Lobbyists
Jon Powers talks about cleaning up Washington, but his fundraising records read like a “Who’s Who in American Lobbying and Lawyering.”
Mr. Powers has claimed he wants to get the special interests out of politics, but he has taken more money from lobbyists and PACs than all of the other candidates combined.
Mr. Powers, in his own words, from the Democracy for America website:
“Tom Reynolds raises significant amounts of money through Washington, DC lobbyists and special interest groups. Just as I will be a very different kind of congressman, I will take a very different approach to funding my campaign.”
That different approach . . . isn’t so different. Many special interest lobbyists and PACs have met with and funded the Powers campaign. In fact, 40 percent of the reported funds in his latest campaign finance filing come from lobbyists and PACs (and yes, a strip club owner).
Jack Davis believes Senator Obama is right – special interest money buys too much influence in Washington, and Jack is the only candidate to join Senator Obama in rejecting special interest cash.
Mr. Davis challenged Mr. Powers to do the same, but Jon Powers refused. Instead, Mr. Powers has collected funds from lobbyists from big Oil and Energy companies, PhRMA and drug companies, and lobbyists working on FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS.
Some of the Big Oil and Energy Companies whose lobbyists are funding Powers for Congress:
American Petroleum Institute BP Amoco Chevron Constellation Energy Desert Rock Energy Electric Power Supply Association Entergy Associates Hess Corporation Reliant Energy Sempra Energy Sithe Global Power
Pharmaceutical Companies
Johnson & Johnson Millennium Pharmaceuticals Company Monsanto The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Pfizer Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Free Trade Supporters
American Australian Free Trade Agreement Coalition Asociacion Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia (National Business Association of Colombia) Association of International Auto Manufactures Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports Comprehensive Market Access Coalition Hong Kong Trade Development Council International Institute of Islamic Thought United States-India Business Council
* One of Mr. Powers’ big lobbyist supporters was a founding member of the steering committee for permanent normal trade relations with China and renewal of China’s MFN status, and helped pass the Australian Free Trade Agreement and CAFTA.
Oh yeah. He also took money from a lobbyist for . . . Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Remember, he said it - “Just as I will be a very different kind of congressman, I will take a very different approach to funding my campaign.”