Not only does Barack Obama inspire people in a way not seen in decades, his ability to stay on message and his actions solidify the great things he says up on stage. Now that he is the nominee, he effectively becomes head of the party and in the same week he is starting to make big changes for the Democratic apparatus. For more than a year he has repeated that he will take no corporate or lobbyist money. Well now neither will the DNC.
From Politico:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is moving on two fronts to make transparency a linchpin of his campaign, opening his fundraisers to reporters and clamping down on the Democratic National Committee’s fundraising from Washington insiders.
The moves, announced on his second full day as the party’s de facto presidential nominee, are designed to drive a campaign message of change versus more of the same, aides said.
His likely opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), closes his fundraisers to the press.
Beginning last night, Obama will open all of his fundraisers to at least a pool reporter, who will share the information with the rest of the press corps.
Beginning Thursday, the DNC will no longer accept checks from federal lobbyists or political action committees, mirroring the strict standard Obama adopted for his presidential campaign.
Now that is change I can believe in. McCain is his usual secretive self, desperately masking who he really is and the policies and modus operandi that conflict with his "maverickness." Besides, it wouldn't do McCain much good to follow Obama on the openness factor because he survives on insiders. Obama on the other hand has the support of millions of donors and supporters that make his a true people-powered campaign.
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