Based on the last election, they want public financing of their opponents, not themselves.
BTW re lobbyists, there's another broken Obama pledge there.
As for who gives to who politically - you can see Democrats are getting the most from the top contributing industries:
Top Industries Giving to Members of Congress, 2008 Cycle
Who's got the most juice on Capitol Hill? Here's a list of the top industries contributing to members of the 110th Congress during the 2007-2008 election cycle. The first list shows the overall 50 biggest industries. The other two highlight the top 25 industries giving to members of each of the two major parties. In all cases, the Top Recipient listed is the individual member of the 110th Congress who received the most from the industry. Totals shown here include only the money that went to current incumbents in Congress.
2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 Top 50 Industries Top Republican Industries Top Democratic Industries
Rank Industry Total Dem Pct GOP Pct Top Recipient
1 Lawyers/Law Firms $126,608,988 78% 22% Barack Obama (D)
2 Retired $126,070,638 56% 44% Barack Obama (D)
3 Securities/Invest $64,103,279 64% 36% Barack Obama (D)
4 Real Estate $61,774,624 57% 43% Barack Obama (D)
5 Health Professionals $58,104,277 60% 40% Barack Obama (D)
6 Education $36,807,920 88% 12% Barack Obama (D)
7 Misc Business $33,221,880 70% 30% Barack Obama (D)
8 Business Services $31,998,216 72% 28% Barack Obama (D)
9 Insurance $30,331,562 51% 49% John McCain (R)
10 Misc Finance $26,438,217 54% 46% Barack Obama (D)
11 TV/Movies/Music $25,989,006 79% 21% Barack Obama (D)
12 Democratic/Liberal $24,497,525 99% 1% Barack Obama (D)
13 Lobbyists $24,239,570 57% 43% Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
14 Leadership PACs $23,348,034 44% 56% Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga)
15 Computers/Internet $23,190,207 71% 29% Barack Obama (D)
16 Commercial Banks $22,656,885 53% 47% Barack Obama (D)
17 Repub/Conservative $19,714,408 2% 98% John McCain (R)
18 Pharm/Health Prod $19,406,818 55% 45% Barack Obama (D)
19 Oil & Gas $17,522,586 26% 74% John McCain (R)
20 Civil Servants $17,018,258 78% 22% Barack Obama (D)
21 Misc Mfg/Distrib $16,593,096 51% 49% Barack Obama (D)
22 Hospitals/Nurs Homes $15,633,695 66% 34% Barack Obama (D)
23 Electric Utilities $15,432,586 51% 49% Barack Obama (D)
24 Women's Issues $14,414,228 97% 3% Barack Obama (D)
25 General Contractors $13,995,751 41% 59% John McCain (R)
26 Construction Svcs $13,076,208 61% 39% Barack Obama (D)
27 Public Sector Unions $12,811,433 87% 13% Barack Obama (D)
28 Retail Sales $12,548,564 55% 45% Barack Obama (D)
29 Accountants $12,409,849 55% 45% Barack Obama (D)
30 Publishing $12,273,989 80% 20% Barack Obama (D)
31 Bldg Trade Unions $12,120,555 88% 12% Donald J Cazayoux (D-La)
32 Pro-Israel $11,765,543 62% 38% Barack Obama (D)
33 Crop Production $11,680,816 50% 50% John McCain (R)
34 Transport Unions $11,446,208 84% 16% Laura Richardson (D-Calif)
35 Air Transport $11,094,326 50% 50% Barack Obama (D)
36 Automotive $10,415,403 35% 65% John McCain (R)
37 Beer, Wine & Liquor $9,405,882 54% 46% John McCain (R)
38 Industrial Unions $8,414,364 97% 3% Donald J Cazayoux (D-La)
39 Health Services $8,376,190 66% 34% Barack Obama (D)
40 Food & Beverage $8,179,052 47% 53% Barack Obama (D)
41 Candidate Cmtes $7,683,085 64% 36% Travis W Childers (D-Miss)
42 Telephone Utilities $7,577,519 51% 49% Barack Obama (D)
43 Agricultural Svcs $7,303,471 44% 56% Barack Obama (D)
44 Food Process/Sales $7,291,537 40% 60% John McCain (R)
45 Defense Aerospace $7,025,712 53% 47% Barack Obama (D)
46 Other $6,991,368 79% 21% Barack Obama (D)
47 Non-Profits $6,925,122 84% 16% Barack Obama (D)
48 Casinos/Gambling $6,851,097 67% 33% Harry Reid (D-Nev)
49 Building Materials $6,594,681 30% 70% John McCain (R)
50 Defense Electronics $6,214,445 57% 43% John P Murtha (D-Pa)
Based on data released by the FEC on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.
..........
opensecrets.org
Lawyers run this country and they give 78% of their money to Democrats. Note #3 - Wall St. - 64% of CONTRIBUTIONS went to Democrats.
Below all time donors over the last 20 years. Look at all those unions.
