Questionable Donations to Barack Obama's 2004 Senate Campaign:

[originalpckelly]

Financial/Non-health Insurance Companies:
ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
AON CORPORATION
AUCTION MARKETS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE OF THE CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE
CHICAGO STOCK EXCHANGE, INC
MORGAN STANLEY
SEARS HOLDINGS CORPORATION
AFLAC INCORPORATED
AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP (AIG) INC.
NEW CENTURY FINANCIAL CORPORATION
LASALLE BANK CORPORATION
HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP INC
JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
ERNST & YOUNG
HSBC NORTH AMERICA
E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP.
COUNTRYWIDE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES


Telcos and Media Companies
BELLSOUTH CORPORATION
SPRINT NEXTEL CORPORATION
VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC.
AT&T INC.
BROADWING COMMUNICATIONS LLC (Recently bought out by Level 3)
WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS
VERIZON COMMUNICATION INC
MCI LLC (Formerly MCI WorldCom, Now owned by above company)
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS INC
COMCAST CORP.

Health Sector Companies
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY
WALGREEN CO
3M COMPANY
ABBOTT LABORATORIES
AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS (Big pac that represents many for-profit health companies)
BAXTER HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
HUMANA INC.
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INCORPORATED
SMITHKLINE BEECHAM CORPORATION (Now GlaxoSmithKline, it's unclear why they put their contributions down that way.)
PFIZER INC. PAC
POWER MOBILITY COALITION INC
MEDCO HEALTH SOLUTIONS INC
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
COVENTRY HEALTH CARE INC. and FIRST HEALTH GROUP CORP.
CVS/CAREMARK


Energy Sector Companies
EXELON CORPORATION
USEC INC. (Privatized uranium enrichment company)
BP CORPORATION NORTH AMERICA INC.
SIEMENS CORPORATION
SEMPRA ENERGY
PEOPLES ENERGY CORPORATION
MARATHON OIL COMPANY
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
DTE ENERGY CO.
EDISON INTERNATIONAL
CALPINE CORPORATION (How Calpine has any money to spend beats me (bankruptcy), they do get a ton of their energy from geothermal and other clean sources)


Defense Contractor Companies
BOEING
LOCKHEED MARTIN
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION


And Obama's taken money from the public school privatizing company: EDISON SCHOOLS INC

And DUPONT and EASTMAN KODAK.

Source:
http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/S4IL00180

[originalpckelly]

1. When you look at that list, it makes you question Obama's independence.

He looks like another corporate shill.

[originalpckelly]

2. I'm not able to access the FEC database currently.

It keeps freezing on me, anyone else getting that?

[originalpckelly]

8. Wow! This damn thing keeps freezing, and it's not my computer...

because I can get on DU really easily.

[BlooInBloo]

20. Everyone with a serious shot at being President has to play the game....

... Don't hate the player, hate the game. Or at least, if you insist on hating the player, let it be for some *other* reason.

You're not gonna find any different about ANY of the top 2 candidate from both sides since at least the Cold War.

[originalpckelly]

21. Maybe, just maybe, these people shouldn't sell out and then hold themselves...

up as the paragon of virtue.

[BlooInBloo]

22. There is a more refined, yet still reasonable, concept of "sell out"...

... according to which *merely* accepting corporate contributions does not suffice to prove "sell out" status.

[originalpckelly]

23. Maybe accepting money is bad enough?

Oh, that can't be true. It might be inconvenient. You might have to realize that not everyone on our side is as good as we think they are. We might actually have to work to clean up our side's act too!

[BlooInBloo]

24. Nope - that's a change-the-game issue, not a change-the-player issue...

EDIT: It's a *fine* issue, don't get me wrong. It's just not, in and of itself, an issue to be worked on at the *player* level.

[originalpckelly]

33. Maybe the game is corrupt because the players are corrupt?

[UrbScotty]

3. Obama didn't even run in 2006. He ran in 2004. (nt)

[originalpckelly]

5. Excuse me...

:rofl:

[originalpckelly]

6. I really really need to pay attention to the dates on the contributions...

that would explain the GlaxoSmithKline entry.

[KAZ]

4. It's not what you take, but how you vote. Thanks for the info!

Need to keep an eye on them all.

[originalpckelly]

7. "It's not what you take, but how you vote." That's a very odd statement.

You don't expect them to give a damn about the rest of us when they're beholden to elite corporate interests via campaign contributions?

[UrbScotty]

10. What I think KAZ is trying to say is...

It's one thing to take money from large corporations. It's another thing to bow down to their wishes and ignore the needs of the people.

