5 Top Sources of Funding for Barack Obama's Campaign

How much does it cost to buy the presidency? Obama talks about spreading the wealth, well he cetainly has his hand out for it!!! And why is it that one can hardly get any information on the sources of his funds, in particular his foreign sources?? I understand that roughly 1400 donations are from US consulates and staff oversees, but what about the thousands of donors coming from Abu Dabi, Palestine etc.??? His staff claims they were unaware of it til the FED got involved (nice to know they're doing something that is their responsibility!!) and that they will refund or redesignate the money. (what actually does it mean to "redesignate" funds???) Although I was tempted to vote Obama, I have become uneasy with how often information is blocked, like his college records, or LA Times interview tapes, or unavailable, like foreign sources of funds or his thesis. None of this individually seems that significant, but when you put it all together, his radical associations, which he at best understated, and at worst, lied about; his association with ACORN and donating $830,000 to an ACORN subsidiary/affiliate-which, good grief, is another bag of worms, even with something as simple as committing to using FED campaign funding, but then, oops, he changed his mind! (His staff said he didn't promise, that it was just an idea. Well I haven't heard him "promise" not to raise my taxes, either!! Maybe that just comes under the heading of an "idea" too.

Now I understand there have been quite a few complaints filed with the authorities regarding voter irregularites and strong arming by Obama volunteers, in the primaries in Texas and other states. He has plausible deniability-they were volunteers, not employees under his control. But really, there were accusations of unsavory methods used by him in Chicago to win the elections too. Is this a pattern of "ends justify the means", and "maintin enough distance not to get caught"?? I hope not, because although I have great respect for Senator McCain's integrity and honor, I am not sure he has the energy and vision for the problems that will be facing whover the next president is.

But back to my main premiss, that the American voter seems to be up for sale, or why else would you need to outspend opponents?? I truly believe that there is something obscene incredibly distasteful about all the money being spent on the presidential and congressional elections, on all sides. Considering the candidates, wouldn't the money be better spent just donating it to "Main Street", which they all are so concerned about?

Dagmar of RI 4:34PM October 28, 2008