Although this article excludes a ballot candidate, Libertarian Dr Mike Beitler. Who recently polled 10% and is making HUGE splashes in North Carolina: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_NC_706.pdf I still think it does a great job pointing out the corporatism that is inherent in our political system. What is worse, is most people don't realize how voting for their red and blue teams actually perpetuates and is a continuation of this corporate socialism process. BY ROB CHRISTENSEN AND DAVID RAYNOR – Staff writers Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the star attraction at Shelly's Backroom, a scotch and cigar bar in downtown Washington, but the beneficiary was Republican Sen. Richard Burr. The reception last year attracted representatives from a cross section of corporate America: Fidelity Investments, TIAA-CREF, Ameriprise Financial, Hospital Corp. of America, Bayer, Murphy Oil and the American Chemistry Council. Each plunked down up to $2,500 for Burr's re-election kitty, campaign finance records show. Such events, repeated dozens of times since he took office in the Senate in 2005, demonstrate his clout both in business and in Washington, helping him amass a $9.1 million campaign war chest. Quantcast Burr heads into the fall campaign with a commanding financial advantage over his Democratic challenger, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, having raised nine times as much as she. Even more striking, Burr had $6.2 million on hand compared to $163,195 for Marshall as of June 30, the last time the candidates were required to disclose campaign finances. Burr's campaign has been bankrolled largely by the business community. His donor list reads like a Dow Jones ticker. No member of Congress during this election cycle has received more money than Burr from individuals and political action committees affiliated with pharmaceutical companies, tobacco companies, business associations, foreign import automobile dealers, dentists and steel producers, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks congressional fundraising. Burr has received the second-highest amount of political donations of any member of Congress from the insurance industry, according to the center, and he's among the leading recipients of money from commercial banks, agribusiness and electric utilities. 'A level of trust' Burr said it was only natural for North Carolina's major industries to support him because he understands their issues. “There is a level of trust,” he said in a recent interview. Burr, who was a Winston-Salem sales executive for a wholesaler before entering politics, pointed out that his donations reflect North Carolina's workplace. “We are a state that is one of the largest manufacturers of pharmaceutical products and also a state of steel manufacturers,” he said, adding that political action committee donations “are a reflection of employee contributions on behalf of their company and their industry.” But Marshall has sought to portray Burr as a Washington insider and a tool of special interests during his 10 years in the House and nearly six years in the Senate. “He … has been there for 16 years,” Marshall said in an interview. “He has taken their contributions. He is beholden to them. He bailed out the Wall Street banks. He turned his back on hardworking North Carolinians.” Some of the most influential K Street lobbying firms hosted D.C. fundraisers for Burr's re-election campaign, according to invitations obtained by the Sunlight Foundation, a Washington nonprofit group that seeks to increase transparency in government. McBee Strategic Group and the BGR Group, both high-powered lobbying firms, even held fundraisers at their downtown Washington offices. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld held a reception at a D.C. steakhouse, and the Podesta Group hosted a breakfast at the Capitol Hill Club. Burr has been a key ally of business since his election to the U.S. House in 1994. That continued with his election to the Senate 10 years later. In his 2004 Senate race, he held at least 80 Washington fundraisers. This weekend, Burr was scheduled to hold a golf fundraiser at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Course at Southern Pines at a cost of $1,500 for individuals and $2,500 for a PAC. Marshall, who has been secretary of state since 1996, has long had a reputation as an indifferent fundraiser, and her Senate campaign has done nothing to change that view. North Carolina trial lawyers, who contributed $73,000, are the only major identifiable group of Marshall donors, Federal Election Commission records say. But outside groups have helped her indirectly. Labor, environmental and liberal groups such as MoveOn.org, though not contributing to Marshall's campaign, have financed hundreds of thousands of dollars of anti-Burr TV commercials this summer. His total not unusual Although Burr's $9.1 million haul dwarfs Marshall's donations, the total is not extraordinary. Fifteen Senate candidates raised more than Burr in this election, led by Sen. John McCain with $26.7 million. In the 2008 Senate campaign in North Carolina, Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole raised $17.4 million, compared with $8.9 million for her Democratic challenger, Kay Hagan. Burr's fundraising patterns are typical of most senators', said Dave Levinthal, a spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics. “He is acting like a senator,” Levinthal said. “The system is set up so that the big money is in a few power centers. If you want to tap the big money, you go to D.C. or New York.” What's notable about Burr's fundraising, Levinthal said, is that 72 percent of his contributions came from North Carolina – a healthy slice of home-state gifts for a senator. He also noted that Burr's largest contributors tended to be major North Carolina employers such as Reynolds American, the Winston-Salem cigarette manufacturer, plus the Raleigh law firm Womble Carlyle and Charlotte-based Duke Energy. Burr has gone beyond the $9.1 million for his re-election campaign. He also pulled in $1.1 million for the Richard Burr Victory 2010 Committee to help the Republican Party get out the vote this fall. And he raised $379,496 for his Next Century Fund, which went to other congressional candidates. In April last year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce raised about $43,000 for Burr from companies such as Wal-Mart Stores, Time-Warner, Duke Energy and Progress Energy. The chamber gave him a 100 percent rating in 2008 and an 87 percent rating in 2009. He votes for business “Sen. Burr has been a reliable vote for the business community on issues that create jobs,” said J.P. Fielder, a chamber spokesman. Burr voted with the chamber in opposing the Democrats' health care plan and opposing the Lily Ledbetter Pay Act to extend the period when discrimination claims can be made. He also voted against giving bankruptcy judges more authority to modify existing home mortgages, voting with the industry. Burr Health Professionals $428,229 Lawyers/law firms $411,799 Pharmaceuticals/ health products $398,733 Insurance $308,160 Lobbyists $297,843 Leadership PACs $279,818 Electric Utilities $269,425 Securities and investments $240,050 Real estate $229,700 Commercial Banks $212,682 Marshall Lawyers/law firms $166,555 Democratic/liberal groups $52,260 Women's issue groups $25,550 Educators $17,207 Tobacco $15,650 Health professionals $15,460 Real estate $15,050 Securities and investments $10,100 Industrial unions $10,000 Leadership PACs $10,000 Dr Mike Beitler ZERO DOLLARS IN SPECIAL INTEREST LOBBYIST FUNDS/Political Action Committees! Source: Center for Responsive Politics http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/09/19/690312/business-bolsters-burr-and-vice.ht… added by: shanklinmike
