As DailyKos' Georgia10 notes, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced today that he will not accept corporate PAC or federal lobbyist contributions if he ultimately pulls the trigger on a 2010 U.S. Senate bid:
Today, in that spirit, I am taking a step that no major Illinois candidate from either party has ever taken in a run for the U.S. Senate. It is a decision that advances us one step closer to that change that we all fought for and believed in last November. I will simply say "NO" to contributions from all federal lobbyists and corporate PACs.
These special interests do not represent the interests of most Americans, and they should not be allowed to buy a seat at the table when it comes to deciding critical issues or determining the direction of our nation, especially in the midst of our current financial crisis.
Archpundit adds this:
While campaign finance reform in Illinois is precarious, this is an important standard to set for the upcoming race -- and something that his potential challengers cannot agree to and hope to remain competitive. This also means that Giannoulias will need more grassroots fundraising which means the grassroots can then hold him accountable.
And Georgia10 provides some more context:
It's the interests of these ordinary citizens that have generally been cast aside in past Illinois political campaigns. After all, Rep. Mark Kirk, the GOP's most likely candidate for Illinois Senate, raised over $435,000 from business PACs in 2006, and he increased that amount by over 80% in 2008, raising some $790,000 from corporate special interests.
Corporate and lobbyist money doesn't necessary give rise to corruption. Yet story after story demonstrates that the undue influence of such entities in government has spread like wildfire and is consuming the very breath of our democratic institutions.
It's a really savvy move by Giannoulias and one that will hopefully motivate a lot of small-dollar donations, which are what we need to see more of throughout the electoral process.
Meanwhile, Kirk has been making the media rounds in the past 48 hours. On NBC's City Desk yesterday, he hinted that he may also be considering a run for governor -- rather than U.S. Senate -- in 2010. He also showed up on Fox Chicago Sunday yesterday and Good Morning Chicago today. We'll have more on the latter appearance this afternoon.
Comments
Laborguy (not verified) on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 07:47
This is political pandering at its worst. Passing on corporate PAC money which Alexi, as a Democratic challenger in a Democratic Primary, will never receive anyway is at best an empty gesture, and at worst politically cynical. If you are going to try and parrot President Obama's "no PAC PLedge" you will have to pass on labor union PAC money. Labor unions are about the only PAC's that give substantial amounts of money to Democrats, especially in primaries. You are not getting off to a good start Alexi. You may snow a few naive political bloggers but it is going to take more than empty symbolism to win a US Senate seat. And this is coming from someone who has voted for you in the past and is a big fan. Figure out what you really stand for, then run for higher office.
Josh Kalven on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 08:12
Laborguy,
You're right that Giannoulias probably wasn't going to receive that much corporate PAC money in the first place and this may be more "symbolic" than principled. And you're correct that this pledge alone doesn't amount to a compelling message, which is what he'll need to win.
But putting that aside, in terms of political gamesmanship, it could be a savvy move if he makes it to the general election, where he'll face a GOP candidate who'll inevitably be more dependent on corporate PACs (and therefore less likely to make a similar pledge). At that juncture, it could provide an interesting contrast.
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