With $605 million already, Obama asks only $10 more from each of us

Having hauled in a record $208,333 every hour of every day last month -- $150 million in all -- plus a few more unreported millions so far this month, Barack Obama is worried that he might come up short in the political money war with the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket.

Just to relieve himself of that $150 million before the polls open, Obama will have to spend $12.5 million a day.

But he needs some more.

And, according to an e-mail plea to supporters, tonight's the absolute deadline to donate $10 more and receive your special edition Official Obama-Biden car magnet.

Having now collected more than $605 million altogether, the freshman senator shows no concern over the appearance of buying the presidency. Imagine for a moment the national political conversation that could be going on now if rich Republicans had raked in that much loot for one campaign.

Obama's team is so well-funded and well-organized it has spread its political web into one-time red states, forcing McCain to defend them with his measly $84.1 million in federal funds.

Obama aides privately profess profound concern that additional financial resources from the Republican National Committee could make the GOP ticket competitive in the closing days. And the Cincinnati Bengals are a real Super Bowl threat this year.

"The race is deadlocked in a number of crucial battleground states," the urgent e-mail proclaims, "including Ohio, Missouri and Indiana. And we're neck-and-neck in Florida, North Carolina and Nevada.

"We have to make our final, tough decisions about where to fight and how strong we can make our team. And those choices will depend on the financial resources we have."

And, hey, if there's a few hundred million dollars left over in the campaign coffers on Nov. 5, win or lose, maybe Obama would like to put it toward the immense federal budget deficits that our colleague Stephen Braun warns this morning will confront the hopes and current plans of either an Obama or McCain White House come Jan. 21.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[Truth be Told]

"millions of Americans did with small donations. So that argument falls flat on its face."

This is a farce. We have no idea who gave to the Obama campaign. Millions of donations under $200 are undocumented.

[edge]

Sounds like McCain should use this against Obama!

The guy raises more than 7 times the amount McCain has to use and he still wants more! How much MORE tax money will he take from you if you elect him!!!

Beware the crazy spender OBAMA!

edge.

[andrew]

These funds are the best testament to the millions of Americans who want change in this country and believe that Obama just may bring it.

[Joel Smith]

Give me a break. If this was McCain bringing in all this money this article wouldn't exist. I think they forget that the american people don't have to donate. They want to! The Times is trash!

[Maezeppa]

Great, thanks for letting me know. I'm going to send in my extra $10 right now.

[Madam_S]

So, Malcolm is suggesting that Obama not raise any more money to avoid a "buying the election" charge? He's a political expert?

If it takes $600 million to get the Bushies out of the White House, I'll take that as a bargain.

Actually, I used to think that McCain would be an OK president, but he has destroyed his reputation in the last 6-12 months. The latest: RNC spending on Palin's wardrobe/make-up is exactly what McCain said should be outlawed back when he had principles (before he became a serious candidate).

[VRZ]

Simple comment: The use of words in the title is very bias.

[TN J]

What happened to his pledge to help Hillary pay off her debt? Poor broke Obama didn't get too far on that one.

[Lee D]

WOW. The Right cannot accept the fact that Obama has destroyed the McCain campaign in contributions and is looking for ways to disparage Obama for it. Pathetic.

[conwaykram]

haha - someone wrote that this money came from "millions of Americans...." what a laugh...
No one ,NO ONE knows where this money is coming from, because Obama's campaign wil not comply with federal election regulations requiring disclosure. Nor did he keep his word to use federal dollars for his campaign.

We know more about JOE THE freakin Plumber than we know about Obama.

[Jim Hickman]

Maybe...just maybe...when you have no history of accomplishment...when you have no history of bipartisan cooperation, let alone no history of ability to reach across the aisle...when 650 MILLION dollars to finance a campaign to become to become the world's most singularly powerful man is a LESS important story than Sarah Palin's clothes...when no one really, deep down, knows exactly what you stand for- except "change"...then maybe you are buying an election. Americans seem to have become enamored of soundbites, of that slick cherry-picked partisan bit that supposedly explains the heart and soul of a man. $650,000,000.00 (despite the promise of using federal funds) is the true definition of "putting lipstick on a pig". A lot of very expensive, very intrusive, very condescending, lipstick to cover up the warts and all. WHO IS THIS GUY???

