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DNC will play by Obama's rules
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama speaks to supporters during a rally at Nissan Pavilion on June 05, 2008 in Bristow, Va.
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KAI RYSSDAL: Barack Obama has a job. But he's looking to move up the ladder. And he's shaking up the establishment now that he's got the Democratic nomination wrapped up. Obama's putting his people in key jobs. And he's going to make the party live by his campaign's rules on taking money from lobbyists and political action committees.
BARACK OBAMA: I am announcing that going forward the Democratic National Committee will uphold the same standard. We will not take a dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs.
The DNC's raised only about half as much as the Republican National Committee has. So we asked Marketplace's Jeremy Hobson how this decision might affect what happens in November.
Jeremy Hobson: Business, labor and other interests run political action committees to raise money for candidates. But PAC money doesn't make up that big a chunk of the DNC's funds. Only a couple million dollars out of more than $82 million raised so far this campaign season. Money from Lobbyists is even less.
Michael Malbin, who directs the Campaign Finance Institute, says Senator Obama's decision is clever.
MICHAEL MALBIN: I think he's making a calculation that the value of the issue is worth more than the value of the money.
But, says Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz, a lot of special interests are still free to contribute despite the DNC ban.
DANNY DIAZ: Former lobbyists, unregistered lobbyists, firm partners of lobbyists, state lobbyists.... This is simply a PR stunt.
Asked whether the RNC plans to take a similar step and ban lobbyist and PAC contributions, Diaz said this:
DIAZ: We don't plan on changing our process at this point.
But individual politicians might, particularly if they're able to duplicate Barack Obama's incredible fundraising success, mostly small donations, without which none of this would be happening.
Douglas Weber is with the Center for Responsive Politics:
Douglas Weber: If it does work, if Obama's model of getting a lot of small individual donations can be duplicated, that does change the fundraising landscape quite a lot.
Weber says you'll know the landscape has changed if congressional candidates are able to ban lobbyist and PAC contributions and still get elected.
In Washington, I'm Jeremy Hobson for Marketplace.
About the author
Jeremy Hobson is host of Marketplace Morning Report, where he looks at business news from a global perspective to prepare listeners for the day ahead. Follow Jeremy on Twitter @jeremyhobson
Dr. Goldblatt:
I absolutely sympathize with what your mother must have gone through. Yet, if you sincerely believe that Obama speaks like Hitler, indeed, you need Lord's help. Obama embraces all human beings and their basic human rights without any prejudice and with an open heart. I trust his judgement above all as exemplified by his first reaction to the idea of the Iraq war. "Luncheon with Hamas representatives"?? You cannot be seriously believing what you are preaching... Sorry, you sound phony, at best. Obama will make a great President!
Resul Ozbayrak, M.D.
Undistinguished Professor
Obama, he speaks like Hitler
I have this recurring nightmare of Farrakhan or Wright spending the night at the White House in the Lincoln bedroom. Or Barack Hussein Obama having a luncheon on the lawns with Hamas representatives, Ayers, Meeks and company. Lord help us. This life-long will also be pulling the lever for John McCain, a man who is actually proud of his country.
We are judged by the company we keep.
I have a very good picture of Barack Hussein Obama's kind of change he wants to make. I can't beleive that the Democrat party could want this Obama instead of Hillary. I would never vote for Obama not because he's black but because of all the anti-American friends he has.
Once again the DNC has come up with an inadequate candidate, Barack Hussein Obama is a empty suit and I don't believe a word he says.
I am definately voting for John McCain. I like him alot so it is an easy move. He loves this country and went through hell during the POW days.
I am one of them Sc.D. a son of holocaust survivor who witnessed results of 1930’s appeasement, I saw what my mother had to live through when she was in the concentration camps. She saw what is like when you cannot defend yourself from the Nazi tyranny, she saw her family burn in the ovens of Auschwitz and Birkenau, she witnessed the les affaires of the comatose Europeans Jewry while their fellow Jews were being shipped to their death camps, and the silence of the conciliators, she bore the numbers of her arms so we will never relent in our pursuit of freedom. Today I see in Barack Obama, he speaks like Hitler and hardly set down and argue like a human being, he bring an old memories that invokes the fears of Hitler days, he promised everything under the sun and that worries me the most. Hitler promised the German people everything and only destruction came about.
Shalom,
--- Leland Milton Goldblatt, Ph.D. ®
Distinguished Professor
http://drgoldblatt.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/miltongoldblatt
