ABC's Jake Tapper has exposed an interesting campaign finance factoid concerning presumptive Democrat Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden that should get a lot of attention if media are going to fairly cover the political history of the Delaware senator.
As Tapper posted moments ago at his "Political Punch" blog, Biden doesn't share the same supposed disdain for lobbyist cash as his presumptive running mate (emphasis added throughout, photo courtesy UPI):
The Center for Responsive Politics has a thorough analysis of Sen. Joe Biden's campaign cash intake now that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has selected him as his running mate. [...]
Obama may decry lobbyist cash (or at least federal lobbyist cash), but Biden has taken $344,400 from lobbyists since 1997 -- making lobbyists the 10th biggest contributing industry.
Also of note is Biden's contributions from the credit card and lending industries:
Biden's largest business contributor over the years has been MBNA, the credit card company from his home state of Delaware. Conservative journalist Byron York has written about whether Biden's relationship with MBNA has been too cozy.
As OpenSecrets pointed out Saturday (emphasis added throughout):
As an industry, finance and credit companies have contributed nearly $300,000 to Biden in his career, making them his 12th most generous industry. Obama has vowed to target credit card companies as president, setting up a five-star rating system so consumers know the risk involved with various credit cards and establishing a bill of rights so consumers aren't exploited by unfair practices.
Going to be interesting to see him do that with a Vice President that has so benefitted from this industry's contributions.
Something that Tapper didn't point out that could be very interesting for media to explore:
[O]ne of Biden's top donors, law firm Baron & Budd, was in the news recently because its founder, trial lawyer Fred Baron, acknowledged paying for former presidential candidate John Edwards's mistress to re-locate. Baron & Budd employees have given Biden $108,100 during his career.
Think this will get a lot of attention in the days to come?
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
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Think this will get a lot
August 23, 2008 - 13:52 ET by bigtimerThink this will get a lot of attention in the days to come?
Of course NOT.
If you have a 'D' after your name...it matters not.
Now we all know what would happen if shoe was on other foot if you have an 'R' after your name...this news would be unrelenting.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Sarah Palin!
August 23, 2008 - 13:54 ET by matthewleonmartinSa-rah Pa-lin. clap clap, clap clap clap
Sa-rah Pa-lin. clap clap, clap clap clap
I'm telling you, Obama made a mistake with this guy. He was only thinking about August, not November.
In August he got hit as a bad foreign policy guy, so he panics and picks Biden, who comes with way too much baggage.
He wasn't thinking about how to win in Nov. Becuase no matter who you are, you're not going to beat John McCain on foreign. His strategy should have been to pick Kaine. A guy who can reinforce the message he's good at projecting.
Bill Clinton faced the "you're too young/inexperienced" challenge. He picked little known Gore anyway. In doing so, he reinforced his message and shifted the talking points away from foreign policy and onto domestic.
By picking Biden, a guy who everyone in the MSM is saying is a foreign policy guru, you're making the issue about you're weakness.
Bad bad idea.
And you just KNOW Biden is going to say something that will piss off Hillary voters.
Regardless, McCain can let the talking heads debate Romney or Pawlenty or Leiberman, and then suprise everyone with Palin.
Unfortuantely Palin has
August 23, 2008 - 14:01 ET by bigtimerUnfortunately Palin has troubles of her own right now...I can't see McCain picking her at this time...the msm will pounce all over it...even if it amounts to zilch...that is what they will do.
Now I have to get ready to go see if Matthews has another tingle go up his leg again with the big speech by The One and Biden.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Been doing some dialing
August 23, 2008 - 14:21 ET by BobAnthonyOf the channels. NBC is carrying the Olympics. But CBS (which as I typed this just ended and switched back to the Pilot Pen tennis tourney in New Haven CT-Stan) and ABC, which was supposed to be carrying the US Championship of the Little League World Series--THE FREAKIN US CHAMPIONSHIP to air the Messiah and the Meshugana!
DAMN CORPORATE FASCISTS!
VP Neil Kinnock?
August 23, 2008 - 15:09 ET by GalvanicWhether Obama's choice helps in Novemeber will become evident in the next few days, as all the pollsters will measure the 'bounce' that the Biden selection gives the campaign.
Obama lost momentum this summer, and he needs his VP pick and the Convention to re-ignite it.
As the first woman selected to represent a major party ticket, Geraldine Ferraro's nomination as VP gave Mondale's campaign an immediate 16% bounce, and they still lost to Reagan-Bush.
For a campaign that talks about changing Washington, nothing says status quo like a career politician who's been a Senator since Nixon was President and never met a lobbyist checkbook he didn't like. The MSM is trying to play up his "blue-collar roots," but even they can hardly keep a straight face.
And certainly, the Hillary-drones are steamin' mad, especially with recent reports that their Hillary hadn't even been considered by Obama's team. It may now be even harder to convince her more ardent supporters to back Obama. We might even hear some boos at the Convention when Biden is introduced.
Given Biden's poor track record in Democratic primaries, and the simmering anger of Hillary's sheep, I wouldn't be surprised to see the ticket get a single-digit bounce.
"Biden doesn't share the
August 23, 2008 - 21:23 ET by Chris Norman"Biden doesn't share the same supposed disdain for lobbyist cash as his presumptive running mate"
Apparently, "change" will have to wait until after this election...
McNotObama '08