Kerry Ranks Near Bottom in Senate on Money From PACs and Lobbyists

[cindyw]

Feb. 3, 2004
Kerry Ranks Near Bottom in Senate on Money From PACs and Lobbyists

Statement from Nick Nyhart, Executive Director of Public Campaign Action Fund; Chellie Pingree, President of Common Cause; and Joan Claybrook, President of Public Citizen

According to a Jan. 31 Washington Post story, presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is beholden to the very special interests he says he will dismiss from the White House if elected. The Post based its erroneous conclusion on an analysis of the money Kerry has raised from lobbyists while he was a senator.

But the Post paints an inaccurate picture using an arbitrary statistic. A more accurate indicator of whether a candidate has ties to special interests is whether that candidate receives political action committee (PAC) as well as lobbyist money, and if so, how much. An analysis of PAC and lobbying contributions combined shows Kerry is near the bottom in receiving such funds when PAC money is averaged from 1993 through the present and lobbyist money is averaged from 1990 through present. Further, the lobbyist money that Kerry has taken in the presidential campaign is less than 1 percent of his total money raised.

Not only has Kerry historically refused to take PAC money, but his record shows that he been a leader for more than a decade in full reform of campaign financing, advocating for clean public money not only for presidential but also congressional campaigns.

Kerry was the lead sponsor with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) on a measure that would have authorized clean money in all federal congressional elections and was a leader in pressing for congressional public financing in the 1992 and 1993 campaign finance reform bills. Although those bills passed, they were not enacted.

Other Democratic presidential candidates such as former Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. John Edwards also have endorsed campaign finance reform. Dean has endorsed public financing and reform of the presidential public funding system. Edwards played a leadership role in the effort to pass the McCain-Feingold bill and has endorsed reform of the presidential public funding system. President Bush has not endorsed either.

http://www.publiccitizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1639

this is a press release and not an article. I think that exempts me from not posting the whole thing.

[Catch22Dem]

1. Good post

Thank you!

[cindyw]

2. I offer proof that the characterization of Kerry being beholden to

special interests is bullsh*t and all I get is one reply (not that I don't like my one post:-)). This forum has been trashing Kerry as a corporate whore for a week and when very reputable sources expose Washington Post's misleading smear, you all ignore it. If we do not stand up for lies by the media, how can we even imagine taking on Bush. It doesn't even matter who the nominee is. This kind of lie will come out against any of them. We have a responsibility to stand up to lies. If you are reading this and thinking about posting something about, heat in the kitchen, move on it's old.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

39. Just for the record cindy

I LOVE YOU! Thanks for the post. (And I read all that tripe down below too. sympathies...)
President Kerry will be the best thing that ever happens to us all.

[cindyw]

40. Thanks. I thought I was in lalaland again.

All this fuss for posting truth.

[cindyw]

3. dupe

dupe

[oasis]

4. We'll have to keep this kicked.

[janx]

5. Cindy--I saw your posts on the Kerry blog and know that

you are sincere in your effort to promote Kerry on the Net...

but you could probably do better by volunteering elsewhere.

[Lobo_13]

6. No, no

it's perfectly alright for her to post here as much as she wants.

After all, it's in our best interests if a kerry supporter spends all her time trying to convert the unconvertable.

Have at it.

[oasis]

7. I believe the purpose of her posts is to inform the DU community.

[Lobo_13]

9. you got it

either to codify the lie of John Kerry not being in bed with the special interests to people who support him anyway.

Or trying to bullshit the ones who won't support him for dogcatcher.

Way to pick the market.

[cindyw]

14. Honestly, I come here for enjoyment. I do plenty to help out otherwise.

What makes you think, I would think someone like you is changeable? I'm not a fool.

[janx]

26. Two things, friend...

Awohoooo! and YEEAAGHH!

Los Lobos win all constests. I live with two of them-or relatives of them anyway. :loveya:

[cindyw]

10. What are you talking about?

n/t

[janx]

16. Well, I saw your posts on the Kerry blog about how to reach

out to the internet community, etc.

There's nothing wrong with that, but I have seen it from other campaigns. There seemed to be an effort on the part of the supporters of some Dem candidates to post on the internet, and DU was definitely one of the places for that to happen.

We saw a rush of that kind of thing from the Clark campaign just after he announced. There were links from his blog to this site. The Clark supporters who have followed those links have since understood how it appeared to regular posters on DU, and most of them were really appalled. Once they understood, they were stellar posters and writers on DU.

The Kerry campaign might learn something from this.

Cruising is not popular around here.

[cindyw]

20. Oh no you found me out. I had this little plan to help people elect Kerry

and I wrote it on my wittle website. Then I came here all mary fuckin sunshine to preach the gospel of Kerry. I am so sorry I could not convince you. I guess I'll have to go back to the Kerry website and cry that the directives from the campaign didn't work. Boo Hoo. Give me a break. I come here for enjoyment. I posted on the Online action of the Kerry site because the entire forum was wiped off the server. I spent hours pulling the Online section off google in an effort to help restore the good writings of a lot of people. You are incredibly offensive to suggest that somehow the cute little supporters of all the other candidates have come here with a mission in mind. Oh no, did they spoil your little Dean party. No matter, your naivete of the behind the scene honorable efforts of Kerry supporters are evidenced in the absolute shock of Dean supporters at how well our candidate has done. You all were so confident that the loudest shouter was the most persuasive. I think you continue that mistake. I am not usually this straight forward rude, but your suggestion that I should leave the DU is offensive.

[janx]

23. I never suggested that you should leave DU.

I only pointed out that you were urging Kerry supporters to come to this site, and there's really nothing wrong with that as long as we all know it.

Let's be honest. Let's be forthright. Why not?

