Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Candidates Donate to Superdelegates
WASHINGTON -- Campaign committees controlled by Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have donated at least $890,000 to the campaigns of superdelegates, according to a report by a group that tracks money in politics.
Obama donated the largest amount, about $694,000, to those campaigns in the past three years, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Clinton donated $195,500.
Both campaigns are furiously lobbying for support among the Democratic Party's nearly 800 superdelegates, who will be free to support whomever they choose at the convention, regardless of the outcome of the primaries. Superdelegates include all Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors and other party officials.
If the candidates continue to split delegates in the primaries, superdelegates could decide the nominee. It takes 2,025 delegates to win the nomination.
"People put a lot of trust in their elected officials to represent them," said Massie Ritsch, spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics. "It would be particularly unpalatable if money seemed to be a factor in who ultimately got the nomination."
On Thursday, the delegate count stood at 1,276 for Obama and 1,220 for Clinton after the Democratic National Committee released an updated list of superdelegates that dropped supporters of both candidates.
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, an Obama supporter, is no longer a superdelegate because she left her position with National Conference of Democratic Mayors. Rep. Tom Lantos of California, who died Monday, also was removed from the list. He had endorsed Clinton.
Spokesmen for Obama and Clinton said donations were not used to gain endorsements from superdelegates.
"Obviously, Senator Obama has fought hard for the Democratic Party, donating to Democratic candidates, raising money for Democratic candidates and traveling to events to help build the party all over the country," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said.
The study tracked donations received by members of Congress from the candidates' leadership PACs and from their candidate committees. It tracked donations made to governors by examining the presidential candidates' expenditures.
Among the findings:
_ Since 2005, Obama's committees gave $228,000 to superdelegates who have endorsed him, $363,900 to those who were still undecided, and $102,400 to those who have endorsed Clinton.
_Clinton's committee's gave $95,000 to superdelegates who have endorsed her, $88,000 to those who were still neutral, and $12,500 to those who have endorsed Obama.
WASHINGTON -- Campaign committees controlled by Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have donated at least $890,000 to the campaigns of superdelegates, according to a report by a group that tracks money in politics.
Obama donated the largest amount, about $694,000, to those campaigns in the past three years, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Clinton donated $195,500.
Both campaigns are furiously lobbying for support among the Democratic Party's nearly 800 superdelegates, who will be free to support whomever they choose at the convention, regardless of the outcome of the primaries. Superdelegates include all Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors and other party officials.
If the candidates continue to split delegates in the primaries, superdelegates could decide the nominee. It takes 2,025 delegates to win the nomination.
"People put a lot of trust in their elected officials to represent them," said Massie Ritsch, spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics. "It would be particularly unpalatable if money seemed to be a factor in who ultimately got the nomination."
On Thursday, the delegate count stood at 1,276 for Obama and 1,220 for Clinton after the Democratic National Committee released an updated list of superdelegates that dropped supporters of both candidates.
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, an Obama supporter, is no longer a superdelegate because she left her position with National Conference of Democratic Mayors. Rep. Tom Lantos of California, who died Monday, also was removed from the list. He had endorsed Clinton.
Spokesmen for Obama and Clinton said donations were not used to gain endorsements from superdelegates.
"Obviously, Senator Obama has fought hard for the Democratic Party, donating to Democratic candidates, raising money for Democratic candidates and traveling to events to help build the party all over the country," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said.
The study tracked donations received by members of Congress from the candidates' leadership PACs and from their candidate committees. It tracked donations made to governors by examining the presidential candidates' expenditures.
Among the findings:
_ Since 2005, Obama's committees gave $228,000 to superdelegates who have endorsed him, $363,900 to those who were still undecided, and $102,400 to those who have endorsed Clinton.
_Clinton's committee's gave $95,000 to superdelegates who have endorsed her, $88,000 to those who were still neutral, and $12,500 to those who have endorsed Obama.
