Teiro, Protect Your Family Against Ken's Whimsy

by: Dan Sullivan

Sat May 18, 2013 at 20:33:30 PM EDT

I am afraid you may not comprehend that for a time Ken's entire investment portfolio consisted of a single position in a rather murky business venture that was certainly high risk. That's not the kind of investment philosophy a more business savvy person with seven children would employ. It is certainly not the kind of philosophy a Governor should operationalize, say with investments made by the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). It's probably not a coincidence that at almost the same time Bob's pals were risking the future of the VRS investing in high risk derivatives (we should demand a report on specific outcomes from those investments. It is quite possible they did very well; but we usually hear about such things). Ken may just have wanted to have some of that action too. But you really want someone in charge of the family treasure who knows something about business and investments.

You see, with Star Scientific, Ken was disqualified on two fronts when he let emotion rule his decision to invest. First, Ken has a history of misjudging people. Maybe you remember Bobby Thompson who gave your husband a lot of money stolen from veterans. Ken bought the whole scheme, hook, line, and sinker. This also speaks to his ability to critically think, something a lawyer should be able to demonstrate; worrisome. But that's not the second issue. No, the second is Ken's casual approach to science. When investing in a company with the word "scientific" in its name, it might pay to actually be able to discern how science works. We already know that Ken would rather deny something he does not want to believe rather than analyze the evidence. Of course, he's burned his bridges with a significant portion of the scientific community, so the people from whom he is likely get advice are probably only those who are "like-minded." Not being a good judge of character, maybe he shouldn't be allowed to choose an investment advisor either. He might reach out to his pal Bob Purkey, who, self-proclaimed investment genius that he is, let that whole VRS derivatives position blow right by him.  

Eating the Seed Corn

by: Elaine in Roanoke

Tue May 07, 2013 at 21:28:17 PM EDT

Virginia did some very dangerous things for the future of the Commonwealth in order to balance the budget during the Great Recession. Now that recovery is underway, the state's citizens should be seeing its leaders trying to undo the worst of those actions, but instead Republican Ken Cuccinelli wants to push the state even further into a "disastrous situation." Cuccinelli, in pursuit of the Governor's Mansion and perhaps in order to emulate former Gov. Jim Gilmore's "no car tax" election strategy that ended in a fiscal sinkhole for the state, has proposed cutting state taxes by $1.5 billion without saying how he plans to deal with the shortfall. Let's look at just one area of the state budget Cooch proposes to rob - education.

People who understand the 21st-century economy we live in know that one vital component of competing in that economy is an educated workforce. In that respect, Virginia has been absent for the last four years under Republican rule. Want proof? O.K., here goes:

Virginia has shrunk direct aid for public K-12 education to pre-2009 levels, shifting the burden of maintaining educational standards to local government. It also shifted part of the cost of employee benefits to localities and forced additional costs on localities and teachers for the Virginia Retirement System. Virginia's budget devoted to public education as a percentage of the general fund in fiscal year 2009 was 34.63%. In 2012 it was 29.88%. That is unconscionable and guarantees a future where that Virginia faces possible economic mediocrity.

In higher education, if possible, the picture for the future is even worse. Between 1992 and 2010, general fund appropriations to public higher education in Virginia fell from 14% to 11% of total state appropriations. The Commonwealth (10th in wealth in the U.S.) ranked 40th for state and local appropriations for higher education. For comparison, Maryland ranked 14th and North Carolina ranked 7th. While the national average for educational appropriations was $7,059 in 2008, Virginia's appropriation per student was $1,254 lower at $5,805.

Campaign Finance: A Winner for Terry McAuliffe

by: kindler

Tue Apr 30, 2013 at 22:09:22 PM EDT

Terry McAuliffe presently faces a problem and an opportunity that both can be solved by his own "trip to China."  The problem is that his reputation is that of a big-money inside-the-Beltway fundraiser.  By sheer coincidence, the opportunity also involves campaign cash -- the Star-gate scandal that is presently eating both Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli alive.  This whole scandal has exposed how weak and ineffective Virginia's campaign finance laws really are -- and how unlikely it is that Republicans will be the ones to change them.  

