I don’t want to come off as the sorta blogger who obsesses on issues (though actually, it’s kinda my schtick), but I just can’t help but go back to that misleading article on Sen. Patty Murray’s fundraising in yesterday’s Seattle Times.
As the Times accurately reports, Sen. Murray has raked in a lot of cash from lobbyists and PACs, a not all too surprising fact considering that she’s one of the most powerful appropriators in Congress. And as I’ve already pointed out, it would be professional malpractice for lobbyists not to give to Murray.
There’s no indication that Sen. Murray has done anything illegal or unethical in accepting these contributions, or that contributors have purchased themselves any undue influence. In fact, as an anecdote involving her angry reaction to Boeing’s decision to build 787s in Charleston clearly illustrates, Sen. Murray is not afraid to publicly threaten one of her top contributors.
But what really sticks in my craw — and what leads me to wonder if the Times’ Kyung M. Song fully understands the subject on which she’s reporting — is how, in a subsection titled “Friends with agendas,” the article blatantly misrepresents the role of online political contribution clearinghouse ActBlue:
Microsoft is Murray’s top donor by contributor; its executives, employees and its PAC have given $131,000 since 2005 to Murray’s campaign and to M-PAC. The company just edged out the No. 2 contributor, ActBlue, a political-action committee that bundles individual donations to Democratic candidates.
Well, yeah, technically ActBlue is a PAC, and it does bundle individual donations to candidates, but that’s not particularly descriptive, especially within the context of an article whose thesis appears to be that Sen. Murray is a captive of special interests. For ActBlue doesn’t actually function like most every other federal PAC.
Most PACs raise money into their coffers, and leave it to their board to decide which candidates and committees to distribute funds to. ActBlue doesn’t do that. Instead, it uses its PAC status to legally accept earmarked contributions from donors, merely serving as a conduit to forward those contributions to the directed candidates and committees.
The genius behind ActBlue is that it democratizes online giving by taking most of the paperwork, time and expense out of what can be a very complicated process, enabling, say, bloggers like me to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for candidates (like, say, Darcy Burner), with little more than a blog post and a link. For example, simply click here to make a secure, credit card contribution to Sen. Murray, and ActBlue will forward it to her campaign.
And ActBlue’s model has proven a fantastic success. Since 2004, ActBlue has sent $138,297,445 to Democratic candidates and committees, via 1,063,855 contributions, for an average donation size of less than $130.00. Donors have elected to support 6,000 distinct committees through ActBlue, at every level of politics from local to federal.
So I forwarded the Times article to ActBlue communications director Adrian Arroyo, and asked him to put those numbers in perspective:
“I think those numbers underscore why it’s misleading to lump ActBlue in with the other PACs mentioned in the article, especially given the unfortunate section header “friends with agendas.” Unlike the other PACs listed, ActBlue doesn’t tell donors where to donate–that decision is entirely in their hands. Kyung M. Song wants to argue that Sen. Murray’s incumbency has led to her capture by special interests, but the fact that ActBlue is her #2 “contributor” undermines that thesis. It demonstrates that, in the aggregate, small donors can engage in politics at the same level as mega-corporations like Boeing and Microsoft. That’s good for Sen. Murray, good for Democrats, and good for democracy.”
If all you knew about Sen. Murray’s fundraising came from reading the Seattle Times, you’d think ActBlue was some powerful special interest group — you know, one of those “friends with agendas” — when in fact it is merely a tool for enabling small donors like me and you to collectively rival the power of special interests.
All the more reason why it would be a disservice to voters to let them get all their news from the Seattle Times.
All the more reason why it would be a disservice to voters to let them get all their news from the Seattle Times.
Well, gee, it would also be a disservice to get all of your news from HA, because OTHERWISE we’d NEVER know about this:
Congressman Dicks finds a way around earmarks rule
http://community.seattletimes......2012294255
and many other newsworthy but politically inconvenient pieces that Goldy regularly ignores.
Goldy cares more about Dino selling houses than he does about Dicks breaking the law.
Goldy would make Pravda proud.
