Oil Industry Likes Obama -- But They Love McCain

Open Secrets:

Much has been made of Barack Obama's TV ad this week that accuses John McCain of being "in the pocket" of the oil industry, and yesterday the Democratic Party launched a website pairing McCain and Exxon Mobil as running-mates. While McCain has raised considerably more money from this unpopular industry, CRP was surprised to notice that it's actually Obama who has received more from the pockets of employees at several of Big Oil's biggest and most recognizable companies. Tallying contributions by employees in the industry and their families, we found that Exxon, Chevron and BP have all contributed more money to Obama than to McCain.

Through June, Exxon employees have given Obama $42,100 to McCain's $35,166. Chevron favors Obama $35,157 to $28,500, and Obama edges out McCain with BP $16,046 vs. $11,500. McCain leads the money race with nearly every other top giver in the oil and gas industry, though -- Koch Industries, Valero, Marathon Oil, Occidental Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, the list goes on. (You can see detail on all these companies in the spreadsheet linked below.) McCain also has a big edge with Hess Corp. -- $91,000 to Obama's $8,000 -- which has gotten some attention. And, overall, McCain's campaign has gotten three times more money from the industry than Obama's has -- $1.3 million compared to about $394,000.

Read the whole story: Open Secrets

Comments

[rlkinny]

Since Obama doesn't take PAC money, then the contributions to his campaign must be from individuals, not from PAC dollars controlled by the corporation. So, implying that the corporation supports Obama is more than just misleading -- it's deceptive. There may be a simple reason why the individuals at these 3 companies are have contributed more to Obama than McCain. Perhaps they need better healthcare?

[goldnchyl]

Ok, so I came to comment on the headline, wondering if I was being too critical and the first post I see? Makes my point. 'Love ya Huffpo, forever, but lets have all facets of your organization reflect the excellence exhibited in much of your reporting (i.e. editing, suitable headlines)

[Bobrobert]

Pathetic headline for this story.

Try again.

Remember to vote all.

:-)

[CocteausTwin]

Looks like the Oil industry really likes to give pretty big amounts to the RNC, check out the spread sheet.

[JulieKay]

The contributions are from individual employees that work for oil companies that are subject to the $2,300 maximum, which is much different than the money McCain received from Hess Corp after his meeting with oil companies when he announced supporting offshore drilling.

[CocteausTwin]

Please reread my post. I said the R N C.

[PumaAnn]

Surprised? Not me.

[indypete]

Try reading the text instead of just the headline.

[CocteausTwin]

She/it cannot be bothered.

[Pupadup4oBama]

Hey Wildebeest - go back to your den and curl up until after the election.
You obviously don't pay attention to the details.

[erdanidi]

Yet another Drudgian, misleading headline. Thanks, Huffington Post.

[JulieKay]

The article is extremely misleading and adds to the smear that the media and McCain have been making for months about Obama receiving money from oil companies. Everyone has heard that a very large number of individuals have sent Obama small donations.

Exxon Mobil Corp.
Full Time Employees: 107,100

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=XOM

75 out of 107,100 employees donated money to Obama

57 out of 75 gave $500 or less

$200 4 individuals
$250 38 individuals
$300-$400 - 4 individuals
$500 11 individuals
$1,000 -$1,300 8 individuals
$2,300 10 individuals

[norkas]

Thank you Julie for giving a good breakdown . Morning Joe will not give the correct information and pretends to be stupid. One of Barak advisers will be on the show to give straight talk about the oil money.

[nomobull]

shame on the hp

[mshazen]

Yes i don't like the title, the stupids over on MSM will pick up the story and run with it but not bother with the real details.

[DrFrescas]

This story is crap.

[JABean]

The title of this article is so misleading. So what if individual workers make personal donations to Obama! That has no bearing on the meaning of "being in big oil's pocket." Donations directly by companies are largely to McCain. That's the pocket they have paid to be in. It sure is crap!

[AzRealProgressive]

No. Bith candidates accepted money. You are making an assumption not based on facts.

[CRPOpenSecrets]

Since I, Massie Ritsch of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, wrote this article, let me clear up some misperceptions that have been aired in the comments.

The oil/gas money that Obama has received is entirely from individuals whom the Center for Responsive Politics has associated with the company, as my article makes clear in several spots. But McCain's oil/gas money is really no different. Of the $1.3 million from oil/gas to McCain that we have identified through June, all but $32,900 of it came from individuals. Put another way, 97.5 percent of the money John McCain has collected from oil and gas interests came from individual employees of those companies and their families. Obama doesn't accept PAC donations.

