Edwards no longer includes Mellon family in robber baron speech

[BeyondGeography]

Edwards Defends His Campaign Finances
By AMY LORENTZEN

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Democrat John Edwards insisted Saturday he has not taken any money from special interests as the Obama campaign complained about big spending by outside groups friendly to Edwards.

"His campaign simply exploited the biggest loophole in the campaign finance system in order to get public matching funds while arranging through allies to benefit from a 527. That's how they avoided the spending limits that are a condition of the public matching funds," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said in a statement.

Plouffe said the outside spending allows Edwards to stay within the limits required by public financing "while still spending all he needed to spend in Iowa."

His memo was prompted by disclosure of a $495,000 donation from philanthropist Rachel Mellon to a 527 group called the Alliance for a New America that is running ads in Iowa in support of Edwards' campaign. The nonprofit 527 groups can legally carry out some political activity but have come under scrutiny by the Federal Election Commission for their advertising during past presidential campaigns.

An FEC report showed the donation came from Oak Spring Farms LLC, the corporate entity that holds Mellon's fortune. Mellon is the 97-year-old widow of Paul Mellon, the son of industrialist Andrew Mellon.

She also contributed the maximum $4,600 allowed to Edwards' campaign earlier this year. The lawyer who serves as director of the investment fund, Oak Springs Farm LLC, also has contributed the maximum $4,600 allowed to Edwards' campaign.

Last month at a town hall meeting in Bow, N.H., Edwards referenced the Mellon family as part of the Gilded Age interests and used it as an example of how he'll fight back against special interests if he's elected.

Edwards said "back in the period where, you know, the Rockefellers and the Mellons and the Carnegies, all these people, owned most of America or a big chunk of America and they used their money and power to dominate what was happening in the government and to dominate what was happening in the economy."

On Saturday, Edwards had dropped the Mellons from his remarks.

"You remember before Franklin Roosevelt was president, America was mostly owned by a few families. Rockefellers, etc.," he said.

When asked about dropping the Mellon family from the statement, he said it wasn't on purpose.

"I wish I were that skillful. There was nothing intentional about that," he said. "What I've said about the past I still believe. I believe very strongly that what FDR did ... was transformational for this country, and I think we need a president who will stand up to these people."

More at http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGyxp0VjRAvHHBTtFDdnaahyQ9XgD8TRAP7O1

[TwilightGardener]

1. Damn those Mellons...giving him money...makin' him look bad...

[Donnachaidh]

2. no saddlesores yet? Riding that one issue must be tough.

When exactly is Hillary going to release the names of the donators to the Clinton Foundation? I'm sure we'll find much more than ONE 97 year old widow to talk about.

[BeyondGeography]

4. It's a good point; $10 million from the Saudis is a much bigger deal than this

but, unfortunately, that story went nowhere, probably because everyone factors in a healthy bit of corruption with the Clintons from the get-go.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. The OP Is An Obama Supporter

I'll make an observation and let others draw conclusions...

Obama and Edwards are bashing one another and they both are bashing Hillary, albeit John Edwards not so much as of late...

Who do you think will be the beneficiary?

[Adelante]

3. Campaign finance reform groups are taking an interest

Like Democracy 21. They say these "issue" ads are campaign ads in disguise (duh!) and are illegal.

[Adelante]

7. "527 groups are blatantly and arrogantly at it again"

In discussing the role being played by 527 groups in the 2008 presidential caucuses and primaries, some published media reports have stated that these political groups can raise and spend unlimited contributions in the presidential race, as long as they do not explicitly urge people to "vote for" or "vote against" a presidential candidate and do not coordinate their efforts with a presidential candidate or campaign.

This statement is wrong.

"Despite the FEC findings of widespread illegal conduct by 527 groups in the 2004 presidential election, it appears that 527 groups are blatantly and arrogantly at it again in the current presidential race," Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer stated.

"These 527 groups are spending large sums of unlimited contributions on what they claim are 'issue ads' but what instead are unquestionably 'campaign ads' being run to influence the 2008 presidential election." Wertheimer said.

-snip

"Despite the FEC findings of widespread illegal conduct by 527 groups in the 2004 presidential election, it appears that 527 groups are blatantly and arrogantly at it again in the current presidential race," Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer stated.

"These 527 groups are spending large sums of unlimited contributions on what they claim are 'issue ads' but what instead are unquestionably 'campaign ads' being run to influence the 2008 presidential election." Wertheimer said.

http://www.democracy21.org/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={91FCB139-CC82-4DDD-AE4E-3A81E6427C7F}&DE={F3CFEA71-36DA-4056-89EF-12168391CB5F}

[Lord Helmet]

5. Let Us Know When He Drops The 'Son-Of-A-Mill-Worker' Line

Now THAT would be a development.

[Hieronymus]

8. Would you suggest he lie about his roots? Sounds very Republican.

[Froward69]

10. when thats exactly what edwards does

lie about his past. where he actually grew up, what his father actually did at that mill, what his votes are really about. on and on...

[tritsofme]

9. Edwards is a phony.

Tell me something I didn't already know.