Posted on 01/15/2002 11:09:22 AM PST by ValerieUSA
WASHINGTON -- Analysis from a campaign finance tracking group shows Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., had received more money from lobbyists as of Oct. 1 than any other Congress member.
During Cantwell's Senate race, she criticized her opponent, Republican Sen. Slade Gorton, for being too cozy with lobbyists. Cantwell said she would put the "interests of constituents before those of powerful lobbyists."
The Center for Responsive Politics, which provided the analysis, said Cantwell received just over $50,000 from lobbyists during the first half of 2001, based on Oct. 1 figures from the Federal Election Commission. Cantwell has been working to erase more than $4 million in 2000 campaign debt.
Cantwell's spokesman said yesterday that the figures aren't noteworthy because the money is a tiny fraction of the total cost of her race. Cantwell swore off large, unregulated soft-money contributions and donations from political action committees.
She instead spent about $13 million in cash and bank loans, part of a personal high-tech fortune that has since taken a tumble in the stock market.
The Washington state Republican Party says the senator is breaking the spirit of her pledge not to take special-interest money by taking lobbyists' contributions.
"The whole premise of her campaign was that Slade Gorton was tied to special interests and she wouldn't be," said Chris Vance, state Republican Party chairman.
"It was all a lie."
Accepting contributions from lobbyists is a common practice for lawmakers. By law, any individual can give up to $1,000 for each primary and general election.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, lobbyists doled out more than $2.5 million during the first half of last year.
Larry Makinson, a senior fellow at the center, said freshman lawmakers such as Cantwell often throw fund-raisers when they arrive in Washington, D.C. -- and lobbyists show up to introduce themselves.
"I don't think anyone likes to be identified as being the top recipient from lobbyists, but lobbyists give a lot of money," he said.
Cantwell's spokesman Jed Lewison said the center's figures are not meaningful because they are from a selective time frame and other candidates accept sums from lobbyists that are many times greater than Cantwell's total.
Lewison also pointed out that the lobbyist contributions amounted to 0.04 percent of Cantwell's campaign expenses.
"The real point is that she kept her pledge not to take her money from PACs," or political action committees, he said.
"She kept her pledge not to take soft money."
As daddy always said, "save for a rainy day".
Bet she can be "rented" for a few bucks now.
Let me get this straight. If a bunch of middle class Americans with a common goal decide to pool their money to make a contribution large enough to get her attention, she'll refuse to take it. But if corporate lobbyist, law firm, foundation, or big-buck Suggar Daddy wants to give her the limit, she'll gladly accept it.
Figures (not).
What she has going for her are moderate looks and living in a state full of more democrats than republicans. Because of her moderately pleasing appearance she is being groomed by the Democratic party (which understands the importance of eye candy in political candidates) for bigger and better things. She has absolutely no morals or integrity. I am ashamed that she is one of my two horrible Senators. My major hope is that her fundraising tanks and that she becomes a one-term senator and political has-been.
Thanks a good question. I have never seen her with a man and they don't call Seattle the Queen City for nothing. Her adds always show her living with her Mom. Perhaps most interesting is that Hillary seems to have decided to come to her rescue and Hillary doesn't do anything for anyone without some personal benefit reasons.
I don't know her closely enough to know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised.
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