The link to Patty’s ActBlue page — in case you missed it in your rush to weigh in on the latest journalistic outrage from the continually contemptible ST:
https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/405
I can certainly understand why the Republicans would want to attack Act Blue, it threatens to dilute the impact of large corporate money in the election process.
ActBlue’s name speaks for itself. It is a sucky, leftist collective seeking to kill off free market Americans.
I really think that this thread is about sloppy, potentially biased reporting, and not about ActBlue and its practices.
@1 and @2 are just trolls trying to take this off-topic. They post controversial allegations in the first or second comment whenever possible. There are things to say about that issue, but not here and not now. Start a blog if you’re all fucking incensed about someone breaking a House rule.
I agree with the post, however, that this sort of reporting seems more an effort to paint ActBlue as an advocacy group. We, of course, all know that it’s just a bunch of citizens who have enabled their fellow citizens match the financial clout of other large entities.
If Teabaggers weren’t a bunch of angry, stupid Republicans they’d applaud this sort of citizen democracy, or better yet, copy it. Instead they’re going to try to repeal the Seventeenth Amendment. Good luck with that one, losers.
@6
and that about sums up the lameness of today’s pretend-polticos: start a blog if you are angry about politicians breaking the law.
LMFAO.
leave it to someone who sits behind a computer all day long to come up with that shit.
professional malpractice for lobbyists not to give to Murray
But it is democratic malpractice to allow a situation where lobbyists buy out Senators…or at least, where the recipient of said funds has little to say about it.
@6
“worked there for 15 years. the problem is that once it became huge in the 90’s the suburban drone class started showing up. only care about promoting their career.”
That’s you and Don Joe, Daddy. Your company is listing badly, and where are you? Posting inane comments on HA day in and day out as though it was a company perk.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/micr.....213808.asp
@5 Most self-proclaimed “free-market Americans” are doing plenty to kill themselves off.
@10
with a lot of help from our friendly government.
Really Goldy? When you had a cow over this? Airbus lobbyist writes Reichert a $500 check. Yeah sure you were making a “point” over “leaks” but the headline sez it all.
Butt the big point was Odumba claiming to limit lobbyist influence… Wait that was a lie too.
Shit, wrong thread again.
A name equivalence for your brain Steve Steve Steve.
@ 9
Almost missed this one.
That’s you and Don Joe, Daddy.
Looks like Mr. McGoogle still hasn’t figured out how to find that comment where I posted the links about Windows Phone 7. Use the right search criteria (and the best search engine), and that comment thread is, well, now it’s the third hit. Out of three. The first two are from comment threads that were started this week.
Damn, but these wingnut trolls are stupid.
@15 Almost missed this one
Which is difficult to believe since Don Joe spends his DAYS moonlighting at HA while his fellow employees at Microsoft are shown the door!
ok, while DJ is in denial about his past posts, Ping and Windows Phone 7, here is what others are saying about WP7, which DJ trumpeted as an example of a Microsoft success story:
“In particular, the Kin debacle is a reflection of Microsoft’s struggle to deliver what the younger generation of technology-obsessed consumers wants. From hand-held products to business software, Microsoft seems behind the times.
” . . . Microsoft, however, has reassigned the Kin development team and put them to work on Windows Phone 7, yet another mobile phone platform, expected later this year.
“For developers, mobile is what’s hip now, and there are two platforms that matter — Apple and Android” Mr. O’Reilly said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07.....t.html?hpw
and
“My morale has never been lower.
“A billion dollars wasted on Kin, 500 phones sold and a huge amount of ground lost in the mobile space. Everything I hear about Windows Phone is negative. Leadership is shrugging its shoulders like this disaster is no big deal.”
http://minimsft.blogspot.com/2.....-fy11.html
ANY of this sinking in Don Joe? That poster above nailed it on the head – you’re part of the 90’s suburban drone class that has help turn Microsoft into yesterday’s story.
@12 Puddyidiot
Thanks Puddy, for demonstrating once again how incredibly dumb and myopic you are. The point of Goldy’s well-thought out post on Reichert accepting AIRBUS lobbyist money is that Reichert does not give a crap about local jobs at Boeing. Perhaps you missed that totally obvious point because you forgot how to read?
