Alas, it is business as usual in Washington. One lobbying technique that especially sucks is called bundling. I’ll let Mr. Obama explain:
“Under current campaign-finance rules, an individual lobbyist is limited to writing a personal check for a maximum of $2,300. But that's where the bundling starts. A lobbyist can collect check after check from other individuals and deliver the entire bundle to a candidate for office. Sometimes those stacks contain $20,000, $100,000 or even $250,000. As the rules stand today, lobbyists have to only report their own contributions -- not the money they've raised from others.”
This is from an Op-Ed he wrote in the Chicago Tribune today. He goes on to explain why lobbying sucks and concludes with this:
“To set an example in the 2008 presidential election, I am refusing to accept campaign contributions from registered lobbyists, political-action committees, and I won't take contributions bundled by lobbyists. I'm also reporting any contributions that are bundled -- whether it's from a small-town doctor or a chief executive officer. If we can open up the system and pull aside the curtain of secrecy, then we might be able to start changing the way Washington works.”
Well would you look at that: someone’s running for President and trying to set a positive example for others. I don’t care anymore that Obama seems to lack substance. I’d rather he have no substance than to get into office full of substance bought and paid for by corporate America.
