IS SEIU TRYING TO BUY THE OVAL OFFICE?

One union with a long time connection with Obama, and 2 million members,is attempting to buy the presidential election this November. The Service Employees International Union was solicited by Obama to help his election campaign, and they jumped in with both feetas this quote from2/15/08 by Jennifer Farmer of SEIU illustrates!

“The outcome of this election will decide whether we finally achieve quality, affordable healthcare for everyone, whether we have economic fairness, whether we bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, and whether workers in America finally have the freedom to form unions without intimidation” said Dave Regan, President, SEIU District 1199. “We intend to mobilize our members in an unprecedented way in support of Senator Barack Obama,” Regan concluded.

SEIU outlined the key reasons for the Obama endorsement:

This is one of the most important presidential elections workers have faced. Families are struggling, we’re fighting two wars, and a majority of Americans are now worried that their children will be worse off than they are".source SEIU home page


The election laws require that so-called "independent expenditures" by political committees be limited to communications, such as the ubiquitous TV spots and newspaper ads to which we have all become accustomed, but SEIU's PACs have paid for such campaign essentials as door-to-door canvassing for Obama, voter identification and registration, and even bus rental and food for pro-Obama rallies.


A number of the expenditures listed in their report to the Elections Commission, show such reimbursement of SEIU employees' per Diem expenses or food for an Election Day rally, can qualify as "communication" by only the most Clintonian parsing of terms. Instead, they look like the nuts and bolts of running a campaign

The SEIU announced on June 24th that they plan "a budget of $85 million for this election, targeting swing states for Obama's presidential campaign" and other candidates. In addition, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger said, "More than 100,000 SEIU members will be volunteering their time to ... elect Barrack Obama as our next president." (Which begs the question if the "volunteers' salaries and per Diem's will also be reimbursed.)source: American Thinker


As if to intentionally add new heights to political hypocrisy, the announcement followed by mere days Obama's pronouncement that the Democratic National Committee "won't take another dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. They do not fund my campaign. They will not fund our party".
The truth apparently is a stranger to Obama and his campaign as this quote attests.
The story also raises to new levels Obama's hypocrisy about PAC money, since he is accused of doling out just such donations in exchange for endorsements". source: Washington Post


Obama apparently learned a lesson from the mistakes of the Kerry campaign. By opting out of accepting cash donations directly from PACs. He became the first major party candidate to opt out of federal funding and the restrictions that come with it -- Obama steered the committees who support him, and whose support he even "begged" for, down a path which allows limitless spending on his behalf!

And to rub salt in the wounds of the Republican party, the media elite goes after Vets for Freedom for making a TV buy for John McCain,but they're giving Barack Obama a free ride as he surfs a wave of PAC money to the Democratic nomination, a wave that, if anything, is nearing tsunami proportions despite his boasts (aka: lies) that he doesn't accept money from Pacs.