Buried on page three of a Washington Post article and written in the glossy ink that used to be the sole reserve of the now-fallen ex-media darling, and other “self-made maverick” John McCain, an unsettling truth regarding Obama, his campaign, and his money can be found. What is this truth? I’ll give you a hint: it involves the cognitive dissonance you might be feeling whenever you try to reconcile, “the outsider” with the “25 million dollar man.”
Come on now, deep in your heart you knew the two couldn’t be one and the same.
Let’s start with the promise:
From the outset, Obama tried to establish a “Washington outsider” image — moving his campaign operations to Chicago and making a bold promise to refuse checks written or gathered by registered federal lobbyists.
Registered - Federal - Lobbyists. Is anyone else getting that sinking feeling that the Harvard Law degree Mr. Obama has is being put to good use?
Still, for hosting events and otherwise raising money, the Obama fundraising team is relying on partners in lobbying firms who are not registered for specific clients, former lobbyists who recently dropped clients and spouses of lobbyists. The strategy allows Obama’s team to reach the wealthy clients of lobbying firms while technically complying with his pledge.
And there it is. But wait, there’s more:
Joanne Hannett, whose husband, Fred, is a lobbyist for United Health Group and other clients, is helping raise money for Obama. Although Fred Hannett attended an Obama event, he said he has not personally donated any money or “solicited any of my clients.”
Obama also has no prohibition against using state lobbyists to raise money, even when they represent companies with business before the federal government.
Excuse me?! Could I get an explanation please?
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the rule “isn’t a perfect solution to the problem and it isn’t even a perfect symbol, but it is representative of the kind of administration Obama is going to have.”
If equivocation and misrepresentation are representative of what we have to look forward to with an Obama administration let me go on record right now with a “thanks, but no thanks.” That’s an audacious way of bringing hope indeed.
Link to Post Article: Obama Taps Two Worlds To Fill 2008 War Chest Or go straight to page three.
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