DNC Parodies Cornyn Ad To Hit McCain On Big Oil Donations

The Democratic National Committee has unveiled another portion of its Exxon-McCain '08 ad campaign, and it's clearly designed to go viral.

Just over one minute in length, "Exxon John" capitalizes on perhaps the most embarrassing piece of video ever produced in order to promote a politician: that's right, the "Big John" video for Texas Sen. John Cornyn. But instead of lionizing McCain, of course, the DNC's piece chides the Arizona Republican for taking $2 million in contributions from big oil and failing to support a Senate compromise proposal that would revoke tax credits from top companies in the industry.

As for last week's counter-intuitive report from the Center for Responsive Politics that accused Obama of receiving more donations from three top oil companies, the DNC has a response to that, as well. "Most reports on the Exxon numbers ignore the combined contributions to
the joint McCain/RNC fundraising apparatus," a DNC staffer emailed the Huffington Post. "Together, the McCain/RNC team raised MUCH, MUCH more than the Obama/DNC team--both from Exxon specifically and the three companies CPR highlighted. McCain and the RNC raised $56,361 from Exxon employees, compared to $42,808 on our side. McCain and the RNC raised $204,461 from Exxon/Chevron/BP employees, compared to just $94,221 for the Obama/DNC team."

Adopting the echo-laden dirge theme from Cornyn's original misfire, the parody ad lumbers through the DNC's oppo research, which is delivered by a narrator not quite as deep-voiced or (unintentionally) hilarious as the one in the original ad.

Take a look:

And just for fun, take a look at Cornyn's piece again, in which we are told how the Texas senator "makes lesser states squirm":

Story continues below

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The DNC's parody may be a touch meta for average viewers, perhaps, but should delight political junkies -- and the producers of cable news chatfests.

Below, you can find some some DNC number-crunching, which is meant to settle once and for all the question of which party receives more money from oil companies:

Numbers in the CRP Report:

$56,361: Combined amount McCain and the RNC have raised from Exxon
employees

$42,808: Combined amount Obama and the DNC have raised from Exxon
employees

$204,461: Total McCain/RNC combined contributions from Exxon, Chevron &
BP employees

$94,221: Total Obama/DNC combined contributions from Exxon, Chevron & BP
employees

79%: percent of Exxon employee contributions that go to GOP

74%: percent of Chevron employee contributions that go to GOP

57%: percent of BP employee contributions that go to GOP

$1,332,033: Amount McCain has raised from Oil and Gas industry employee

$394,465: Amount Obama has raised from Oil and Gas Industry employee

$2.1 million: Amount McCain and the RNC together have raise from Oil and
Gas industry since Jan. 2007***

15 out of 20: Number of Oil Companies whose employees gave more to
McCain

3-to-1: "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."

3: number of Republican Presidential candidates who received more money
from Oil & Gas Industry than Barack Obama (McCain, Giuliani, Romney)

Comments

[TexasDem0]

My cousin always said that Tall Paul uses a Big John.

[spyda]

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! Thats what I'm talking bout!! These are the kind of ads we need.Right back at you with the truth! GO TEAM OBAMA!! Its about time and by all means keep them coming!! OBAMA'08

[brobike42]

That Cornyn ad just goes to show what idiots texans have become since Ann Richards. I've always said it's the only state where you can drive further and see less and meet more people you think less of than any other state in the union.

[Mikecoatl]

I am as a Texan deeply humiliated and embarrassed by the 'Big John' ad. John Cornyn is just another neo-con coward with no genuine principles. Most Texans are good, sensible people who believe in hard work, but unfortunately many of us are dangerously naive when it comes to the true nature of the Republican Party. Here is the website of Cornyn's opponent:

http://ricknoriega.com/

I am, however, very sad to report that Noriega's chances are slim at best. Ann Richards was the last top-tier Texas Democrat. God rest her soul.

[JSquercia]

I watched the original Big John Commercial and the thing really aroused my ANGER was that SOB claiming HE made Government MORE open . There has NEVER been an Administration LESS open than the Present Administration .

[yhgtup]

"Exxon John" I love it!! This is one of the things the campaign needs to do -- get "tag names", like "Exxon John" out there on McCain. They stick in voters heads. (i.e "celebrity, elitist).

[KillgoreTrout43]

Exxon John McSame. I love it.

[barackobama4prez]

At $3.65 a gallon ($3.99 in Austin 2 weeks ago) this ad RESONATES!

[BadgersBite]

Oil: Exxon Chairman's $400 Million Parachute
Exxon Made Record Profits in 2005
April 14, 2006—

Last year, Exxon made the biggest profit of any company ever, $36 billion, and its retiring chairman appears to be reaping the benefits.

Exxon is giving Lee Raymond one of the most generous retirement packages in history, nearly $400 million, including pension, stock options and other perks, such as a $1 million consulting deal, two years of home security, personal security, a car and driver, and use of a corporate jet for professional purposes.

Last November, when he was still chairman of Exxon, Raymond told Congress that gas prices were high because of global supply and demand.

"We're all in this together, everywhere in the world," he testified.

Raymond, however, was confronted with caustic complaints about his compensation.

"In 2004, Mr. Raymond, your bonus was over $3.6 million," Sen. Barbara Boxer said.

That was before new corporate documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that revealed Raymond's retirement deal and his $51.1 million paycheck in 2005. That's equivalent to $141,000 a day, nearly $6,000 an hour. It's almost more than five times what the CEO of Chevron made.

