The Scoop on "The Letter" to Pelosi

[susankh4]

Every signer of the letter has contributed to the Democratic Party in every election cycle since at least 2000, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, and there's no way to know how many more millions they've helped raise from others, or bundled, to support the party. The authors clearly favor Clinton in the presidential race, and many of them serve as bundlers for her campaign. Clinton has collected $315,000 for her Senate and presidential campaigns from these major donors and their spouses over the last 10 years, or $554,000 including contributions to HILLPAC, her political action committee. By comparison, Barack Obama has collected $34,700 from these donors for his Senate and presidential campaigns, plus $17,500 to his PAC, Hope Fund. Eleven of those listed on the letter to Pelosi have given to Obama over the years, although only one couple has given to his presidential account in the 2008 cycle.

The donors also pointed out to Pelosi that they have been strong supporters of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party appartus that supports the Democratic members she leads in the House of Representatives. Nearly $3 million of the $23.6 million that the authors of the letter have given to Democrats has gone to the DCCC. In addition to the money they've given to candidates, parties and other Democratic committees, the donors have contributed about $3 million to 527 committees, the independent issue groups that frequently get involved in elections.


http://www.capitaleye.org/inside.asp?ID=341

[phrigndumass]

1. The big money folks want guaranteed access ...

which they will only get with a Clinton nomination or VP spot. Not this time.

[susankh4]

2. I know there are those in the party who would be happy to kill

the Clinton Cash Cow. But... this is very dangerous water for Pelosi to tread. As many of the congresspersons she and Reid represent..... could see a serious drop in donations.

Not every candidate is an "American Idol" like Barack is. Not every senator and House Rep. and Governor and Mayor will be able to raise the kinda "small donor" bucks Barack and Hillary have during this last several months.

Best suggestion: tread lightly, Nancy.

[phrigndumass]

3. Your is a respectful opinion, and it has merit, IMHO

But these are only 20 people, albeit with a lot of money. A void loves to be filled.

[susankh4]

8. Thank you.

I am expecting to get torn to shreds on this. But, honestly... this is only the tip of the iceburg....

Here's an article about the "Killing of Clinton Cash Cow."

http://ascrivenerslament.blogspot.com/search?q=cash+cow

[DerekJ]

4. Yah, give in to big donors Nancy.

Hillary must win even if we have to give up every god damn progressive ideals that we have for that.

[cali]

5. I suggest that those letter writers

go fuck themselves. MoveOn and other organizations are already moving to fill any funding gap left by these assholes. That kind of bullying won't work and fairly or unfairly it reflects badly on Hill.

[slinkerwink]

6. those donors have raised 2.5 million for Dems every year to a total of 25 million

I'm sure we can replace their cash with our cash.

[susankh4]

9. The question is...

will your cash continue to flow?

Are you planning to support your congress persons? Governors? Mayors? The next Dem Prez?

Or are you only supporting Barack?

Do you even know who, in your town, is running for Senate? House? City Council?

Have you sent THEM any money?

[WolverineDG]

12. Yes

Howard Dean has proved it again & again. So what if these 20 folks get their feelings hurt? I'm tired of my state (Texas) being ignored except when Bill & Hill need money, so I'm sticking with Dean & Barack & all the fighting Texas Dems!

dg

[AllentownJake]

18. Your empty threats

Do not scare us. Get on board or get out of the way or the movement will run you over.

Your choice.

[RTBerry]

52. I'm curious. Who's "us?"

n/t

[slinkerwink]

41. yep, I've sent money to the DNC and to local candidates in my area

[crispini]

7. Ya know, we wouldn't think this was OK if...

Exxon Mobil, or Pfizer, or Wal-Mart did this kind of blatant arm-twisting.

So why is it OK for these individuals to do so?

[dansolo]

13. This is exactly what Tom Delay got in trouble for

Are you people forgetting the Medicare Prescription Drug floor debate. It looked like it was going down to a narrow defeat, but the Republicans held the vote open for a long time so they could do some arm twisting on some holdouts. One of them was threatened with withholding funds for future election campaigns (I believe for his son, I forget all the details). Are we actually going to condone this type of behavior? It sure suggest that there is a quid-pro-quo going on here.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. The 50-State Strategy negates the need for old corrupt "cash cows".

The PEOPLE are the "cash cow". The internet allows for this to happen. Donations at the state and local level can happen in the EXACT same way that Obama has setup for his campaign - party members can sign up for regular incremental/monthly donations to fund their state/local parties.