The solution is one that Terry's campaign has just begun to hit on -- make him the leader who finally brings real campaign finance reform to the Commonwealth.  What better person to lead that charge than one of the great fundraisers in recent political history?  By making this a major campaign issue, Terry can leave his past behind him and embrace a future as the reformist governor that Virginia so desperately needs.  

And this is one of those happy instances where good policy also represents good politics, since every mention of the legal and ethical woes of the current Republican governor and the AG who seeks to replace him only helps make the Democrats' case.  

Shad Planking May Have Seen Its Day

by: Dan Sullivan

Thu Apr 18, 2013 at 07:00:15 AM EDT

What was clear was that the bluster of Tea Party insurgents and in-your-face Confederate flag-waving misfits in recent years put off a large portion of the politically motivated who came for a more civil kind of camaraderie. The Ruritan Club's charitable efforts to raise money for local causes was wounded by this turn of events. Make no mistake, this was a self-inflicted wound.

Ruritan officials took issue with Mo Elleithee's assessment that the event has outlived its relevance, claiming it will live on another 65 years. Apparently the fact that the proceeds go to charity is supposed to excuse the inhospitable behavior that has been tolerated too long.

Help Name the Star Scientific Scandal!

by: kindler

Wed Apr 10, 2013 at 19:03:25 PM EDT

So we should welcome all the continuing revelations about the close ties between Gov. McDonnell, AG Cuccinelli, former AG Kilgore, Star Scientific owner Jonnie Williams and a cast of thousands.  The drip, drip, drip of juicy new details continues every day -- Cuccinelli "forgot" to report his donations from the company! The CEO paid for part of  McDonnell's daughter's wedding!  He also paid for Cuccinelli's political trip to Kentucky!  The company sells tobacco products geared to minors!  It just keeps getting better.  Since Gov. Bob has been such a booster for flim-making in the Commonwealth, I think we should find a few liberal Hollywood types willing to come to the state and start filming "Star Scientific: the Movie."

But every great scandal needs a great name, and this one is still struggling in that regard.  Help this scandal out!  Here are a few suggestions -- please vote for your favorite, or come up with a new one.  Whoever comes up with the best alternative wins a free subscription to Blue Virginia -- delivered right to your screen!

- Star-gate (has that science fiction-y ring to it)
- Sci-Fi (short for "Star Scientific Financing Scandal")
- Quid Pro Tobacco (for those who like stuff in Latin)
- L'Affaire Jonnie (for those who like stuff in French)
- Supplement-gate (if just works)
- Wed-her-gate (okay, I admit that's lame so never mind...)

Poll appears after the flip -- vote early and often...

Train Wreck in the Commonwealth

by: kindler

Fri Apr 05, 2013 at 11:35:57 AM EDT

Even as stalwart a Cuccinelli critic as myself did not foresee what a disaster this man would be as a candidate for governor.  I figured that he might have learned a lesson from the political successes of Gov. McDonnell and at least make some moves to the center -- I mean, at least throw political moderates and independents an occasional bone.  But it seems that he is way too busy throwing raw meat to the radicals in his party to make any concessions to the actual electorate.  

It is true that according to current, early polls, he remains tied with Democrat Terry McAuliffe.  But the bigger picture is that every single day, he is supplying his opponents with fresh ammunition, reinforcing his image as an unrepentant fanatic, in bed with industry, and giving his enemies more inspiration to fight him even as he daily adds to their ranks.  At a time when he needs to be expanding his appeal, he seems steadfastly determined to narrow it.

The news cycle reflects near-daily hemorrhaging, from the stories about his conflicts of interest with Big Tobacco company Star Scientific last Saturday, to his archaic defense of sodomy laws on Wednesday back to his campaign's refusal on Thursday to say if he personally has committed any "crimes against nature" to Friday's revelations that two of his staff also have inappropriate ties to Star Scientific and that his Star Scientific buddies sell tobacco candies, perhaps to minors.  All this not long after his new book reinforced his extremist image (even considering Social Security and Medicare to be socialist plots) and his speech to the CPAC conference and interviews with Iowa and New Hampshire radio stations raised questions as to whether he's more focused on 2016 than 2013.  

It's not just his failure to appeal to anyone outside of the Tea Party circle.  Few commentators have noted that Cuccinelli just lost what was likely to be his best weapon against Terry McAuliffe -- the charge of practicing "crony capitalism."  The next time Republicans make such an accusation, the McAuliffe campaign need articulate only two words: Star Scientific.

