Nominating Conventions Also Put Spotlight on Large Funders
Aug 25th, 2008 • Posted in: NewsAs convention season begins, reports note that both Obama and McCain are confronting the fact that business and labor have donated millions to convention host committees
WASHINGTON
John McCain and Barack Obama, both of whom have made it a point to pledge that they will distance themselves from special interests, face some ethics challenges during the upcoming nominating conventions, according to a series of press reports.
Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn reports: “Business and labor interests have donated millions to the Democratic and Republican convention host committees in exchange for premium seats and special access. Many institutions will also hold parties and receptions where lawmakers can get an earful … from lobbyists and their clients.”
“Tougher ethics rules aside, conventions remain the only activity where federal candidates can raise unrestricted amounts of money from wealthy donors, unions, or corporations — donations typically called ’soft money,’” Kuhnhenn notes.
Forbes reports that a group called the Sunlight Foundation, a watchdog advocating greater transparency in politics, has unearthed a list of donors who have paid for more than 400 parties and other events in Denver, the site of the Democratic convention, and in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Republicans’ venue.
MarketWatch analyst Rex Nutting argues that “the delegates themselves will turn into walking advertisements for the corporations, with their logos plastered to the tote bags they’ll be clutching as they wander around….”
Newsday quotes Crain Holman of the advocacy group Public Citizen as claiming the conventions are laced with “irony” because “this election year we’ve got the two biggest reform candidates in the most anti-reform election I’ve seen.”
Both candidates have said they are open to changing the convention-funding process, according to Newsday.
Sources: Newsday, Aug. 22 — MarketWatch, Aug. 21 — AP, Aug. 20 — Forbes, Aug. 20.
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