Wasteful government spending

Nineteen months ago in Springfield, Ill. Senator Barack Obama began his presidential campaign with a commitment to run a people-powered campaign that was not funded or run by Washington lobbyists. Obama recognizes that it is impossible to change America surrounded by, advised by and funded by Washington lobbyists. Although many did not believe it was possible to run a successful campaign without lobbyist money, Obama has to this day not accepted a single dollar from a federal lobbyist.

This approach stands in stark contrast to that of the current administration, where oil and natural gas lobbyists literally wrote the nation's energy policy through Dick Cheney's secret Energy Task Force. Obama has a consistent record of attacking the culture of corruption in Washington, sponsoring and passing strict ethics legislation to prevent another Keating Five scandal or Abramoff debacle. As president, Sen. Obama would continue to bring transparency to the lobbying industry through the creation of an Internet database that tracks federal contracts. He would also require all non-emergency legislation to be posted online for at least five days to allow for public oversight. Sen. Obama has run his campaign the same way he will run his White House-lobbyist-free and accountable only to the American people.

Unfortunately John McCain is uninterested in truly ending the excessive influence of special interests in Washington. Despite his rhetoric, McCain has allowed lobbyists to not just fund but run his campaign. Even though he argues that "there are too many lobbyists" in Washington, McCain reportedly has at least 150 current or former Washington lobbyists running his campaign, including his campaign manager and top foreign policy adviser. Charlie Black, one of McCain's chief advisers, admitted in February that he regularly conducted his lobbying business while riding the Straight Talk Express. When one looks at the way he has run his campaign it is clear that a McCain White House will continue the Bush legacy of catering to the special interests while ignoring the interests of the American people.

Barack Obama began his campaign with a simple message: Change. As young people we have been directly affected by a Bush-McCain style of governing: Student loans have become more difficult to attain and the number of good jobs available to us after graduation are quickly diminishing. We cannot afford a third Bush term; it's time for real change in Washington.

Benjamin Bergmann is a Trinity sophomore. He is the president of the Duke Democrats.