Big Donors Drive Obama's Money Edge

Washington Post: Only A Quarter Of $600M Raised Has Come From Contributions Of $200 Or Less

(Washington Post)  This story was written by Matthew Mosk and Sarah Cohen.

---

The record-shattering $150 million in donations that Sen. Barack Obama raised in September represents only part of the financial advantage the Democratic nominee has amassed entering the final weeks of the presidential contest, newly released campaign finance records show.

Obama and the Democratic Party committees supporting his campaign had $164 million remaining in their collective accounts entering the campaign's final full month, compared with $132 million available for Sen. John McCain and the Republican Party.

The advantage is compounded by Obama's ability to continue to raise money through the election because he decided not to participate in the federal financing program. McCain opted in, meaning he received $84.1 million in federal funds to spend between the Republican National Convention and Nov. 4, and he must rely solely on the Republican National Committee for additional financial support.

Behind Obama's staggering fundraising numbers, compiled on more than 80,000 pages filed with the Federal Election Commission late Monday, are signs that it was far more than just a surge of Internet donors that fueled a coordinated Democratic effort to try to swamp McCain.

Interest among major party donors grew so fevered that the Democratic Party created a separate committee to capture millions of additional dollars from individuals who had already given Obama the most the law allows and who had also anted up $28,500 to the Democratic National Committee.

The Committee for Change, created in mid-July, has become a vehicle for ultra-rich Democratic donors to distinguish themselves from the 3.1 million others who have put $600 million behind Obama's presidential candidacy.

"We kept running into donors who had maxed out to Obama Victory who wanted to do additional money and had the capacity to do it and were eager to do it," said Alan Kessler, a Philadelphia lawyer who recently held a fundraiser for the committee. "They asked if there were vehicles and other ways to do it, and we said yes."

The committee, which has been routing millions of dollars directly to state party accounts and will help fuel Obama's field operations, represents the flip side of the grass-roots fundraising effort that helped turn Obama into the most successful money-raiser in presidential campaign history.

Similar joint committees are active on both sides of the political aisle. Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, announced this year that McCain would attempt to keep pace with Obama by creating a Victory Fund that would collect as much as $70,000 apiece from wealthy donors. The fund disburses money to the Republican National Committee, state party committees, and a separate fund to pay McCain's legal and accounting bills.

Lost in the attention given to Obama's Internet surge is that only a quarter of the $600 million he has raised has come from donors who made contributions of $200 or less, according to a review of his FEC reports. That is actually slightly less, as a percentage, than President Bush raised in small donations during his 2004 race, although Obama has pulled from a far larger number of donors. In 2004, the Bush campaign claimed more than 2 million donors, while the Obama campaign claims to have collected its total from more than 3.1 million individuals.

"It's just unbelievable," said Thomas A. Daschle, the former Senate leader who is a top Obama adviser. "I don't know that anybody could have anticipated that the numbers would be this good."

Even some Republicans have come away impressed.

"The truth is, he is attracting more money at all levels, ranging from $1 to $2,300," said Jan Baran, a Republican fundraising expert. "We're talking about someone who raised money from 3.1 million people. I think he can validly claim a widespread base of support."

From the start, Obama's campaign has designed a fundraising effort that tries to maximize contributions from both small and large donors. That effort expanded in late summer, when Obama prepared to accept his party's nomination and the DNC set up separate committees that would enable top donors to give as much as $65,500 to support his bid.

The best-known of those committees, the Obama Victory Fund, has catered to party regulars who attended one of dozens of gala events around the country, including VIP gatherings for those able to donate $28,500. The Committee for Change has quietly accepted millions more, in checks ranging from $5,000 to $66,900, from celebrities, corporate titans, Native American tribes and several of Obama's most ardent bundlers.

They include entertainment mogul David Geffen, Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, actress Annette Bening, the California-based Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and members of Chicago's Crown family.

DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney said the committee will support ground operations in 18 states, including all the key battlegrounds. "It's a way for donors to give directly to the state parties' ground operation, working in the field in support of Democrats up and down the ballot," she said.

The closest equivalent to the soft-money donors of the Clinton era, or to Bush's "Pioneers" and "Rangers," are those who have contributed to each facet of the Obama fundraising machine.

Among those who have both raised top dollar and donated it are St. Louis developer Bob Clark, Florida lawyer Mark Gilbert, and Hollywood moguls Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, whose children each gave $37,000 to the Committee for Change.

The Crowns, longtime Obama patrons, are among a handful who have given across the board: They raised more than $500,000 for Obama's campaign, they collectively gave $18,500 directly to the campaign, they donated $57,000 to the Victory Fund, and they sent $74,000 to the Committee for Change.

