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| Home Front: Politix |
| Big Dem cash dump on eve of climate vote |
| 2009-07-18 |
| Three House Democratic leaders who were whipping members on the climate change bill gave tens of thousands in campaign cash to party moderates around the time of the 219-212 vote on June 26, according to Federal Election Commission records. Money is power. It's impossible to tell if that torrent of cash was an attempt to schmear wavering Democrats -- or just part of the usual cash dump made by leaders on the eve of the June 30 quarterly fundraising deadline. It doesn't matter if it's your money... Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) doled out $28,000 to reps who eventually voted yes on June 24, two days before the big vote -- on a day when House leaders were doing some heavy-duty arm-twisting. ... as long as it's your power. Clyburn recipients who voted for the bill included a who's-who of battleground district Dems: Steve Driehaus, D-OH ($2,000); Martin Heinrich, D-NM ($2,000); Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla. ($4,000); Betsy Markey, D-Colo. ($2,000); Carol Shea-Porter, D-NH ($2,000), Baron Hill, D-Ind. ($2,000); Alan Grayson, D-Fla. ($2,000); Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa ($2,000); Jim Himes, D-Conn. ($2,000); Mary Jo Kilroy, D-OH ($2,000); Kurt Schrader, D-Ore. ($2,000); Jerry McNerney, D-Calif. ($2,000) and Tom Perriello, D-Va. ($2,000). On the other hand, Clyburn also gave at least $14,000 to Democrats who voted no despite his pressure: Mike Arcuri, D-NY ($2,000); Marion Berry, D-Ark. ($2,000); Bobby Bright, D-Ala. ($2,000); Chris Carney, D-Penn. ($2,000); Chet Edwards (D-Tx.), Travis Childers , D-Miss. ($2,000); Parker Griffith, D-Ala. ($2,000) and Harry Mitchell, D-NM ($2,000). The same pattern held true for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who gave $4,000 to yes-voting Ohio Democrat Zack Space and the same amount to no-voting Chris Carney. House Energy and Commerce Henry Waxman gave at least $16,000 to yes-voters on June, 25, FEC records show. A Waxman campaign spokesman said the payouts were part of the usual "end-of-quarter activity." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 Doesn't quite seem to have the minimum space between the Quid and the Quo ... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-07-18 13:09 |
| #5 Probably could've got them for a primo parking spot. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-07-18 12:28 |
| #4 We knew they couldn't read. It now appears however, they can indeed count! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-18 11:44 |
| #3 So, payouts are as "usual". Steve, you are right, it all sounds like Chicago. Or any other (dem) machine politics for that matter. I wonder how much of the US populace is aware of this kind of influence buying that is going on. |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2009-07-18 06:52 |
| #2 They'd have received more money selling their votes on Ebay. |
| Posted by: James Carville 2009-07-18 00:48 |
| #1 Not only are they corrupt, they are cheap. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2009-07-18 00:45 |