Typical: Rep. Markey Owned By Interests He Oversees on His Committees

So, this past week Rep. Ed Markey held a fundraiser, which was co-hosted by lobbyist – and ex-Gore Chief of Staff – Ron Klain.  Klain is a former lobbyist of Fannie Mae, and Markey voted in favor of the Fannie and Freddie bailouts.  Hence, Ron’s invite was probably a top priority.  In all, it was a lobbyist-heavy, DC insider-packed event, which isn’t the crowd a man of the people heavily associates with  in his bid to represent the state of Massachusetts.  In fact, special interests dominate Ed.

As the Boston Globe notes: “For all [Markey’s] moral outrage about secret money being funneled into his opponent’s campaign, Markey’s real goal is to keep the financial advantage on the Democratic side. As the Globe reported last January, he entered the race with a $3.1 million war chest, much of it funded by the telecommunications and media industries, which he helps regulate as chairman of a powerful congressional committee. According to a memo circulated by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Markey received more than $1 million from outside groups during the 2013 Senate primary campaign, more than any other primary candidate.”

So, who are Ed’s biggest fans.  The NRSC discovered through public FEC reports that:

Outside Groups Spent At Least $1.3 Million Supporting Markey

• League Of Conservation Voters Inc. Spent $472,892. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)
• LCV Victory Fund Spent $360,885. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)
• League Of Conservation Voters Action Fund Spent $2,500. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)

SEIU COPE Spent $303,450 Supporting Markey. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)

NARAL Spent $51,123 Supporting Markey. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)

Local 1199 SEIU Spent $39,564 Supporting Markey. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)

350.org Action Fund Spent $19,576 Supporting Markey. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)

Planned Parenthood Spent $9,807 Supporting Markey. (FEC Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/1/13)

Yid With Lid wrote on May 5 that:

As part of his Congressional responsibilities Markey has the following committee work:

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Power
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

• Committee on Natural Resources

Based on information from Open Secrets, during his 2012 Reelection campaign the largest donors to his campaign committee and/or his PAC (119 donors in total) contributed a total $586,263 to his reelection efforts, $408,963 (70%) of those contributions came from industries involved with his committees or unions.

Markey also scheduled former congressman Ben Jones, Cooter from the Dukes of Hazzard, and his band to play at the $5,200 a head fundraiser, but barred him once it was known that Jones liked the Confederate flag.

Actor and former Georgia congressman Ben Jones, best known as “Cooter” on “Dukes of Hazzard,” was scheduled to play with Cooter’s Garage Band at the $5,200-a-person fundraiser for Markey’s Massachusetts’ senate campaign. But at the last minute, Markey asked Jones not to come. “The fact that this is regarded as a political liability means that they think it’s going to be a close race,” Jones told the Boston Globe.

Markey found out about Jone’s spirited defense of the controversial flag just hours before the party. Jones posted a letter on his website last year after NASCAR banned the show’s iconic car “General Lee” from appear­ing at Phoenix International Raceway because the Confederate flag is painted on the car roof. Jones wrote that NASCAR had dishonored Southerners and caved to political correctness and corporate sponsors.

Jones was unrepentant Tuesday, saying that the Markey staffer who called to cancel his appearance at the home of Ginny Grenham and Paul Zevnik “insulting me, my beliefs, my politics, my heritage, and everything else, and I guess my musicianship. I basically told the guy to fold it four ways and put it where the sun don’t shine.” But, he added, he would still vote for Markey if he lived in Massachusetts.

in 1976, Markey Supported A Constitutional Amendment To Prohibit Abortion. “Markey supports a constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion, and opposes busing to achieve racial integration in public schools. He says his abortion position is a matter of conscience, because he thinks abortion is wrong.” (David B. Hilder, “Ed Markey: The Milkman’s Son Who Broke The Rules,” The [Harvard University] Crimson, 11/22/76)