RNC: Obama's Lobbyist Hypocrisy

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by Republican National Committee:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO )

Obama Has Former Federal Lobbyists Working For And Raising Money For His Campaign:

Former Federal Lobbyists Are On Obama's Staff, Including Deputy Campaign Manager Steve Hildebrand, Teal Baker And Emmett Beliveau. "The Obama campaign restricts current lobbyists from joining the campaign. But a bunch of former lobbyists have helped out--including deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand, Teal Baker, and Emmett Beliveau--who could easily slip back onto K Street once the campaign is over." (Christopher Beam, "Obama's Lobbying Ties," Slate's "Trailhead" Blog, http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/trailhead/archive/2008/05/19/obama-s-lobbying -ties.aspx, 5/19/08)

Obama Does Not Ban Current Lobbyists From Providing Unpaid Advice To His Campaign; Advisers Who Are Federal Lobbyists Include Moses Mercado Of Ogilvy Government Relations. "Obama does not ban even current lobbyists from lending advice to the campaign--which could be considered an 'in kind' contribution. Moses Mercado, a former adviser to Dick Gephardt and a lobbyist for Ogilvy Government Relations, volunteers his advice and time for the campaign but declined to be on payroll." (Christopher Beam, "Obama's Lobbying Ties," Slate's "Trailhead" Blog, http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/trailhead/archive/2008/05/19/obama-s-lobbying -ties.aspx, 5/19/08)

-- Obama's Campaign Has Refused To Release A Comprehensive List Of
Outside Advisers. "There is no full list of lobbyists advising Sen.
Obama, and a campaign spokesman declined to release the campaign's
list of outside advisers. Some advisers have asked to remain
anonymous, citing professional or personal reasons, said Tommy Vietor,
an Obama spokesman, who acknowledged that federally registered
lobbyists may be among them." (Mary Jacoby, "Obama Campaign Enlists
Lobbyists," The Wall Street Journal, 3/1/08)

Obama Also Uses Bundlers Who Were Previously Registered As Federal Lobbyists. "Obama now has 14 bundlers who are also federally registered lobbyists, but they are currently inactive, according to Public Citizen." (Christopher Beam, "Obama's Lobbying Ties," Slate's "Trailhead" Blog, http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/trailhead/archive/2008/05/19/obama-s-lobbying -ties.aspx, 5/19/08)

-- Obama's Former Lobbyist Bundlers: Timothy M. Broas, Frank Clark,
Howard W. Gutman, Scott Harris, Allan J. Katz, William T. Lake, Robert
S. Litt, Kenneth G. Lore, Thomas J. Perrelli, Thomas A. Reed, Paul N.
Roth, Alan Solomont, Robert M. Sussman And Tom E. Wheeler. (Public
Citizen Website, http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/index.cfm, Accessed
5/21/08)

USA Today: "Obama may like voters to think he'd cross the street rather than deal with a lobbyist, but nine of his campaign staffers are former lobbyists, and some of his informal advisers are current lobbyists." (Editorial, "Obama's Claims On Lobbyist Money Prove Flimsy," USA Today, 4/18/08)

Obama Currently Accepts Contributions From Spouses Of Lobbyists And Holds Fundraisers In Offices That Engage In Lobbying:

Obama Accepts Campaign Contribution From Lobbyists' Spouses And Holds Fundraisers At Law Offices That Engage In Lobbying. "Although Obama refuses direct campaign contributions from 'Washington lobbyists,' he takes money from lobbyists' spouses and holds fundraisers at the offices of law firms that lobby Congress. He won't touch money from PACs or lobbyists representing big oil and drug companies, but he happily accepts huge amounts of money from executives at those companies and many others. In fact, he's relying on two oil company executives to raise $50,000 apiece for his campaign." (Editorial, "Obama's Claims On Lobbyist Money Prove Flimsy," USA Today, 4/18/08)

The Center For Responsive Politics Has Calculated That Obama Accepted At Least $85,000 In Contributions From State And Municipal Lobbyists And Family Members Of Federal Lobbyists. "The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) has found that Mrs. Clinton has accepted more than $750,000 from lobbyists so far during the presidential campaign, while Mr. Obama took more than $85,000. Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the center, said the group's figures include donations from family members of federal lobbyists as well as contributions from state and municipal lobbyists." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Takes Funds From Lobby Partners," The Washington Times, 2/22/08)

Obama Has Accepted Contributions From Law Firms That Engage In Lobbying:

Obama Has Accepted "Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars" From Partners Of Law Firms That Engage In Federal Lobbying. "Sen. Barack Obama, who has refused donations from federal lobbyists and paints his Democratic presidential rival as a Washington insider for accepting their contributions, took hundreds of thousands of dollars from partners at dozens of firms that lobbied Congress in 2007." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Takes Funds From Lobby Partners," The Washington Times, 2/22/08)