[Ryan in Austin]

Smarmy much? You can always tell when a partisan Republican has written an article or a blog comment by the immature, sophomoric, and snide tone of the piece. You can also tell by the lack of substance.

So apparently an overwhelmingly successful campaign raising money through grass roots efforts through small donations is somehow indicative of someone who wouldn't do well running the county? Oh yeah, and make sure they aren't articulate, or too messianic. We would hate for the president to appear too intelligent...

[Kimberly]

Remember, the politicians get to keep all the left over campaign funds, so you fools just keeping sending him more money.

Posted by: Catfish | October 23, 2008 at 04:13 AM

And on the very slim chance he doesn't become President, he will be a very rich man. That being said, when he does become President, I am sure he will find it his PATRIOTIC DUTY TO SPREAD HIS WEALTH AROUND!!

[Dcrumpton]

He meant give me another dime bag, why don't he ask ACORN to give back some of the money? Why don't he asks Rev. Wright to give some of the $10 million Fed money back? Oh Rev. Wright bought a $10 million dollar house. He could get Michele to drop off more indigent patients off at other hospital and get a bonus? Get use to hearing MO' MONEY MO' MONEY

[Utah Carol]

Yes, the American people for the first time are "buying" the election, as opposed to big oil, gun lobby, big pharm, corporate farmers, or dare I say, STEALING IT like the Supreme Court did in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. It's time that we the people take back our country, and in America, the only color that matters and means something is GREEN. I just gave more money to the Obama campaign yesterday--on my credit card!

[Fausto Speranza]

While McCain accepted 84 million from the taxpayers for his presidential election, McCain has also raised over $300 million for a special joint fund committee used to support the republican party in general. These funds for the "special joint fund" are supposed to be used to help the party in state elections but according to the NY Times article By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
Published: April 5, 2001, "'The state parties are in danger of becoming money-laundering devices for the federal candidates". Read the article it is very eye opening. While I will vote for Mcain this year because I think he is the best qualified to be "commander in chief", I think it is important for people to under the whole truth about campaign finance.

[William Thomas]

What utter garbage. Andrew Malcom is an imbecile if he thinks that any presedential campaign is going to turn off the fund raising before the election. Actually he doesn't think or expect that Obama will quit raising money....he just wants to come off sounding like a petulant child. Where does the LA Times find these fools?

[mark]

I don't know how much it takes to beat Diebold. How many more votes do you need to overcome the machines?

The Republicans "won" with these machines and they're still out there and haven't been modified, for the most part.

It doesn't matter who votes. It only matters who counts the votes" Ceasar

[Adam Gussow]

I'm a proud Obama supporter, and I understand that he has raised a great deal of his money in small chunks from many supporters--including me, I might add. I've given $25 a handful of times. But I agree with the gist of this piece. $605 million is....well, a ridiculous amount of money. Were he being outspent by McCain to the degree that McCain is outspending him--and regardless of where McCain's contributions came from--I'd be angry. I'd like to think I'm not a hypocrite. So I'm forced to agree that there's a problem here, and I thank Malcolm for highlighting it. Let me reiterate: I DO want Obama to be our next President. But he doesn't need any more of my money to get there, at this point. Malcolm is 100% right about that.

[jacob]

I agree with MikeTroopa. Your writing is more poised for a personal blog not for the L.A. Times. And you got hired HOW?!!!!

[Harv]

Obama is a farce. Trying to buy his way into the White House, if a Republican tries this he gets blasted by the liberal media, however Obama gets hailed as a fund raising hero. What a joke. I'll be voting for MORALS not DOLLARS.

[Joe Bento COL US ARMY RET]

This decorated Army veteran with a son in Iraq is digging back into my pocket and dropping $5000 more to insure that our nation elects the candidate with integrity and intellect i.e. Senator Barack Obama. Veterans are breaking towards Obama in a big way and the Iraq and Afghanistan troops rated John Mc Same a D for his lack of support of our troops. Don't believe Mc Sames lies veterans are for Obama for good reasons visit iava.com for further evidence. OBAMANOS!

[reovalis]

When getting the Mob's help, Kennedy said that he wanted to 'borrow' enough support to win, but not enough to fund a landslide. Apparently the feeding frenzy is clouding the Dems thoughts.

