HuffPo denied entrance to Ross fundraiser
The Huffington Post’s Arthur Delaney attempted to attend a fundraising luncheon for Blue Dog Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) without success. (You can see the invite for the event here):
Alas, the congressman and whoever else showed up to the 10th floor meeting managed to escape without being greeted by the Huffington Post. (The building had multiple elevators and exits, and this reporter has been told that he is no James Bond.) Ross’ office did not respond to requests for details about the guest list.
Federal law does not require politicians to disclose who attends their fundraisers. The nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation posts invitations for upcoming events on its website, www.politicalpartytime.org, as it acquires them through Hill sources. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, health professionals are the top donors to Ross’ campaign and political action committee for the 2010 election cycle.
On Monday evening Ross declined to tell the Huffington Post what the Blue Dogs wanted from closed-door negotiations with Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who later announced that Tuesday’s markup would be canceled.
If they hailed from the health care industry, it’s no surprise Ross wouldn’t want to share info on his lunch guests, either. Fundraising is a touchy topic as the industry dumps money into politicians’ campaign coffers in hopes of heading off revenue-killing reforms.
TweetPARTYFINDER™ Hints
Beneficiary: congressional candidate, lawmaker, or entity which collects funds raised at party
Host: person who is hosting party-often, but not always, a registered federal lobbyist
Venue Name: where the party is
Entertainment Type: type of gathering, such as "breakfast," "ski trip," "bowling"
Other Lawmakers Mentioned: lawmakers mentioned on invitation who are used as a draw for the event
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tarry Davis said...
Rep. Ross and his buds can laugh and booze it up and raise funds from the corporate health care industry all they want for now but if health care legislation fails their finger prints will be on it. There are 60 or 80 million voters who will take their vengeance out on these guys. They think they are safe for now because the polls show Americans are fearful and hesitant at the moment. But that can change big time in a nano second. There are dozens of organizations out there that will shame them in their own states. And I will contribute to every one of them.
Comment posted: Jul 22, 2009 at 2:31 pmLeave a Comment