The Beat Goes On

[BT]

 
Freshmen in money chase
By Alexander Bolton and Aaron Blake
 
Many Democratic freshmen raised tens of thousands of special-interest dollars toward their reelection even before they were sworn in for the 110th Congress.

The numbers show that although they said during their campaigns that they would reform the “culture of corruption” in Washington, many quickly immersed themselves in the town’s lobbyist-dominated fundraising network to fill up their coffers and retire their debt.

While some House freshmen have done little fundraising, more than half of those who had revealed their fundraising activities by yesterday reported raising between $35,000 and $83,000 between Election Day and the swearing-in of the new Congress, usually a very quiet time on the fundraising circuit. Most of the money came from political action committees (PACs) representing corporate and labor interests.

Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.), who beat a favored Republican incumbent last year, raised only $13,000 since Election Day, her filings show. But Rep. David Loebsack (D-Iowa), who surprised former Rep. Jim Leach (R), has already raised $71,000.

About $60,000 of that came from political committees such as the American Bankers Association PAC, which gave him $5,000 on Dec. 18, and the National Association of Realtors PAC, which also wrote him a $5,000 check the same day.

Loebsack accepted the money from these rival groups, which are well-known members of Washington’s lobbying culture, despite his calls to reform that culture only a few months ago.

“The most recent Republican ethics scandal involving Jack Abramoff only underscores the need to reform our political system to ensure that elected officials maintain the people’s trust in their government,” Loebsack wrote on his campaign website. “So long as Washington continues with politics as usual, few of the changes we as a nation need to move us forward are likely to occur.”

Gabby Adler, Loebsack’s spokeswoman, said that her boss would not let the influx of contributions affect his focus on constituents.
 
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