Cuccinelli compared slavery to abortion in 2008

by: teacherken

Tue Mar 26, 2013 at 06:30:31 AM EDT

The Examiner story's 2nd paragraph reads

The outspoken conservative and candidate for governor made an almost identical statement in a 2008 "Cuccinelli Compass," a regular letter he writes to supports to supporters, The Washington Examiner has learned. In it, Cuccinelli reviews a biography on British abolitionist William Wilberforce and draws a connection between Wilberforce's fight against slavery to his own efforts in the Virginia Senate to curb abortions in the state.

The story also offers Cuccinelli's defense of those remarks:  

Mark Obenshain Stakes Out the Cuccinelli Legacy

by: Dan Sullivan

Thu Feb 28, 2013 at 11:28:00 AM EST

Politicians take license with the truth. They all do. Generally they pick an audience that is receptive and unwitting. Take George Romney's son and the 47% remark. So it really is as much a comment about Obenshain's disregard for the truth as it is a revelation about whom he appeals that he warmed up Virginia Beach Republicans with an adaptation of story told years ago by Paul Trible about his 5 ½ year old daughter. Obenshain's embellished version cast his own then 5 year old daughter, but moved the punch line venue to a children's sermon at his church. Nothing like "crafting" a story to embed the common experience of religious affiliation with your audience. Let them assume whatever they will.

"You're my friends. I share that embarrassing moment with you with the knowledge that you will keep that to yourselves and not share it any further." - Mark Obenshain.

Obenshain effectively reads and connects with a receptive (nee gullible) crowd. He told this audience that he recognized some of them from his visits to the local Victory office. He knew, he said, that all of them did everything they possibly could to make sure they won that election back in the fall. But election day came and the morning after it felt like they'd gotten a kick in the gut. He rallied them by telling them that they'd all made a choice to get back in the saddle afterwards instead of packing it in. That, he claimed, was evidence they were ready to continue the fight across Virginia.

"I had to think about what I had been engaged in the past couple of years and the wisdom and the importance of it. And it did not take me long to figure out that running for Attorney General in Virginia is more important now than it ever has been."

Ken Cuccinelli, kookoo for confrontation, but he might be right on transportation compromise

by: Progressive86

Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 12:48:50 PM EST

In the world according to Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, any major legislation that smells of bipartisanship must in and of itself be erroneous. After a  transportation deal with support across all political aisles was reached on Wednesday by negotiators in the Virginia House and Senate, Cuccinelli idealogued against its purported components.

Cuccinelli said, "If reports are correct, this new bill contemplates a massive tax increase. In these tough economic times, I do not believe Virginia's middle class families can afford massive tax increases..." What a "massive tax increase" is in the world of Ken Cuccinelli is open to speculation.

What isn't open for speculation is Cuccinelli's every public statement, from this moment until the final vote is cast for Virginia's next governor, will be a calculated effort to win over the supporters that he'll need to sit in the Executive Mansion next year (unfortunately for Cuccinelli, his arithmetic isn't so good).

But if the new taxes coming out of the new transportation bill are true, then Cuccinelli may have a firm ground to stand on, for once. According to one source, the deal would 'create' close to $880 million a year once fully transitioned in to address the commonwealth's new construction and roads maintenance needs. The revenue generated would come from tax increases on wholesale gasoline (don't have a problem), diesel fuel (don't have a problem) as well as increases in the state sales tax (have a problem), motor vehicle titling tax (iffy on this one), and audaciously, hybrid vehicle registration fees (I can see hybrid vehicle sales in Virginia already dipping).

Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli's book signing indicative of potential governorship: security galore!

by: Progressive86

Tue Feb 19, 2013 at 07:52:05 AM EST

This post has been cross-posted from Richmond Progressive Examiner.

The man of the people (of Virginia) Ken Cuccinelli, the commonwealth's attorney general, needed robust security for his book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Tysons Corner according to Blue Virginia's Lowell Feld.

Now imagine if Ken Cuccinelli became the next governor of Virginia. How much security would he surround himself with then?! Let me wager a guess and say enough security to fend off a lot of angry Virginians.

