Gov. Kathleen Sebelius shouldn’t have vetoed a campaign finance bill last session that would have increased disclosure of campaign contributions. But give her credit for voluntarily reporting the donations her campaign receives during the 11 days before the election. Sebelius filed her first report July 26 with the secretary of state’s office. It lists 69 donors making a total of $27,360 to her campaign. Still, it would be better if all candidates had to file donation reports and this information were viewable online, as the legislation she vetoed would have required.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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20 Comments
If Sebelelius were really serious about this, she would have all Democratic Party Committees do the same thing. Are they?
From:http://www.kansas.gov/ethics/CFAScanned/PartyLinks.htm
Are any of these Democratic Party Committess volunteering anything?- Kansas Democratic Party- State Democrats Committtee- Kansans for a Democratic House- Democratic Legislative Victory Fund (1st District)- Democratic Legislative Victory Fund (2nd District)- Democratic Legislative Victory Fund (3rd District)- Democratic Tallgrass Committee (4th District)
These last four committees (one for each Congresional District) EACH received $5000 from the Democratic Governor’s Association.
These 4*$5000 = $20,000 transfers have no connection to Sebelius?
Does Sebelius not have influence over these groups and their reporting during the ‘blackout period’?
The bill that the Governor vetoed would have – among other things – made get-out-the-vote efforts much more difficult because of new restrictions that would have been put on the use of advance ballots. Bill Gale would have been in a real bind if those restrictions had become law as his “ace-in-the-hole” to encourage advance balloting would have been hamstrung from the beginning.
That bill also would have undone the Supreme Ct. decision that prevented candidates in nonpartisan races to have used money to finance those nonpartisan campaigns that had been raised in earlier partisan races from PACs, unions, the Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity and other partisan “clubs”. Remember that this is what Joan Cole’s lawsuit prevented Mayor Mayans from doing.
So there were bad things about that bill. Governor Sebelius would not have vetoed it if the only thing it did would have been to solve the reporting period problem you discuss. As is often the case, the “devil is in the details.”
Meadowlark……….why should Governor Sebelius influence other groups to make any voluntary disclosure during the “black-out” period? Is that really her resposibility? I think the bigger question is: “Why haven’t any Republicans voluntarily disclosed campaign finance disclosure during the “blackout” period?” Afterall, the Reuplican Party is the by and far the dominant party in the state of Kansas.
Governor Sebelius should be commended for taking the high road in in the ethical battle of campaign finance.
Looks like Sebelius isn’t raising much money from donors.
She is spending her warchest right now on commericals that is not needed at this time. But I have to say that her campaign commerical is very good.
Kelly – You are so cute with your “devil is in the details”. What you don’t point out is the potential for voter fraud. There have been questions raised about who is really filling out the advance voter ballot. It did not make it harder to vote it just made it a more open process. If you want to help someone with their ballot then you have to disclose that you did so. How does that hinder advance voting? That’s right it does not.
If the Governor is really about the open process instead of just her show boating then she would ask that the organizations she affiliates with display their contributions. But she won’t do that because that would shine the light on the organizations that the democrats use for all of their last minute campaigning.
So at least be honest Kelly. Americans have the privilege of being able to vote and that process is very easy. I doubt if Americans had to walk miles and wait in the hot sun to vote there would be a very small turnout. You could see the pride of those in Iraq that went through hardship to cast their vote as they raised their purple finger (signifying they had voted).
So Kelly let’s make sure that we have the most open and honest system possible. We have every right to know who is actually filling our and advance vote ballot. What are you afraid of?
Yep STS……….I’ll bet you think it’s those “illegal” immigrants you fear might fill out an advanced ballot.
Grab another wedge issue.
Paranoia will destroya’.
Apophis: Friday’s Lawrence Journal-World article, “‘Blackout’ donors escape scrutiny,” didn’t mention any recent problem with Sebelius’ campaign finance disclosure. What problem is being solved by Sebelius when her campaign has not been criticized for contributions made during the blackout period? Is this “leadership” to solve a problem that doesn’t exist?
The LJWorld DID mention a problem from 2002 when a political committee received $150,000 during the blackout period. The article didn’t mention that most of this money was a single $153,000 transaction to the Kansans for Democratic Leadership (KDL) committee from a certain doctor and his PAC in Wichita. The treasurer of the KDL committee was Chris Gallway, who at that time was Executive Director of the Kansas Democratic Party. Complete details of this 2002 “backdoor cash,” which Democrats used to try to defeat Phll Kline, can be seen here: http://www.dr-tiller.com/backdoorcash.htm.
True leadership and a partial solution to a problem that existed in 2002, would be for Sebelius to announce publicly she expects all Democratic Party PACs, like Kansans for Democratic Leadership, which only existed for 36 days in 2002, to follow the example of her campaign. If they do not, Sebelius can be a “gatekeeper” for her party. Sebelius could publicly rebuke her fellow Democrats for past or future abuse during the blackout period. But have we seen that leadership? Is it leadership for Sebelius to write a letter of recommendation for Chris Gallaway (see http://www.gallaway.net/sebeliusletter.gif) instead of any public criticism of the crafty backdoor cash that nearly allowed the Democrats to steal an election?
And the Republicans deserve criticism too, such as was done in the Feb 2, 2006 article, ‘State Rep. O’Malley years late with proposal to reform political contribution reporting?”http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/02-02.htm. Steve Cloud’s friends in the legislature were proposing political contribution reporting reform yet had been silent when they benefited from huge amounts of secret Missouri money funneled to affect Johnson County elections?
Why are the folks who have abused the system, been the ones that pretend we need reform and then make sure nothing is changed?
