Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2012)
News Meet Obama’s Top Fundraisers Fundraising takes center stage as November 2012 election nears butions are fairly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. Both parties received around $300 million in candidate resident Obama visited Oregon Tues- contributions. The split favored Obama day, on a fundraising trip to build his until recently, however, because as the sole campaign war chest. A $500 donation Democrat in the race, his campaign pocket- won’t buy you face time with the president, ed the entire sum. Romney, still battling for but it will open the door to the nomination, Oregon Convention Center. received $153 mil- Premium seating at the lion. event cost donors $1,000. Look at House and About 25 people forked out Senate races across $30,000, to have lunch with the country, and the the leader of the free world. picture looks very dif- With the November elec- ferent. Republicans tion fast approaching, the have far outraised battle to raise funds is Democrats in Con- intensifying. And the three gressional campaigns. states on the West Coast are Republican Senate some of the president’s candidates raised most reliable sources of $232 million in cam- support. So far, Obama has paign contributions Wendell Pierce raised close to $1.9 million compared to $200 from Oregon donors during million for Democ- the 2012 election cycle, rats. In House races, according to the Center for Responsible Republicans have raised $445 million, com- Politics. Mitt Romney, the likely Republi- pared to $325 million for Democrats. can nominee, has raised just $837,000 in Oregon, although Republican Party presi- The Wild Card dential candidates together racked up $1.5 What’s different in the 2012 election million in donations. cycle is the influence of SuperPACs. Inde- pendent political action committees, they Campaign Moneyball are allowed to raise and spend as much as Nationally, presidential campaign contri- they like, on whatever they choose. So far, By Helen Silvis Of The Skanner News P We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that work- ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength- ens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens' needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard- less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious beliefs. The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State. Do you want to know more about becoming a Union carpenter? Page 6 The Seattle Skanner July 25, 2012 according to the center for Responsive Pol- itics, SuperPACs have raised more than $157 million, with the vast majority ($131 million) going to the presidential race. The Supreme Court affirmed the rights of corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts in its Citizens United decision of January 2010. Those mil- lions can’t all come from the Koch brothers and the Team- sters. But PACs do not have to disclose the source of their donations, making it harder to identify the contributors. According to The Center for Responsive Politics, Conser- vative SuperPACs have raised $124 million: Liberal PACs just $27 million. North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia may be up for grabs. Bundling for Victory Bundlers are a campaign’s best friends. These top supporters solicit funds from their well heeled friends, and deliver it to the candidate in one large bundle. In 2008, both Obama and his opponent John McCain agreed to disclose the names of their sup- porters who bundled more than $50,000. The Obama cam- paign has continued Where Does All the to disclose its Money Go? Terrry Bean bundlers. The Rom- ney campaign has So what’s happening to all resisted calls to that cash? Campaign expenses and administration use up about release the names of its bundlers. two thirds of the cash raised. Travel, Obama’s Top Supporters polling, food, rent and consultant fees are among the biggest ticket items. The bulk of So who is Obama’s top Oregon bundler? the rest is spent on advertising, principally That’s Terry Bean, CEO of the Portland- in swing states, where political strategists based development firm, Bean Investments. believe that getting their message out to vot- Bean has raised more than $209,000 for the ers could sway the results. So, which states president’s campaign. are in play this November? Polling suggests that Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, See MONEY on page 8 The Skanner believes that the news is an essential form of education. To know what’s happening helps you understand how cur- rent situations affects your com- munity and neigh- borhood. Learn on The Skanner.com how to translate the garbled language of government and politics to get to the real story. Getting to know what’s hap- pening will make the difference between moving forward and moving backward. Read The Skanner.com to increase your knowledge and understanding and get the power.
