Obama Ad Calls Out McCain For Employing Lobbyists

In an ad that hasn't officially been released to reporters, the Obama campaign goes hard after John McCain for employing big-time lobbyists in high ranking positions.

The spot, entitled "Special Interest," leaked out on Friday despite what Democratic officials say was Obama's design of waiting until the weekend. The ad is indicative of the continued battle between the two candidates over who can best carry the mantle of reform.

"John McCain's chief adviser lobbies for oil companies, even from Russia and China. His campaign manager lobbies for corporations outsourcing American jobs. The campaign chairman he picked last year -- a bank lobbyist. If seven of McCain's top advisers are lobbyists, who do you think will run his White House? John McCain. We just can't afford more of the same."

The McCain campaign was out with a response immediately, claiming Obama was the one ineffectual when it came to taking on special interests.

"Suffering at the hands of his own underperforming, deeply partisan, do-nothing record, Barack Obama has hastily resorted to blatant hypocrisy or simple ignorance to his own lobby-driven campaign," said spokesman Tucker Bounds, spokesman. "The truth is Barack Obama's campaign is saddled with former lobbyists, and John McCain is the only candidate who has led the fight to root out the influence of corporate money in politics..."

So who is right? The fact that the question is still debated is, in itself, remarkable. David Donnelly, head of Campaign Money Watch, a national campaign finance watchdog group, offered the following statement regarding the back and forth.

"Under President Bush, Americans have witnessed Washington and the economy work well for the oil companies, the health insurance industry, and the big money players who can afford to hire one of John McCain's many lobbyists. During these difficult times, Americans want their government to listen to them, not to those who continue the pay-to-play system. Sadly, John McCain's campaign, as this ad describes, is captive to big money lobbyists, and he has refused in this campaign to support comprehensive policies that will clean up Washington."

Comments

[boing007]

Now we're going to play count the Lobbyists? The new board game from Parker Brothers. This board will take up most of the kitchen tables in the country.

[Whinger]

Sorta like cornering the market, when you've got them by the nuts their hearts and minds will follow!

[blastit]

This is a good ad but Obama needs to attack John McCain ...he needs to call him the liar that he is..., he needs an ad that shows that McCain is a liar which should be easy ..he should also put out an ad that shows just how out of touch McCain is.....

[jannike]

but I think they should start with: we can't afford this getting worse"

[liberalrebuttal]

That's a better ad. I like this one.

[Clairemont]

Could someone engage in community service for a few minutes or so and read this article from yahoo.news from Sept. 9 and tell us what you think? The term "LOBBY" comes up 23 TIMES. All of it is directed at Obama.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080909/pl_usnw/republican_national_committee__obama_biden_earmark_makeover

It comes from the RNC dated Sept. 9, 2008 to the Political Editors of Yahoo.news.

Please do an analysis. I counted 25 different points on the Obama/Biden connections to earmarks and lobbyist. Can't sweep it under the rug. And don't throw the topic to Palin's earmarks and lobbyists.
What's the saying? Don't point to the splinter in someone's eye when you have a rafter in your own.

[Chillinout]

I am not sure what the problem is that you have with this article.

Obama has been lobbied, and he has accepted campaign donations from companies that do lobbying. If you check it out, though, it isn't the companies themselves that are contributing to his campaign, but rather it is the employees of the company that are donating. However, he does not have any lobbyists on his presidential campaign at this time.

Also, even though it is hard to understand, all lobbyists and/or earmarks are not a bad thing. From what I read there, the earmarks he requested were mostly for hospitals. And from what I also gather, they were hospitals in the worst parts of town.

There are many groups of individuals that help others, that would have a very hard time getting their programs funded without lobbyists.

The problem with lobbyists and earmarks is when the lobbyists expect favors from their contributions, or the earmarks benefit very few with a high cost. (like the bridge to nowhere that was supposed to cost over $400,000,000 and would have benefited only about 50 people).

[thecanadian]

READ for heavens sake. Everyone should try reading the story & checking others out before they start spreading untruths. Certainly realize McCain Camp busy with lies
McCain Campaign Lobbying for BIG Business. = what their earmarks were for
Obama Earmarks were for people and Community Organizers for helping the Poor?
Can you See the difference.

