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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: special interests

special interests stories: 10 news summaries
sausage and politics

Dems Helped Shape Health Industry Ad Campaign

Meeting raises questions about ties to big business

Oct 16, 09 11:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Aides to President Obama and Max Baucus met with a variety of lobbyists for corporate health care companies on April 15, to help form two industry coalitions and launch a multimillion-dollar ad campaign, Politico has learned. Though both sides insist no quid pro quo was laid out, some participants say... More »

MORE ABOUT:
ethics • Barack Obama • advertising • pharma • health care industry • lobbying • lobbyists • health care reform • Max Baucus • special interests • US Senate • Obama administration • President Obama

(Newser) - The Blue Dogs—the 52 fiscally conservative Democrats who have been fighting to kill health care reform proposals the industry doesn’t like—receive far more money from that industry than their non-coalition-member counterparts, the Washington Post reports. The reform push has been a boon for the lawmakers' ledgers;... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • Arkansas • House of Representatives • health care industry • lobbyists • health care reform • Mike Ross • House Democrats • special interests • moderate • insurance industry • Blue Dog Democrats • Blue Dog Coalition

(Newser) - Powerful special interests are killing health-care reform, which is par for the course in Congress, writes Joe Klein of Time. “We’ve gotten rusty at legislating,” says one Tennessee Democrat. That’s overly kind, Klein retorts. The only bills that pass these days are essentials like budgets... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Congress • earmarks • budget • lobbyists • health care reform • special interests • Joe Klein • President Obama • Mancur Olson

Dem Groups 
Loyal to Obama 
Despite Snubs 

Prez won't kiss up
to activists, but pushes
liberal agenda

Mar 21, 09 5:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - President Obama is publicly ignoring and even criticizing the liberal interest groups feverishly courted by past presidents. He has chastised the teachers’ union, skipped the State of the Black Union (again), and eschewed fanfare when restoring funding to groups that promote abortion. But activists remain loyal anyway, Politico reports, because... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • labor movement • special interests • liberal • activists • pro-choice activists • Obama administration • political strategy

glossies

 The Plouffe Plan 
 That Terrifies 
 Washington 

Senior adviser plans to turn Obama's campaign machine into Obama's governing machine

Feb 2, 09 8:35 PM CST
(Newser) - The shy middleman who spearheaded Barack Obama's campaign now plans to morph it into a powerful netroots organization, Lisa Taddeo writes in Esquire. Drawing on his unprecedented 13-million-name contact list, David Plouffe says he will soon unveil Organizing for America, a group aimed at drumming up support for policy initiatives.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • social networking • email • netroots • David Plouffe • grassroots • special interests • Barack Obama supporters • Obama administration

Wall Street Dominates List
of Inaugural Donors

Big banks (yeah, those big banks) have bundled huge donations for the bash

Jan 9, 09 1:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Private donations to defray the cost of Barack Obama's inauguration festivities total $27.3 million—and large donors, including Wall Street executives flush with bailout cash, chipped in $24.8 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. That runs counter to the vow to remain independent of special interests that led... More »

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Wall Street • donation • inauguration • special interests • political donors • Wall Street bailout • President Obama • President-elect Obama

 Daschle Will 
 Play Hardball 
 on Health Reform 

Incoming HHS Secretary will avoid Hillary's pitfalls

Dec 15, 08 11:01 AM CST
(Newser) - Tom Daschle, Barack Obama's incoming Director of Health and Human Services, has an aggressive strategy for reforming health care, and no intentions of seeing it fizzle the way the Clintons' efforts did in 1993, reports the Los Angeles Times. The key will be reeling in major health-care interest groups, along... More »

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health care • Hillary Clinton • health insurance • Health and Human Services • Medicare • American Medical Association • health care reform • special interests • Tom Daschle

NRA Targets Obama, but Does Anyone Care?

Gun control issue largely off the table, experts say

Jun 14, 08 3:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - The NRA is aiming both barrels at Barack Obama, but the gun rights group is no longer a formidable GOP weapon, the LA Times reports. Congress hasn’t passed gun control laws in 14 years, and Democrats are terrified to touch the issue, scarred from old campaigns. In other... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • NRA • gun control • special interests • election

Party Conventions: the Last Loophole for Big Donors

Issue may test McCain and Obama on their zeal to stop influence of big money

Jun 7, 08 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - Big donors are pumping big money into both party's conventions, one of the last remaining loopholes in the rules governing so-called soft money contributions, the New York Times reports. And while it's all perfectly legal, the issue may test the conviction of both Barack Obama and John McCain on their... More »

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Barack Obama • John McCain • RNC • campaign finance • Democratic National Convention • lobbyist • Democratic National Committee • special interests • Republican National Convention

OPINION

'Indie' Bloomberg Leans Left

NYC mayor's policies place him squarely in the Democratic corner

Jan 6, 08 1:46 PM CST
(Newser) - Michael Bloomberg may brand himself an independent, but his liberal stances align him with the Democrats, reports the New York Times. Bloomberg supports gay marriage, abortion rights, and stricter gun control laws, levies taxes on the rich and is against deporting illegal immigrants. But supporters say his idea for nonpartisan... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Democrats • New York City • Michael Bloomberg • billionaire • independent • special interests • Election 2008

10 Stories


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