Obama bid built on billionaires and "bundlers".

[shaniqua6392]

Dem hopeful's record-breaking fundraising machine isn't entirely grassroots
Interesting article on msnbc.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24060056/

[flor de jasmim]

1. wow...27,000 big donors to "offset" the 1 MILLION small donors

yep, BIG story there--keep trying, MSNBC

[shaniqua6392]

2. That is not really the point of the article.

It is not the comparative of the number of donors. It is who gave Obama the money and "The bundler list also sheds light on those who might seek to influence an Obama White House." They were just discussing this on "Morning Joe" because it was on the front page of The Washington Post.

[democracy1st]

5. Shaniqua it's coming from Morning Joe

:wtf:

[shaniqua6392]

7. It's coming from the Washington Post

which is what they showed on the air.

[rodeodance]

16. There was a story about Obama's stops at billionaires fundraising in SF

that was posted a few days ago also

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

49. they ever figure out how Joe's intern died when he was a congressman?

I thought her death was undetermined.

He did leave congress due to scandal over some womanizing thing.

[high density]

9. The headline doesn't seem to match the article

But that's nothing new over at MSNBC.COM.

The Washington Post's title for the same article is a more honest "Big Donors Among Grass Roots"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/10/AR2008041004045.html

[Life Long Dem]

41. To set the record straight and summarize. There are 79 big donors.

Out of the 79 big donors are 5 billionaires. The 79 big donors helped recruit more than 27,000 donors.

The 27,000, donors donated the max of $2300 each.

[DerekJ]

3. What a bullshit article...Oh Noes!!! Rich people are donating to Obama

We all know that fools...It's the percentage of small donations to large donations .. And large donations of a whopping 2,300 will not get you a favor with Obama.


I know what they are trying to do .. But it will fail.

They tried that before with Obama taking money from oil companies, thinking we're a bunch of morons, who doesn't understand the difference between employees, and PACs.

[Adelante]

4. Who ever said it was *entirely* grassroots?

Nobody :shrug:

[rodeodance]

23. But it is the line that Obama and his fans have pushed since day 1

[Adelante]

37. It is second best to public financing

Having multitudes of small donors counteract the influence of large donors. So, yes, I talk it up. That's what I've been saying since Day 1. I hate the bundling system. I think it puts all of our candidates at risk for scandal, as has been shown again and again and again. I think it is a loophole in the law that should be closed, because it veils the same old same old. However, that doesn't mean I expect that to happen in the middle of an election season. Nor does it mean I expect big money to go away. The best I can get is that big money doesn't own the game.

[bowens43]

6. Has anyone ever said it was 'entirely grassroots'?

What a piss poor ridiculous attempt at a smear.

[Tennessee Gal]

8. Did you expect different?

[rodeodance]

28. His fans here seem upset with the story.

[rodeodance]

10. Obama/fan lie that it is all about the little guy donors is starting to crack.

[uponit7771]

21. 96$ average donation = billionaires propping BO's campaign? This is silly

[rodeodance]

22. so what. Obama's narritive is beginning to crumble as he gets vetted.

[uponit7771]

30. Which part? 70% of it's true 100% of bosnia is false. Only his critics expect perfection but the...

...people who are really trying to change SOMETHING have their expectations set correctly for supporting a politician

[rodeodance]

48. Rove --is that you?--changing the subject!

[UALRBSofL]

11. Thanks for posting Shaniqua. I'm glad the MSM is starting to report this.

They have sat on it for months and it's about time the general public new Obama isn't a total grass-roots, single donor campaign which he tells people he is.

[rodeodance]

24. so am I. someone posted a SF article of Obama's visit to Billionaire Lane a few

days ago also.

The fans here did not like it. te he

[uponit7771]

39. Right, because the countries rich shouldn't be allowed to be invest in a leader :rolleyes:

[rodeodance]

45. you missed the premise of the OP. figures!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. watch the hands...watch the hands

[rodeodance]

14. fun to watch

[uponit7771]

34. ....watch the hands try to disapeer 1 million different donaters...LOL...that's funny

[berni_mccoy]

13. Unfortunately, billionaires and bundlers is ALL Clinton has and they're maxed out. All that money to

Mark Penn. tsk. tsk. tsk.

[rodeodance]

15. REC

[kdpeters]

17. This anecdote was cool

Among the group are businessmen such as Kenneth Griffin, a famously private 39-year-old billionaire who threw his support behind Obama's presidential campaign just as he hired a team of lobbyists to urge Congress to preserve a lucrative tax loophole.

A year ago, Griffin invited Obama to speak to employees of his Chicago hedge fund, Citadel Investment Group, and in subsequent months, employees and their families gave the candidate nearly $200,000. Griffin had previously backed Republicans, including Obama's initial U.S. Senate opponent.

Obama resisted Citadel's lobbying push, but a hedge fund executive who knows Griffin said he suspects Griffin's continued support owes to more than a desire to sway the senator on the tax issue. "Ken's a smart guy, and I guess he's done the math and decided that Barack is the best candidate," said Daniel Loeb, the chief executive of Third Point Management in New York.

It says something and even looks like it earned him some respect.

