Early Telecom Dollars—Such as They are—Go to McCain
Communications and Internet companies have given $47,000 in PAC contributions to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for his 2008 presidential run, a pittance compared with the total $30.4 million McCain has amassed. But that’s the most the industries have given to any candidate this campaign, according to CQ’s Political Moneyline and Federal Election Commission reports. The communications industry will give much more as the contest heats up if historical patterns hold.
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With more than a dozen candidates on the hustings and no clear front runner in either party, businesses seem to be biding their time. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., led with $91.1 million in contributions at the end of the third quarter, the latest period for which data are available. She got $26,458 from communications companies. Cablevision gave her nearly $10,000 through its PAC. Owners James and Charles Dolan, listed as “bundlers” for the Clinton campaign, have raised at least $100,000 in individual donations, records show. “Cablevision is a constituent of Clinton’s, so it’s not that surprising they are a big supporter,” said analyst Paul Gallant of the Stanford Washington Research Group. “Even if she doesn’t win, she'll keep moving up in the Senate.”
Other Clinton PAC contributors included Level 3, which gave $5,000; Pappas Telecasting Companies, $5,000; Consumer Electronics Association, $5,000; Par Technology, $1,000; and National Semiconductor Corp., $1,000. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., had raised $80.2 million but lists no communications companies as sources of $6,775 he noted as from industry PACs. Former Sen. John Edwards raised $30.3 million but listed no contributions from communications or technology firms.
McCain’s $30.4 million includes $47,000 in communications PAC funding. Among the donors are USTelecom, $5,000; AT&T, $5,000; NCTA, $5,000; Qwest, $5,000; the Consumer Electronics Association, $5,000; Verizon, $5,000; Qualcomm, $5,000; IDT, $5,000; EchoStar, $5,000; and T- Mobile, $2,500.
Among Republicans, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney raised $62.8 million but attracted no significant communications industry funding. Former N.Y.C. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani collected $45.8 million, with communications firms contributing 3 percent of the $259,691 in overall industry PAC funds. Pappas Telecasting gave Giuliani $4,600.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) has raised $18.7 million, including $199,650 in industry PAC funding. Qwest gave Richardson $3,000, the only communications PAC money he lists. Most of Richardson’s PAC money is from unions and law firms. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., raised $13.6 million, none from communications companies. Nor has the industry given to former Sen. Fred Thompson (R), who raised $12.8 million, or Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who raised $8.3 million.