Abuse of Power

Posted: October 13, 2010 in Daily Briefing

By Peter Wehner

It is astonishing, really.

The president of the United States has accused the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, despite its denial and without supporting evidence, of illegally funneling foreign money into U.S. campaigns. “Just this week,” Barack Obama said recently about the chamber, “we learned that one of the largest groups paying for these [political] ads regularly takes in money from foreign corporations. So groups that receive foreign money are spending huge sums to influence American elections.”

On CBS’s Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer asked David Axelrod, senior adviser to the president, if there is any evidence to support their accusation. Axelrod responded this way: “Well, do you have any evidence that it’s not, Bob?”

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  • TOMMY FREEDOM

    HIS WHOLE PRESIDENCY & ADMINISTRATION IS A TOTAL ABUSE OF POWER

  • TOMMY FREEDOM

    SOME PEOPLE DONT LIKE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, THEY WANT TO OWN
    EVERY VOTER BY HOOK OR CROOK. HE PAYS THEM OFF. HE WANTS TO
    BULLY THE COMPETION, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WANTS THIER
    NAMES OF MEMBERS TO INTIMIDATE THEM. HOW DO YOU LIKE CHICAGO
    GOVT ????

  • Mick

    The Chamber does in fact receive foreign money in the way of dues. This money is deposited to the general fund. They have acknowleged this. No ambuguity. There is the “evidence” straight from those that are being accused.

    The Chambers’ defense is that although they fund attack ads from the general fund, they aren’t using foreign dollars to pay for those ads.

    It’s like saying I sold fifty dollars worth of drugs so the other hundred and fifty in my pocket is “clean money”. “Trust me”.
    This is another example of why we need campaign finance reform. Too many loopholes and hair-splitting allow special interest and outside money to influence an election.

    When a defendant is convicted on a “jail house confession”, the jury is entitled to know if his accuser has received some kind of deal for his testimony. The public is certainly entitled to know the people or orginizations behind attack ads so as to ascertain the motives. Oil companies that push back against renewable energy certainly aren’t doing it out of a alturistic sense of patriotism.
    Nor are unions that attack pension reforms. But unlike the oil companies and buisness groups they don’t have ephemeral named P.A.C.s that hide their donors identities.

  • Doug Martin

    When a man has no honor, there is no end to the despicable efforts he will exert to defeat his opponent.