Top All-Time Donors 1989-2008 Summary
View party split for:
All cycles2008 cycle LEGEND: Republican Democrat On the fence
= Between 40% and 59% to both parties
= Leans Dem/Repub (60%-69%)
= Strongly Dem/Repub (70%-89%)
= Solidly Dem/Repub (over 90%)
Rank Organization Total Dem % Repub % Tilt
1 AT&T Inc $43,206,447 44% 55%
2 American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees $40,949,173 98% 1%
3 National Assn of Realtors $35,053,513 48% 51%
4 Goldman Sachs $31,022,759 64% 35%
5 Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $30,722,281 97% 2%
6 American Assn for Justice $30,646,429 90% 9%
7 National Education Assn $29,889,575 92% 6%
8 Laborers Union $28,167,600 92% 7%
9 Service Employees International Union $27,498,307 95% 3%
10 Carpenters & Joiners Union $27,328,258 89% 10%
11 Teamsters Union $27,147,954 92% 6%
12 Communications Workers of America $26,579,996 99% 0%
13 Citigroup Inc $26,494,248 50% 49%
14 American Medical Assn $26,184,299 39% 60%
15 American Federation of Teachers $25,994,021 98% 0%
16 United Auto Workers $25,403,252 98% 0%
17 Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union $24,543,477 98% 0%
18 National Auto Dealers Assn $23,991,908 31% 68%
19 Altria Group $23,807,141 27% 71%
20 United Food & Commercial Workers Union $23,659,876 98% 1%
21 United Parcel Service $23,392,848 36% 63%
22 American Bankers Assn $21,731,366 41% 58%
23 National Assn of Home Builders $21,392,355 35% 64%
24 EMILY's List $20,907,760 99% 0%
25 National Beer Wholesalers Assn $20,161,345 31% 68%
26 Microsoft Corp $19,613,200 52% 46%
27 Time Warner $19,535,386 71% 28%
28 JPMorgan Chase & Co $19,327,239 51% 48%
29 National Assn of Letter Carriers $19,190,934 88% 11%
30 Morgan Stanley $18,052,196 45% 53%
31 AFL-CIO $17,865,622 95% 4%
32 Verizon Communications $17,753,887 39% 59%
33 FedEx Corp $17,637,256 40% 59%
34 Lockheed Martin $17,559,669 42% 57%
35 General Electric $17,227,916 50% 49%
36 National Rifle Assn $17,095,886 17% 82%
37 Sheet Metal Workers Union $16,906,063 97% 2%
38 Ernst & Young $16,703,085 44% 55%
39 Credit Union National Assn $16,610,836 47% 52%
40 Bank of America $16,426,970 47% 52%
41 Operating Engineers Union $16,221,100 85% 14%
42 American Hospital Assn $15,985,524 52% 47%
43 American Dental Assn $15,899,079 46% 53%
44 Plumbers & Pipefitters Union $15,757,011 94% 5%
45 Blue Cross/Blue Shield $15,457,970 39% 60%
46 International Assn of Fire Fighters $15,372,243 82% 17%
47 Air Line Pilots Assn $15,289,517 84% 15%
48 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu $15,283,076 34% 65%
49 PricewaterhouseCoopers $14,880,333 36% 63%
50 Natl Assn/Insurance & Financial Advisors $14,845,205 42% 56%
51 AFLAC Inc $14,422,869 44% 55%
52 Merrill Lynch $14,289,766 37% 61%
53 Union Pacific Corp $13,773,448 23% 76%
54 United Steelworkers $13,432,147 99% 0%
55 Boeing Co $13,348,502 46% 52%
56 United Transportation Union $13,316,795 88% 11%
57 Reynolds American $13,249,477 24% 75%
58 Pfizer Inc $13,192,717 29% 70%
59 BellSouth Corp $12,993,782 45% 54%
60 Ironworkers Union $12,787,475 92% 7%
61 American Institute of CPAs $12,658,394 42% 57%
62 Credit Suisse Group $12,137,065 44% 55%
63 American Postal Workers Union $11,633,119 95% 4%
64 National Rural Electric Cooperative Assn $11,620,221 51% 47%
65 General Dynamics $11,383,749 46% 53%
66 American Financial Group $11,172,975 19% 80%
67 GlaxoSmithKline $10,891,744 28% 70%
68 Walt Disney Co $10,747,424 67% 32%
69 Chevron $10,639,244 25% 74%
70 Exxon Mobil $10,461,749 14% 85%
71 Natl Active & Retired Fed Employees Assn $10,430,000 77% 21%
72 MBNA Corp $10,059,006 17% 82%
73 General Motors $9,947,916 38% 60%
74 UST Inc $9,935,061 21% 78%
75 Freddie Mac $9,858,490 43% 56%
76 Human Rights Campaign $9,736,875 90% 9%
77 AIG $9,701,489 50% 49%
78 National Restaurant Assn $9,631,995 15% 83%
79 Southern Co $9,422,545 31% 68%
80 Prudential Financial $9,316,264 48% 51%
81 MetLife Inc $9,226,595 55% 44%
82 American Academy of Ophthalmology $9,126,538 52% 47%
83 National Cmte to Preserve Social Security & Medicare $9,096,499 80% 19%
84 Eli Lilly & Co $8,975,174 28% 71%
85 CSX Corp $8,887,385 31% 68%
86 Associated General Contractors $8,811,941 14% 85%
87 Amway/Alticor Inc $8,716,101 0% 99%
88 National Cmte for an Effective Congress $8,707,940 99% 0%
89 American Maritime Officers $8,606,031 46% 53%
90 Archer Daniels Midland $8,227,614 43% 56%
91 MCI Inc $8,093,472 46% 53%
92 Seafarers International Union $8,081,644 84% 14%
93 American Airlines $7,982,423 47% 52%
94 American Council of Life Insurers $7,543,766 37% 62%
95 Marine Engineers Beneficial Assn $7,344,127 74% 25%
96 Bristol-Myers Squibb $7,282,062 21% 78%
97 Enron Corp $6,633,207 29% 70%
98 Andersen $6,313,422 37% 62%
99 BP $6,093,021 28% 71%
100 Vivendi $4,426,540 66% 32%
opensecrets.org
But the above list doesn't exhaust union giving. They are also massive spenders on their own on political campaigns. Look at the big numbers on the list - SEIU, AFL-CIO, AFSCME.
opensecrets.org |
