Free Republic

U.S. wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya may weigh on the minds of voters next year, but during the early months of the 2012 election cycle, members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are active political donors are mainly rallying around two candidates, according to a new analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. Those candidates are President Barack Obama and libertarian-leaning Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). Overall, individuals who listed their occupation as one of the branches of the military or the U.S. Department of Defense have donated about $78,000 to presidential candidates, according to the Center's analysis of donors...

The Obama campaign has shattered all fund-raising records, raking in $458 million so far, with about half the bounty coming from donors who contribute $200 or less. Aides say that's an illustration of a truly democratic campaign. To critics, though, it can be an invitation for fraud and illegal foreign cash because donors giving individual sums of $200 or less don't have to be publicly reported. Consider the cases of Obama donors "Doodad Pro" of Nunda, N.Y., who gave $17,130, and "Good Will" of Austin, Texas, who gave more than $11,000—both in excess of the $2,300-per-person federal limit.

Future Candidates for the U.S. House and Senate may be allowed to dip into their campaign treasuries to pay themselves salaries while they're running for office if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) acts on proposals that would O.K. the practice. And if one of the proposals on the table at the six member FEC is approved, the hopefuls would be able to pay themselves the same salary they would receive if they won election to the office they are seeking. That would mean a presidential candidate could pay himself the same annual salary he'd get as the nation's Chief Executive...