Talk IS Cheap, Sen. Clinton; Actions DO Speak Louder Than Words --->>>

Stephanie

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Thu Feb-14-08 06:09 PM
Original message

Talk IS Cheap, Sen. Clinton; Actions DO Speak Louder Than Words --->>>

Edited on Thu Feb-14-08 06:22 PM by Stephanie

Tell me another one, Hill.

Clinton challenges special interests

LORDSTOWN, Ohio - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, criticized for taking corporate special interest contributions, proposed restrictions on a wide array of industries Thursday and stepped up her assault on rival Barack Obama, casting him as the candidate more beholden to corporations.

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"For seven long years, we've had a government of, by, and for the special interests, and we've had enough," the New York senator told an audience at a General Motors plant that she toured here. "It's time to level the playing field against the special interests and deliver 21st century solutions to rebuild the middle class."

She said she would rein in oil, insurance, credit card, student loan and Wall Street investment companies and generate $55 billion a year that would be used for middle class tax cuts, create jobs and pay for an array of domestic programs.

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The independent and nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics reported that during the first nine months of 2007 Clinton received $567,950 from donors identified as lobbyists, the most of any of the presidential candidates.

Her visit Thursday was Clinton's second to a GM plant this week. She toured a company facility in Maryland on Monday. In Lordstown, she was accompanied by Ohio's Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, both of whom have endorsed her.

One of Clinton fundraisers is Steve Ricchetti, whose firm has lobbied for General Motors, which has plants in New York state. As a senator from New York, Clinton helped direct $8 million in federal money to General Motors through earmarks in legislation between 2005 and 2007.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=aqI.vDvKPq3s">Clinton Gets Most Lobbyist Money, McCain Most Help

Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Democrat Hillary Clinton has raised more money from lobbyists than any other presidential candidate while Republican John McCain has more of them assisting his campaign.

Clinton took in $823,087 from registered lobbyists and members of their firms in 2007 and the second-biggest recipient was McCain, who took in $416,321, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based group which tracks political giving. Barack Obama, Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination, doesn't take money from registered lobbyists, although he received $86,282 from employees of firms that lobby, according to the center.

McCain has 26 registered lobbyists as campaign advisers or fundraisers compared with 11 for Clinton and none for Obama, according to review of records compiled by Public Citizen, a Washington-based group that favors stronger disclosure laws for lobbyists.

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Lobbyist Bundlers

Clinton's total from lobbyists is a fraction of what they raise on her behalf; her campaign doesn't disclose which donations are brought in by lobbyist bundlers.

Heather Podesta, a Washington lobbyist, donated $4,600 to Clinton, FEC records show. She's raised more than $250,000 for Clinton by tapping her network of contacts and holding fundraisers.

``Most of my attention is focused on raising money and new supporters,'' Podesta, sister-in-law to President Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff John Podesta, said in an interview. ``That's the best way for me to make a contribution.''

Like Podesta, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Steve Ricchetti has also signed on to be a so-called Hillraiser. Ricchetti's firm was paid $1.7 million during the first six months of 2007 to lobby on behalf of Amgen Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio, among others.