Forget the Lawmaker, Meet the Chief of Staff
Uncle Chuck Wants You!
That's the message jumping out of the latest fundraising letter sent out from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, chaired by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). [Click the image to the right to see the full text.]
Don't let Uncle Chuck down!
This invite first appeared (in print only) in Jeffrey Birnbaum's K Street column in Tuesday's Washington Post, but Capitol Briefing can add a few notable details. Read the fine print and you'll see that senators aren't the draw at this event, slated for July 10 at the DSCC's Mott House across the street from the Capitol.
Officially, lobbyists are asked to give or raise $2,000 to be a "host" or $1,000 to be a "DSCC friend" in order to meet "individuals representing" Senate Democrats. That's code word for chiefs of staff and staff directors of committees, according to lobbyists who received the fundraising pitch. The image of the invite that was e-mailed to Capitol Briefing included the file name of "chiefs invitation".
It's part of what some lobbyists say is an emerging technique in fundraising by the campaign committees -- gathering a group of top advisers to lawmakers rather than the principals themselves. Lobbyists say they've heard that later this year House Democratic chiefs of staff will be the draw at a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The DSCC declined to comment on the event, as did the DCCC.
There is nothing wrong legally with top staffers, who are paid with taxpayer funds, serving as the fundraising draw for campaign committees. In Senate offices, three staffers are usually designated as having a dual role for being allowed to also handle fundraising activities. (In Schumer's case, for example, Mike Lynch, his chief of staff, is officially designated as an aide who's allowed to also help with raising contributions.)
And in some cases, lobbyists privately say that they prefer such events, as they get entrée to the top aides for numerous lawmakers. Most fundraising events involve large crowds of people and one, at most two senators, leaving little real face time for donors with the principal as it turns into an assembly line of hand shakes and one-minute small talk.
But donors beware. Anyone who shows up July 10 may have to enlist in Uncle Chuck's political boot camp.
By Paul Kane |
June 15, 2007; 3:02 PM ET
Fundraising Circuit
, Senate
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Posted by: Intersetted Teenager | June 16, 2007 2:45 AM
Wouldn't it be more interesting to know that real people were not talking about.
I understand the game, perhaps better than most, but I'm more interested in the fact that most people see their job as over when they exit the voting box. I'm not interested in the fact that elected officials make money. How boring is that?
We all know they make the money, does it really matter who is in the meeting? Isn't this politics verison of Paris Hilton? Hey look over here....look at me and how much money I can make doing absolutely nothing and bringing very little value to the American people while I do it....while up on the hill they are actually changing laws that screw over people, and the people just don't care that they are doing it.
Ever just taken your tape recorder down on a city street anywhere in America and ask people questions?
Not complicated questions, just questions like:
Why do you think it matters that we have an electorial college?
Where does it say in the Constitution that we are assured a right to privacy?(ok so that one might be considered tricky)
How many votes does it take to over turn a Presidential Veto?
You find out that more than 2/3 of the people you ask those questions of can actually answer them, and then I will start caring about the money makers. Until then I will worry more about the fact that we can't answer those types of questions and far less about the money.
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Wow, this is very intersetting. To me, it seems to by a way to by-pass the system almost, to bypass the ethics rules. I wish the DSCC would have commented on the event. It would be intersetting to see what Mr. Schumer has to say.