[uponit7771]

18. They are seriously scared of how Obama is raising money!! He doesn't need the 27000 "big" donors

...and that makes the power structure in this country nervous

[rodeodance]

26. then why does he go to Billionaire Lane in SF for his fundraising?

[uponit7771]

31. What part of "doesn't need" do you not understand? I don't need McDonalds to feed my body but I like

...it.

The point is ...he doesn't "NEED" them and really can't stop them from donating whether or not they were bundled.

Again, the power structure in the US is scared and the attempts at minimizing the grass roots is looking silly.

970,000 donors * 25$ = a whole lot of stankin money no matter how you try to spin it.

[rodeodance]

47. What part don't you understand?--Point of OP is point out Obama's narritive is not as he has been

telling it.

Simple premise.

[Celebration]

19. Obama would please ALL the Clinton and McCain donors

If he would just stop fundraising entirely, or an least severely restrict it further. You know, some of his donors work for big corporations. Their paychecks depend on those corporations. Therefore Obama is a corporate shill.

Therefore Obama should definitely FURTHER impose restrictions on his fundraising. All donors should have incomes less than the median income of the country. To do otherwise affects the tax policy of Obama. And none should work for corporate entities. None should work in the health care industry, because that would mean that they would have undue influence over his health care policy.

Naturally, this should extend to members of labor unions. Otherwise labor could have an undue influence. Family farmers should also not be able to donate, because that would unduly affect Obama's farm policy.

Let's just lay all the cards out on the table here. Until Obama institutes these measures, he is nothing less than a shill!

[uponit7771]

36. RIGHT!! They're arguing that to really be "grassroots" Obama shouldn't take rich peoples money

[L0oniX]

20. Obama must be stealing some of Clinton's billionaires and bundlers.

[rodeodance]

25. He sure is.

[uponit7771]

32. That's a good thing, people can see he's a better leader

[OzarkDem]

27. They're experts at "bundling"

and he is still bought and paid for by corporate America.

[uponit7771]

33. 970,000 donors * 25$ = "needing" bundlers??!!?!........ LOL@WashingtonPowerStructure

[uponit7771]

29. The article implies Obama should stop rich people from donating to his campaign to take the title of

...grass roots.

The article, Timmeh etc are looking silly while trying to minimize BO's grass roots numbers

[Raffi Ella]

35. He's as slick as they come.

Big money is trying to buy Barack the Presidency. Funny though, no matter how much money he throws at the voters, he still can't close the deal... Americans are fighting the MSM picking their Candidate for them this time around. :)


Thanks for the post. K&R

[uponit7771]

40. Yeap, please keep kicking this...FACT 96$ is the average contribution = don't need bundlers

[rodeodance]

44. ok--so he goes to SF Billionaire Lane to get his cash.

[ProSense]

38. Bundlers? What BS! A bundler can be anyone from a housewife to an executive.

The innuendo is ludicrous. Obama has raised more than $240 million from individual donors, and there are strict limits on how much each donor can contribute. Some will give $25 or less, and other will give up to the maximum $2,300.

The other stuff is nonsense, Obama does not take money from PACs and registered lobbyist. Period.

This is more trying to create the impression that all of this is wink wink. It's BS.

Obama has full disclosure, including his earmarks list. The bundler issue is old debunked BS

Fact Check On Public Citizen's Claim That Obama Has Bundler Lobbyists

February 08, 2008

Public Citizen recently claimed that Barack Obama has 10 bundlers who are federal lobbyists. But none of the individuals they cite are currently registered to lobby. As an Obama spokesperson has said, the ban on accepting money from federal lobbyists is not "a perfect solution to the problem , and it isn't even a perfect symbol, but it does reflect that Obama shares the urgent desire of the American people to change the way Washington operates."

Read Public Citizen's List Here

Check Lobbyist Registrations Here

Frank Clark, NOT REGISTERED SINCE 2000

Scott Harris, NOT REGISTERED IN 2007

Allan J. Katz, NOT REGISTERED IN 2007

Robert S. Litt, NOT REGISTERED SINCE 2002

Thomas J. Perrelli, NOT REGISTERED SINCE 2005

Thomas A. Reed, TERMINATION ONLINE

Paul N. Roth, NOT REGISTERED IN 2007

Alan Solomont, NOT REGISTERED IN 2007

Tom E. Wheeler, NOT REGISTERED SINCE 2003

Now, what about the Colombian trade deal?

[uponit7771]

42. Big money & Consultant\Lobbyist class in DC are peein on themselves, they're not needed anylonger

...to influence change.

Obama doesn't need to raise 40 and 50 million a month but he does.

He can run his whole campaign on 25$ donations from 500,000 people a month....that scares people

[Catherina]

43. I found some more people openly bundling. It's really disgusting

These guys already raised $6,015 as you can see at the top of their website and in all the links there.

Someone call the media!

[PVnRT]

46. So, people with more money gave more money?

In other news, water is wet.

[rodeodance]

50. You are not good at discerning the articles premise.

[Cheap_Trick]

51. I love the smell of desperation in the morning...

it smells like....victory for Obama.

[knixphan]

52. so let's do some grassroots bundling

get a friend to donate 25 bucks today!