Campaign commerce, or bribery?

     Money keeps flowing to candidates, even in the final days of their campaigns, as evidenced by the final reports being submitted to the New York State Board of Elections.

    On Wednesday alone, $1.1 million in various kinds of donations were tossed into different Senate efforts.

   The New York Public Interest Research Group says the money doesn't come without strings.

      "I wouldn't call them friends of the candidates. It's more of a commercial transaction. They're forking over the money when the candidates desperately need it, and they're expecting to collect when the Legislature comes back into session," said Blair Horner, lobbyist for the public interest group.

   What do you think? Is our system of financing campaigns a good one? Or is it spurred by self interest and tantamount to legal bribery?

   

Comments

[Ron]

It boils down to "all the politicians that Gallisano can buy". If any candidate thinks they have not sold their soul to this man they are kidding themselves.

[Nick Strugar]

Why is the national (liberal) media not all over the story about Obama having an illegal immigrant aunt who is living illegally on public housing.
You can rewad about it in Canada but the US press is burying the story, Bias???

[Camino Reality]

The neo conservative sieg bloggisphere always requires a new sacrificial goat to take the public attention away from the Republican Party melt down of our economic system and the wrongful war in Iraq.

The current conditions for the Middle Class and working people stink in the USA thanks to McCain and Bush.

The New Deal was not redistribution of the wealth or failed liberal policies. On the contrary the corporate take over of America in 1929 and 2008 spawned the conditions that led to chaos and government for, by, and of the corporation.

I find amazement and fascination of the Repulican Party fixation for plumbers who whine poor and can't deal with paying more tax on wages over $250,000 and who run secret break in operations into the Watergate.

Obama is going to win. The change that FDR, King, and Studs Turkel envisioned is becoming reality in the changing times we are living in.

A vote for Obama is actually the November 4, 2008 verdict in the impeachment of George W Bush.

McCain is Bush. That is the prime issue. Loss of American's homes, jobs, and retirement savings is attributed to the failed policies of Bush and McCain.

All the Republican side show issues away from the failed US economy and War in Iraq are red herrings and attention diversions.

[fedupvet]

Politicians use lobbyists, and lobbyists use politicians.

It's called FACISM in the real world.

The corrupt down side of lobbists and lobbying completely outweighs any of the upsides. The lobbying system MUST be TOTALLY eliminated for the OVERALL BETTERMENT and survival of the USA. It is the only way to get the power back into the hands of the people, instead of boatloads of greedy "record profits per every single quarter" money being the main determining factor, held at the end of their fishing poles as inticing bait. It brought down the USA's financial system as fast as the three WTC buildings in a "perfect" controlled demolitions display.

Since when did justice and honor have a skyrocketing PRICETAG attached?

[Frankie]

It was said: "Why is the national (liberal) media not all over the story about Obama having an illegal immigrant aunt who is living illegally on public housing."
--

Maybe for the same reason we haven't heard word one about Cindy McCain's prior drug habit. Or McCain not paying his property taxes for 4 years in California.

[Frankie]

Karl said: "Camino Reality
Your post wins the moron post of the month,"
--

A little longer Karl: "Camino Reality, i can't come up with even one counter argument to anything you said".

[hatemenow]

Comino,

If you truly believe all that you wrote you need to do a little research. A vote for Obama is an impeachment of George Bush? While he has been terrible, you do know that he is not even in the race? McCain is the same as Bush? I think your buying into the media rhetoric and not doing your own research. Unintelligent voters are more of a problem then lobbyists. Make informed decisions, and instead of posting ignorant material, go do a little research. Find out about the Obama tax plan and how it will give tax refunds to those who do not pay taxes. Find out that the "tax cut" McCain is giving the oil companies, is not much of a cut. (43% in taxes to 40% in taxes, yet Exxon alone will still be paying over 27 Billion in taxes) Those who don't care about these taxes are the ones who do not want to ever strive to make $250,000. Personally I wouldn't feel right about taking someone else's money because they are successful. If it is our "patriotic duty" to pay taxes as Biden tells us it is, then shouldn't we all be contributing at the same rate, or are those who make more then 250k that much more patriotic?

[blahblahblah]

Time to face facts, you nasty Repukes. This game is over. Even the fox news poll has Obama up by 9. The people are speaking, and they don't like you.

[Buffalo Libertarian]

It all started with the Supreme Court declaring that corporations were persons and had the same rights that real people have. It got worse when the Supreme Court declared campaign donations "speech."

Ralph Nader believes the Democrats and Republicans are both controlled by the corporations and there is a certain amount of truth to that belief, particularly when you look at how much money corporations have donated to the Obama campaign.

Yes, it's tantamount to legal bribery.

[Frankie]

Hatehimnow says:

Unintelligent voters are more of a problem then lobbyists.
Make informed decisions, and instead of posting ignorant material, go do a little research.
--

Ironic, since he also goes on to say this:

"Find out about the Obama tax plan and how it will give tax refunds to those who do not pay taxes."
--

Um, everyone pays taxes. Buy gas, you pay federal taxes. Look at your heating bill and read the definition of "tariff surcharge". It's a tax - paid to the federal government. Part of the problem that Social Security faces is caused by the fact that Social Security funds are being taken to cover general federal expenditures. In other words, the FICA tax is being used as an income tax. You think the money being taken from the SS funds will be paid back from the general revenues? When we have a $10.5 trillion debt? Think again. And your side needs to get it's arguments straight. One day we hear that increased corporate taxes will be passed on to consumers, and the next day we hear that some people (consumers) pay no taxes. So, which is it?

But it gets better because you also said:

"Find out that the "tax cut" McCain is giving the oil companies, is not much of a cut. (43% in taxes to 40% in taxes, yet Exxon alone will still be paying over 27 Billion in taxes)"
--

In whose world is 3% of $27 billion not much of a cut? And if going from 43% to 40% on a $27 billion income is not much of a cut, then how much of an increase is going from 35% to 39% on $250,000? Seems to me, not much.

But amazingly enough, it doesn't end there. You also said:

"Those who don't care about these taxes are the ones who do not want to ever strive to make $250,000."
--

Everyone wants to be in the top 5% of income earners. But simple math says that only 5% are ever going to get there - no matter how much everyone might strive for it. But that notwithstanding:

"Personally I wouldn't feel right about taking someone else's money because they are successful. If it is our "patriotic duty" to pay taxes as Biden tells us it is, then shouldn't we all be contributing at the same rate, or are those who make more then 250k that much more patriotic?"
--

The reason the top 5% pay a higher rate is the same reason we send 19 and 20 year olds to war instead of 59 and 60 year olds. In a patriotic society, those who can, do so for those who can't. So simple even you should be able to understand it.