DNC Devises Plan to Stand Firm Against Lobbyists — While Taking their Money
By Deb Cupples on June 5, 2008 at 4:10 PM in Current Affairs
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) needs oodles of cash to pay for TV ads, to help Barack Obama beat John McCain in November. Now, more than ever, the DNC needs a First Rate Fund Raising Plan.
This was made necessary after millions of ordinary democrats closed their wallets to the DNC. Apparently, they’re still upset because DNC leaders disenfranchised Florida — that and many ordinary Dems simply don’t grasp the Hyper-Sophisticated Math that DNC leaders relied upon when tallying the one half of Michigan’s primary votes that the DNC was willing to count.
Whatever one does, some out there just has to gripe. If it’s not voting rights, its shoddy health care or costly wars. You can’t please everyone.
Back to my point: the DNC needs a First Rate Fund Raising Plan (FRFRP, pronounced Furfurp), and it has come up with one. McClatchy’s blog reports:
"Barack Obama will announce today that the Democratic National Committee will no longer accept donations from federally registered lobbyists or political action committees, his campaign said this morning. No word yet on whether that applied at last night’s $28,500-a-pop DNC fund-raiser at which Obama appeared in New York City.
"The new limits expected to be announced would conform to Obama’s own self-imposed campaign finance standards, in which currently federally-registered lobbyists are out from contributing but state-registered lobbyists or the spouses of federal lobbyists or
lawyers affiliated with firms with federal lobbyists still can give.“’The rules that have applied to the Obama campaign will now apply to the DNC,” said Obama campaign spokeswoman Linda Douglass. (McClatchy)
I already hear the Doubting Thomas voices mumbling things like, "But Obama’s rules
allowed him to take money even from non-working spouses of lobbyists;
even from law firms who make millions off lobbying; even from lobbyists’ clients, whose checks the lobbyists will bundle for the DNC; even from….
And several sources would agree with that (e.g., USA Today, LA Times, SourceWatch, Newhouse News Services, Chicago Tribune).
But please withhold judgment for a moment and hear me out, because I can counter the arguments of those who doubt that the DNC’s new Furfurp will work.
Fact: most voters pay no attention to where politicians get their money.
Fact: most voters don’t understand why special-interest dollars cause problems for us taxpayers.
Fact: most voters get political "information" in sound bites from the TV, while they’re washing lettuce for their dinner salad.
Fact: most media will continue to lazily fail — or intentionally refuse — to explain the corrupting influence of special-interest dollars on our government.
In short, most voters are not likely to catch on to the realities any time soon.
That being the case, when most voters hear about the DNC’s new Furfurp, they will get this impression: "The DNC is refusing to take dirty money from lobbyists."
You doubt me? The Associated Press ran this headline just today: "DNC Bans Lobbyist Money…"
Many voters will jump to this conclusion: "Oh good, the DNC is taking a stand against corruption."
Here’s the brilliant part of the DNC’s new Furfurp: while the DNC convinces voters that it is fighting corruption, the DNC will — in fact — still be vacuuming up oodles of cash (albeit indirectly) from lobbyists, PACs, and corporations run by people who would knock down their grandmother with a sledge hammer if she stood between them and a pot of money.
Sigh. Now I’m hearing people say things like: "The Furfurp is dishonest and fake and very Karl Rove; how can the DNC even consider such a plan?"
My response: why waste time focusing on the Negative Nellie view? Let’s look forward and focus on the more positive, half-full view.
Winning is what matters. If one has to drop a few principles on the battlefield, so be it. There’s no law stopping anyone from scouring the war-torn landscape, after the battle is over, in a quest to reunite with said principles.
Sure, the thousands of bloody corpses strewn about may pose obstacles, but they are minor. My only hope is that our leaders will show signs of due care and respect when shoving the carcases out of their way.
Just trust me: the DNC’s new Furfurp is a fine plan. The only way it could be foiled is if three things happen:
1) if the Republicans discover the true nature of the Furfurp,
2) if the Republicans squawk about the Furfurp to the media, and
3) if the media diligently gives coverage to the Republicans’ objections.