Your pathetic attempt at equivalence shows once agian that you cannot even understand the most basic arguments. Actblue is a great tool for citizen democracy that helps direct individual contributions to candidates. Reichert taking lobbyist money from Airbus is a cynical politician working against his own constituents interests. If you can’t tell the difference Puddy, then you really have zero ability to analyze anything.
@ 16
while DJ is in denial about his past posts
In other words, Mr McGoogle still can’t find the comment where I posted those links. What a complete and utter idiot.
I’ll be generous and say that I think the reporter is just a stunningly uninformed moron who is too fucking lazy to google Act Blue as opposed to a corrupt shill who purposefully misinforms the public.
correctnotrightfool,
Apparently you missed the BIG Point. As always you step to the plate and you whiff! Also correctnotbright…
Dave Reichert’s 8th district DOES NOT INCLUDE BOEING. Check out the map. Also since Boeing machinists union votes against Dave and Republican interests what is Goldy farting about?
Regarding ActBlue is what? The clearinghouse for “DUMMOCRAPTIC” action? You’ve got to be kidding… Their support of Francine Busby, the “Let the illegals vote” fool sez enough for Puddy!
YOU correctnotbright are one dim bulb. Puddy guesses 10 watts max.
Wait for it someone will claim correctnotbright is higher wattage than Puddy.
BTW that $500 check really hurt Reichert. He won by a BIGGER MARGIN this time!
Stay stupid correctnotbright.
Dick’s Drive In? The Spady’s?? Really???
In the mean time look where Dino Rossi’s getting his money. http://seattletimes.nwsource.c....._ross.html
Seems Clint Didler has more local support.
@18
Tsk, tsk, you mean the thread where you were ALSO being accused – this is a search hint for YOU DJ – for keeping “banker hours,” just like now?
Only Don Joe would consider HA searches using Ping a technical challenge. That poster above was smack on, Don Joe exemplifies the suburban drones who have reduced Microsoft. The people who built Microsoft and are building Google and other innovators didn’t/don’t spend their working hours on HA like it was a company perk.
You talked up WP7 DJ. Liar, liar . . . .
Puddy @ 20 once again misses the most obvious point, when he says….
1. Few people LIVE at Boeing the Boeing factories. They live throughout the surrounding Puget Sound area. Puddy assumes that Boeing workers at Renton wouldn’t live in East Renton, Factoria, Newcastle, or south Bellevue? Or that workers at the Boeing facilities at Kent or Auburn wouldn’t live just a mile or so to the east of those plants? Or that Boeing office workers & management working at Boeing/Longacres wouldn’t live in Bellevue, Issaquah, etc.???????
2. As for Boeing union workers not voting for Dave Reichart, Puddy would probably be surprised to find that Boeing workers aren’t the single-interest automatons he thinks they are. Their political viewpoints range across the political spectrum, mirroring the population as a whole from which they came. But if they all vote against Reichart, possibly it’s because he DOES work against their interests, and is obtuse to the fact that they are part of his constituants as well, and entitled to his best efforts as their representative?
3. Boeing workers aren’t the only ones affected by the health of Boeing in this area. Everyone from real-estate agents, restaurants, dry cleaners, mall store employees, etc. rely upon the economy created from Boeing paychecks. Not to mention the hundreds of independent suppliers and services which support Boeing directly. Anyone even remotely familiar with the “Boeing Crash” of the early 1970’s realize the domino effect when Boeing cuts production and jobs. Although our economy is considerably more diversified now, it’s stupid to not see the effect of the loss of a few thousand jobs on the local economy.
In short, if Reichart dismisses Boeing because it’s factories are (barely) outside his district, or he won’t represent those constituents whom he assumes (perhaps wrongly) will vote against them, then he is even more obtuse than I thought, cares only for his position over the interests of the people in his district, and desearves to be retired this year so he can collect his double-dip pension (from the county and the federal government). I expect while he is at it he will be complaining about other lower-paid state employees who are also collecting more than one pension.
So essentially what The Times is telling us is that Sen. Murray’s second largest influence in terms of contributions are the people themselves? Oh noes.. we certainly can’t have that.
