Kerry Funds Raise Questions---Jake Tapper, ABC

[Gloria]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/WorldNewsTonight/kerry_fundraising_040209-1.html
Kerry Funds
Raise Questions
Donations From Tech Firm Spark Controversy for Candidate



(snip)

ABCNEWS has learned of a story involving Kerry taking legislative action that benefited a campaign contributor: Predictive Networks, a Cambridge, Mass., tech firm co-founded by Paul Davis, although he is no longer directly associated with the company.

(SNIP)(end of article)
"It's one thing to say you don't take PAC money, but again, when you accept bundled money, it is in a sense the same interest that's behind it — and often it's in much larger amounts," Noble said. "PAC money is limited to $5,000. The bundler can bundle together $100,000 to $200,000." So Kerry's claim to be free of special interest ties because PAC funds are verboten from his campaign "is symbolic more than it is practical," according to Noble.

Kerry currently has 32 such bundlers raising more than $100,000 apiece for his campaign, according to the good-government organization Common Cause. Lobbying registration records indicate these bundlers include a number of lobbyists like John Merrigan, who has lobbied for the American Insurance Association, the Health Care Leadership Council and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association. And Manuel Ortiz, who lobbies for the American Hospital Association.

So some question how much Kerry truly can claim to be a foe of special interests. "Every candidate has to answer for the contributions they get, but in John Kerry's case I think it's magnified because he's made such a big deal about not being beholden to special interests, about not accepting lobbyist money," Noble said.

"They haven't gotten anything for it," Kerry said on Jan. 31 in response to questions about special interest and lobbyist donations. "Those guys have never ever gotten something in return in the legislation."

In that regard, Kerry is just like President Bush, who assigns his bundlers names like "Pioneers" and "Rangers," and who also denies ever doing anything legislative because of a contribution.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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

[tobius]

4. Glad they asked the contributors, I

was getting worried.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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

[tobius]

9. Sorry, I'll try to be

a bit more positive about this story.

[dkf]

13. Oh yeah...great defense of Bush. I'm sure that's what he'd say too.

Kerry has no ammo against Bush whatsoever.

voted for Iraq War
voted for No Child Left Behind
voted for Patriot Act
didn't vote at all for the Medicare bill.
Takes money from Johnny Chung
Bundles money and does favors galore for donors
Icky Personal History

Kerry combines the worst of Bush and Clinton. ugh.

[asjr]

2. We knew it would happen

Kerry is the front runner now so they have to go after him. It is just sport to the media. It used to be Dean. Clark is in their sights also. Street hookers are more honest than our beloved media.

[NashVegas]

3. These "Bundlers"

Are they kinda like "pioneers?"

*ducks*

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. Dean has bundlers. One even posts on this board

Unfortunately the rules preclude me from saying more...but read all the PRO DEAN posts and you'll locate him/her.

[BruinAlum]

6. Just whisper it in my ear

Connie Chung

[NashVegas]

8. Has He Said He's Done So Yet, This Cycle?

I think I know who you're talking about.

Anyway, I was just bein' a pest for the fun of it.

[demgrrrll]

10. Oh Geez did someone leave Tapper on the tarmac again? Supposedly

that is why he wrote such horrible stories about Gore.
The petulant little jerk didn't make the plane on time
and was left at the airport. Gave him a "reason" to write
crappy stories about Gore. He's a ho.

[Melinda]

11. WoW.

I'm very saddened by this. :(

[dkf]

12. Kerry is just like all the rest.

Can you say corrupt?

Ugh.

[sandnsea]

14. And Edwards and Dean

They have bundlers too. Probably Clark too, we just haven't heard who they are yet.