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.