A Sept. 7 article about the role of political action committee money in the U.S. Senate race in Maryland incorrectly stated that Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin had not signed a pledge by Common Cause to support public financing of campaigns and new restrictions on congressional gifts and travel from lobbyists. Cardin signed the pledge Sept. 5.
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PAC Funds Undercut Claims in Senate Race
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The team concept was devised to help in bundling donations from business interests so candidates could take in vastly more money at each fundraiser. Steele's team leader, Matt Keelan, a Republican lobbyist and political strategist, told Roll Call that he aimed to funnel every PAC contribution he could find to Steele through his team. Keelan told The Washington Post that he was advised by Steele's campaign not to grant any more interviews.
Heye confirmed that is the campaign's policy.
Steele has accepted $44,718 from the oil and gas industry but said yesterday that won't stop him from pursuing an aggressive environmental agenda. It isn't an "either-or," he said. "I'm talking about a different kind of leadership, where I'm not pitting one side against the other but pulling both sides to the table."
Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-Md.), who pledged to work with Steele on environmental issues, said it might be tough, "if you are getting a lot of money from a specific group, when it came time for a tough vote, not to find it affecting which way you end up leaning."
Steele's lobbying team was well established when Steele added a video to his campaign Web site early this year. It shows him stepping onto the front porch of a house and picking up the morning paper.
"Every day, the same thing. Another day's news, another scandal in Washington," he says, shaking his head. "We've got congressmen on the take and lobbyists eager to make a deal. The whole system's broken, and they've lost all respect for things important to us.
"I'm Michael Steele," he tells the camera, "and I am running for the United States Senate to shake things up."
Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.
