Why doesn't this bother O'Bama supporters?

[eeyore1954]

Top Recipients of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Campaign Contributions, 1989-2008


1. Dodd, Christopher $133,900
2. Kerry, John $111,000
3. Obama, Barack $105,849
4. Clinton, Hillary $75,550
5. Kanjorski, Paul E $65,500

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/07/top-senate-recipients-of-fanni.html

And why in the world is Chris Dodd the head of the banking committee allowed to take these contributions and not be taken to task for it. How can he have credibility?

My question is what would O'bama supporters be saying if McCain was near the top of the list. I am pretty sure it would then be an important fact.

[Oliver]

Because McCain is the Pro-Bush Lobbyist-Guy. It's simple, really.

[joobie]

as i posted the last time this came up:

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4119/10fanniegraphickl7.jpg

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/us/politics/10fannie.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=fannie%20freddie%20obama%20mccain&st=cse&oref=slogin

[seayakin]

as i posted the last time this came up:

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4119/10fanniegraphickl7.jpg

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/us/politics/10fannie.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=fannie%20freddie%20obama%20mccain&st=cse&oref=slogin

Looks like Patrick Swygert has a diversified portfolio.

[eeyore1954]

So Joobie the reason it doesn't bother you that O'bama has gotten so much from Fannie and Freddie is that McCain has also taken a lot?

[Cleon]

Why do you insist on calling him "O'bama?"

[trvlr2]

? Because O'Bama is a fine Eyetalian name??

[eeyore1954]

Why do you insist on calling him "O'bama?"
I didn't mean anything by it . I guess I mistakenly thought there was an apostrophe probably because of my Irish roots , maybe I was trying to make him Irish as I am part Irish . Much like my Wife's grandmother always put an i at the end of my last name to make me Italian.

[Nogbad]

Why do you insist on calling him "O'bama?"

Because everyone likes the Irish?

[eeyore1954]

Another interesting contribution fact.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/bundlers-for-mccain-obama-are.html
Overall, the securities and investment industry has contributed about $10 million to Obama and $7 million to McCain. To all federal candidates for president and Congress, and to political parties, the industry has contributed more than $101 million in the 2008 election cycle, 56 percent of it to Democrats. The Democrats' edge is a relatively recent development, however; Republicans had the advantage for most of the last 10 years.



Contributions from the commercial banking industry are roughly split between Obama and McCain -- $2 million for the Democrat, $1.9 million for the Republican. The banking industry has contributed about $25 million in this election cycle to federal candidates and parties, giving 52 percent to Republicans.

[BenBurch]

If you look at the details of the contributions you will find that the bulk of Obama's contribution came from low-level employees of those institutions, not from the management suite. As such they have a very different meaning than that imputed.

[eeyore1954]

If you look at the details of the contributions you will find that the bulk of Obama's contribution came from low-level employees of those institutions, not from the management suite. As such they have a very different meaning than that imputed.

It is very possible you are correct. Do you have any links for this information?

[BenBurch]

It is very possible you are correct. Do you have any links for this information?

Not handy. I read this someplace the other day. If nobody else finds it I'll dig for it this evening.

[Meadmaker]

Top Recipients of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Campaign Contributions,
My question is what would O'bama supporters be saying if McCain was near the top of the list. I am pretty sure it would then be an important fact.

Why should it?

I really don't care if my candidate gets money from Vladmir Putin, Osama bin Laden, and Satan. Does Obama have a record that helped create the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac crisis? That would be news. If you have that, bring it on.

[joobie]

So Joobie the reason it doesn't bother you that O'bama has gotten so much from Fannie and Freddie is that McCain has also taken a lot?

it bothers me about one tenth as much as it bothers me about how much mccain has collected from them.

[eeyore1954]

I really don't care if my candidate gets money from Vladmir Putin, Osama bin Laden, and Satan.



You have low standards.

[Hammer_of_Thor]

(snip)maybe I was trying to make him Irish as I am part Irish . (snip)

He is Irish. Start celebrating.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0315/obamab.html

[Meadmaker]

You have low standards.


It has nothing to do with low standards.

I'm reminded of the first race I voted in. Carter vs. Reagan. Some Democrats tried to make a big deal out of the fact that Reagan received the endorsement of the KKK. And? It didn't work. It's just a form of guilt by association.

I don't care where the money comes from. I care what the candidate does. What policies do you think Barack Obama has followed or endorsed that would have led to the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac crisis? Or the bank failure crisis? Or the energy price crisis? Or all the related economic crises that have put us in one heck of a mess? That's what I care about.

If you think that somehow the employees of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bought his vote to the detriment of the American people, that's news. The fact that some folks gave him money is not.

[boloboffin]

I have a policy not to get exercised over anything objectionable raised by someone who deliberately misspells Obama's name.

[Malerin]

It has nothing to do with low standards.

I'm reminded of the first race I voted in. Carter vs. Reagan. Some Democrats tried to make a big deal out of the fact that Reagan received the endorsement of the KKK. And? It didn't work. It's just a form of guilt by association.

I don't care where the money comes from. I care what the candidate does. What policies do you think Barack Obama has followed or endorsed that would have led to the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac crisis? Or the bank failure crisis? Or the energy price crisis? Or all the related economic crises that have put us in one heck of a mess? That's what I care about.

If you think that somehow the employees of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac bought his vote to the detriment of the American people, that's news. The fact that some folks gave him money is not.

A candidate who receives (and keeps) funds from, say, Al Queda, would be a very bad choice, no matter they're voting record. To accept money from an organization is an implicit agreement that you agree with that organization's principles and values. Let's say Charles Manson sends out a check for $50 to a random person with the message: we have more work to do. Would you actually cash that check?

