Will Barack Obama "Walk The Walk" And Reject Millions Of Special Interest Dollars In Support Of His Campaign?
Today, The AFL-CIO Will Officially Endorse Barack Obama And Begin Spending Millions Of Dollars In Support Of His Campaign:
The AFL-CIO And Its 56 Unions Will Officially Endorse Barack Obama. "The AFL-CIO is expected to announce on Thursday that it is endorsing Barack Obama for president, setting in motion one of the nation's most powerful voter-turnout machines. Leaders of the 56 member unions of the 10-million-member labor federation began voting Tuesday to formally endorse the only remaining Democratic candidate." (Kris Maher, "AFL-CIO To Endorse Obama, Start Spending," The Wall Street Journal, 6/25/08)
The AFL-CIO And Its Member Unions Plan To Spend Over $200 Million In Support Of Obama's Campaign. "The AFL-CIO's endorsement will enable the federation to begin spending the $53.4 million it has budgeted for the election on voter-mobilization efforts for Sen. Obama, targeting union members through phone calls, mailings and visits to workplaces and homes. The federation's member unions plan to spend an additional $150 million through the fall on their own efforts." (Kris Maher, "AFL-CIO To Endorse Obama, Start Spending," The Wall Street Journal, 6/25/08)
FLASHBACK: Obama Has A History Of Criticizing Independent Expenditures, Including Last Week When He Broke His Promise On Public Financing:
Just Last Week, Obama Claimed He Was Breaking His Public Financing Pledge Due To The "Smears And Attacks" From "527 Groups." "It's not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections. But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system. John McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. And we've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations." ("Obama's Statements On Public Financing," The Associated Press, 6/19/08)
In The Democrat Primary, Obama's Campaign Attempted To Turn Independent Expenditures Into A Campaign Issue, Claiming "This Kind Of Politics Needs To End." "No outside groups have distributed mailers or run advertisements on Obama's behalf in New Hampshire, and Obama has attempted to turn that distance into a campaign issue. 'The case has never been clearer - this kind of politics needs to end,' Obama campaign manager David Plouffe wrote in a recent fundraising e-mail." (Sarah Liebowitz, "Edwards, Clinton Bankrolled From Afar," Concord [NH] Monitor, 1/4/08)
Obama: "[Y]ou can't say yesterday, you don't believe in 'em, and today, you're having three-quarters of a million dollars being spent for you. You can't just talk the talk." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Oskaloosa, IA, 12/22/07)
- Obama: "I don't just talk the talk; I walk the walk. ... I've been doing this all my life..." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Oskaloosa, IA, 12/22/07)
FACT CHECK: Obama Is The Leading Recipient Of Independent Political Expenditures:
Obama Is The Leading Recipient Of Independent Political Expenditures. "Sen. Barack Obama, whose campaign has sharply criticized the role of outside political groups in the presidential race, has benefited more than any other candidate from millions of dollars in independent political expenditures,records show. The increasing support for Mr. Obama has given him a boost from the same sort of political activity his campaign has railed against, especially when millions of dollars in union and other special-interest money backed his opponents." (Jim McElhatton, "Obama Favorite Of Outside Groups,"The Washington Times, 3/24/08)
Obama Already Has Received Over $9.9 Million In Independent Expenditures In Support Of His Campaign. (CQ Money Line Website, moneyline.cq.com, Accessed 6/25/08)
- Another Major Labor Union, The Service Employees International Union, Has Spent Over $8.9 Million In Support Of Obama. (CQ Money Line Website, moneyline.cq.com, Accessed 6/25/08)