So that $2 million in oil-related campaign contributions to McCain that Obama cites in his ad accusing his opponent of being in the oil industry's pocket? That money (which includes our $1.3 million figure and a tally by another group, and may entail double-counting) is almost entirely from individual employees of oil and gas companies, not from PACs.

Tthe Center's long-standing methodology when calculating an industry or company's contributions is to include money from PACs AND individuals. Since corporations and other organizations are prohibited from making political contributions from their treasuries, one must look at the contributions from people associated with the institution to gauge its political persuasion and how it might be trying to exert influence in Washington.

[blueshield]

Well, Massie, then I for one stand corrected.

Does your research indicate the extent of waterboarding in these companies?

[YesWeCanada]

overall, McCain's campaign has gotten three times more money from the industry than Obama's has -- $1.3 million compared to about $394,000.

McCain has paid lobbyists working to get these contributions and swapping of business for favors. It's one huge tangled web of gaming the system.

The hot girl (Obama) can't help it if guys buy her drinks, but to compare her to a prostitute (McCain) is just wrong.

[AzRealProgressive]

Both took money, how is one not a prostitute and the other is? All you are talking about is the difference in price for the same act.

[CocteausTwin]

Well why don't you share the number of individuals making these donations? Might be interesting.

[JulieKay]

Opensecrets.org is behind on posting donations, suppose it could have something to do with when the candidates provide the information.

Obama
Individuals $336,740,735 99%
PAC contributions $1,570
Candidate self-financing $0
Federal Funds $0
Other $2,474,012 1%

McCain
Individual contributions $121,232,420 83%
PAC contributions $1,220,479 1%
Candidate self-financing $0 0%
Federal Funds $0 0%
Other $23,013,302 16%

[CocteausTwin]

Thank you JulieKay I think the numbers paint a clear picture.

[JulieKay]

From someone posting on OpenSecrets. Chevron Full Time Employees: 65,000 - 76 individuals made contributions.

"I did find the source on your site for Chevron's contributions. Let's look at Obama's contributor breakdown, so people can honestly decide whether this represents the company, or people who work for the company, supporting Obama.

Here, I'm looking at (a) who contributed max. amount (which you'd expect from a underhanded "subsidized give") and the relative position in the company of the donor (i.e. upper management vs. the IT guy or clerk):

76 contributors (for $36,557)

- Three (3) $2300 contributions. Individuals could be considered "upper management"

- One (1) $1500 (Engineer)

- Nine (9) $1000 contributions (mainly middle mgmt. and engineering staff)

- Twelve (12) $500 contributions (middle mgmt. mostly, some IT staff and a lawyer)

- Ten (10) contributions between $413-$264 (IT workers, accountants, various middle and floor managers)

- Thirty-Nine (39) contributions between $250-$200 from various positions ranging from IT, to the graphic design staff, engineers, some middle management, and one retired"

[lunchbag]

Oil companies don't care if Repub or Dems in power quite frankly. They give to all

[AzRealProgressive]

Correct. They hedge their bets.

[OBXartist]

Another misleading headline that HuffPo chose not to correct. Low level Exxon employees giving to the Obama campaign is no different than teachers at the local elementary school giving to Obama. These are small individual donations, not corporate support. Not up-to-the-limit donations from upper lever corporate management.

HuffPO, your editors were asleep at the wheel on this one.

[abby4ever]

***Another misleading headline that HuffPo chose not to correct.**­*

They will never choose to correct them, don't you know by now that misleading headlines are part of their policy? You should, there have been enough of them, usually about three a day. Everyone complains, but where it's policy....

[neesy08]

whatever happened to employee loyalty?

i have no doubt the cryptkeeper and his people will try to use this.

[vietveter]

How about the $$$ that really counts

All the 'soft' money

millions

How much of that is "O" getting

my guess is none

[Heaphy]

It can be useful and enlightening to analyze the employers of campaign contributors. However, it is false to say that Exxon gave money to a candidate just because an Exxon employee gave money to that candidate. Some individual Exxon employees may be liberal Democrats and some may be conservative Republicans. Sure, more of those with money to donate may be Republicans. If any investigative journalist has evidence that major corporations are pressuring their employees to donate to specific candidates, or rewarding employees for donations to certain candidates, or punishing employees for donations to other candidates, then that should be exposed. I work in the construction industry, broadly defined. I have given quite a bit of money to Barack Obama. The narrow interests of the construction industry had nothing to do with my support for Obama. Instead, my contributions to Obama derive from deeply held values going back long before my current employment.
- Jim Heaphy

[Triciann]

Obviously some workers in the oil industry want Obama to win. The amounts speak volumes, $42,100 from employees of Exxon. Good for them. Bet none of the guys at the top earning the big figure salaries give to Obama.