I was interested in the info that Pink Slip provided regarding McCain's Wall St. Lobbyists so I went and dug up a website which lists the details on each candidate and their lobbyists, fund raisers, donors, and something I hadn't heard of before - Bundlers.
Very interesting stuff. I also discovered that it's an offshoot of Public Citizen.org which was founded by Ralph Nader. I'm not a Nader follower, but I can respect a lot of what he's tried to do to clean up all the dirty politics in this country.
http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/
This Web site allows you to follow the money trail of campaign bundlers – or people who funnel money to campaigns – as they collect thousands, and sometimes even millions, of dollars from other people for the 2008 presidential candidates.
It reflects the most comprehensive data Public Citizen’s team of researchers can obtain. It also explains a little about how we got to this record $1 billion campaign season – and what we can do about it by renewing our dedication to public funding of presidential – and congressional – elections.
Are the life blood of getting around campaign financing laws and regulations.
"Bush Pioneers are people who gathered $100,000 for George W. Bush's 2000 or 2004 presidential campaign. Two new levels, Bush Rangers and Super Rangers, were bestowed upon supporters who gathered $200,000+ or $300,000+, respectively, for the 2004 campaign, after the 2002 McCain–Feingold campaign finance law raised hard money contribution limits. This was done through the practice of "bundling" contributions. [1] There were 221 Rangers and 327 Pioneers in the 2004 campaign and 241 Pioneers in the 2000 campaign (550 pledged to try).[1] A fourth level, Bush Mavericks, was used to identify fundraisers under 40 years of age who bundled more than $50,000. [2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_Pioneer
"A 1996 report by the New York City campaign finance board, "Bundles of Trouble?" detailed how Mr. Giuliani had 205 "intermediaries" bring in more than $1 million to his 1993 mayoral campaign."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/17/AR200702...
Didn't some candidate mention something about changing the politics and cleaning up Washington, which would imply not using the same tactics and methods.
It's SHOCKING that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now BANKRUPT. Besides getting lots of "donations" from both the bankrupt mortguage lenders, some of Obama's campaign advisers was ON THE BOARD OF FANNIE MAE.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/12/nation/na-johnson12
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/09/mccain...
#2 on the list of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Campaign Contributions:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html
Obama, Barack S IL D $126,349 $6,000 $120,349
Loan titans paid McCain adviser nearly $2 million
Senator John McCain's campaign manager was paid more than $30,000 a month for five years as president of an advocacy group set up by the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to defend them against stricter regulations, current and former officials say.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/22/america/22mccain.php
Who isn't bought and paid for by some one in D.C.
ALL responsible for the collapse of Fannie Mae and ALL close to Obama
James Johnson of Countrywide:
http://loanworkout.org/2008/06/obama-and-the-countrywide-scandal-updates/
Franklin Raines
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_02/b3915646.htm
Tim Howard
http://www.mortgagedaily.com/subscribe/login.asp?msg=Please%20Login
McCain has collected far more money from Wall St bundlers than Obama
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/bundlers.php?id=N00006424&cycle2=2008&...
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/bundlers.php?id=N00009638&cycle2=2008&...
Not to mention the 83 Wall St lobbyists McCain has on his team
People like Pink Slip
Obama shacking hands (opps) shaking hands with convicted felon, Tony Rezko
"U.S. Sen. Barack Obama expressed regret late Friday for his 2005 land purchase from now-indicted political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko in a deal that enlarged the senator's yard. "I consider this a mistake on my part and I regret it," Obama told the Chicago Sun-Times in an exclusive and revealing question-and-answer exchange about the transaction. In June 2005, Obama and Rezko purchased adjoining parcels in Kenwood. The state's junior senator paid $1.65 million for a Georgian revival mansion, while Rezko paid $625,000 for the adjacent, undeveloped lot. Both closed on their properties on the same day."
Direct from Obamas "hometown" newspaper, the Chicago Sun-Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/124171,CST-NWS-obama05.article
The lobbying firm of the man Republicans say John McCain has chosen to begin planning a presidential transition earned more than a quarter of a million dollars this year representing Freddie Mac, one of the companies McCain blames for the nation's financial crisis.
Timmons & Co., whose founder and chairman emeritus is William Timmons Sr., was registered to lobby for Freddie Mac from 2000 through this month, when the federal government took over both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
(cont.)
People like Pink Slip
It appears both parties are equally guilty and at fault here. It's called Washington. Let's just call the whole damn thing off until we can locate a candidate that is truly clean. But, I'll probably be dead by then!
- Just the KAT, thinking out loud again.