[Heavy]

You are a walking ad for more educational funding.

[koyak23]

yup, I think that was the point of the ad...McCain has a rafter in his eye...yup yup...

[okayigive]

My question to you is do you have a problem with projects that give aid to communities and the poor in Chicago or Universities that do research for defense programs, law enforcement, drug-alcohol studies etc. that lead to benefit all citizens? IMO, there is a big difference between seeking earmarks and being lobbied for monies that benefit citizens rather than corporations. The lobbyists that are connected to Mcc seeks the interest of banking institutions, big oil, some countries that supported juntas or oppressed their citizens as well as some countries that did not have the best interest of US. One cannot or should not overlook the connection of these lobbyist to the many crises that we are facing today. Next time seek information from a non-partisan organization that will not skew information in favor of one candidate over another then make an objective conclusion?

[KiwisCanFly]

Clairemont

The article doesn't discern between lobbyist when making its criticism.

It’s a lobbying debate between one of interest group politics versus client politics.
Corporate lobbyists have a closer connection to the exchange of money and power than the work of interest group lobbyist.
What benefits one corporation or industry tends to directly hurt another.

McCain is not discerning.
Obama is.

Former lobbyists who work for McCain are closer to him than those who work for Obama.

McCain’s Chief Liaison to Congress, John Green and Wayne Berman, the National Finance Co-chairman.
Are both linked through their lobbying efforts to Ameriquest Mortgage.
Records show that more than 13,680 New York homeowners got taken for a ride by this company.

"They would be defined as the most blatant and aggressive predatory lenders out of everybody," said Bruce Marks, head of the nonprofit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America.

Lobbying for foreign governments will always be more controversial for lobbyists of any political ilk.
McCains top Foreign Policy adviser Randall Scheunemann, is part owner of a lobbying firm that provides strategic advice to the Georgian government.

Do u get it?

[jacqmac]

Don't talk about REFORM WHEN YOU NEEDTHE MOST REFORMING! Obama/Biden have NOT made a 'BIG DEAL' about EARMARKS. McCain/Palin HAVE. $300 per head in Alaska. $25 per head in Illinois.
ALL EARMARKS ARE NOT BAD! ALL EARMARKS ARE NOT 'WASTEFUL SPENDING'. Here's an EARMARK for you. VETERAN'S BENEFITS!
ALSO-OBAMA/BIDEN does NOT take huge sums of money from PACS (Political Action Groups). McCain/Palin DOES. Heck-the REPUBLICAN PARTY does. The REPUBLICAN PARTY IS A GIANT PAC.
All monies identified as coming from PAC's and special interest Lobbyists were returned or turned down by the DEMS and OBAMA, beginning in June. Ditto for LARGE CORPORATE donations, which are usually made by PAC's. FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL. There is MUCH MORE BIG MONEY BEHIND BUSH, BEHIND MCCAIN, BEHIND CHENEY.

[Clairemont]

Obama must be very careful. He's a bit of a hypocrite, maybe not so much in his campaign which is run by poltical operatives rather than lobbyists. but in the House and Senate and in Biden's campaign and family. Very long lobbying coattails....... Google (hunter biden lobbyist) (obama hunter biden lobbyist)

Biden's son Hunter: http://sirenschronicles.com/2008/08/24/hunter-biden-lobbyist-for-big-pharma/
I'd love someone to read this link and tell me if it is amiss. I can't believe what I'm reading.

Michelle Obama? I'm just amazed. Is this erroneous information, sort of like the Palin smears?

Republican National Committee: Obama/Biden Earmark Makeover
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080909/pl_usnw/republican_national_committee__obama_biden_earmark_makeover

The more I read the more I wonder how Obama can claim any moral imperative over McCain.
Change? You can only hope.

Also:
USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2008-07-17-fannie-freddie-lobbying_N.htm
"Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac spent millions on lobbying" Updated 7/17/2008 9:35 PM
"People who have lobbied on their behalf have played or are playing roles in the presidential campaigns of both Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama."