"I think it will spark a lot of outrage," said Sarah Anderson, a fellow in the global economy program at the Institute for Policy Studies, an independent think tank. "Clearly much of his high-level pay is due to the high price of gas."

[bygollymissmolly]

The CRP needs to add one more statistic to that line-up. They need to list the average amount of an employee contribution made to both campaigns. I'm betting O'bama's are less than $100 and Mc'Cain's are way more than $100. There have been many instances in the past where a corporation will give a "bonus" to an employee and that employee turns around and sends that "bonus" to the preferred candidate. A back door way for corporations to donate to a political campaign.

[txgal44]

"EXXON JOHN"

Love it!!!

[thinklib]

What the far left don't understand is ads that attack business, be it oil, pharmaceuticals, whatever, all those ads make the Democrats look like socialists. Anti-capitalists. And ultimately, anti-American. Most of America doesn't want to punish success, they want to be able to be successful as well. If these businesses are successful, that means they are providing something that is needed very badly. Oil companies keep our cars, our HVACs, and our economy moving. Pharmaceutical companies keep us feeling good and keep many of us alive. I want those companies to do very, very well and reinvest their profits in more of what they provide.

And as far as contributions from oil companies, why would they want to contribute to a candidate who wants to confiscate their profits - on top of the billions in taxes they already pay? The issue isn't 'why does McCain get more contributions from oil?', it's 'why does Obama get any contributions at all?'

[bygollymissmolly]

No, they make Liberals sound like people who care about equality and the middle class and who are tired of being ripped off by the corporate world.

Here are some statistics for you about those corporations who are ripping us off:

"A new GAO report has found that “two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005.” The GAO “said about 68 percent of foreign companies doing business in the U.S. avoided corporate taxes over the same period.”

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080812/D92GL1U00.html

Corporations are already getting far to many tax benefits and subsidies, none of which help the middle class, all end up in their profit margin.

Welcome to the United Corporations of America.

[thinklib]

Agree with you. It's a shame corporations, especially foreign ones, are avoiding paying taxes. That's why I'm for a simplified tax code with no loopholes. Until then, the high priced lawyers will always figure a way around paying taxes.

But I don't think we should impose windfall profits taxes on successful companies. The government is already taxing companies. Let the government figure out a way to simplify the code, then collect the taxes.

Almost all politicians are playing on our emotions when they demonize either corporations or individuals. They want you to feel like a victim. And they are your savior. In reality, they are after seats of power, so they can line their own pockets and inflate their own egos.

[djelimon]

"Oil companies keep our cars, our HVACs, and our economy moving. Pharmaceutical companies keep us feeling good and keep many of us alive. I want those companies to do very, very well and reinvest their profits in more of what they provide."

There is an assumption here that these profits are all being reinvested, and an implicit assumption that they will be reinvested in America. A further assumption is that Big Oil is the only way to keep cars and HVACs working. I question all of those assumptions.

If you took the money used to subsidize oil, including military expenditures to acquire it, do you really think oil is cheap?

[thinklib]

You have an assumption that the profits are NOT being reinvested.

And I never said oil was cheap. It takes a lot to bring it to market. I'm just saying we need it. Alternatives are great, but until they're cost-efficient enough to bring to mass market (5, 10, 20 years from now), we and the rest of the modern world are oil based economies and societies. We need the stuff. I don't think we should punish the people who know how to bring it to market.

[BBackSoon]

I am all for the rich getting richer but it bothers me that they are doing it by taking the money out of my pocket. Extra fees on every bill we receive, stagnate employee raises and increasing insurance costs, while the board members get record bonuses for keeping costs down. And let us not forget lax enforcement of laws on the books that were designed to protect us from corporate pollution, employee abuse and much, much more.

[thinklib]

If a company has broken laws, by all means they should be held accountable.

If a company is just plain stupid and wants to pay their board members and executives ridiculous sums of money, that's their choice. You have a choice to not be a part of such a company.

[MsAnn]

Drink your kool-aid. 40 years ago, the average CEO made approximately 100 times what the janitor made. Now, they're making several thousand times more than what the lowest paid employee makes. My proxy statements never have check boxes next to the board members when voting for who should or should not be on the board as they're typically unopposed - they can do what they want w/o opposition, w/o checks or balances. Why is this the best way? We're not talking about communism, we're talking about common sense.

[thinklib]

Never said it was the best way.

If that type of practice bothers you, quit. Or start a union. Or start your own company and do whatever you'd like. That's called freedom.

I agree that CEO pay is ridiculous, but I also think it's none of the government's business.

[KillgoreTrout43]

Blow it out your ear!

[Coinyer101]

great ad!let's listen to it over and over and over and......

[TN]

Big Bad John what a joke, it's gross.

[mollyjackson]

What they do not tell you is that overall big oil has given more to Obama.

[LiberTLover]

Because it isn't true. But don't let the facts stop you from spreading your lies.

[Techboy308]

Did you even read the story? The numbers don't lie.

[Coinyer101]

apparently you cant read.but you can sure write a lie.

[neocon666]

Yes, ignore those facts above; they just get in the way what you know to be true.

[JayInDallas]

Let's clarify the distinction: "Big Oil" (lobbyists, execs, etc) has given a substantial amount to Exxon John. The people who work for big oil (peons, common hard-working folks like you and me) have given more to Barack from their own pockets. This should clarify the difference. So next time you hear the line molly has posted, things should be clear. The voice of the American working class is speaking louder than the lobbying special-interests of corporations in supporting its own candidate.

[liberalrebuttal]

I LOVE It !

They should go on an fork out the money to run this ad nationally during the "peak" of the General Election.