Quote:
Obama has sold himself as the candidate of hope and change, a claim bolstered by his promises to refuse campaign money from corporations and lobbyists. His supporters were surprised after the primaries ended and he reneged on almost every promise he had made. But Obama's about face should have come as no surprise to anyone watching his early contributors who were, despite Obama's promises to the contrary, the band of usual suspects. Writing toward the end of the primaries, Pam Martens argues that Obama's financial backers will doom his populist potential -- a prediction that came all too true. But the article is not simply about Obama's hypocrisy; it is a warning against the rise of corporate power and its devastating effects on democracy. In an election year where even the change candidate can't stand up to Wall Street, Ralph Nader's principled critiques of corporate power and his refusal to accept corporate campaign contributions are not just crucial; they are the difference between another eight years of distastrous amnesia or real, equitable reform.
Onward!
Ashley Sanders
The Nader Team
His "non-lobbyist" donations are coming through lawyers/law firms, who are being financed by lobbyists.