Obama pledges to clean up Washington

[Colobo]

"I have a bunch of friends who were state lobbyists. The fact of the matter is ... I played poker with them, so I don't think that lobbyists are evil," said the first-term Illinois senator. "I just think they've got an agenda and you got to be clear about that, and not pretend that they don't."

"Why else are they getting hired and making all this money unless they're actually getting something done?"

The renewed criticism of Clinton and Obama's blunt assessment of his own role in the "original sin" of politics is the latest twist in a Democratic primary fight over lobbyist donations. Fellow Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has challenged both Clinton and Obama to join him in refusing campaign donations from lobbyists.

In a joint appearance recently, Clinton refused to accept Edwards' challenge and issued a rare defense of lobbyists, saying many "represent real people." Obama joined Edwards in criticizing the New York senator, despite a record of accepting donations from state lobbyists — including some who regularly played poker with Obama during his days as a state senator.

Obama said Thursday he was not being hypocritical.

"I haven't gone around blasting Hillary" for accepting lobbyist money, Obama said in a 20-minute interview after touring the popular Iowa state fair with his wife and two young children. "What I said is she doesn't recognize the problem."

"My argument is not that we're perfect. I suffer from the same original sin of all politicians, which is we've got to raise money," Obama said. "But my argument has been and will continue to be that the disproportionate influence of lobbyists and special interest is a problem in Washington (and) in state capitals."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070817/ap_on_el_pr/obama_ap_interview

[DURHAM D]

1. My take -

Obama is positioning himself for the #2 slot w/Hill.

[napi21]

2. Yea, they all do that. No big deal! n/t

[killbotfactory]

3. I can't believe Hillary's take on lobbyists.

The whole lobbyist culture in the beltway makes a whole slew of important and necessary reforms nearly impossible. It's fundamentally corrupt and anti-democratic. If we can't change the role of lobbyists and big money in politics, what's the point?

[illinoisprogressive]

4. Obama began ethics reform in the state senate. He is just open and honest about it all.

[Alamom]

5. Obama follows fine line

Obama follows fine line to stay clear of lobbyists
Co-host of a Broward event has state clients.
By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer
Published August 16, 2007

In recent days, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama has made his distaste for Washington lobbyists - and their money - a central part of his campaign, seeking to cast himself as a different kind of politician.

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On Aug. 25, Russ Klenet and his wife, Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter, will host a $500-per-person breakfast at Cafe Bella Sera in Parkland. Klenet is a registered lobbyist in Tallahassee with a stable of clients that has included everyone from South Florida municipalities to Election Systems & Software, whose much criticized touch screen voting machines have drawn the ire of Democratic activists nationwide. The Florida fundraiser comes to light in the midst of an ongoing tussle between Obama and his chief Democratic rival, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. The front-running Clinton takes lobbyists' money - more than any other presidential candidate - but Obama has insisted he won't.

The Obama campaign distinguishes between those registered to lobby the federal government and those registered to lobby state governments, saying that as president Obama would have no jurisdiction over matters debated in Tallahassee.

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Klenet and Ritter are named on the invitation as event chairmen, but Klenet insisted his wife is the real draw. "We decided we'd be happy to welcome him to Broward County and that's it," he said. "I'm not making phone calls. I'm not raising money." Klenet, a former legislative aide to now-state Sen. Steve Geller of Hallandale Beach, is a longtime lobbyist with a client list that includes numerous cities in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, as well as the Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers, Match.com and Tampa Electric Co.


Obama already has returned more than $50,000 in donations from federal lobbyists, and the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics shows he has accepted $55,019 more from employees at lobbying firms, but not lobbyists themselves.

The self-imposed ban is new for Obama. Since running for U.S. Senate in 2003, he accepted nearly $128,000 from lobbyists and $1.3-million from political action committees.
As his campaign gains momentum, it has also drawn more scrutiny. Last week, the Boston Globe noted that Obama has maintained ties with lobbying firms to help him raise some of the $58.9-million he has raised this year.
"If you're running a campaign about credibility, that credibility and persona are so important you better be squeaky clean," American University political scientist Richard Semiatin told the Globe. "While he's getting good traction out of this, I think in the long term he's really got to be careful."

[jefferson_dem]

6. I'm glad he's staying true to his word, even given the challenges...

Well done, Obama!