Quote:
Originally Posted by Windwalker
Now, along with your research for school, find a list of the major contributors to Obama's campaign. Then look at their job descriptions. See just how many insurance execs, and financial execs donated how much to his campaign. You don't bite the hand that feeds you.:hellno:
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You're half right, although a look at the top donors for McCain and Obama shows some interesting information. (I am only looking at the top donors here)
Obama's top donor was Goldman Sachs.
McCain's top donor was Merrill Lynch
Obama's #2 Donor was the University of CA
McCain's #2 was Citigroup
Obama's #3 was JP Morgan Chase
McCain's #3 Morgan Stanley
Are we seeing a pattern yet?
Law Firms - Obama received over 1.4 million from several Law Firms (or their employees or their PACs).
Sidley Austin LLP $329,776, Skadden, Arps et al $320,550, WilmerHale $275,132, Jones Day $272,755, Latham & Watkins $270,595
McCain received about a quarter of that from Law Firms or their employees or PACs.
Blank Rome LLP $149,426, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher $104,250, Sidley Austin LLP $96,200
So McCain has fewer lawyers, but more bankers, including all the names on the list or people involved in the Sub Prime crisis, and Obama has more lawyers and a fairly large number of bankers also (in fact, he got more money from bankers than McCain did).
Where it gets interesting is to look at the client lists of the law firms. Obama's donor firms are the attorneys of record for some of McCain's biggest donors. Wilmer Hale for example (450 attorney form, offices all over the globe, very conservative culture, in that they tend to hire republican leaning lawyers) represents AT &T, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, The Hartford, and 3 of the big four pharmaceutical companies.
McCain's donor law firms are equally interesting. Gibson Dunn and Crutcher represented George Bush in the Bush v Gore suit after the Florida ballot mess got started, but also represent Same Sex Couples to have proposition 8 overturned. The also represent Lehman Brothers. (they are one of the largest Law Firms on the planet).
Don't look too closely at the fact that Law Firms support one or the other. Big Firms tend to give money to both, and firms are also very good at picking the winner. If you look anywhere, look at the large law firms, who they gave money to, and, more importantly, who their major clients are. You'll find the AT&Ts of the world, who give money to candidates on both sides, the airlines, the banks and the pharmaceutical companies. In the 2004 election, it was law firms representing Defense and Energy, in the 2000 election, Pharmaceuticals again.
It's also not uncommon for the client to donate to the firm's PAC on the understanding that it be donated through to the candidate, thus creating a slight amount of secrecy as to who is donating what.
uke:
