Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), the second highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, will headline a fundraiser next week for the party's super PAC. Credit: {a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/go_to_2040/5102557038/"}@GO_TO_2040{/a}
Politico reports that Senate Democrats are holding a fundraiser next week to attract donations to their new super PAC from lobbyists and their corporate clients. Super PACs are political fundraising organizations that can secretly collect unlimited funds from corporations and then use those funds to advocate for or against candidates running for office:
The top two Democrats in the Senate, Harry Reid and Dick Durbin, and nearly 20 others are headlining a December breakfast fundraiser for Majority PAC, the Senate Democrat-focused super PAC, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO.
Part of the problem is that there are so many super PACs trying to attract corporate contributions:
Senate Democrats have been worried that there is increased competition for cash among Democrats in the Senate, House and White House. Three separate super PACs are looking to raise and spend unlimited cash for each group, but the pool of wealthy Democratic donors is finite.
The message of the event isn’t explicit, but it is if you read between the lines and speak the language of Washington insiders:
While super PACs can accept unlimited contributions from private entities, unions and others, the Dec. 15 breakfast fundraiser is asking hosts to contribute just $5,000, which includes priority seating and $2,500 for guests.
The reason: The event is focused on increasing the super PAC’s visibility on K Street for fundraising solicitations from lobbyists and their clients in what is expected to be the most competitive fundraising election cycle to date.
Lawmakers may not like it, but in the current system even they admit they’re completely dependent on these kinds of huge fundraising organizations to stay in power:
“Unfortunately after [the] Citizens United [decision establishing super PACs], we are now at a new level of campaign fundraising and spending, and I don’t think it’s a healthy thing, but I think it reflects the reality that these new super PACs are raising and spending money at historic levels, and the Democrats are trying to be competitive,” [Senator] Durbin said.
Read more: Politico: Senate Democrats: Don’t Forget Our Super PAC
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