Obama’s inauguration committee limits donations

By GottaLaff

What was that the Republicans said about doubting Obama's judgment?

Barack Obama’s inauguration committee announced Tuesday that it would limit corporate and politically-tied money in funding the swearing-in of the Democrat on Jan. 20.

The Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) said in a statement that it would not “accept contributions from corporations, political action committees (PACs), current federally registered lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens and registered foreign agents.” [...]

President Clinton’s inaugural committee in 1997 raised $23.7 million with a self-imposed $100,000 cap. [...] But Bush’s committee in 2005 set a cap of $250,000 on the way to raising $42.8 million. Corporations and their executives provided for more than 90 percent of the donations, according to the non-profit watchdog group, Public Citizen.

Change? Did I hear someone mention the word "change"?

Craig Holman, legislative representative for Public Citizen:

“None of the previous presidents has ever prohibited contributions from corporations, or PACs, or registered lobbyists for the inaugural activities. So what we’re seeing is a marked shift.”

Obama’s committee also said it would not take individual donations larger than $50,000. The majority of those individual donors are likely to be the heads of large and wealthy corporations that want to buy influence with Obama, according to Holman. [...]

Much of the money is going to be used to open up areas on the National Mall that have not been available to the public in past inaugurations...

And that's no small change.