In the final Democratic debate of the primaries on Feb. 26, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) trumpeted the populist theme of her campaign: "The wealthy and the well-connected have had a President," she said. "It's time we had a President for the middle class and working people."
The setting was Cleveland, Ohio--a must-win state for Clinton in the primaries as she tries to catch up to Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Clinton portrays herself as a champion of the middle class, which she hopes will go over well with voters in Ohio, a state that has lost more than 200,000 jobs during George W. Bush's Presidency, ahead of its March 4 primary.
Follow the Money
But while Clinton's talk is tough--on opposing tax cuts for the wealthy, the influence of special interests like health insurance companies, and Big Oil--her record and support base indicate she's hardly an enemy of American business interests. Some of the biggest names on Wall Street--including John Mack, Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley (MS) and Steve Rattner, managing principal of the Quadrangle Group--have publicly endorsed Clinton. She has more maxed-out, executive-level donors than either Obama or Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and has pulled in $3.9 million from donors associated with the health-care industry, more than any other candidate. Donors affiliated with Goldman Sachs (GS) are her top contributors.
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Read about if Obama is good for business.
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Read about if McCain is good for business.