Washigton Post and the Kerry "special interests" promise

[DancingBear]

Every time I hear Kerry speak of "fighting special interests" I cringe. Please convince me otherwise, because right now I feel he will be hoisted on his own petard if he cotinues down this path.


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Kerry Leads in Lobby Money
Anti-Special-Interest Campaign Contrasts With Funding

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
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.


<snip>

"John Kerry has been withdrawing money from the special interest bank for his entire career and now -- because it's the popular thing to do -- he wants us to believe that he's going to close the account and go after the people that have funded his political career," said Jay Carson, a spokesman for former Vermont governor Howard Dean.


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

[mike_c]

1. Don't. Trust. Kerry.

This is the same John Kerry who has blown with the Bush* wind for the last three years. Now he tells us that he's going to solve the very problems that he help to bring about? Not gonna happen. Kerry = politics as usual.

[polpilot]

9. "Same. Ole. Same. Ole"

Dean '04

[isbister]

2. Please convince me otherwise

Okay, here you go:

Look at the title of the story "Kerry Leads in Lobby Money". Now do you really think that Kerry, with the few million he's raised even comes close to having received the same amount of money as bush has. bush has raised what, at least a hundred million dollars more than Kerry.

Not convinced? Read the whole thing.

[DancingBear]

3. I subscribe to the Post

I read the whole thing this morning. The question is not who has more money - Bush or Kerry. The issue was, and still is, how can he run as a candidate against "special interests' when he himself is feeding at the same trough?

This is what may be used against him, and I'm looking for a convincing argument otherwise. You haven't made it - yet.

[windansea]

4. me too n/t

[sandnsea]

8. Clark is the trough

He's the lobbyist in this primary, remember???

[mikehiggins]

5. Its sort of like Deans pledge to abide by spending limits

until he thought he could get away with dumping them (just like Kerry as a matter of fact).

Kerry takes lobbying money until it looks like an issue. Then he's against it.

He has a nuanced explanation, of course.

He always has a nuanced explanation for what he does, or claims to do.

That's one reason he makes me nervous.

[sandnsea]

6. Dean $2.7 million PAC money

Dean is leading all the candidates in HMO and pharmaceutical money. Wait until the 4th quarter numbers come out. Dean's special interest money will make Kerry's look like ice cream money.

[blm]

7. Wrong. No corporate pac money over 19 years.

These cumulative numbers with individual donors being lumped together are intended to mislead.

[David Zephyr]

10. Good Article.

Thanks for posting it.