Continuing to embrace the outdated notion that fund-raising = exclusive, invitation-only $1000/plate dinners at the Four Seasons and other nonsense is why Clinton is losing the fund-raising contest.

[theredpen]

49. If killing the Clinton Cash Cow is necessary to save the Democratic farm...

...let's take ol' Bessie out behind the barn and get it over with.

[Andy823]

51. Do you think

Those 20 people should override the millions of voters who disagree with them on who should be the nominee?

The whole idea of "change" in this election should be about "changing" the way our leaders are elected. It should NOT be those with the most money who decided on who runs, or who wins, it should be the people of this country who have to live with the results. I was an Edwards supporter till he dropped out, and that's why I backed him, for his version of change from the "elite" running things to giving the country back to the people.

Now I have a choice, and these 20 rich people using threats to try and get their candidate elected as the nominee have shown me that I made the right choice, and that choice is not Hillary Clinton, but Barrack Obama. He may not be John Edwards, but he is the best choice for "real" change that we have now!

[JTFrog]

10. Yes We Can.

I'm done making decisions based on some manufactured fear presented to the people by the elitist of the elite in an attempt to save their eliteness.

NOT THIS TIME.

They said Obama couldn't beat the Clinton Cash Cow at the beginning of this race. That's already been debunked.

Next issue please.

[mmonk]

11. No matter their profile,

the tactic is undemocratic. Blackmail is not a positive trait. They should form a Get Our Way party.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. Extortion is an ugly way to conduct business.

Pulling a Cartman like stunt, viewing their money as more important than the democratic process, not something you really want to be defending. We will raise the money that needs to be raised without them if they cannot support the candidate that the people have chosen.

[MonkeyFunk]

19. oh come on

"extortion", "blackmail".

Dozens of people here at DU have sworn not to give a dime to the DCCC until Bush is impeached. They've written Pelosi to say so. Were they extortionists?

These people have the same right to let Pelosi know how they feel as anybody else.

[Warren Stupidity]

20. Extortion, not blackmail as far as I know. nt.

[AllentownJake]

16. So...

These "true patriots" who "love America" and want democratic policies implemented will take their ball and go home if the super delegates don't overturn the pledged delegate lead for their preferred candidate.

Sorry don't buy it. I don't care how rich you are. The democratic party is bigger than 20 people. If they are that narrow minded that they are going to take their ball and go home than they really weren't in our court to begin with were they.

[susankh4]

21. I don't think they'll take their ball and go home...

I think they'll play ball with Mr. McCain. And he'll be very happy to have them on his team.

[AllentownJake]

24. You stick up for these people

Are you really a democrat. Are you aware you are advocating the rich buying a spot at the table?
These people aren't interested in helping the common man they are interested in their own narrow agendas to help make themselves wealthier. This is how the GOP acts.

You've just summed up a giant reason why I support Obama and made my resolve firmer.

BTW this weekend I'm knocking on doors in PA? Wacha you doing?

[susankh4]

26. I have been a Dem my whole voting life.

But I am also aware that we live in a capitalist society.

It is our economics, not our politics, that gives power to the rich. Changing one political leader will not altar that.

[AllentownJake]

29. You stick up

for people that will abandon the party to McCain with two supreme court justices at dangerous ages.

I do not stick up for anyone of the Obama supporters who would do the same.

I hope you and all your little clintonista friends realize this is bigger than Hillbots vs Obamites.

[theredpen]

32. So it's OK with you if our party is for sale?

Is it OK with you if our party is racist or sexist or corrupt like the Republicans? Is that just "business as usual"?

No wonder you support the status quo candidate. It's all fine with you.

[AllentownJake]

33. DLC

People trying to make us GOP lite. If that happens we go the way of the Whigs.

[susankh4]

37. It would be OK with me if the U.S. was a socialist country....

but we aren't going to get there by rolling over and playing dead in a Capitalist economy.

Once we are a socialist country... we can all come back together and make sure that $$$ plays no part in our elections. Or our health care, for that matter.

Until then... da rules is da rules. And $$$ talks. And all the whining in the world won't change that.

[theredpen]

44. Do understand the difference between capitalism, socialism and democracy?

I don't think you do.

Just because a democracy is capitalist doesn't mean its government is for sale.

If you think it does, there's a whole fabulous party for you to support: the Republicans — "cash and carry" government taken to its logical extreme.

