In the Name of Charity or Political Gain?

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AK) cordially invites you to meet with your Senators, provided you can pay $2,500 to $100,000. According to a brochure obtained by TIME, Lincoln will be the host of a late-night concert party called Rockin' on the Dock of the Bay during the weekend of the Democratic convention, with proceeds going to CureSearch. $100,000 donors will get 100 free tickets, backstage passes to meet the rock band, a "premium bar" and the chance to groove with Democratic Senators. Lincoln and other Democrats say that the fundraiser is a great opportunity to raise a substantial amount of money for cancer research. CureSearch is a program of the National Childhood Cancer Foundation and the Children’s Oncology Group. Watchdog groups Democracy 21, Common Cause, and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy have filed complaints against Sen. Tom DeLay (R-TX) for hosting similar charity events during the weekend of the Republican convention (previously reported by OMB Watch.) However, Lincoln and DeLay’s charity events have notable differences. For example, Lincoln’s event is one night only and is tied to a long-standing, well-known national charity. Conversely, DeLay’s is hosting several events throughout the week with proceeds going to benefit a charity, Celebrations for Children, Inc., which was created for the sole purpose of raising money during the week of the convention and is strongly tied to DeLay himself. During the week of the Republican convention, another charity event will take place in addition to DeLay’s events. Republicans are hosting a “Rock the Apple…Georgia Style” in Manhattan. The concert is set up the same way as the one hosted by Lincoln. In fact, Aflac, a Georgia insurance company, is sponsoring both the Democrat and Republican concert events.
back to Blog