Chunk Change

From the NY Times.

Is that all he could find?

"Obama’s Inauguration Fund-Raising Tops $24 Million
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Published: January 5, 2009

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has raised more than $24 million for his inauguration so far, much of it with single checks of $25,000 or $50,000 from executives from Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Hollywood as well as from former supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. " Obama’s Inauguration Fund-Raising Tops $24 Million - NYTimes.com

Come On!

The big donors include 189 bundlers, who have collected $21.6 million of the $24.8 million (many also gave $50,000 themselves). Of those, 103 bundlers, who have raised $12 million for the inauguration, also raised money for the Obama campaign, according to a review by Alexander Cohen of Public Citizen, a watchdog group that seeks to tighten the nation’s campaign finance laws.

“No one who has contributed to President-elect Obama has ever been led to believe that they’re going to have any special influence with him,” Ms. Douglass said. “He is passionately committed to changing business as usual and breaking the grip of special interests on government.”

Lie, Lie Lie!

“Even when you have an Obama administration that has taken steps beyond what other previous inaugurals have done to provide immediate transparency and limits on fund-raisers, you still inevitably wind up with larger donors and bundlers with the potential to gain access and influence,” Mr. Wertheimer said. “At a minimum, it raises appearance questions.”

Naw, you don't say!