like it is, they take bribes from these people, and the ones with the most money wins. They are all just alike. Please don’t be stupid again this year.
Ron Paul is a racist.
#2 and #12, please, for many people a job is a job. When I give money I don’t do so expecting that my candidate will feel beholden to me. I donate because I believe that the candidate has sound enough judgment to make the right decision when (s)he is presented with one. There is a HUGE difference between accepting PAC Money and accepting money from individuals who work for companies in the same industry. Huge. The candidate doesn’t “owe” the individual anything other than being a good leader for our country. Donations are not all bribes.
GOSH…DID SOMEONE FORGET THE BIGGEST DECEIVER? OH..WAS IT THE DECIDER? THE BIGGEST LIAR AND KING OF DECEIVERS: GEORGE W. BUSH - THE LIAR IN CHIEF.