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Lobbyists Overwhelmingly Support McCain « The Washington Independent

Jul 31, 2020
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I was just checking out a new featureat OpenSecrets.org — the Center for Responsive Politics’ website that tracks money in politics.
Among other things, you can follow the personal campaign contributions of individual lobbyists. It also lets you see which candidates have received the most money from lobbyists and political action committees (PACs).
Naturally, the first thing I did was look up Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama. McCain has raised vastly more campaign cash from lobbyists than Obama this year. Here are the figures, as of Aug. 19:
John McCain (R)
Recipient Detail
Contribution(s) found: 867
Total: $676,346
Total from individuals: $446,496
Total from PACs: $229,850
Total from joint fundraising: $692,016 [Money raised jointly with the Republican National Committee]
Barack Obama (D)
Recipient Detail
Contribution(s) found: 114
Total: $49,453
Total from individuals: $42,233
Total from PACs: $7,220
If one counts only the money from lobbyists and PACS, McCain has out-raised Obama by a margin of more than 13 to one.
However, that margin balloons rapidly when McCain’s fund-raising in conjunction with the RNCis factored in. The joint account allows McCain to continue raising money after the deadline imposed as a condition of his accepting federal financing for the general election, which Obama declined. It also allows individuals to contribute far larger amounts than allowed under federal law for direct contributions to a campaign.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to know exactly how much of the joint money goes directly to the McCain campaign. McCain receives the bulk of the joint funds, but the party takes a share, and some is distributed to support GOP congressional candidates.
Overall, Democratic candidates have raised more money from lobbyists than Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.org — $75.2 million to $65.6 million. This isn’t too surprising, given widespread expectations that 2008 will be a good election year for Democrats.
But when it comes to the race for the White House, McCain is the lobbyists’ clear favorite.
Dexter Cooke

Dexter Cooke

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Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide. He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina. Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations. As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all. Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
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