Obama sort of banning donations from lobbyists

Part of Obama's sales pitch as he seeks the presidency is positioning himself a "new kind of politician" not beholden to the "old ways" of Washington.

Obama's top campaign staff is dominated by Washington insiders, presumably past practitioners of the "old ways." Perhaps they've turned a new leaf. Or perhaps not, as the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune is reporting.

While pledging to turn down donations from lobbyists themselves, Sen. Barack Obama raised more than $1 million in the first three months of his presidential campaign from law firms and companies that have major lobbying operations in the nation's capital.

Portraying himself as a new-style politician determined to reform Washington, Obama makes his policy clear in fundraising invitations, stating that he takes no donations from "federal lobbyists." His aides announced last week he was returning $43,000 to lobbyists who donated to his campaign.

But the Illinois Democrat's policy of shunning money from lobbyists registered to do business on Capitol Hill does not extend to lawyers whose partners lobby there.

Nor does the ban apply to corporations that have major lobbying operations in Washington. And the prohibition does not extend to lobbyists who ply their trade in such state capitals as Springfield, Ill.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Sacramento, though some deal with national clients and issues.

For instance, Alston & Bird is a Atlanta law firm that has a lobbying division. Former senate majority leader Tom Daschle, who is not an attorney, works for them, he donated $3,200 to the Obama campaign. The Tribune says Daschle is a consultant at Alston & Bird.

Obama's Senate and campaign staff is has a number of ex-Daschle-ites, most notably Peter Rouse, who was Tom Daschle's chief of staff for twenty years before taking the same position under Obama. Presumably they enjoy traveling to Chicago, where Obama lives, much more than making the trip to Daschle's hometown, which is Aberdeen, South Dakota.

As for Obama, he never looked like a "new type of politician" to me.

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