By Lolita C. Baldor, Register Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Financial and defense
groups have poured more than $100,000 so far into the re-election campaign
of U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, who has established a pro-business,
pro-defense reputation in Congress.
With more than a year to go before the election, military contractors
and their employees from across the country have contributed about $53,000
to Lieberman's election coffers, according to a Register analysis of his
campaign finance reports.
At the same time, Lieberman is becoming a major player in a growing
fund-raising trend — the exchange of contributions between members of
Congress, Democratic candidates and other political committees.
Most significant was a $50,000 check Lieberman wrote to a fund-raising
arm of the Democratic State Central Committee, to help former Rep. Barbara
Kennelly's disastrous gubernatorial campaign in the waning weeks of the
race.
Lieberman had been pelted by criticism, both in the press and behind
the scenes, for his conspicuously low profile in the race.
But according to his finance report, Lieberman gave a $50,000 check to
the Kennelly camp on Oct. 2 and followed that up a few weeks later with a
$20,000 check to the Democratic Senatorial Cam-paign Committee to help his
colleagues campaigning around the country.
He also sprinkled a handful of contributions to other candidate
committees and PACs, and in return has received money from several of his
colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle's PAC and
Lieberman's own leadership PAC that he runs with Sen. John Breaux, D-La.
"These types of contributions are being increasingly used as a means of
buying influence with other members (of Con-gress)," said Donald Simon,
executive vice president of Common Cause, a congressional watchdog group.
"Wealthier members are giving to members in tougher races. It's another
example of the distracting role that money plays. It's not healthy for the
institution."
The money flowing between lawmakers is used "as a hammer and as an
enticement," particularly by members hoping to curry favor to get elected
to leadership positions, added Joan Claybrook, president of another
watchdog group, Public Citizen.
Lieberman, however, said he is glad for the backing of his colleagues
and noted that it is important for Democrats to support each other in an
effort to take back the Senate majority.
KEY DONORS: The top industry backing Lieberman is defense.
The state's junior senator is a member of the Senate Armed Services
Committee and regularly serves on the conference committee that negotiates
final defense spending recommendations. And while he has been an
occasional critic of the Pentagon's budgeting foibles, he also is a
staunch defender of some of the Defense Department's key aircraft
programs, particularly those with ties to Connecticut.
His business support is led by financial firms, followed by insurance
interests, pharmaceutical and health care groups and telecommunications
companies. Lieberman has sponsored or co-sponsored 22 bills on financial
or business topics, along with about 13 on health care issues and four
involving insurance.
In some cases, the legislation is clearly meant to benefit consumers,
including several health care bills to bolster insurance coverage for
citizens and auto insurance reform.
At the same time, Lieberman is a steady supporter of tax incentives for
businesses, corporate research and development funding and product
liability limits for companies.
There is no quid pro quo, he stressed, between the contributions and
his legislative activity. And he said the defense con-tributions are more
likely a "thank you" for past support than an incentive for future action.
"I've worked hard on the Armed Services Committee and I have a proven
record," said Lieberman, who has also traveled to military hotspots,
including a trip to the Balkans during the recent warfare.
A Lockheed Martin executive recently sang Lieberman's praises, saying
the senator "has really been working hard for us" to help restore a $1.8
billion cut in the F-22 fighter program. The F-22 is being built by
Lockheed, but the engines are made by Connecticut-based Pratt &
Whitney.
As of July 31, Pratt's parent company, United Technologies, had
contributed $5,000 to Lieberman's campaign, while Lockheed had given
$2,000. The total maximum contribution for the primary and general
elections is $5,000 each.
Jewish groups contribute heavily to Lieberman's campaign. The senator,
an Orthodox Jew who adheres strictly to his religion's practices, is very
outspoken on Israeli issues, backing measures that condemn the
establishment of a Palestinian state.
Fund raising in Chicago targeted to Jewish residents gleaned more than
$120,000 for the senator from Illinois residents, more than $70,000 of it
from Chicagoans.
"The Jewish community is an important source of money for Jewish
candidates and you go where the money is, which is Chicago, Los Angeles,
New York and West Hartford," said one political consultant who has done a
great deal of fund raising. "Joe Lieberman is not the first to stop in
Chicago for fund raising (among Jewish constituents), just the most
successful."
MASSIVE WAR CHEST: Lieberman has raised more than $1.4 million,
but with his surplus from the 1994 campaign, he had $2.1 million in cash
on hand at the end of July, when the most recent finance reports were due.
That total is even more significant considering he has no foreseeable
Republican opponent.
In comparison, U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., had slightly less
than that in cash on hand at this time during his recent re-election
campaign. And Dodd was facing a vigorous although ultimately unsuccessful
opponent, former Republican U.S. Rep. Gary Franks.
Lieberman acknowledged that the Republicans have yet to find anyone
willing to run against him. So, he said, "if it looks like I don't need to
raise more by next year, we'll see."
He added he is particularly sensitive to the election threat
considering how he came into the Senate. Lieberman — then an underdog —
bounced three-term Sen.
Lowell P. Weicker Jr. out of office with an aggressive campaign.
Political action committees have poured about $420,000 into Lieberman's
campaign so far, while individuals ponied up more than $960,000 since his
last election in 1994.
He also collected about $70,000 in dividends and interest.
The individual donors represent a broad range of people — both
geographically and by occupation.
Overall, Connecticut residents contributed less than a third of his
total receipts, but Lieberman did get more money from his home state —
nearly $300,000 — than any other.
E-Mail
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