The article is right on point, it's about buying the election. I guess It's a good thing Obama reneged on his promise to take public funds as apparently 605 million+ is not enough!

Unfortunately this is why Presidential politics are a joke. McCain ran as an honest, well qualified candidate and lost to George W. Everyone thinks Biden is great presidential material (he is) and therefore he is a great VP. How much of the vote did he get in the primaries? Less than 7%? One of the most qualified people in history, Bob Dole, got killed in a landslide against Clinton. This "show" is NEVER about the most qualified person. It's about money and looks (articulation, etc). If you are good looking, run for president and promise everything, streets of gold. Once elected, renege on everything. The people will be disappointed but not enraged (as they should be).

[Dudester]

You have to realize two things:

1. Rich republicans wouldn't sponsor McCain with $600 million, regardless of how rich they are, they just wont cough up that much money. But even if, and that's a BIG IF, they did, that would TRULY mean that rich Republicans bought the election and now McCain is in their pocket.

2. Obama's funds are primarily derived from small donations from MILLIONS of Americans, which means that Americans are buying their own election. Yes it is a sad fact that Americans have to buy their own election, rather than just voting for it, but facts are facts, it's still the people that are making the decisions and it's the people that Obama is serving- not a small group of rich individuals.

[PROUD AMERICAN]

What do Bart Simpson, Family Guy, Daffy Duck, King Kong, O.J. Simpson, and Raela Odinga have in common?

All are celebrities; and with the exception of Odinga and O.J. Simpson, they also are fictional characters. And yet, all of them gave money earlier this month to the campaign of Barack Obama, without any apparent effort by the campaign to screen them out as suspect donors.

The Obama fundraising machine may owe its sensational success in part to a relaxation of standard online merchant security practices, which has allowed illegal donations from foreign donors and from unknown individuals using anonymous "gift" cards.

An ongoing investigation into the Obama campaign's finance reports has exposed multiple instances of campaign finance violations and has been cited in a formal complaint to the Federal Election Commission filed by the Republican National Committee on Oct. 6.

Though many of the known violations include donations in excess of the $2,300 per election limit on individual contributions and contributions from foreign nationals, the extent of the amount of fraud is hidden because of a loophole in federal election law.

Campaigns are not required to disclose contributors who donate less than $200 — and Obama's campaign refuses to release their names, addresses, and donation amounts. Obama has collected a staggering $603.2 million. Most of the money — $543.3 million — has come from individual contributors, half of it from "small" donors Obama won't disclose.

The Obama campaign has turned a blind eye to the possibility of donor fraud. Reportedly, during the heated primary battle with Hillary Clinton, the Obama campaign "turned off" many of the security features on its online donor page, allowing any person with a valid credit card number to donate using any name or address.

Typically, card merchants require a cardholder's name to match critical personal details, such as an address or, at the least, a ZIP code.

Though in recent months the Obama campaign has tightened up security and restored some of the security features used by merchants to weed out fraud, it still has left open easy ways for potential credit card fraud, including techniques similar to those employed by terrorists and drug traffickers to launder illicit funds.

For example, on Oct. 14, an individual using the name "O.J. Simpson" participated in Obama's latest small-donor fundraising drive, making a $5 donation through the campaign's Web site.

Giving a Los Angeles address, he listed his employer as the "State of Nevada" and his occupation as "convict." The donor used a disposable "gift" credit card to make the donation.

The Obama campaign sent O.J. a thank-you note confirming his contribution, and gave him the name of another donor who had agreed to "match" his contribution.

Four minutes earlier, an individual using the name "Raela Odinga" also made a $5 contribution, using the same credit card.

The real Raela Odinga became prime minister of Kenya in April and has claimed to be a cousin of Obama's through a maternal uncle.

Obama donor "Raela Odinga" listed his address as "2007 Stolen Election Passage" in "Nairobi, KY." This credit card donation raised no alarm bells in the Obama campaign.

A few minutes earlier, "Daffy Duck" gave $5 to the Obama matching campaign, listing his address as "124 Wacky Way, Beverly Hills, Calif."

But just as with Odinga's address, the "Wacky Way" address failed to raise any alarm bells or security traps on the Obama Web site. Daffy Duck also used the same credit card.