[susankh4]

46. The intersection is not that simple

and you know it.

[theredpen]

47. It really is that simple

In any free society, political parties and candidates need money to operate.

There is however a principle which says that a democratic political party should represent the interests of its constituents regardless of how much they pay into it. I support the Democratic party, not the Plutocratic party.

Individuals should not be able to elevate their importance in the party by buying their way there.

And you know it.

[susankh4]

31. Oh, and since you asked:

"BTW this weekend I'm knocking on doors in PA? Wacha you doing?"

I am working and making $$$. 10% of it will go to Ms. Clinton, off the top. And Mr. Dean will get his share when he starts doing his job.

[AllentownJake]

35. I work during the week

So Mr. Obama gets his share than.

Have fun.

Remember at the end of the day McCrazy is the enemy...not each other.

[susankh4]

38. Me too.

I own my own business. Work alot. And have fun doing it!

[AllentownJake]

40. Awesome

You realize once this nasty stuff is over...we probably have more in common than what seperates us.

[iconicgnom]

50. "I think they'll play ball with Mr. McCain"

"And he'll be very happy to have them on his team."

So you believe that they'll only play ball with candidates and parties that can be bought -- where the difference lies somewhere between Hillary and bomb bomb McCain. Of course, though bomb bomb (or Hillary) might feel "happy to have them on his team", that feeling is totally delusional because under those conditions it is they, the lobbyist/fundraisers, who own the team and decide who plays and how the game is played.

[Jennicut]

17. This is not democracy and threatening Pelosi is sickening

This is just not right. Threatening other house members because Pelosi was not towing Hillary's line is just bad. This is practically blackmail and Pelosi told em to go to hell. They are not real Dems anyways. We will find our money elsewhere. ANd guess what? Maybe money should not play such a significant role in politics. The Dems are going to rake in more than the Rethugs anyways as people are fed up with George Bush.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. "threatening Pelosi"

I had a dispute with Macy's last year. I wrote to them and said I wouldn't be shopping there anymore.

Did I "threaten" them?

Perhaps you'd like to force these people to contribute.

[AllentownJake]

25. Macy's vs Pelosi

Macy's doesn't write laws or vote on federal budgets.

If they don't want to contribute fine. But don't act like these people are great members of the party when they are threatning to leave because a guy who shares 95% of the views of their candidate may get the nomination. I expect this behavior from Bushies....not from Democrats.

[MonkeyFunk]

42. They're not demanding that Pelosi

support Clinton. They're objecting to her trying to impose a heretofore unknown "rule" about how the superdelegates should vote.

[susankh4]

27. True! It is simply a fact that in a capitalist society

folks vote with their $$$. That's the way it is. We have every right to spend our bucks where we want to. And, in fact, voting is less effective than spending.

We are a democracy. But we are a CAPITALIST democracy. And that makes all the difference.

[AllentownJake]

36. and the people have spoken

25 dollars at a time. How are the March numbers btw...should we be expecting another campaign loan from speaker fees Bill raised in Dubai LOL?

[MonkeyFunk]

43. You shouldn't confuse

donations to a candidate to donations to the DCCC.

[theredpen]

45. Dear Jeebus, this argument could have been lifted straight off Free Republic

"Corruption is OK, because money rules us!"

[susankh4]

28. It is democracy

it is called CAPITALIST democracy. And in it, we vote with our money as much as with our votes.

Don't confuse "democracy" and "capitalism." They are separate, but interrelated phenomena.

[blogslut]

23. meh

Tell Haim Saban he can keep his Might Morphin Power Ranger money.

[theredpen]

30. They paid good money to own the Democrats!

How dare they actually let the people, the grass roots and the party elite choose the nominee without their say-so!

[OzarkDem]

34. They're a voice of reason

my impression is they're trying to keep the party from running off a cliff and destroying itself, which it is close to doing.

Its important to stick to the rules. Its important to keep winning the GE as the most important goal.

[susankh4]

39. My impression too....

I hope it's not too late.

[Oilwellian]

48. ROFL

Oh my god, your post is RICH.

"They're trying to keep the party from running off a cliff and destroying itself?"

Seems to me the only one running off a cliff and destroying itself is the Clinton campaign. How she has run her campaign is how she would run the country....I want NO PART of that type of governing. We may as well call ourselves republicans if big money overrides the will of the people.

"It's important to stick to the rules."

:rofl: