I don’t want to flog a dead horse here, of course. Or mercilessly whack an unacknowledged error. But one more point on the Lieberman-Enron-American Prospect micro-scandal.
We’ve noted that it is quite legitimate to say that contributor X gave money to candidate Y if contributor X gave money to contributor Y’s ‘leadership PAC.’
And what, again, is a ‘leadership PAC’? It’s basically a modern, campaign finance law approved, patronage engine. Big pols get money on their own name and then dole it out to other pols — primarily smaller fry — to get various chits, gratitutde, and other favors.
Here’s an example: Joe Lieberman’s leadership PAC, Responsibility Opportunity Community PAC, aka ROC PAC.
I looked at the list of individual and PAC givers to ROC PAC at the the FEC website. And there’s no Enron, though the Arthur Andersen PAC did give ROC PAC $5000.
Saying money to ROC PAC is money to Joe Lieberman? Accurate and totally fair.
Saying money to the NDN is money to Joe Lieberman? False and unfair.