Within the hour, three other new donors gave $5 to the Obama campaign. They were:

Bart Simpson, of 333 Heavens Gate, Beverly Hills, Calif.
Family Guy, of 128 KilltheJews Alley, Gaza, GA.
King Kong, of 549 Quinn Street, Capitol Heights, Md.
Newsmax learned of these contributions, which were all made on a single $25 Visa gift card (oddly, the total was $30), from a source that requested anonymity.

Calling himself "Bart Simpson," the tipster said he had been following the Newsmax investigation of Obama's campaign finance irregularities "with great interest," and believed that some of the small donations were coming from gift cards — "you know, the type of disposable debit card you can pick up at Rite-Aid or just about any supermarket."

"I tried it myself a few days ago," he said. "I'm attaching for you proof of the contributions I made in the names of Daffy Duck, Bart Simpson, Raela Odinga, and Family Guy.

"What this means is that the Obama campaign does no verification of the name of the contributor. With a normal credit card, this wouldn't wor[k], but with these disposable debit cards, no problem!

"This needs to be exposed," he said.

The tipster attached the confirmation pages from the Obama Web site showing the names of the donors, and in some cases, the names of other Obama donors who had agreed to "match" their contributions.

None of the matching donors' names appears in the Obama campaign's public disclosures to the FEC.

Other donors with clearly fictitious names revealed previously by Newsmax, The Los Angeles Times, and blogger Pamela Geller (Atlas Shrugs) include "Dertey Poiiuy," "Mong Kong," "Fornari USA," and "jkbkj Hbkjb."

Five major companies process the bulk of all credit card transactions made in the United States, industry insiders tell Newsmax. The Obama campaign paid one of them, Chase Paymentech, just over $2 million to process its online transactions.

"We never discuss our relationships with any of our merchants, or customers we work with," James Wester, a spokesman for Chase Paymentech, told Newsmax.

Newsmax asked whether Chase Paymentech had any security feature that would allow it to identify individuals making contributions using gift cards, but Wester declined to comment.

But other industry analysts, who asked not to be identified by name because of the sensitive nature of the issue, told Newsmax that processors could track gift cards and debit cards "only by the numbers on the cards."

"There are no names associated with these cards, so as a processor, you have no way of knowing who made the transaction," one industry analyst said.

Anyone can go into a supermarket or a Rite-Aid and buy a batch of these cards with cash, so there is no trace of the transaction, he added.

"It's like walk-around money. They could be handing these things out as perks" to newly registered voters or others, "and there's no way of tracing who is using them."

Ken Boehm, a lawyer with 30 years of experience in campaign finance law, said that such contributions were clearly illegal.

"Making a contribution in the name of another person is the only part of federal election law that actually carries a criminal penalty," he told Newsmax. Boehm is the CEO of the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.

The Obama campaign has paid Synetech Group Inc. of Charlottesville, Va., close to $2 million to compile all of the campaign contribution data from online contributors, bundlers, telemarketers, campaign events, and direct-mail campaigns, and process it for submission to the FEC.

The sheer scope of the Obama fundraising juggernaut was "never contemplated by the FEC," a company official told Newsmax, asking not to be quoted by name.

"It's a lot of data. You're talking 7 million contributions," he said.

The campaign itself is responsible for screening out fraudulent donors, not Synetech, he said. "I've been doing this for 30 years, and this is as well-managed as any [campaign]. It's just huge. When it's this big, any little thing becomes something more than it is."

One of the biggest problems the campaign faces is fraud, he said. "It's a colossal problem. They're paying the campaign with other people's money."

Individuals such as "Doodad Pro" and "Good Will" who made hundreds of contributions to the campaign in excess of the legal limits were not working for the campaign, but for themselves, he insisted.

"It's all fraud. They do it for kicks. Or they're testing the cards. The campaign doesn't want this. Why on earth do they want to have all these messy little transactions? It's a colossal pain."

However, the campaign itself has solicited these "messy little transactions" in numerous e-mails to supporters.

For instance, just days before the Democratic National Convention in Denver, campaign manager David Plouffe sent an e-mail to supporters, asking them to "make a donation of $5 or more before midnight this Thursday, July 31st, and you could go backstage with Barack."

Since then, the campaign has run several small donation drives, claiming to "match" donations of $5, $10, or $25 with an equal amount for a previous donor.

Its all about fraud!