Sunday, July 16, 2006

MONEY BEHIND THE CANDIDATES

Political watchers are spending the weekend poring over campaign finance reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission, trying to suss out trends that may mean something this fall.

The report that will get the least amount of media attention is also the report that delivers the most juice. The 7th District Congressional Republican Committee is quietly raising a mammoth amount of money -- precisely $100,000 in the last quarter, giving the committee total receipts of $544,521 this election cycle.

The committee has $374,270 cash on hand.

The report is worth your time because it shows how much special interests want to play a role in deciding who represents us. Examples:

•BellSouth Corporation in Shawnee Mission, Kan., contributed $25,000.

•AT&T in Washington, D.C., kicked in another $25k.

•Peabody Investments in St. Louis and Union Pacific Corp. in D.C. are also listed as $25,000 contributors.

Remember this committee as political races go full-bore in October. Republican candidates will be flush with money. Now you know where it'll come from.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why would those national corporations care about local politics in the 7th District of Missouri? They don't give that kind of cash to local party organizations in other parts of the state or in other states. Sure wish someone would give me a short Blunt answer to that simple question.

Anonymous said...

I just looked at one of the past reports for the committee on the Ethics Commisison web page and Altria made contributions which make the ones you sight look modest. So this is how the Republicans funnel tobacco caah to candidates without it being obvious.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone from the press every read these reports? I have never heard a word about this committee. Since it is the 7th District Republican Committee does that mean Roy Blunt controls it?

Anonymous said...

I wonder if they would have to let Midge Potts use those funds for her campaign if by some freak of luck allows her to Rep. Blunt?

Anonymous said...

sorry left out "beat" before Rep. Blint.

Anonymous said...

Now why would an incumbent, running virtually unopposed, need a half million dollar campaign war-chest?

Anonymous said...

The new media does so little digging anymore, its pretty pitiful. If we didn't have blogs, we wouldn't know much of what is happening! You will get about as much Political News off the Weather Channel as you will the National News at 6pm on about any channel. Afterall, we can't hurt anyones feeling or embarrass someone. Notice how little coverage there was on NBC about Bush saying "Shit" at the banquet table. They said they were unable to put that word on the air, but CNN put it on there all day.
Isn't this the good President that calls himself such a Christian and use a word like that at the dinner table. My mother would have slapped me silly for saying that at the table, his should have.

Anonymous said...

I liked Bush's comment, although one wonders if that mic wasn't strategerically placed...

Anonymous said...

"Now why would an incumbent, running virtually unopposed, need a half million dollar campaign war-chest?"

Personally, I plan to vote for the cross-dresser/transvestite next month. If enough of us do it he may need every penny.

Anonymous said...

john stone - Darn, I'm not registered Republican so I won't get a chance to help out Midge.

I seem to recall a prominent Republican from Texas who also raised a lot of cash and then decided he needed it for his legal defense. I wonder how close ole Roy was with uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Anonymous said...

In Missouri you don't need to register with a specific party--just ask for a Republican or Democrat ballot when you go to vote in the primary. So, if you really want to vote for Midge, just ask for a Republican ballot.