[Cleon]

A candidate who receives (and keeps) funds from, say, Al Queda, would be a very bad choice, no matter they're voting record. To accept money from an organization is an implicit agreement that you agree with that organization's principles and values. Let's say Charles Manson sends out a check for $50 to a random person with the message: we have more work to do. Would you actually cash that check?

That line of thinking essentially gives any well-funded unpopular organization, such as Al-Qaeda, control over the election. All they have to do is donate money to the candidate they don't want to win, and let the hysteria do their work for them.

There's a reason why "Guilt by Association" is considered a fallacy.

[Malerin]

That line of thinking essentially gives any well-funded unpopular organization, such as Al-Qaeda, control over the election. All they have to do is donate money to the candidate they don't want to win, and let the hysteria do their work for them.

There's a reason why "Guilt by Association" is considered a fallacy.

This is all assuming the candidate has full knowledge of where the money came from, which I thought my example with Manson made clear. Obviously, if Al Qeuda slipped in a dollar to a candidate through a front, the situation would be much different.

A candidate knowingly taking money from a group like Al Queda should send up all sorts of red flags.

[eeyore1954]

I have a policy not to get exercised over anything objectionable raised by someone who deliberately misspells Obama's name.
If you are referring to me I never deliberately mispelled his name.

i don't dislike Obama I just don't like the double standard that a few of his supporters here seem to demostrate.

[Oliver]

Why do you insist on calling him "O'bama?"


Being a Moderator, could you at least clean up the mess this question created?

[Tricky]

Why doesn't this bother O'Bama supporters?

Mostly because there are no O'Bama supporters. Heck, I've never even heard of him. There are no McSame supporters either. Also, nobody here thinks e-Bore1954 is an idiot.

[UserGoogol]

as i posted the last time this came up:

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4119/10fanniegraphickl7.jpg

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/us/politics/10fannie.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=fannie%20freddie%20obama%20mccain&st=cse&oref=slogin

Related to this, it should be noted that (since direct contributions from corporations are not very legal) the statistics OpenSecrets reports includes anyone who works for Freddie and Fannie (although people who donate under $200 in total are not required to report their employment, which puts somewhat of a filter on the lower-level guys). As such, I don't think donations from particular companies like this are that big a deal, although certainly there can be conflict of interest problems. An exception might be industries where influencing the government is the whole point (i.e. lobbyists) although even that might be somewhat people make a bit too much of.

[Meadmaker]

Let's say Charles Manson sends out a check for $50 to a random person with the message: we have more work to do. Would you actually cash that check?

I'm not a random person, so, no. If, on the other hand, he wrote it to me, yes.

[RandFan]

Also, nobody here thinks e-Bore1954 is an idiot.That doesn't mean that he isn't one. Argument ad numerum. I caught you red handed. Ha. :)

I'm going to unscrew that 2007 bottle of Buckfast in celebration.

[Magyar]

well, you know I do have to admit that I am not overly enthused by the idea that ANY candidate is so beholden to large corp of ANY kind in order to get elected.


BUT - and it's a bigger but than the one on the bimbo Mchypocrite selected as his running mate.

Obama is NOT running around shrieking about how "I didn't want the money to build that bride" and "I will reform DC" etc lies. So while I am not happy about it, I do recognize it is a necessity in order to get elected, but McCain is a lying senile HYPOCRITE about it.

[Malerin]

I'm not a random person, so, no. If, on the other hand, he wrote it to me, yes.

I guess that's the difference between me and you- I would burn it.

[Smackety]

I guess that's the difference between me and you- I would burn it.

Why not wash it, change it to the amount his account holds, and donate it to charity? :)

[Meadmaker]

I guess that's the difference between me and you- I would burn it.


Then he would have the money.

[dudalb]

Because which it comes to bribes...excuse me contributions..like this, both parties are equally bad and don't let anybody tell you different.

[maxfrost]

Obama is NOT running around shrieking about how "I didn't want the money to build that bride"...

I don't know. I coulda sworn I saw something on YouTube about him yellin', "It's alive! It's alive! And Congress funded it!"

[Malerin]

Then he would have the money.

You have a point. The best thing to do would be to give it to charity, I guess. I read Helter Skelter recently and guess I had sort of a visceral reaction.

[joobie]

As such, I don't think donations from particular companies like this are that big a deal, although certainly there can be conflict of interest problems. An exception might be industries where influencing the government is the whole point (i.e. lobbyists) although even that might be somewhat people make a bit too much of.

i agree with you. i only paste that graphic in response to the republican talking point that obama is in thr pocket of fannie and freddie.

[Meadmaker]

You have a point. The best thing to do would be to give it to charity, I guess. I read Helter Skelter recently and guess I had sort of a visceral reaction.

Makes sense.

My real point is that I've seen politicians all my life try to make political hay about which groups support the other guy, and do a lot of grandstanding about where money comes from, but it rarely plays well, especially if it isn't tied to policy actions.

If you can say, "Politician X always votes for (fill in special interest group here) y. Maybe it has something to do with the gazillion dollars of campaign contributions he has been getting," then you might score some political points. The real issue there is that people don't like the special interest. The money issue is just icing on the cake. It drives the point home that the politician supports an unpopular cause.

[BenBurch]

I guess that's the difference between me and you- I would burn it.

I would sell it on ebay for FAR more than $50. :D

[gnome]

Perhaps you've got the wrong question.

To me the answer is, yes, it does bother me.

Why not move ahead to the next question of, "Then why don't you vote for McCain instead?" and find that the truth you seek is there.