[janx]

29. You didn't write it in the web site--

you just advocated going to online sites to promote Kerry in the Kerry online forum or blog. That's okay in one respect, but I don't like it as any kind of campaign material.

[cindyw]

33. I am a moderator there. You will notice that the section is a

conglomeration of things people were doing anyway on their own and threads to promote the action suggested on the main site. I got bored one weekend of policing the wonderful racists who join us on occasion and I took some initiative. I come here for fun. Believe me or not.

[janx]

19. It was the first time that I saw the Kerry blog, and you were advocating

going to internet sites to promote Kerry. That is admirable, in a way, but it might promulgate the idea that Kerry supporters are trying to mount some kind of internet campaign in areas in which Dems are really trying to mull things over among themselves.

[cindyw]

22. What do mean themselves? Are you suggesting that the supporters

of Clark and Kerry are somehow interlopers in your democratic party. That somehow you are here for adult discussion and and I am here to canvass the net? LOL Naive.

[janx]

25. Of course not (if I understand you correctly).

I pointed out that Clark supporters who joined DU were common sense and smart people who had a learning experience. Many of them came here en masse and created polls, etc. before learning that DU was not something to be overcome, but rather a group of people, a community, with which they had to reconcile. It's that way for anyone who moves, for instance. That's the way it should be. We know so little about our neighbors and fellow citizens.

I would point out the same to you as well.

[cindyw]

28. You are seriously confusing me.

Are you suggesting that I am some new person to the neighborhood who has to learn how to get along with my fellow DUers. In case you haven't noticed, Kerry, Clark and Edwards people get along pretty well here. How do I know that we are not the interlopers here? Because of all the threads by Dean supporters begging for alliances with the Clark people. I also do not like your characterization of Clark people. I find their presence here to be refreshing.

[janx]

31. Here is a sampling of what Cindy has advocated at the Kerry blog:

http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=cindyw&sp-a=sp1001847f&sp-f=ISO-8859-1&sp-x=all&x=12&y=10

[D G]

32. Maybe you should switch from stalking Cindy on the Internet

to supporting your own candidate. I know the latter is a futile task, but it looks much better on you.

[janx]

36. I'm not stalking Cindy. I'm merely embracing Cindy...

in her quest of promoting John Kerry on Dem sites on the internet. I provided a link. What more do you want?

[cindyw]

37. you do understand that I am no where in that search of yours.

n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

41. Uh..I don't see her anywhere in there but if she were that would

clearly violate the rules regarding OUTING DU'ers.

[D G]

30. I suppose NO Dean supporters came to DU

with the idea of working in concert to promote their candidate?

Give me a break. If it was "Dean Underground" I wouldn't have bothered signing up. Kerry and Clark supporters have just as much right to promote their candidates here as Dean supporters do. I find your suggestions to Cindy quite offensive.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[King of New Orleans]

8. The Public Citizen release

Has popped up on a couple of threads today already. The initial story was pretty weak to begin with (640,000 bucks over 15 years was supposed to be alot of money?). It, like the Big Dig, story have been non-starters. IMHO.

[DebJ]

43. Yeah...what's $640k when Dean does $771k in less than 24 hours?

and it only took Dean to inspire 11,000 people to do that.

Leadership maybe?

[absyntheNsugar]

11. Good article

And I got news for everyone - ALL politicians take special intrest $$$.

It's part of the game.

The question is who...would you rather your candidate take $$$ from Apple Computer or Haliburton?

[Lobo_13]

13. I'd settle

for a candidate that doesn't give the special interests something for their money.

Say blocking legislation that would have benifitted their constituents in exchange for a few bucks.

We all know what John Kerry's price is now. And it's damn cheap. I'm thinking of having him come mow my lawn this summer.

[cindyw]

15. your so funny. I just love hearing from you.

:eyes:

[mitchum]

18. I think that John Kerry will be too busy this summer...

to come mow your lawn. However, I could suggest someone who will have a lot of spare time...when he's not brushing up on the PDR

[TheDonkey]

12. but... but... but.... Kerry is Bush Jr.....

:rolleyes:

I hope this can help paint a picture on how well Kerry has managed in the Senate without being a lobbyists doll. Of course he is going to accept money from them (everyone does, I would) but that doesn't make you their pawn.

[mitchum]

17. kicking truth over

bullshit
horseshit
wolf shit
whatever...

[salin]

21. Very powerful refutation... Public Citizen is a great public watch dog

organization. Very skeptical of the power of corporate money in politics... and thus there statement carries great weight. This is one of those items to pull out when the story gets raised again (and it will) don't even have to get confrontational (as is so easy to do) just post this as a refutation... the source is very reliable and respectable.

[D G]

34. Thank you Cindy

:kick:

[Dookus]

35. thank you Cindyw

I enjoyed reading it, and I respect Public Citizen greatly. Don't worry about those who would tell you you're somehow not welcome to provide this information. They do it themselves, all the time. Now they're desperate and want to attack anybody who made a different choice than they did.

Don't worry - your guy's got all the momentum. I wish it were my guy, but it's not.

[cindyw]

38. Thanks

It's funny. All I did is post something that proved the Washington Post article was wrong and I'm a target of being a newbie. Been along time since I was accused of that.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

42. Very credible ammo...a foundation founded by Nader finds Kerry credible

EXCELLENT!!!

[EarlG]

44. I'm locking this thread

I would rather lock it than delete a bunch of posts. However, you may repost it. The subject matter is not inappropriate for this forum.

Now, a word to some of the posters in this thread. Telling members that they are not welcome at DU is not appreciated. Please discuss the message, not the messenger. By the same token, personally attacking members who tell other members that they are not welcome at DU is equally unappreciated.

EarlG (Admin)