[originalpckelly]

14. Of course, I mean just because you take money from a company...

doesn't mean there was a reason for that company to give them money to you, now is there?

Oh by the way, have you noticed how nuclear energy is so en vogue, while its nasty waste products are still a huge problem? That's because GE is buying off our side of the political spectrum, and they're casting nuclear energy as a green alternative, but as I've said before, the only thing green about nuclear energy is that nice green radioactive glow.

[Hippo_Tron]

27. Companies will often give to an incumbent or an inevitable winner just because...

They know that person is in office or will be in office and hope that if they give money that person will make their lives easier. If you're running for office and are not an inevitable winner, then companies probably expect you to change things if they give you contributions.

Part of the reason incumbent Presidents have no trouble raising money.

[John Q. Citizen]

16. And how many people are without health care in the US? How many homeless?

ANd we are in Iraq, why? And how many retired US Congressman and Senators and members of there families are working for these corporations?

Well, you get the idea. Sometimes someone just offers a deal that can't be refused, you know?

If only there was a candidate we could trust, you know, someone with no strings on him....

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Ever read the Twain essey called "Corn Pone Opinions" ? Twain talks about

a slave he knew as a boy who'd jump up on a wood pile and preach.

He said, "You tell me where a man gets his corn pone from and i'll tell you what his'pinion is!"

It's a great read and it's so true.

[NeedleCast]

9. You need money to win elections

It's a fact.

Those corporation probably donated to every politician who they think has a chance to win and probably some who they don't. Doesn't really bother me unless the person elected beings to show them favoritism.

As far as I'm concerned it would be a MUCH, MUCH better idea to work towards shrinking the maximum corporations can give to a politician (by a large amount) than to worry about who's giving them money.

If I were running for political office I'd take money from across the spectrum as well, assuming that by giving me money you support the election of me and my policies, not to influence me to do you a favor.

[originalpckelly]

12. You assume these are the only donations...

they aren't. To be fair, Obama has a ton more progressive donations that Clinton did, but this is still bad. Plus you're forgetting all the non-pac normal people donations.

I would never take money from these companies, many of them are the equivalent of jack the ripper when it comes to business practices.

[originalpckelly]

15. And quite frankly, Obama has played himself up as a clean politician...

from what I've of his donations, I don't think he's as clean as he's advertising. He sure got me convinced, now I feel like an idiot.

[John Q. Citizen]

13. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

[MonkeyFunk]

39. The limits are already pretty low

I think a corporate PAC can only give $5,000 to a candidate.

[frazzled]

17. Go look up any candidate's contributions

Since none of seems to be able to replicate your FEC search, we can not verify your facts. It's hard to tell if this was for his Illinois Senate race or not (more on which, later).
For comparison, I had to go to Open Secrets, which does not list things in the same way ... but, just for starters, take, for instance, John Edwards's 2000 Senate campaign. Among the contributors you find are

R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO
PHILIP MORRIS

BANK OF AMERICA
FIRST UNION CORP
WACHOVIA CORP
CHASE MANHATTAN

BEAR STEARNS & Co
MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER & Co $6,500
AG EDWARDS & SONS $4,000
GOLDMAN SACHS $3,000
SLOAN FINANCIAL GROUP $3,000
MERRILL LYNCH

NOVANT HEALTH INC.
GLAXO WELLCOME INC

HARDEE'S INC
KAY'S CHEMICALS
GUILFORD MILLS
BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES
BURROUGHS WELLCOME FUND

What does this tell us? Precious little, I hope. Was Edwards a shill for the tobacco, financial, banking, and pharmaceutical industries? Not that I saw.

One thing you do not mention: how much money these entities gave.

You might also factor in that race the following: he was running against Alan Keyes. You think anyone in their right mind thought Alan Keyes would win? Of course not. Everyone in Illinois gave to Obama, including corporations, who always want to get behind the winner. I'm sure he was happy to take and spend their money.

[originalpckelly]

18. IIRC Edwards was elected in '98.

It's possible to follow the source, though it appears the FEC is having a *little* trouble with their servers. They're the people who had the information first, so I trust them the most.

[originalpckelly]

19. And to reply to the rest of your post...

We think it doesn't mean much. Just look at all the companies Hillary took from, that's kind of frightening.

It's not easy to pick on Obama, and it hurt to see all those donations, but we've got to be truthful.

