Once again, No candidate can take contributions from oil companies...it is against the law. Obama's statements are false and misleading. Obama is taking contributions from individuals that work in the oil industry the same as other candidates while criticizing it.
Obama claimed not to take oil money - he does:
Oil Industry Contributions to Obama
Oil Company Individual Contributions
ExxonMobil $30,850
Hess $5,200
Shell $9,900
Conoco Phillips $4,300
Chevron $9,500
BP $6,396
Total $66,146
Then Obama claimed not to take money from PAC's - he does:
According to the charts you posted, Obama has taken at least $13,000 in actual PAC money. But the bigger point is that Obama is attempting to make a distinction between the negative influence of PAC's and individual contributions from the oil industry which he claims not to accept but actually does accept. PAC's can only donate $5000. Individual contributions can outweigh a single PAC donation and can have even more influence based on Obama's hypocritical claims. Factcheck.org simply put it this way: We're not sure how a $5,000 contribution from, say, Chevron's PAC would have more influence on a candidate than, for example, the $9,500 Obama has received from Chevron employees giving money individually.
Obama claims not to take money from Washington lobbyists - Obama is splitting-hairs and insulting the intelligence of the American people.
Obama does not accept donations from registered lobbyists. However, he does accept contributions from spouses and family members of lobbyists, partners at law firms where lobbyists work if the partner is not registered to lobby, senior executives at companies that hire lobbyists, and state-level lobbyists. Among his top fundraisers are at least a few who were registered lobbyists as recently as last year and withdrew their registration to fundraise for Obama, according to Factcheck.org
The (Obama) campaign says it is making a "best effort" to stay away from tainted money. "It isnt a perfect solution to the problem and it isnt even a perfect symbol, spokesman Burton has said.
On all counts, Obama is disingenuous.
