Public Campaign Action Fund - presidential race

$50,000 Photo Op

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:13:19 +0000

That age old question resurfaces for the newest celebrity in the Republican party: how do you sell yourself as a reformer and still play the big money politics game? Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin surfaced from obscurity right into the center of a media frenzy and is now banking on her newfound fame to draw in big donors. Later this month a fundraiser will charge $50,000 to GOP check-writers to dine and have their picture taken with McCain's ticketmate.

Breaking Up Bundles

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:31:49 +0000

The New York Times addresses Mssrs. McCain and Obama on the subject of bundling advising both should pledge to make it a priority to rein in the practice should be elected President. The Times goes a step further and says that while addressing bundling is important, full public financing of campaigns should be the ultimate goal.

How Much for Dessert?

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:25:04 +0000

Heralded as he is for drawing a huge number of small donors to his presidential campaign, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is still collecting plenty of $1,000+ plus checks, as this story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune explains. Obama was in the Minneapolis area for a big fundraising event, at which attendees ponied up $1,000 for dinner and $5,000 for a picture with the candidate. Not even Santa Claus charges that much.

Bagging the Bundlers

Katie Schlieper — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:50:00 +0000

In these campaign contribution-limited times, the big-money bundlers to the presidential campaigns are worth their weight in gold (check or credit card also accepted). McCain, whose Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act helped establish current federal campaign contribution limits, is out-raising Obama on the bundler front but neither man is exactly eschewing the practice that many have called a loophole for big donor influence.

Conventional Tactics

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:55:37 +0000

We've noted on several occasions the major loophole provided by Democratic and Republican conventions for corporations to flex their contribution muscles. Conventions don't fit under the guidelines that restrict corporate giving to candidates and parties, so the multi-million dollar events are a good opportunity for corporate interests to give generously - and reap the benefits. This article in the New York Times focuses on the Democratic convention in Denver, and its fundraising power-player, Steve Farber.

Making a List, Checking it Twice

Katie Schlieper — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:40:30 +0000

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) values his reputation as a reformer and Sen. Barack Obama (D) has boasted about the transparency of his campaign but the New York Times is a little disappointed in both of their efforts on the donor/bundler disclosure front. After a nudge from the paper the Obama campaign updated its publicly available list of bundlers but should they need hounding from the press?

A Beautiful Friendship

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:11:29 +0000

The Washington Post examines Rick Davis' vital role in Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign, and his history with the Senator which they describe as a "relationship [. . .] typical of the symbiotic ties that have come to define the culture of the nation's capital" -- in short, Davis sacrificed in the short term for his candidate, and could stand to make millions in the long term off his relationship with McCain atop the millions the relationship has already yielded.

Filling With Hot Water

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:23:51 +0000

Public Campaign Action Fund's David Donnelly has articles in the Huffington Post and the Minneapolis Star Tribune discussing John McCain's lobbyist woes, an the reignited controversy over McCain's involvement in the awarding of a lucrative Air Force contract to European-owned Airbus over Boeing.

Obama Opts Out

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:07:57 +0000

Senator Barack Obama (D) has decided to opt out of the partial public financing system for the general presidential election, the first candidate to do so since the system was adopted. He is expected to have a fundraising advantage over Republican rival John McCain. In response to Obama's decision, Public Campaign Action Fund has released this statement.

Big, Bad Oil

Katie Schlieper — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Experts will tell you that it would be years before American consumers would seen any benefit from the proposed offshore oil drilling President Bush is attempting to push through Congress. So why is Senator John McCain (R) pushing the idea on the campaign trail as a solution to rising gas prices? ThinkProgress speculates on McCain's change of heart -- and the money he's taking in from the oil and gas industry.