After presidential hopeful Barack Obama made a show of standing up to Washington insiders by returning donations from lobbyists, he received help raising campaign money from at least two of them.
The incongruity illustrates the line that Obama has attempted to walk as he raised a record $58.5 million in the first half of 2007: He needs money to fund his campaign messages, one of which is that he is a different type of politician determined to reform Washington.
Underscoring that point, the Illinois Democrat began airing television commercials this week in the early-voting state of Iowa decrying the Washington culture and proclaiming that he accepts no money from federal lobbyists or political action committees.
In his campaign finance statements, Obama has disclosed that he has returned more than $52,000 given to him by Washington lobbyists, though there is no law against taking money from them.
Even as he shuns donations from lobbyists, Obama has taken more than $1.4 million this year from law and consultancy firms that have partners who are registered to lobby, a Times analysis of Obama's fundraising shows. He has received hundreds of thousands more from corporate executives while turning down money from their lobbyists.
"This may be an imperfect ban, but it is an important symbol of the kind of administration that Obama will have in Washington," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.
Two federal lobbyists who have had their donations returned are John C. Corrigan and Sanford Stein: $4,600 to Corrigan and $2,000 to Stein.
Corrigan, based in Chicago, has known Obama since Corrigan worked in the Illinois state Senate, where Obama served for seven years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. In his lobby business, Corrigan represents U.S. Cellular, a telecommunications company, and Aurora, Ill., a city seeking federal money to expand its airport.
Stein is a lawyer also based in Chicago, and lobbies for a children's advocacy group that has sought federal money. Not including the $2,000 that he returned to Stein, Obama has taken $15,000 from Stein's firm, Drinker Biddle.
Drinker has a significant lobby presence in Washington, where it represents drug makers, healthcare providers and casino interests.
Although Obama gave back their contributions, the candidate benefited when the lobbyists sent separate e-mails in May and June urging that donors attend fundraisers June 8 in Chicago. Corrigan also sent e-mails asking people to volunteer for Obama's campaign.