Admittedly, Numbers 1 and 2 are likely to happen — but (as I said) all three things have to happen to foil the Furfurp.
Given how most media covered the Democratic primaries (and Election and the Iraq war, for that matter), Number 3 is an enormous long shot.
In short, the DNC has the odds in its favor.
That said, I congratulate the DNC on its First Rate Fund Raising Plan. If I had a flute of Champagne, I’d be raising it and saying:
"Here’s hoping the DNC can pay for TV ads and defeat McCain, whom we could never tolerate in the White House — if only because he has taken tons of special-interest dollars and would likely push public policy that serves those special interests instead of the public."
Memeorandum has commentary.
_________________________________
From Buck Naked Politics
Party Preference:
NO PARTY PREFERENCE
Application Date:
06/05/08
Confirmation No.:
20080605141011
Just switched my party affiliation. I suggest all HRC supporters to do the same!
Incredible link to Michelle’s Whitey Remarks transcript included, read to the end! You won’t believe it!!!
kid your a dumb fuck, grow up. oh and guess what obama will lose the general are you going to let us know when you start crying, when the day obama brought down the democratic party? The exact day will be Nov. 2, 2008.
It’s his party now as he said in Virginia and he alone will bring it down, something the republican’s have been trying to do for years, and I will be right along side them, helping.
Now now: are insults really necessary?
Nowadays, I delete the first line of all my responses to obamabots.
Works like a charm.
Me too. It feels great!
I’m doing it next week. Many have done it that blog on talkleft.com. I gave an automatic monthly donation to the DNC since the 2006 elections only to have my vote cut in half (MI) by my own people.
I got a call from my local Democratic committee here in MI today. I know the phone number. I was too angry to answer. No sense unleashing on a telephone solicitor, but I’ll answer them in the near future as to why they won’t get a dime from me again. What a waste of money.
Val,
As a Floridian, I’ve complained a lot about what DNC did to Florida, but my siblings in MI got the shorter end.
I’m sorry about that.
We ALL got the shorter end, my FL/MI cousins — OJ style!
I’m switching, but waiting until June 10th as there’s an anti-Obama group who all plans to do it on the same day. Sorry, I’ve lost track of which anti-Obama group … there are so many to choose from these days! Wahoo, and it’s a good thing! I am reveling in this, folks.
Actually, I wish to remain a member of the Democratic Party so I can be a pain in their ass.
I took tomorrow off to make the change. but i’m going all out to republican. will be mailing my change registration form and receipt to mccain to brazile, dean and pelosi.
Now that’s an effective way to get a point across!
I tried to do that, then found out I was listed as “optional” to begin with.
LOL! I have been an unafilliated for years now, and didn’t know it. So that’s why they always ask me which ballot I want.
Actually, it’s nice to have that feeling of not being attached to any party. I never was much of a joiner, and what has happened recently with the Dems is just appalling.
I am also in the process of changing my party status. Until Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, to name a few, are gone I am not going to be affiliated with any party. This party is a joke anymore and I am tired of financially supporting and campaiging for these people. I have walked many miles for some of these politicians and I am done. What they did to the voters of Florida and Michigan is a disgrace and what they have done to HRC is outright horrible. I hope they can get the lobbyist to walk door to door for Obama because they will not get me to do that anymore. It is time for the koolaid drinkers to walk and take their money out of their wallets because Obama and the DNC has isolated half of their volunters,
If Florida opens up the primaries, I’ll switch to NPA too.
Colin,
If Florida opens up the primaries, I’ll switch to NPA too.
Interesting announcement. Thanks for the article. You’re right about people not caring where the money comes from.
I couldn’t care less myself about the DNC’s source of funds.
Just so long as it’s not from me.
Not sure if this site is legit or not. Anyone know for sure.
http://www.newamericanindependent.com/
HARP,
Yes, the New American Independent Party is legit. They are a new party and they are trying to draft Hillary in 2008. I have been a member for 2 years now. They are very active.
http://www.newamericanindependent.com
well they won’t get her…she’s loyal to a fault and the dnc is using this fact against hrc.
Obama is willing to pay all of Clinton’s campaign debts, in return for her email contact list.
