Congressional Dems swimming in “special interest cash”

Bbbbut I thought things were gonna be ‘cleaned up’ in DC under Democratic . Via ABC’s Blotter:

The campaign coffers of the new Democratic House committee chairmen have seen a big jump in contributions from lobbyists and special interests since the Democratic takeover of Congress, according to new campaign finance filings available on PoliticalMoneyLine.com.

In some cases, Democrats in powerful posts are raising more money from special interest groups than the Republicans they replaced.

Campaign finance experts say that special interests have been contributing mostly to Republicans over the last 12 years of GOP rule on Capitol Hill. Now they are having to making quick friends with Democratic leaders.

“Lobbyists and interest groups need to make a connection right away, and one of the ways to do that is through a PAC contribution,” says Kent Cooper, co-founder of PoliticalMoneyLine.

In the past three months, the new committee chairmen have raised $2.4 million in campaign contributions from PACs, the committees created by lobbyists and special interest groups to make contributions and influence elections.

“Committee chairmen act as the gatekeepers exercising control of whether legislation moves or is at a road block, deciding what is to be considered when,” says Sheila Krumholz, executive director for the Center for Responsive Politics. “If you’ve developed a cordial relationship with them over time and have given them contributions, it certainly goes to your benefit.”

The chairman to receive the most PAC money was Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, who reported raising $486,669 from PACs, compared to $7,500 during the same period two years ago. Rangel’s PAC donors compromised more than half the money he raised and represent a broad array of industries including health care, finance, transportation, agriculture, technology, retailers and organized labor.

Brian at Iowa Voice writes:

Seriously…are you the least bit surprised? I’ve said it I don’t know how many times over the past year, but Democrats weren’t the least bit upset about the so-called “culture of corruption”…they were upset because, not being the majority, they weren’t the ones raking in the cash and perks.

That’s it in a nutshell.