@24 Anyone even remotely familiar with the “Boeing Crash” of the early 1970’s realize the domino effect when Boeing cuts production and jobs. Although our economy is considerably more diversified now, it’s stupid to not see the effect of the loss of a few thousand jobs on the local economy.
So we can assume, RHP, that you’re against reducing defense spending – you know, the spending that showed up as a long-term deficit driver in the chart Goldy put up the other day and that you commented on – in any meaningful way? Because any big cuts in defense spending are going to result in big cuts in Boeing’s employment picture, you know that don’t you?
‘I don’t want to come off as the sorta blogger who obsesses on issues….’
LMFAO! That’s rich!
-Ditzy Darcy Burnout
-The fact that the Seattle Times won’t hire you
-Dino Rossi
-light rail
-Dave Reichert
-WA. income taxes
-living off handouts under the guise of “fund drives” instead of actually getting a real job
-The B.I.A.
-on and on….
Thanks for the laugh Goldy, perhaps you should pursue a career in comedy. :) Enjoy the sun all!
@ 23
you mean the thread where you were ALSO being accused
I wasn’t accused. I was asked, by someone who was behaving much more politely than the good Mr. McGoogle here.
just like now?
7:51 PM and 9:45 PM are “banker hours”? A post before 9:00 AM is “banker hours”?
Only Don Joe would consider HA searches using Ping a technical challenge.
I said that it’s a challenge for Mr. McGoogle, which is obviously true, otherwise he/you would have posted the link by now.
The people who built Microsoft
I’ve been at Microsoft for 20 years. Does Mr. McGoogle think that qualifies me to be included in this group of people who built Microsoft? Does it really matter what Mr. McGoogle thinks? Does Mr. McGoogle even think?
You talked up WP7 DJ. Liar, liar . . . .
That’s our Mr. McGoogle. He can’t prove anything. He can only accuse. What an unmitigated idiot.
@28 7:51 PM and 9:45 PM are “banker hours”? A post before 9:00 AM is “banker hours”?
You’re being UNUSUALLY modest, DJ. HA is filled with your day time posts. IN FACT, that very thread where you blew the horn for WP7 – the one I generously gave you a hint for finding just above (so consider this another) – you filled with lengthy blather with Puddy on the subject of . . . right-wing death squads and human rights during the middle of the morning. In fact, DJ, you’ve proclaimed that your employer has no problem whatsoever with your daytime rollicking on HA. Remember that?
My guess is they do. And I’m certain your fellow workers do as your company suffers yet another product debacle:
[http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-rank-and-file-felt-embarassment-all-over-campus-from-kin-failure-2010-7]
And here:
[http://minimsft.blogspot.com/2010/07/kin-fusing-kin-clusion-to-kin-and-fy11.html]
Minimsft says cut the fat way back to right the ship. And what a better place to begin but . . . with the under-performers who think spending all day on political blogs is an entitlement.
Meanwhile, Joe, it shows you how far Microsoft has fallen when employees – you, actually – vehemently deny that they ever had anything good to say about WP7.
Liar, liar . . .
Sure rhp6033, Up here in Everett, things revolve around Boeing. Butt since you brought it up, which candidate did the union campaign for and spend union dues on? Hmmm…? If the peeps are thwarting everything you stand for, why jockstrap for them.
Besides it was only $500. Such obtuse arguments from you two!
@ 29
HA is filled with your day time posts.
Actually, as working stiffs go, Puddy takes that award. By a very long distance. I don’t even crack the top ten.
In fact, DJ, you’ve proclaimed that your employer has no problem whatsoever with your daytime rollicking on HA.
Yup. Indeed, in that same thread, I posted a link to clear and convincing evidence that Microsoft doesn’t care. It’s part-and-parcel of being a salaried employee–something with which Mr. McGoogle apparently has no experience.
My guess is they do.
Mr. McGoogle guesses a lot. He does that whenever he can’t find sufficient evidence to back up the claims he wants to make–like any comment where I allegedly touted Windows Phone 7.
Meanwhile, Joe, it shows you how far Microsoft has fallen when employees – you, actually – vehemently deny that they ever had anything good to say about WP7.
Looks like Mr. McGoogle also doesn’t understand the meaning of “non-disclosure agreement.” Windows Phone 7 is an unreleased product. For me to discuss it in any detail, either favorably or unfavorably, would be, to use a local term of art, a potentially career limiting move.