See also Edwards, John.
Richardson, Bill.
Kerry, John.
Has Tony Rezko sold those email lists to the spam merchants yet?
PLRASE email Hillary and ask that she NOT make this deal - I’ll send her some cash myself to avoid this. OTOH, if I should get solicited by these morons, I’ll just do what I do to the DNC = send it back on their dime explaining EXACTLY why I’ll never donate to or vote for the presumptuous nominee.
You can also write such a letter even if you’re not responding to one of the DNC’s solicitations.
I just dropped Hillary a note not to do this.
We got called with in 24 hours of Kerry selling his to BO.
won’t do him a lick of good.
wow if true…I will lose all respect for hillary
In California it’s “Decline to state”…that’s what I changed my affiliation to.
Why doesn’t it surprise me that the AP ran this story? It’s been running these PRO-OBAMA (DNC) stories) for a while. Who the hell runs the AP?
Perhaps some friends of the people running CNN or MSNBC?
Rupert Murdoch
Seriously (Murdoch)? Or is that a joke?
Seriously. He joined the Board of Directors in April.
Murdoch is on the board of the AP? Now see that right there is frightening that a foreigner can just buy into our media. I missed the news because quite frankly I haven’t listened to much of it because it made me too angry. I just stuck to blogsites, and BBC World News. Nice to know thanks
and sam zell who owns the Chicago Tribune
Comment by NY still loves Hillary | 2008-06-05 16:47:01 Seriously. He joined the Board of Directors in April.
Holy Macaroni! Why does the “These United States of …Whatever…” song pop into my mind?
We need a new mainstream media and a new DNC.
10 years I have “declined to state” fooj.
this just goes to show they know we know how dirty Obama is and they are already on the offensive…
it aint gonna work…
this is why:
http://tominpaine.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-race-may-be-over-but-race-is-just.html
I better NOT get a request from that freak for anything! If Hillary gives him that list, she will forever lose me and mine….Period!
Amen! However, should that happen before I change my e-mail address I think I may hit the Reply button a few (thousand) times.
One thing, if it clears up $20 million in debt for Hillary fighting for us, then so be it for her to do, just divert it to junk mail or spam it!
At least Hillary won’t have the huge debt to contend with! The least we can do for her!
yeah…but then doesn’t he own her?
It’s stated on all the candidates sites that the information will be used for future fundraising.
Don’t get upset.
It gives you an opportunity to email back and/or scream at them - McCain in 2008!
That will rattle their cages.
Susan,
Good point!
Then I am changing my email address or better yet I will just forward to DNC with the words:
YOU GOT ALL THE MONEY FROM ME AND MY FAMLY YOU ARE EVER GOING TO GET - I WILL NOT SUPPORT A MARXIST
DID HE SLIP UP TODAY WHEN HE SAID “MY” PARTY OR DOES HE NOW THINK HE IS THE RULER/KING MARXIST OF THE PARTY - I always thought it was “our” party.
This is Obama/Marxist new song:
Its my party and I’ll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to
You would cry to if it happened to you
That is what he will say the night of the election after he loses in a landslide to McCain.
NO OBAMA/MARXIST
MCCAIN 2008
this just goes to show they know we know how dirty Obama is and they are already shitting themselves…
its way to late to matter now though…
and this is why:
http://tominpaine.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-race-may-be-over-but-race-is-just.html
No he didnt slip. That was how he has felt for some time!
Blagojevich has stood up for Rezko; Stating he is a friend and a supporter, saddened, etc.
Obama; He’s not the Rezko I knew.
Who will Rezko flip first on?
Interesting question! I’ve no idea. But if Rezko has hopes of a pardon (in case Obama actually does take the WH, REzko will probably not want to have offended Obama.
There are also 800,000 reasons Rezko does not want to go to Las Vegas.
With Obama coming from Farrakhan’s district, I don’t think Tony will be going near the Nation of Islam anytime soon either.
Fitzgerald should move as quickly as the evidence will allow.
Think Tony will last till January in the General Population? I’m guessing there’s more than a few folks there whose families froze and suffered in Rezko’s slums.