Opensecrets.org Center for Responsive Politics Read COMMENTS section. Good data discussion.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/07/top-senate-recipients-of-fanni.html

[Beachchick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ4eeQzDlgM&feature=PlayList&p=2F671A7FEF92B36B&index=4

[liberalrebuttal]

tsk tsk tsk , leave the children out of the campaign. Remember ?

[KiwisCanFly]

Clairemont

I read yr first link. I didn’t bother to read the rest. I recognize negative and bias journalism when I read it.

This is what Obama says he is "refusing contributions from PACs and Washington lobbyists.”

The Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that tracks campaign money, found that Obama accepted $55,019 from employees who work at lobbying firms but are not registered federal lobbyists. And the campaign accepts money from companies that are not classified as lobbying firms but have lobbying divisions.

Is it possible that Barack Obama took "a dime" from someone connected to oil and gas lobbyists? Yes. But it looks as if Obama took good-faith measures not to accept money from current lobbyists for any industry, including oil and gas. For these reasons, we find his statement Mostly True.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/444/

Politifact is a non-partisan fact check

[Clairemont]

I regularly read politifact.com and all of their favorite fact checkers. They are excellent resources.

But I am not referring to Obama's campaign where he HAS carefully eliminated questionable contributions. I'm referring to his SENATE CAREER. Gosh. What were Obama's habits as a senator when it came to filling requests for earmarks and using lobbyists? I was "hoping" that someone, perhaps yourself, would visit those links and tell me what you think. Is yahoo.news and usatoday suspect?

Again, it's not about Obama's campaign practices, but about his habits as a Senator. Did he rise above the fray and model a changed strategy, or was he just as much a part of the problem in his Senate practices?

Again, it's about Obama's habits as a Senator, when no one was noticing.

[rawbaw]

Funny? I do not see anyone talkimg about Joe Biden's son being a lobbyist ?

[Chillinout]

Joe Biden's son isn't running Obama's campaign now is he?

[Daisy1111]

No, but if elected the Dad of a lobbyist will be n the #2 spot. You don;t think that gives a lobbyist access to the top? How naive.

[rococat]

Great ad. I agree--show this one 24/7. Better than "Still"--this ad is kinda funny but not hard hitting enough. Falls flat. We want to feel it in our guts. How about an ad that shows McC lying & contradicting & fudging? Lots of recent footage on that.

Obama also needs an ad visually detailing the different tax plans of Obama's and McSame's--specific $ amounts cut for middle income earners--this is a big selling point of Obama-Biden. And yeah, bring back "Change We Can Believe In." Remember, the past week has been about the hubris of one party--the Rs--who let there party be controlled by folks who serve the superrich. We can take it back and we are. Go Barack, go!!!!!!!!!

[Caryn168]

This is the best one yet! They'll be running scared soon! I have faith!!

[Einstein44]

Keep on punching and punching with the issues until they cry "uncle"....

[SCG2]

I think the Obama campaign should consider bringing back the phrase. "Change you can believe in"

[ilovemycat]

I think he should have a new slogan which simply says "ENOUGH"!!!!!

[Okieborn]

"MORE TOUGH ADS !!! MORE TOUGH ADS !! MORE TOUGH ADS !!
Obama / Biden 08 !!!

[SemiRock]

If McCain wants to clean up Washington, i'd love to at least hear some kind of policy or plan to do so. Is that too much to ask?

They say Obama is full of just empty words, but I can go to an Obama event, or watch an Obama interview, and hear his PLANS! Not just claims of "Maverickyness."

[notthistime]

100% on point SemiRock

[mercuryguy]

darn right!

[IForgotMyName]

Well, it is kind of hard for McCain to talk about changing Washington with the same kind of policies that drove the country into the ditch. So he rather talks about being a maverick whatever that means.
The only thing with substance he talks about are earmarks, which is laughable because they are like 1% of the federal budget. Which just proves the point that he does not understand the economy.

[wanj]

Again, this is child's play..... how about an ad that ends with Amergeddon? A McPalin ticket would be the end of the world as we know it...

[defer2karma]

They are indeed a formula for Amergeddon.