Em
Beach Fanatic
I've been hearing quite a bit about BP money going to Obama and found numerous articles on the subject. Below is a portion of one. So many loyal democrats and anti-Republicans thought it was odd that Obama was, and still is, pushing for more drilling in the Gulf. Now you know why.
By ERIKA LOVLEY | 5/5/10 5:05 AM EDT
While the BP oil geyser pumps millions of gallons of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama and members of Congress may have to answer for the millions in campaign contributions they?ve taken from the oil and gas giant over the years.
BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Donations come from a mix of employees and the company?s political action committees ? $2.89 million flowed to campaigns from BP-related PACs and about $638,000 came from individuals.
On top of that, the oil giant has spent millions each year on lobbying ? including $15.9 million last year alone ? as it has tried to influence energy policy.
During his time in the Senate and while running for president, Obama received a total of $77,051 from the oil giant and is the top recipient of BP PAC and individual money over the past 20 years, according to financial disclosure records.
An Obama spokesman rejected the notion that the president took big oil money.
?President Obama didn?t accept a dime from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists during his presidential campaign,? spokesman Ben LaBolt said. ?He raised $750 million from nearly four million Americans. And since he became president, he rolled back tax breaks and giveaways for the oil and gas industry, spearheaded a G20 agreement to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and made the largest investment in American history in clean energy incentives.? (who cares that Obama received big money from BP for the last twenty years, right?)
In Congress, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who last week cautioned that the incident should ?not be used inappropriately? to halt Obama?s push for expansion of offshore drilling, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of BP?s largesse. Her comments created some blowback, with critics complaining that she is too blas? about the impact of the disaster, even though she was among the first lawmakers to call for a federal investigation into the spill.
As the top congressional recipient in the last cycle and one of the top BP cash recipients of the past two decades, Landrieu banked almost $17,000 from the oil giant in 2008 alone and has lined her war chest with more than $28,000 in BP cash overall.
By ERIKA LOVLEY | 5/5/10 5:05 AM EDT
While the BP oil geyser pumps millions of gallons of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama and members of Congress may have to answer for the millions in campaign contributions they?ve taken from the oil and gas giant over the years.
BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Donations come from a mix of employees and the company?s political action committees ? $2.89 million flowed to campaigns from BP-related PACs and about $638,000 came from individuals.
On top of that, the oil giant has spent millions each year on lobbying ? including $15.9 million last year alone ? as it has tried to influence energy policy.
During his time in the Senate and while running for president, Obama received a total of $77,051 from the oil giant and is the top recipient of BP PAC and individual money over the past 20 years, according to financial disclosure records.
An Obama spokesman rejected the notion that the president took big oil money.
?President Obama didn?t accept a dime from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists during his presidential campaign,? spokesman Ben LaBolt said. ?He raised $750 million from nearly four million Americans. And since he became president, he rolled back tax breaks and giveaways for the oil and gas industry, spearheaded a G20 agreement to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and made the largest investment in American history in clean energy incentives.? (who cares that Obama received big money from BP for the last twenty years, right?)
In Congress, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who last week cautioned that the incident should ?not be used inappropriately? to halt Obama?s push for expansion of offshore drilling, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of BP?s largesse. Her comments created some blowback, with critics complaining that she is too blas? about the impact of the disaster, even though she was among the first lawmakers to call for a federal investigation into the spill.
As the top congressional recipient in the last cycle and one of the top BP cash recipients of the past two decades, Landrieu banked almost $17,000 from the oil giant in 2008 alone and has lined her war chest with more than $28,000 in BP cash overall.
