October 31, 2011
THE KEPT MAN OF THE 1%:
Obama Backers Tied to Lobbies Raise Millions (ERIC LICHTBLAU, 10/27/11, NY Times)Despite a pledge not to take money from lobbyists, President Obama has relied on prominent supporters who are active in the lobbying industry to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid.
At least 15 of Mr. Obama's "bundlers" -- supporters who contribute their own money to his campaign and solicit it from others -- are involved in lobbying for Washington consulting shops or private companies. They have raised more than $5 million so far for the campaign.
Because the bundlers are not registered as lobbyists with the Senate, the Obama campaign has managed to avoid running afoul of its self-imposed ban on taking money from lobbyists.
But registered or not, the bundlers are in many ways indistinguishable from people who fit the technical definition of a lobbyist.
Posted by oj at October 31, 2011 7:17 AM
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