"By both raising the most money and donating to every committee, they become double big players," said Fred Wertheimer, a campaign finance advocate who helped lead the effort to rid politics of soft-money donors, who were allowed to give unlimited amounts. "This has become the newest form of problem money."

[lightnin001]

Here''s an example of "democratic" financial responsibility, tax policy, and dishonesty:

WHO screwed up Social Security??

When Social Security began the "democrats" SAID:

Participation would be VOLUNTARY.

The contributions would be TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.

The funds wouldn''t be used for anything ELSE, and

interest would ADD to the account.

The payouts would NEVER BE TAXED.

LBJ & demo majorities in the House and Senate put the

funds in the General Fund so they could use it for

their pet projects (PORK), no interest adds to the

fund now!

CARTER & demo majorities in the House and Senate

gave Social Security to immigrants who had never

PAID IN!

CLINTON & demo majorities in the House and Senate

made the CONTRIBUTIONS taxable, AND made the

PAYOUTS taxable! (Al Gore cast the deciding vote on

the payouts!)

OBAMA wants to GIVE Social Security to the 11 million

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS that are here, ALONG WITH

Medicare! (Think more or them will come then to get

in on THAT?) AND, with demo majorities in the House

and Senate, he''ll SUCCEED!

AND, after all THAT, the "democrats" have the GALL to

blame Republicans for the mess Social Security is in!

McCain is drowning in MY small donations to Obama which I give every month. They have added up to about $800 so far. I now have the same power as the TV networks who have thought of themselves as king makers,..reporting selectively for twenty months to keep the fight going and their ratings high. I get my news from hundreds of metropolitan newspapers who''s journalists are not slaves of the 24 hour news cycle.

I pay Obama to say what I need our nation to hear..that its time we took back America from large corporations of all types who have transferred their debts to the middle-class, benefitting from tax loopholes while shipping our jobs overseas.

Meanwhile our cost of living continues to go up faster than inflation due to Emergency-room mentality healthcare, rising gas and heating bills and a public education system among that worst in the industrialized world.

[closethippy1]

All of a sudden shipping American jobs overseas is a good thing and bringing people to do high tech jobs is even a better thing.
Face it, you scumbags are nothing but a bunch of racists who will make up any argument just because you don''t want a black president.
Do the US a favor and go kill yourselves, will ya?

[closethippy1]

The same corporations responsible for sending American jobs overseas and for bringing in foreigners to do the job of Americans at a much cheaper rate are the ones ******** about higher taxes.
It amazes how they have no problem recruiting so many i.diots to argue their case even if these same i.diots are doing much worse because of all the jobs that are now out of their reach.
You guys are nothing but a bunch of salivating neanderthals completely unable to think for yourselves.

[closethippy1]

To say that all the rich people are against paying more taxes is ignorant. Many of them understand very well that it takes a lot of taxes to run a great country like the US.
Besides, many rich folks are responsible for shipping American jobs to other countries so they can make more money that way. Why not tax the f.uckers then?
LONG LIVE OBAMA!!!!!

[wdh3007]

A certain news source has stated that Al Qaeda would rather have Obama as President and that he does not want donors investigated? Why is this?

[wdh3007]

Don''t know if this is true but I heard that a Democrat who filed a lawsuit claiming Obama was born in Kenya charges that by failing to respond, the Democratic candidate has admitted to the accusations?

[miles1967-2009]

To read about the REAL John McCain and Sarah Palin, check out the below links and forward them to your friends:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23318320/mad_dog_palin

[wntrpls]

Generally people who are going to be taxed heaver do not make extremely large contributions to the candidate that is promising these taxes. they know what the real deal is. those of us who are going to be taxed heavily are the Joe six packs, Joe the plumber and you. I will be leaving the country to avoid having to pay for those of you who are too stupid to see what he is lying about, if he is elected that is. Fortuneately, the AP polls have the race in an almost dead tie. Republicans need to head to the polls in force come election day. Obama is pushing for early voting. Perhaps he knows that something is going to come out about him before the election and after all those votes are already cast. Maybe it is the outcome of the lawsuit which has been filed against him to force him to produce his elusive birth certificate. I for one, can produce my birth certificate in about 30 seconds. What will his reveal, is it that he was not born in the US and as a result is ineligible to be elected president??
------------------------------------------
Also dont forget Rezko is talking to Feds, will he implement Obama.

[wntrpls]

BUT OBAMA SAID...95% of Americans will get a tax Break.....can this even be possible. Obama is saying anything to get elected. My grandmother always told me be careful for what you wish for. Americans are wishing for an AMerican Idol.