From all indications, Ken Cuccinelli gets a kick out of pissing Virginians off who don't stand on the same ideological razor's edge as he does. He seems to think it's a game of realpolitik, ideological zealotry, and just a dash of fun spread into the mix.

Cuccinelli's in-your-face political style is hardly what Virginia needs in their attorney general, let alone their governor. Compromise, compromise, what is compromise?!

Furthermore, Cuccinelli's hour-long book signing at Barnes and Noble on Saturday is representative of what a Cuccinelli governorship would look like: short on ideas, high on himself, surrounded by security, and readily accessible only to those individuals who stand on his political side of the fence.

Somehow, a sizable number of Virginians see Cuccinelli as 'their guy', the individual who can finally infuse government with...anti-government policies.

But the issue is not government itself. The issue that America truly needs to address is bad governance. And bad governance starts with prohibiting government from filling the spaces that the private sector will not, cannot, or should not fill itself (i.e., Veterans benefits; Medicare; Medicaid, etc.).

Ken Cuccinelli: Governor Steppingstone?

by: kindler

Thu Feb 14, 2013 at 22:21:19 PM EST

Oh, sure, he's kind of running for governor -- in the same way that you put on your underwear before you pull up your pants. Sort of a preliminary, peremptory gesture that you have to go through on the way to where you're really heading. So in order not to waste time, our hero has already begun giving radio interviews in such presidential jackpot states as Iowa -- and most recently New Hampshire.

You think I'm kidding? Let's hear it from an experienced source:

New Hampshire state Democratic party Chairman Ray Buckley called the release of his book a clear first step in Cuccinelli's run for the Republican nomination in 2016.

"Ken Cuccinelli's opinion that social security and Medicare are 'goodies' that make recipients dependent on government would certainly be enlightening to the many voters he will have to win over during his long quest for the Presidency," Buckley said in a statement.

h/t Ryan Nobles and Decision Virginia

No Banking on Shad Planking

by: Dan Sullivan

Fri Feb 01, 2013 at 20:53:23 PM EST

Granted, it is not as disappointing as most carnival attractions. If nothing else, you get a bony lunch. And there is something else. If you have any interest at all in the anthropology of Virginia political thought, this is an enlightening event. It bears all the authenticity of a historical re-enactment. The only way George Allen could have been more at home would have been if he'd come dolled up in the confederate uniform he wore in his movie cameo role.  You find vestiges of antiquated culture here you might never observe out of the closet in more accessible public venues.

That is the evolutionary branch of this event: a program to appease a demographic yearning for the comfort of a time that they dream could exist. Their future is some choreographed replay of an imaginary past. Here, the attendees who represent diversity are most often caricatures that appease that yearning. You know...they know their place, they toe the line. Radtke and Bishop offered many who would never vote for them the opportunity to feel better about themselves. All is right with the world where diversity is only skin deep.

When Democrats crash the party, you can almost sense time folding. They really can't step through that barrier between the two perceptions of past, present, and future. So while it is an engrossing play, that is all it is. And this play is not the thing. It is long past the time when this was an event where relevant political trends could be measured or influenced.

There is every reason to attend as an observer, but no reason to take the role of respectful and acquiescing participant; particularly this year, when the program will be a Cuccinelliphant love-fest.

Last year candidate Kaine couldn't attend due to scheduling. This year, Democratic candidates should schedule not to attend.

Cuccinelli Perpetuates Right-Wing Lies

by: Elaine in Roanoke

Thu Jan 31, 2013 at 19:05:43 PM EST

One lie Cuccinelli repeats is that somehow Social Security is a "subsidized government benefit." That's a blatant lie. Social Security is now, and has been from its inception, a self-funding, social pension insurance program. In fact, it has been a cash cow for the government which has used the revenue from Social Security taxes to add money to the Federal operating budget.

In another lie, Cuccinelli calls Medicaid "outright welfare," contending that it "makes people dependent on government." Just who are these "deadbeats" that Cuccinelli wants to be thrown onto their own devices to survive? Let's look at facts, not right-wing lies.  

