St. Pete Times Politifact on Obama: If it quacks like a lobbyist, it's a lobbyist

[wyldwolf]

"He's leading by example, refusing contributions from PACs and Washington lobbyists."

Barack Obama on Tuesday, August 21st, 2007 in a TV ad.

In his speeches and his TV ads, Barack Obama criticizes the influence of lobbyists.

"I know that I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington," he says in the television spot. "But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change."

The announcer says, "He's leading by example, refusing contributions from PACs and Washington lobbyists who have too much power today."

But his anti-lobbyist policy includes one caveat and a few loopholes that weaken his claim to be funding his political campaign in a way that's truly different from his competitors.

He almost always qualifies his statement to note that he won't take money from federal lobbyists, a distinction that allows him to accept money from well-connected state lobbyists.

For example, South Florida lobbyist Russ Klenet and his wife will host a fundraising event in Broward County for Obama on August 25. Klenet represents state groups such as the Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers, but also companies such as Match.com and Election Systems & Software.

And Obama still accepts tens of thousands of dollars from people who work for Washington firms that do substantial lobbying. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle is an Obama contributor who isn't a registered lobbyist, but works as a consultant for Alston & Bird, a lobbying firm in Washington.

The Center for Responsive Politics found that Obama accepted $55,019 from employees at lobbying firms, and much more from companies that are not classified as lobbying firms but have lobbying divisions.

So we give Obama's statement a Half-True on the Truth-O-Meter. While Obama can accurately say that he does not accept money from federally registered lobbyists, he still accepts thousands from people in the influence industry.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/32/

[Colobo]

1. Wow! This is it! Obama is a HYPOCRITE!!! AAAHHHHH!!!

(Big f-n deal.)

[rinsd]

2. This is just silly on Obama's part. He does not need this money.

Why does he make the distinction between fed & state lobbyist?

Its gives the GOP a weapon to take away from perhaps Obama's greatest strength when it comes to governance and policy and that is his goal of transparency and mitigating the influence of money on governance.

If I were Axelrod I would end making this distinction and return the money while touting their disclosure of bundled money.

Its win-win.

[Colobo]

3. We'll see what Axelrod does.

[rinsd]

4. Its just that Obama owns this issue right now.

Edwards may not take lobby or PAC dough but he doesn't have the legislative record that Obama does on this issue.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

6. Edwards has never taken PAC or lobbyist money. BO did until he decided to run for prez

Keep in mind Obama was so zealously opposed to lobbying that he would routinely play poker with lobbyists when he was a state legislator.

This is another issue on which Obama has changed positions (such as sponsoring an $8 billion coal industry bill on anti-environment liquefied coal and then voting against the same bill 6 months later when he was running for prez while voting for another pro-coal bill during the same week and returning to his pro-coal position during the Youtube debate, being against a binding timetable for withdrawal before he was for it, changing his position 5 times in 6 days on meeting without precondition with leaders of hostile nations, etc.). What do Obama fans say about a candidate who changes his or her position?

[rinsd]

8. And Edwards deserves credit for that.

But you cannot deny Obama's record on this in terms of legislation passed at the state and fed level.

[Kagemusha]

5. Uh, because if they're not federal lobbyists, they aren't lobbying him?

If I give a candidate $100, and I don't ask for anything in return, it doesn't matter if I go lobby other people for a living, I'm not lobbying HIM.

If I give $100 and I lobby for something in return, I have to register as a federal lobbyist.

What's complicated about this?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

9. He sponsored an $8 billion bill for the coal industry in 2006

Did state lobbyists in Illinois have any role in that? One suspects they did...

[Kagemusha]

12. Will people grow up about this issue? God. I'll say it once again...

Just because a state hires you does not mean you are a state lobbyist. If you lobby federal senators, you are a FEDERAL LOBBYIST. And if you're not registered, you are also a criminal.

[AtomicKitten]

7. He made the distinction and emphasized "federal" lobbyists.

He told the truth.

[Colobo]

10. Obama's opponents will look for anything.

[AtomicKitten]

11. Obama also has the biggest base of individual donors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/us/politics/17obama.html?ex=1188014400&en=c6703df31bcf5267&ei=5070

[illinoisprogressive]

13. Hillarybots are so desparate to make their corrupt candidate look normal.

[karynnj]

14. There is a hugh difference between state and federal lobbyists

The difference is potential conflict of interest. State lobbyists are not lobbying a US Senator and he can do them no favors.