April 30, 2008
Obama Camp Files FEC Complaint Against ALP
Barack Obama's campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against the American Leadership Project, a pro-Hillary Clinton group running an anti-Obama ad in Indiana. Obama's lawyer called the organization "Swift Boat wannabes."
Obama's Chief Counsel Bob Bauer said the group has violated the law by failing to register with the FEC as a political committee so that its donors are disclosed.
Bauer compared ALP to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which in 2004 tarnished Sen. John Kerry's record as a war hero. Bauer said the campaign's FEC complaint aims to curtail the actions of such groups, calling it the first shot against the continuing "Swift boat saga."
He said he hopes the FEC would enforce the law "to send the ultimate message" to other organizations that this kind of action won't be tolerated.
Bauer said any legal defense of the organization would require a great deal of creativity. There is no evidence, he added, that the group's purpose is anything other than to raise money for pro-Clinton efforts.
Bauer did not offer proof that the group is coordinating with the Clinton campaign, but suggested an investigation would determine if or to what extent that has taken place.
If the FEC does not investigate the allegations, Bauer added, he said he hoped the matter would be referred to the Department of Justice.
The ALP, which the Obama camp calls a "so-called 527 political group led by Jason Kinney, the son of one of Hillary Clinton’s Indiana state co-chairs" is airing an economy-focused ad that uses images of worried people with bills, houses with a "For sale" sign in front. The ad asks viewers to call the senator and tell him to "give Hoosiers a real plan to fix our economy."
(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)
Posted at 11:07 AM
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Now that Super Delegates Matter Even More…
LobbyDelegates.com Lets Ordinary Voices Be Heard
The unconstrained votes of some 800 top Democratic Party officials, known as Super Delegates, now matter even more following the Pennsylvania Primary, which continued to leave both Presidential candidates short of the 2,024 primary-pledged delegates needed to secure the nomination.
Those believing these Party insiders (who include governors, mayors, state and Congressional lawmakers) should be more accountable to rank-and-file Democrats, can now have their voices heard through www.LobbyDelegates.com. This one-stop portal is the first and only one empowering grassroots Democrats to directly communicate with their state’s Super Delegates – via email, fax or postal letters.
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Although Sen. Obama leads with 1,490 pledged delegates to 1,336 for Sen. Clinton, neither would attain 2,024 even if one or the other won two-thirds of the remaining primary delegates. While Clinton leads among Super Delegates, 259 to 235, Obama has narrowed this gap steadily over the past six weeks. Over 300 Super Delegates remain uncommitted.
The LobbyDelegates.com website is strictly independent, and is not aligned with any political party, candidate, campaign or advocacy group. LobbyDelegates.com was created as a public service under the auspices of the nonprofit StateDemocracy Foundation, whose similar civic engagement website, www.StateDemocracy.com, is dedicated to delivering democracy to your desktop by connecting citizens and lawmakers.
Thousands have visited LobbyDelegates.com since it was launched on April 3. Since then, the website has been upgraded by adding a blog, the ability to invite friends, and free email delivery.
lobby delegates | 05.02.08 08:20 AM
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