According to the Congressional Budget Office, 64% of Medicaid spending in 2011 was for older Americans in nursing homes who had used all their own funds prior to getting Medicaid and for people with severe physical or mental disabilities. Do Cuccinelli and his radical ilk promote throwing those people out on the street? About 20% of Medicaid spending went to poor children. Shall we just let them grow up, if they get to grow up, with no health care at all? Only about 16% of Medicaid money went to adults. In Virginia, Medicaid isn't even given to childless adults, and parents are only covered if they make $6,600 or less annually, which is far below the Federal poverty level.

I, for one, am sick and tired of people like Cuccinelli dressing up their selfishness and social darwinism in conservative politics. These people aren't conservative. They're radical, They're dangerous to the social fabric that knits this nation together. They're an affront to my religious faith that teaches me that I am my brother's keeper, that charity to others is a moral responsibility I should welcome. There is only one solution for the poison they spew. They need to be retired from public office.

Fairfax Supervisors Back Cuccinelli's War on EPA

by: kindler

Sat Jan 05, 2013 at 11:02:24 AM EST

But why would the Democratic-controlled Fairfax County Board of Supervisors aid and abet him in this act -- at a time when he is running to become the #1 Tea Party Governor in America?  

You better ask them.  The Board and Cuccinelli just won a lawsuit against EPA on the issue of protecting aquatic life in a local creek.

Not surprisingly, Cuccinelli characterized the case by employing his favorite rhetorical technique -- LYING:

"EPA was literally treating water itself - the very substance the Clean Water Act was created to protect - as a pollutant."

Really?  Well, here's my challenge to Kookinelli and his supporters: please read through the hundreds of pages of EPA's regulatory decision on this matter -- and show me where they declare water to be a pollutant.  

Can T-Mac Motivate the New Democratic Majority?

by: Elaine in Roanoke

Sun Dec 02, 2012 at 14:27:53 PM EST

I'm both heartened and worried about the emergence of that new majority, one that has the potential to rival the coalition FDR put together, a coalition that put in office political leaders who gave us the social safety net we have today. I'm heartened for the future, but I'm worried about the present, especially about state and local elections and the ability of Democrats to motivate those same voters to come to the polls in every election.

Key is the fact that Obama voters twice gave him victory. In 2008 many in the GOP rationalized his win as coming from the disgust of voters with George W. Bush, and that may have been somewhat true. However, the 2012 victory was achieved by President Obama running on his own record, in a time of horrible economic hangover from the first financial panic since the Great Depression. That's proof that Obama and his campaign leadership had the ability to appeal to the emerging Democratic majority I described and to set up the ground game to get out their vote.

We have a critical election coming up next year in Virginia, one that simply cannot duplicate the disaster that occurred in 2009. Bob McDonnell in moderate drag was bad enough. (Never forget he turned into "Transvaginal Bob.") Now, Ken Cuccinelli is trying to palm himself off as a mild-mannered middle-of-the-roader. We can't allow him to succeed. We need candidates in 2013 who can appeal to the new Democratic voters and can motivate them to action. If the Democratic ticket is composed of three white men over the age of 50 who simply come across as the same-old, same-old politicians, what appeal will they have to those up to now, presidential-only voters?  

Black Helicopter Wing on the Rise

by: Dan Sullivan

Wed Nov 28, 2012 at 19:47:43 PM EST

There is nothing substantive the DPVA can show as a response to the 2009 debacle. Republicans have a completely new wardrobe on order for 2013. OFA blew in, blew up, and blew out. Republicans still hold everything but the teetering state Senate (one special election away) and have an amazingly slick snake oil salesman in the Governor.

Note to all Democratic hopefuls: the OFA field organizers did nothing without guidance and were held on a short leash. Not a one was required or allowed to demonstrate initiative or individual competence. They followed a well designed call-center playbook; they might as well have been selling time shares. Political acumen was not in their terms of reference. They consistently alienated their local Democratic contacts. Check beyond their references before bringing them on.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are reining in the vitriolic. It will fade as we proceed through the 2013 General Assembly session. Delegate Rob Bell (R-58th), candidate for Attorney General, is already stepping up as a defender of the elderly. This despite his party's burial of a bill last session he now claims to champion. Republicans are moving back toward dog whistle politics. Remember, crazy is not an impediment to political success (See Hitler, Adolph). You just need someone to blame.