-- "The Partners - Who Often Share In A Law Firm's Overall Profits - Gave
At Least $214,000 To The Obama Campaign From October Through December,
According To A Review Of Federal Election Commission Records And
Lobbying-Disclosure Reports With The Senate." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama
Takes Funds From Lobby Partners," The Washington Times, 2/22/08)

Obama's Fundraising Team Includes 38 Members Of Law Firms That Engage In Federal Lobbying. "Barack Obama often boasts he is 'the only candidate who isn't taking a dime from Washington lobbyists,' yet his fundraising team includes 38 members of law firms that were paid $138 million last year to lobby the federal government, records show." (Ken Dilanian, "Obama Has Ties To Lobbyists Despite Boasts Of Not Taking Their Money," USA Today, 4/16/08)

-- The Lawyers Have Raised At Least $3.5 Million And Employees Of Their
Firms Have Contributed An Additional $2.26 Million. "Those lawyers,
including 10 former federal lobbyists, have pledged to raise at least
$3.5 million for the Illinois senator's presidential race. Employees
of their firms have given Obama's campaign $2.26 million, a USA TODAY
analysis of campaign-finance data shows." (Ken Dilanian, "Obama Has
Ties To Lobbyists Despite Boasts Of Not Taking Their Money," USA
Today, 4/16/08)

-- "Thirty-One Of The 38 Are Law Firm Partners, Who Typically Receive A
Share Of Their Firms' Lobbying Fees. At Least Six Of Them Have Some
Managerial Authority Over Lobbyists." (Ken Dilanian, "Obama Has Ties
To Lobbyists Despite Boasts Of Not Taking Their Money," USA Today,
4/16/08)

Campaign Finance Institute's Michael Malbin: "It makes no difference whether the person is a registered lobbyist or the partner of a registered lobbyist, if the person is raising money to get access or curry favor." (Ken Dilanian, "Obama Has Ties To Lobbyists Despite Boasts Of Not Taking Their Money," USA Today, 4/16/08)

Obama Accepted Contributions From Lobbyists And PACs While Running For The Senate And State Senate:

Obama Only Stopped Accepting Contributions From PACs And Lobbyists When He Launched His Presidential Campaign. "Obama doesn't accept campaign contributions from lobbyists or political action committees, but that's a change from his past practices. He accepted their donations until he launched his presidential campaign." (Christopher Wills, "10 Things About Barack Obama," The Associated Press, 1/10/08)

Obama's Senatorial Campaign Committee Has Accepted $128,000 From Lobbyists And $1.3 Million From PACs. "Obama's US Senate campaign committee, starting with his successful run in 2004, has collected $128,000 from lobbyists and $1.3 million from PACs, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics." (Scott Helman, "PACs And Lobbyists Aided Obama's Rise - Data Contrast With His Theme," The Boston Globe, 8/9/07)

"In Obama's Eight Years In The Illinois Senate, From 1996 To 2004, Almost Two-Thirds Of The Money He Raised For His Campaigns - $296,000 Of $461,000 - Came From PACs, Corporate Contributions, Or Unions, According To Illinois Board Of Elections Records." (Scott Helman, "PACs And Lobbyists Aided Obama's Rise - Data Contrast With His Theme," The Boston Globe, 8/9/07)

-- Obama Raised At Least $24,850 For His Illinois State Senate Campaigns
From State Lobbyists. (Illinois State Board Of Elections Website,
http://www.elections.state.il.us/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetail.as
px?id=11405, Accessed 2/19/08)

Obama Also Has Multiple Super Delegate Endorsements From Current Federal Lobbyists:

John Melcher Is A Democrat Super Delegate Supporting Barack Obama. (The Politico Website, http://www.politico.com/superdelegates/, Accessed 5/2/08)

-- Melcher Is A Registered Federal Lobbyist. (U.S. Senate Office Of
Public Records Website,
http://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=submitSearchRequest,
Accessed 5/2/08)

Joyce Brayboy Is A Democrat Super Delegate Supporting Barack Obama. (The Politico Website, http://www.politico.com/superdelegates/, Accessed 5/2/08)

-- Brayboy Is A Registered Federal Lobbyist With The Glover Park Group,
LLC. (U.S. Senate Office Of Public Records Website,
http://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=submitSearchRequest,
Accessed 5/2/08)

Moses Mercado Is A Democrat Super Delegate Supporting Barack Obama. (The Politico Website, http://www.politico.com/superdelegates/, Accessed 5/2/08)

-- Mercado Is A Registered Federal Lobbyist With Ogilvy Government
Relations. (U.S. Senate Office Of Public Records Website,
http://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=submitSearchRequest,
Accessed 5/2/08)

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

First Call Analyst:
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Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO
Source: Republican National Committee

CONTACT: Republican National Committee, +1-202-863-8614

Web Site: http://www.gop.com/

2008-05-21 18:29:53 0368299 PRNEWSWIRE