Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Blunt, Carnahan Spar Over Insurance Money

PACMAN
In an attempt to shift the focus on his opponent, Congressman Roy Blunt said Tuesday that likely Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Robin Carnahan has received around $10,000 from insurance industry lobbyists since February.

But the Carnahan campaign noted that those contributions were from individuals and said that it's candidate had not received any money from political action committees (PACS) tied to insurance companies like Blunt has.

Blunt made his charge during a news conference designed to address a billboard targeting his healthcare position. The billboard noted that Blunt has received more than a half a million dollars in donations from insurance companies.

WATCH THAT KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE

According to Opensecrets.org, Blunt has received $10,000 in donations from United Health Group between 2000-2008; $21,000 from WellPoint between 2002-2006; $11,328 from Blue Cross Blue Shield between 1998-2008 and $9,500 from Aetna between 2002-2008.

The Missouri Progressive Coalition apparently also included life, auto and personal property insurance company donations -- realms unrelated to healthcare -- to reach its total.
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The Blunt campaign listed the following insurance lobbyists as campaign donors to Carnahan:
United Health Group lobbyists Steve Elmendorf and Jimmy Ryan: $3,400
America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) lobbyists Michael Berman and
Brian Griffin: $2,900
Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN lobbyist Gerry Sikorski: $250
American Council of Life Insurers lobbyist Bert Carp, $1,000
American Council of Life Insurers lobbyist Robert Martinez, $500
Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC lobbyist David Rudd, $1000
United Health Group lobbyist Jeffrey Forbes, $1,000
United Health Group lobbyist Dale Snape, $500
AIG lobbyist Robert Glennon, $500
Standard Life Insurance lobbyist Ed Ayoob, $250

Blunt campaign spokesman Rich Chrismer said, "If this is an issue in the campaign then Robin Carnahan ought to explain why she has accepted these contributions from insurance industry lobbyists."

Carnahan campaign spokesman Tony Wyche responded that individual donations to Carnahan and PAC donations to Blunt are two very different types of contributions.

"No one should be surprised that a D.C. insider who has taken half a million dollars in contributions from health care special interests and then fought to preserve the system that enriches them would prefer to discuss eight contributions that another campaign has received," Wyche said. "Though he may not like it, he will have to answer to voters for his record."

2 comments:

gumshoe said...

Fact is, over his political career, 51% of Roy’s money has come from PAC’s.

This year alone, 31% of Roy’s money has come from PAC’s, compared to just 17% for Robin.

Quit molding your story to fit your conservative viewers and do some digging and tell the facts.

Insurance companies can’t give money to federal candidates, but they sure can to Political Action Committees.

Roy has his own PAC = ROYB. Rely On Your Beliefs.

THIS YEAR ALONE America's Health Insurance Plans and the AANA have given him over 4,500 together. Corporate interests pour money into his PAC which he dispenses to his desire.

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave.php?cmte=C00344648&cycle=2010&recs=20

gumshoe said...

Just how much have these insurance companies given to Roy's PAC ?
If your calculator can display that many numbers...

Even Jack Abramoff has given $8,500to his PAC.

FEC REPORT
http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_rcvd/C00344648/