Assessing the gains from the OFA effort locally is difficult. At least in my locality, we know who volunteered. But the OFA walk list has not been fully harvested. The use of social media is not a DPVA strong suit despite Frank Leone's (who is now more focused on hockey than Virginia politics) promises, but OFA has been redirected to use that medium to sell policy rather than promote candidates and that may mitigate effectiveness of any DPVA mimic. Mimicry is not what we need. We really need professionals to determine the way ahead. Unfortunately, those professionals are persona non grata at DPVA.

Ken Cuccinelli, Jeffersonian?

by: kindler

Wed Nov 21, 2012 at 21:19:03 PM EST

I am running for Governor of our Commonwealth to advance the same First Principles [...] best articulated by Thomas Jefferson in that most famous sentence of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

No, that wasn't another Virginia earthquake you just heard -- that was old Tom doing flips in his grave. Because it is hard to think of a politician in this country who so thoroughly repudiates the democratic, egalitarian, academic, rational spirit with which Jefferson endowed the American republic -- on all the issues that matter, including:

- "All men are created equal":  Our Ayatollah General actually has the cojones to quote Martin Luther King in calling Jefferson's famous line above "our national creed."  Well of course it is, but to what was King referring?  To the inalienable right of coal company owners to avoid environmental and safety regulations if they give you big enough campaign contributions?  Hardly.

Cuccinelli's World: the Objectivist Nightmare

by: Dan Sullivan

Wed Nov 21, 2012 at 17:37:10 PM EST

Objectivism actually explains such a misbegotten perception. In a narrow life experience such as Ken's, he simply hasn't had the exposure to reality required to develop a sophisticated perception of this situation. He is still in the "victim as perpetrator" phase of his maturity. You know, the one that explains why it is always the victim of rape at fault for the crime. Literally, his position is just as poisonous to the general welfare.

It is difficult enough to process and adjudicate elder abuse cases in Virginia without another obstacle. But here is one certified by our Attorney General:

Proposed changes to the regulation also provide the opportunity for an alleged perpetrator to request a review of the LDSS's investigation findings when the disposition is needs protective services and accepts, needs protective services and refuses or need for protective services no longer exists. These changes ensure that alleged perpetrators are guaranteed due process (emphasis added).  - Agency Statement dated 5/16/2011

The comment period for this regulation ends this Friday. Everyone is encouraged to provide input through the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall comment process.

Please protest this inane application of due process and invitation to retaliation. Assist Ken with his continuing perceptual development and personal growth so that he might one day achieve that objectivist ideal.

Will Votergate Come Back to Haunt Cuccinelli?

by: kindler

Sat Oct 20, 2012 at 14:07:47 PM EDT

That is, to be clear, a theory -- we don't know all the facts yet.  But the reason we have law enforcement officials is to investigate suspicious incidents and prosecute the guilty.  And this brings us to the top legal authority in the state, Attorney General Cuccinelli.

Where is he?  For a couple years now, Republican officials have been wailing about what a problem voter and election fraud are and how we need to act against these threats.  Yet faced with evidence of genuine election fraud happening -- in his very own state -- Cuccinelli is silent.  

Surrogate Fail: Cuccinelli's Obama Attack Backfires, Damages Romney

by: TheGreenMiles

Mon Jul 16, 2012 at 17:45:00 PM EDT

Mitt Romney's campaign kicked off a new effort on Monday accusing President Obama of engaging in "crony capitalism" that rewards people who donated to his campaign. But when asked to name one single policy reform Romney would implement that would prevent such corruption, a top surrogate demurred.

"I don't think you can do this with one overarching rule," Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) told TPM on a conference call organized by the Romney campaign. "It hasn't worked with prior administrations. You really need to elect someone who is committed to weeding it out and not making political bundling the top requirement for a job application."

Cuccinelli repeatedly attacked Obama for appointing "bundlers," or top campaign fundraisers, to his administration, but offered no assurance at all that Romney would institute a policy restricting their appointments. Even if Romney did insist on keeping bundlers out of his administration, it would be impossible to tell. Romney, unlike Obama, John McCain and President George W. Bush, won't release a list of his bundlers, according to campaign finance advocates. The only ones publicly disclosed so far are bundlers who are also registered lobbyists, since they're governed by disclosure requirements. Obama, by contrast, does not allow lobbyists to raise money for his campaign.