Honest? I thought I was very candid in discussing why that bill got vetoed. What you fail to admit is that you have no evidence in Kansas of significant voter fraud, yet you parade “voter fraud” as if it is rampant. If that bill had passed it would have added reams of paperwork to a get-out-the-vote effort by any party, which would have accomplished very little except to supress voter participation (which usually favors wing-nut candidates who can’t succeed in a high-participation election – because they are a distinct minority of voters).
As for large donations of money by “shadow” organizations who wish to affect political outcomes, lets first talk about Koch Industries, the Triad, the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity – did you forget them?
sotheyshilled why are you and Republicans afraid of voter turnout?
I don’t know a lot about this issue. kelly brought relevant info.
JR…………the repubs only want THEIR select voters to actually show up an the polls. They really have no desire for real democracy.
Oh, I just love meadowlark’s bit about “Democrats stealing the election”!…………….in KANSAS…………LOL
Apophis: Sorry if I used the wrong word. Instead of “stealing” what word is more appropriate?
When nearly $300,000 is spent to influence an election by one person, when most of that money is kept secret until months after the election, when the press didn’t report anything about that secret money until July 31 after the November election, when most of that money is still ignored by the press, what word should be used to describe the narrow 4300 loss by the Democrats? I’ll defer to your choice of words.
Probably conservatives are better at stealing elections. There is no other way to justify the idiot bush.
Actually, this issue is not terribly relevant. Sebelius is far from my ideal for a governor. But she is republite enough that she will EASILY defeat the nutcase whack-jobs the GOP is fielding. Sheesh they may as well have run that kook Shallenburger again.
Kelly, Kelly, Kelly – “If that bill had passed it would have added reams of paperwork to a get-out-the-vote effort by any party”
Where do you come up with this stuff? All it required was if you were going to handle an advance vote ballot for someone besides yourself you would have to sign off on it. Does not sound like reams of paperwork to me. What are you afraid of?
As for shadow groups I am referring to those that do not provide contact information so you have no idea who they are or where they are. I have not seen any of the organizations you mentioned not provide contact information and you know where they are located because you can find them in a phone book. My reference was to groups that funnel money through multiple PACs so that they can exceed the donation limits set by the state for a candidate. Such as what Meadowlark was talking about. You may not like him but I have checked out some of the information he has provided and have yet to find that it did not check out. If you have proof otherwise I would be happy to look into it. Do you think it is right for these groups to exceed the donation? Is that what you are supporting? If so then why have any limits at all? Take off the limits and make every candidate report every single month what they are receiving and spending. Then there would not be a need for these people like Tiller and Ruffin that funnel money to multiple groups so that their finger prints are not on it. At least with the other groups they say who they are and are not afraid to be contacted. They also do not just give money to candidates but they do put their name on any literature or commercials they pay for. You cannot say that about Tiller and Ruffin.
Who are you working for sotheysoldout?
Who are you working for sotheysoldout?
Meadowlark…………….there is no reason to keep conversing with you about how PAC money is used in Kansas elections. All you seem to want to do is bash the minority party as you look the other way when the Republicans receive money for their benefactors. Let’s look at one example of how some of the conservative State BOE members get around the individual contributions limits.
The limits for individual (and PAC) contributions is $500 in the primary cycle and $500 in the general election cycle. My math shows me that is $1000 total. Let’s add in some PAC names and then use their acronyms: the Free Academic Inquiry and Research (FAIR) Federal PAC, the Free Academic Inquiry and Research (FAIR) State PAC, the Kansas Republican Victory Fund (KRVF) Federal PAC, and the Kansas Republican Victory Fund (KRVF) State PAC.Merilee K. Martin, a right-wing Republican, is the treasurer for ALL of these PACs.
Here’s how the shell game goes: First, virtually un-limited money can move from “PAC to PAC”.
Martins FAIR-Fed PAC sends $1500 to each of three PACS she controls: FAIR-State (KS)PAC, KRVR-Fed PAC and KRVR-State(KS) PAC. Following me? Each of these Three PACS now contribute $500 each to Connie Morris, John Bacon and Ken Willard. Add another $500 from the original FAIR-Fed PAC and the three candidates for our State BOE have received a total of $2000 each from on individual>>>>Merilee K. Martin! This is where we definitely need REAL campaign finance reform.
Tom DeLay would be proud of this pathetically partisan use of money to influence a campaign for public office.
“When nearly $300,000 is spent to influence an election by one person, when most of that money is kept secret until months after the election, when the press didn’t report anything about that secret money until July 31 after the November election, when most of that money is still ignored by the press, what word should be used to describe the narrow 4300 loss by the Democrats?”
Woof meadowlark. That sounds just like the evangelical republicans and their campaign to put hate in the kansas constitution.
The catholic church, er, I think it was technically the Knights of Columbus, out of Connecticut (read yankee liberal land) gave over $100,000 to terry, joe and fred’s efforts to put queers in their proper place in hell.
That out of state religious group was THE LARGEST FUNDER of the terry, joe and fred hate campaign. Yet.. the money wasnt reported until AFTER the election.
But we dont want to talk about THOSE out of state influences? We dont want to talk about the republican evangelical theocracy that governs kansas?
Wonder what values boy would say? Or would he have to check with terry fox, joe wright and fred phelps first?
IOKIYAAR
meadowlark poop again
…and do we even want to mention the OUT OF STATE money that has gone to re-elect god’s own drug taking whore, connie morris?
I’m thinking the lark might be sorry he brought this up. Waaaaaayyyy more out of state pac money goes to the evangelicals than to democrats in ks.
just as notanker todd…
Apophis, I have a question.
How do I get on Merilee K. Martin’s payroll?
I really need the job…
They must only have a limited number of qualified treasurers on the GOP side.
Isnt the same woman who was the treasurer for the swift boat liars also the treasurer for the “trash john murtha” liars as well?
Interlocking evil.