You know, I never thought it possible, but I am starting to enjoy this!
He’s not the Rezko I knew
He’s not the Rev. Wright I knew
Geez - he says this a lot, doesn’t he. Must be a crappy judge of character.
Obama’s bundled money was never fully addressed by the press. This will be the same type of shenanigans. His big “change.” Really he was a lot more dishonest than Hillary was about his funding sources.
He refused to let anyone see his bundlers names. A lot of them were connected to Rezko, of course. A bunch were energy and pharmacutical companies.
He’s just blowing smoke up the public’s butt, again.
This time, however, it’s not Hillary he’s running against. She couldn’t say much or she’d be accused of being negative.
McCain will have no such problem.
Ann,
I agree.
I’ve been saying that on every blogsite, I’ve been on during this primary. The primary is the time to run the candidates into the ropes to find out what they are about. Booing the other candidate (Hillary) everytime she tried to bring some of Obama’s agendas into light was stupid because the Repugs are armed and ready.
They didn’t resurrect Trent Lott, and name his band of about 30 Repugs in congress OBSTRUCTIONISTS for nothing. When I saw Karl Rove speak to the NRA, I thought, here we go again.
Because I’ve caught Obama cornered and it’s not pretty. Diane Sawyer did it early in the campaign on GMA. Obama went on to reinterate he did not support a single payer health care system and she ran the video of him behind a podium doing just that, then she drug out Rezko, and pictures of the Obama’s house Rezko helped procure. Obama started to stutter and then got mad. The Repugs are going to have a field day!
Only Obama supporters can pay Hillary’s debt, he must campaign for them to give her funds. He can’t simply pay it off, not unless he changes the law. Hillary knows he is close to Rezko, close enough for her campaign to formally announce she is not seeking the vice presidency. She won’t go down with him.
What on earth would make you think Barky would stop changing the law now? He’s on a roll…
I agree. I think she’s being very polite and pretending to want it.
I don’t think she wants anything to do with this crowd.
Why would she? She can accomplish so much more as a senator (a rich one, at that).
It bothers me that in another country HRC & WJC would be so much more valued for their worth than they are here.
Barry goes down with Larry Sinclair.
(rimshot)– shit that was a pun, there.
This site works for my
http://www.hcsfjm.com
I am republican now!
Mickey,
DNC aside, there are some good Dems running for Congress.
As a Republican, you may not be able to vote in their primaries (depending on which state you’re in).
With all due respect, primaries are overrated these days…
I have been disaffiliated from the Democratic Party for quite some time now, and in all honesty the only primaries I’ve ever really wished I could vote in were Presidential races. Now that seems sort of pointless since who knows if the party will decide to count my vote or not? Let’s not forget that the DNC has set a fearful precedent for any and all future elections. This year it’s the primary. If they win, the next time might be our votes in the GE. There is just no way I can support these criminals as they rape this country. Maybe it sounds a little alarmist, but think about it…
We’re in a very grim time.
I plan not to vote for my Democratic rep in November. He supported Obama when our district voted 63% for Hillary in the Pennsylvania primary. Also our state senator supported Obama and his hometown voted 72% for Hillary. When he runs again in two years I will not vote for him. So much for following the will of the people.
I plan not to vote for my Democratic rep in November. He supported Obama when our district voted 63% for Hillary in the Pennsylvania primary. Also our state senator supported Obama and his hometown voted 78% for Hillary. When he runs again in two years I will not vote for him. So much for following the will of the people.
Liz,
I hope you’ll consider writing your representative a polite email explaining why you are planning to not vote for him.
this website is created by the same guy who created clintonsupporterscounttoo….the same site hillaryis44 said was a fake…it seems he’s really for hillary but why does he have two sites almost identical to each other.
The DNC can go straight to hell.
You said it, Pres!
They can go Furfurp themselves!
Felix,
You are tooo funny.
“go Furfurp themselves!”
:-)
this just goes to show they know we know how dirty Obama is and they are already shitting themselves…
its way to late to matter now though…
and this is why:
http://tominpaine.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-race-may-be-over-but-race-is-just.html
sorry if this gets posted twice, something strange is happening on my screen… argh…
ut go another DNP letter asking for support for the coming elections and convention!