[frazzled]

25. You fail to address R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, Glaxo-Wellcome et. al.

If such donations are a problem for Obama, why are they not a problem for Edwards? Unless you have a rational explanation (though none exists), then we can all assume this is just another yawner hit piece.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

29. DOH!!!! Those fuckers donate to EVERY POLITICAL BODY!!!

Don't be naive.

On the other hand,...don't be deceptive or a trickster or,...whatever!!!!

[originalpckelly]

34. Actually, I think they're problem for Edwards...

I'm not saying that. You assume I've got a dog in this fight, and that I'm not trying to find the truth whatever it may be, about our good politicians. I do dislike Hillary Clinton, but I like Edwards and Obama about the same, in fact, I've supported Obama more in the past as my post history shows.

However, I think the time to be naive about these folks is over, they're not anti-corruption, they are corruption. They're a part of the problem, not the answer.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

26. uh,...you want to destroy this man,...for some reason,...

,...and,....you distract from the where the BIG HUGE money is going,...against this man and ANY candidate challenging the POWER/RULING PARTY fucking up this country.

Why?

Revelation?

I want REVELATION,...a truck-fucking-load of it about the POWER/RULING PARTY.

You know,...the ones that have completely fucked up this nation and the world. You do know the ones I am talking about, don't you?

:shrug:

[originalpckelly]

35. Don't we all already know that the other party is bought and paid for?

Yes, I think we all assume that.

On the other hand, it's not fair for these particular candidates to state they aren't. Especially Clinton, go look at her thread, it's full of corporations, in fact there are far more corporate donations than donations from unions or progressive organizations. I think that's sickening.

[illinoisprogressive]

28. I would say some are from friends who are part of a company, ect.

Obama has alot of friends who are African American businessmen who are very successful.
You'd have to see which is their company ect.

[illinoisprogressive]

30. I think what people here are missing is a reality check.

To run any campaign you must have money. How much you are beholden is one thing. it is another if you are getting blind donations.
No one is pure. Many here put this ideology thing and demand complete purity. If a politician, any politician was to be within these purity standards they would not be any politician but, someone who ran a failed campaign.
What good is that if the person who could do the best job cannot get elected to please the purity police.

[originalpckelly]

36. Bullshit, if you take money from someone, there's a reason.

We're seeing overt bribery in the form of campaign donations. Only individual people and organizations that draw supports from a broad base of donors should be contributing to campaigns. Not people from a single company.

[goodgd_yall]

31. This is all as I'd expect; Dennis Kucinich's corporate donors would be more interesting n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

32. corporations can't give money to campaigns

so I'm not sure what this list means.

[originalpckelly]

37. I don't think I need to explain how a PAC works, most people in politics should know that.

Of course the corporate entity cannot directly donate, just the people, who in reality, make up the fictitious corporate entity. How is it any better that the board of directors, high and middle management types and investors to donate than a fictitious entity? The fictitious entity exists to serve their will.

If you really think the majority of normal employees at these companies give in the name of their companies, you're smoking something powerful.

Aetna for example:
http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_ind/C00181826/

Chief this, Senior VP that all the titles are "highfalutin!"

[originalpckelly]

38. I forgot lobbyists!

:rofl:

[Scriptor Ignotus]

44. Obama does not accept money from lobbyists -eom

[originalpckelly]

45. Actually, the lobbyists gave to that PAC.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

47. yes

but not exclusively. the PAC seemed to have a wide variety of execs contributing, a few of which are lobbyists.

[MonkeyFunk]

40. a PAC

can give $5,000 to a campaign.

How much was given? Was it by PACs or by individuals who are employed by those companies?

Just listing companies doesn't make it "questionable".

[Scriptor Ignotus]

46. correct me if I'm wrong

but isn't a "normal" employee prohibited by law from contributing to this type of PAC?

I believe the only people eligible to contribute are shareholders, execs, and their families. Therefore all titles will likely be "highfalutin".

[DemocratSinceBirth]

41. I Think The O P Should Disclose Which Candidate He Is Supporting

I've seen this movie before in 2004...

[originalpckelly]

42. I'm going to try and do this to anyone with corporate contributions.

Obama was my pick, may still be if I can around this, but I'm not certain. I know I don't like Clinton, she has very few progressive org. donations in comparison to these corporation donations.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

43. Very interesting list. Thank you for posting. eom

[walldude]

48. Maybe we should be comparing this to all the other candidates

for some reason or other I doubt he's the only one to take money from right wing corporations. I don't really like any of the candidates yet...

[originalpckelly]

49. I made a list for Hillary.

I don't know what I'll do for Edwards, because his campaign for Senate was before the database was as comprehensive as it is now.