The smart thing to do is, well, refrain from disclosing anything and simply post links to public articles. That way, no one can seriously accuse you of violating your NDA.
But, Mr. McGoogle isn’t a smart person. In fact, Mr. McGoogle is a complete idiot.
@31 Actually, as working stiffs go, Puddy takes that award. By a very long distance. I don’t even crack the top ten.
—–
Ha,ha. I dunno, Don Joe, this is sorta lame, finger pointing at others when the subject is you. Your company is putting out one flop after another – including the spectacular financial losses of Kin – and laying off employees, and all hands should be on deck focused solely on one thing – turning Microsoft around and showing customers and investors it has a future. So what are you doing? Pounding away on HA day in and day out without a care in the world other than when the next paycheck comes in.
When msftmini talks about what’s wrong with the company, you’re a poster child.
I guess the trolls griping about Microsoft employees posting here during the workday really have no idea how life in a professional job much less one at a tech company works.
As long as you show up for meetings and get your work done when you say you will people really don’t care how you otherwise structure your day. Besides sometimes you need a bit of a mental break after chasing down a bug or you have a few extra minutes before a meeting starts.
Microsoft has a ton of very bright and creative people working there. However given the size of the company the effect any individual is going to have on overall success is minimal. Besides the decisions on features, marketing, and long-term strategy are being made far above the level of most of the worker bees.
@24
Actually I’m pretty sure the Fredrickson plant is in the 8th district. Besides even without that I’m sure Boeing is one of the top 5 employers in the 8th. Boeing is the largest private employer in Thurston County and they don’t have a single facility there.
@32 Josh on 07/08/2010 at 9:08 pm,
“including the spectacular financial losses of Kin”
Look, I’m no fan of MS software, but (a) you don’t know what you are talking about (b) every business venture runs the risk that it fails.
If you can do a better job at MS, feel free to do so and show the way.
Mr. McGoogle @ 32
Ha,ha. I dunno, Don Joe, this is sorta lame, finger pointing at others when the subject is you.
I guess Mr. McGoogle is the house expert on lame.
Your company is putting out one flop after another
Wait a minute. In the previous sentence, the subject was me. Now the subject is the company I work for. It would be good if Mr. McGoogle could keep his own subjects straight.
For the rest, see comments 33 & 35.
@35
They beg to differ with your generous pass:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07.....1&hpw
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/20...../comments/
http://blog.seattlepi.com/micr.....213808.asp
http://minimsft.blogspot.com/2.....-fy11.html
http://www.businessinsider.com.....ure-2010-7
especially minimsft. One flop after another and than a cool $1 billion on Kin after just weeks on the market, and it’s just a business risk? The comments coming from within Microsoft in the comments above aren’t nearly as forgiving as yours.
@33 As long as you show up for meetings and get your work done when you say you will people really don’t care how you otherwise structure your day.
You think so? I think very few companies would put up with this, tech or otherwise, for a variety of reasons.
Where do you work, Chris?
They beg to differ with your generous pass:
[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/technology/05soft.html?_r=1&hpw]
[http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/07/01/death-of-the-microsoft-kin-a-look-at-the-evidence/tab/comments/]
[http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/213808.asp]
[http://minimsft.blogspot.com/2010/07/kin-fusing-kin-clusion-to-kin-and-fy11.html]
[http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-rank-and-file-felt-embarassment-all-over-campus-from-kin-failure-2010-7]
especially minimsft. One miscue after another and than a cool $1 billion on Kin after just weeks on the market, and it’s just a business risk? The comments coming from Microsoft employees in the pages above aren’t nearly as forgiving as yours.
@ 37
I think very few companies would put up with this, tech or otherwise, for a variety of reasons.
If you’re talking about employees doing the minimal amount of work to get by, then you’re correct. On the other hand, in terms of overall flexibility, Chris is correct.
I have been known to take entire afternoons off to go sailing only to come back to work after dinner and get more work done at that time than I would have completed had I spent the afternoon pining about the weather.
It’s called “flex time.” Microsoft doesn’t care which 12 hours of the day I work.