Just wrote out a check and ripped it in half and mailed it in with only half in the envelope!
Good luck trying to cash it DNC! Wasted Prepaid stamp for Bambi!
Mel,
that’s so clever! Did you label it “half a check from Florida”?
awesome idea guys! awesome!
This is a joke, considering the GOP first ad out concerning Rezko: Many voters will jump to this conclusion: “Oh good, the DNC is taking a stand against corruption.”
How do you clean corruption when the candidate is corrupt?
GOP being fed Bambi kool aide now?
No, they have their own “special” flavor
Obama tape denial?
Read it, he does NOT deny the tape exists!
He said if there is evidence, show it.
And as we all know, that’s lawyer language for “I’m not denying it.” Good distinction.
LOL Deb. Sounds like our Corporate America Rules. Play dumb. Look blank. Admit nothing unless they have photos. And even then, consult with the company attorney first.
Forgot the link:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Obama_denies_a_rumor_and_questions_the_question.html
I already took my name off the DNC’s mailing list with a curt note: “You want Obama? You pay for it. You no longer represent my interests or my voice.”
My official party affiliation is the next to go. So, “we’re” insignificant?
Check back in November. Good luck with that, too.
This is what I just wrote in response to Dean’s “No Lobbyist - Support Barry” email:
Are you KIDDING me?!?!?! OBAMA has taken money from Lobbyists! Just more of HIS, and the DNC’S, hypocrisy!!
I have asked - nicely - SEVERAL times to be taken off the DNC mailing list. I no longer consider myself a Democrat after all of the sexism, race-baiting, VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT AND VOTE STEALING, in which the DNC has participated this election season. Moreover, the rigging and gaming of the election to get the LEAST qualified candidate at the top of the list while shoving out the FAR more qualified candidate (Clinton) is unacceptable. The DNC was TOLD about all of the Obama Campaign shenanigans in caucus states, and did NOTHING. The DNC invoked a NUCLEAR option to take TWO Major states out of Clinton’s win column. The DNC has acted immorally, unethically, and despicably. The DNC has cost the Democrats not only this election, but has thrown away a NUMBER of staunch members. For what? To shove this UNQAULIFIED candidate down our throats, a man who has to COPY HIS OPPONENT’S policies rather than CREATE his own! A man who has engaged in sexist, homophobic, ARROGANT, elitism, disparaging the VERY BACKBONE of the Democratic Party!
I am ASHAMED of what the DNC has become under Dean and Brazile. YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE PARTY!
To answer your question, No, I will NOT GIVE ONE THIN DIME TO GET OBAMA INTO THE WHITE HOUSE!!! Not only will he and the DNC NOT get any more money from me, but you also won’t get my VOTE!
TAKE ME OFF THIS LIST!
Rev. Amy
I might add, it was before I even saw Deb’s fine article!
the only way I finally stopped getting emails was to each time mark it junkmail. took about 5 times but finally stopped getting the dnc crap
LOL - I hear you. And I have been doing that, too. Of course, every time I get one of these letters NOW, I just look at it as an opportunity to tell them what I think!
Uppity said this would happen, too - right, Uppity? You tried like a GAZILLION times and they STIL kept sending you stuff?
Maybe they are gluttons for punishment…
I suggest we all go to pro Obama sites and spread some joy.
Don’t forget to refresh your screen about fifty times like they are doing here to slow us down.
Who is Bob Fertik?
DNC “unity Letter” I unsubscribed from was signed by him.
Isn’t furifurp what you do when you’ve drunk too much kool-aid?????
cowgirl,
Like Felix, you’re toooo funny too!
Regardinf Michel tape: It was a discussion point among a roundtable on Charlie Rose, an the reporter who travels with slim shady said they are all talking about it and asking him what he knows-and they are all well aware of her ability to express her opinion–the black dude on the panel suggested they trot out Oprah as a surrogate for Mrs Obama to travel at his side until he is elected-so for those women who support obama, that snickering panel was di