[wntrpls]

Obama has radical views. Punishing tax rates, redistribution of wealth. Obama will kill jobs. Obama will kill the stock market. Who is going to invest when half there money is going to Obama and Nancy Polosi.

[pepperwood2]

"It''s just unbelievable," said Thomas A. Daschle, the former Senate leader who is a top Obama adviser. "I don''t know that anybody could have anticipated that the numbers would be this good."

Well now isn''t this just terrific. It''s time to redistribute spread some of this wealth around to the average Joe Sixpack & Joe the Plumber. When is all this suppose to happen? Let''s walk the talk!

How about it Barack. There they go again.

[listenupf00l]

You know what i changed my mind about Obama! I think he will be better for national security and the economy!

Besides I think Sarah Palin is really a Nazi!

Breaking news:
www.chilitoz.com
Thousands of pictures of NAZI SS Officers and Adolf Hitler found property owned by Sarah and Todd Palin. Also an apparent Altar dedicated to the notorious Angel of death Dr. Joseph Mengele along with thousands of NAZi era coins.

[wntrpls]

Just did the Frank Marshal Davis search! Geeezzzz!! It just keeps getting better! Obama''s mentor was a Communist?? Then he moved on to Ayers and Wright and all those others!!! This will be the first president if elected that would not even qualify to pass a security clearance to be his own bodyguard!

[wntrpls]

Why does Obama attract terrorist and radicals?

Columbia University professor of Arab studies Rashid Khalidi, and No. 814, former University of Colorado at Boulder professor Ward Churchill.

Click here to see the petition.

Churchill made headlines when he called the victims of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center "little Eichmanns" and compared them to Nazis in an essay. He was fired from his job in Boulder for plagiarism.

Khalidi, a Palestinian activist, was a director of the Palestinian Liberation Organization''s press agency in 1982, according to The New York Times, when the PLO was still designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.

Obama spent time with Khalidi when the two were professors in Chicago, and paid him a special tribute during a farewell dinner for the firebrand professor in 2003, reminiscing about meals prepared by Khalidi''s wife, according to the LA Times.

[ragnar30066]

Once upon a time the Democratic party whined about how too much money was spent on "buying elections", and called for limits. I guess they don''t support that any more, since they apparently have all the money. So I have an idea.

Let''s let the Democrats spread the wealth around. We can start with Bill Gates, Warren buffet and George Soros, work our way down through the piddling fortunes like Kennedy, Rockefeller and Kerry (Heinz).

[grouchyjohn]

Here John:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/
06/us/politics/06donate.html

There was one on CBS but I can not find it. I am still looking it was in the last 30 days

Posted by I_AM_DJ at 08:12 PM : Oct 22, 2008




"Planning to file a complaint" DOES NOT amount to guilt.

This is how the Ayers, Rezko, Wright, and all of the other smear got started. The republicans and Fox News say "an investigation is under way" implying something is wrong, but they NEVER come back to say that the investigations didn''t turn anything up, or that they panned out negatively.

The whole problem is that many people hear "investigation" and instantly assume guilt.

I can file a complaint with my local police department saying that you raped my dog, and they can "launch an investigation". Does it mean that it''s true? Of course not.

[cbsfan732]

Feeling despondant over the current situation in this country, I called the suicide prevention hotline, and got some guy in pakistan. He asked me if I was suicidal, and if so, could I drive a truck!

[grouchyjohn]

iamdj. Ok, what is YOUR source? MSM doesn''''t count. Eveyone knows it is sensationalism and biased.

Posted by msa123 at 08:08 PM : Oct 22, 2008





If it seems BIASED, it''s because YOUR choice of candidates keep making so many mistakes!!

And MAYBE if Sarah Palin would make herself available to the media to answer some HARD QUESTIONS in an ACTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE, then maybe they might view her differently!!

McCain / Palin have NO ONE to blame but themselves!!

[grouchyjohn]

That is just not true. The only one to "debunk" this is Obama and his campaign. It''''s everywhere. Look in wikipedia, etc. Not just the MSM that you undoubtedly rely on. You obviously have chosen to keep your blinders on because you don''''t want to vote for McCain. So go for it. Obama won''''t get anything done anyhow. He''''s accomplished little to nothing (of importance) to date. I worry more about foreign relations. He''''s clueless.

Posted by msa123 at 08:06 PM : Oct 22, 2008





If you''re worried about foreign relations, then you should be supporting Obama. McCain has already portrayed himself to the international community as just another arrogant George Bush "holier than thou" type of politician, and he''s already started several "wars of words", with different heads of state. Particularly with Russia and Iran.

And on domestic issues, McCain doesn''t even come CLOSE to matching Obama!!