Obama Darling of the Military-Industrial Complex

By Megan Carpentier

Which presidential candidates have earned the defense industry’s support?

Though Americans far and away identify economic problems as the biggest issue facing the nation, according to Gallup, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) has been gaining support by talking about the need to restrict the military industrial complex and end what he terms “war profiteering” — most recently in his victory speech after the New Hampshire primary.

By contrast, former governor Mitt Romney (R-MA), currently leading the pack of GOP candidates, called for a strong America and a strong relationship with Israel — rhetoric that has most often accompanied robust military spending. Meanwhile, back in Washington, President Obama thought last year that the prospect of automatic defense spending cuts would be enough to pressure the supercommittee into a deal on the debt: it wasn’t, and now he may be stuck with them.

Given all of that, and Romney’s pro-business platform, you would think he’d be the favored son of the defense industry, even in the early stages of the 2012 race. You’d be wrong.

President Obama is leading the pack in donations from the defense industry: according to the Center for Responsive Politics, he’d taken in almost $112,000 from defense industry donors through December 2011, despite not accepting any donations from super PACs or lobbyists. (Complete fourth quarter numbers were only released yesterday, so break-downs aren’t yet available by industry.)

By comparison, Romney only got $56,000 for his campaign from defense-industry donors. Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) — who, notably, was far behind in fundraising when the figures were compiled — took in a paltry $4,900 from defense industry employees despite previously representing a state with a sizable defense industry (Pennsylvania) and currently residing in a state with an even larger defense industry (Virginia).

And, interestingly, Paul took in just under $50,000 from defense industry donors, a figure which does not include his haul from members of the Armed Forces and employees of the Department of Defense, which was $95,567. Like Obama, Paul took no money from PACs before December 5, 2011.

But if Obama’s support from the defense industry is surprising to some, they need only hearken back to the 2008 elections, when the junior Senator from Illinois received 34 percent more donations from the defense industry than the war-hero senior Senator from Arizona. At the time, Obama edged out Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in donations from active-duty troops, though Paul made a substantial showing then as well. But in 2012, Paul’s already received more donations from members of the military and DOD than Obama has: nearly $96,000 to Obama’s almost $76,000, as of third quarter 2011.

Individual donors are limited to $2,500 in donations per candidate per election by the Federal Election Committee.

Times247.com Poll

Public Opinion View Results

Recent News

UK Raises Tax Rates and Revenues Decline

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Source: The Telegraph

After the UK raised the top income tax rate to 50 percent, the amount of income tax paid fell sharply last month in the first formal indication that the new 50 percent higher rate is not raising the expected amount of revenue but in fact is losing revenue.
Read Full Story

Doc pay fixes snowball, making Medicare all the harder to reform

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Source: Awesome Capital

The 1997 scheme to make supposedly automatic cuts in Medicare doctor fees based on what looked like a reasonable index has totally failed. Sooner or later, Congress will have to try something different if it doesn't want to bankrupt Medicare or jack up taxes to keep the program afloat. A real alternative to top-down cost control is a system giving consumers influence over costs and rewards for keeping costs low.
Read Full Story

Cancer drug reverses Alzheimer’s in mice

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Source: Raw Story

A widely available cancer drug has shown remarkable success in reversing Alzheimer’s disease in mice, raising hope of a breakthrough against incurable dementia in humans, US researchers said Thursday.
Read Full Story

Rep. Bachus faces insider-trading investigation

Friday, February 10, 2012

Source: The Washington Post

The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee over possible violations of insider-trading laws.
Read Full Story

UK says elderly are “wasting" too many bedrooms

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Source: Canada Free Press

In yet another outrageous piece of social engineering from the British government, pensioners will be encouraged to downsize to smaller properties allowing local government councils to rent their homes out as public housing and manage the tenancy.
Read Full Story

Federal Employee Gravy Train

Monday, January 30, 2012

Source: The Washington Times

Federal workers earn 16 percent more in total compensation — including wages and benefits — than comparable private-sector employees, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The key difference is in benefits, where federal workers average more than $20 per hour in compensation — 48 percent higher than the $13.60 in prorated hourly benefits in the private sector.
Read Full Story

Ind. Lawmakers: "Pee Test For Thee But Not For Me"

Friday, January 27, 2012

Source: Huffington Post

A member of the Indiana General Assembly withdrew his bill to create a pilot program for drug testing welfare applicants Friday after one of his colleagues amended the measure to require drug testing for lawmakers.
Read Full Story

America, arms-dealer to the world

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Source: Salon.com

Retired lieutenant colonel's take on the military-industrial complex: As a country, we seem to have a teenager’s fascination with military hardware, an addiction that’s driving us to bust our own national budgetary allowance. At the same time, we sell weapons the way teenage punks sell fireworks to younger kids: for profit and with little regard for how they might be used.
Read Full Story

Still Convinced Tax Increases Work?

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Source: CBSChicago.com

After largest tax increase in Illinois' history, the state still can't pay its bills. Only solution is to cut government spending says state comptroller.
Read Full Story

GOP Voters Split On Interventionism

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Source: The Washington Times

Nearly half of all Republican primary voters say it’s time the U.S. stops intervening in world affairs and focuses on domestic priorities instead, signaling a persistent rift that is playing out in the party’s presidential nomination battle.
Read Full Story

Read All Recent News

Get in the Know Now
Get SSI Email Alerts

Social Networks

Action Center