Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe argued in a new interview there’s "just way too much money in politics"—but left out his legacy of raising astronomical sums for the Democratic Party:
REPORTER: Campaign finance reform is something that sticks around as a very important issue. As governor, would you make some moves in the direction of improving that?
McAULIFFE: Sure, I think I speak for most folks—and I’ve been active in politics for a long time—there’s just way too much money in politics, and whatever we can do to move it to get some of the money out of politics and to limit it, I would be 100 percent for, and would be glad to sign that piece of legislation on my desk.
McAuliffe’s claim to political fame is his prodigious ability to raise money for Democrats like his friend former President Bill Clinton, Al Gore (who once dubbed McAuliffe "the greatest fund-raiser in the history of the universe"), the Democratic National Committee, and others.
He once raised $26 million in one night for the Democrats during Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, and served in a number of high-ranking, national finance positions for the Democrats.
Last year, McAuliffe pledged to raise more than $500,000 for President Obama’s reelection campaign. He has personally donated more than $160,000 to Democratic candidates and committees since 2007. He also hosted Obama at a fundraiser for the president’s campaign in his McLean, Va., home.
For McAuliffe’s own effort, he has fundraised with Clinton and other Democratic fundraising principals like private equity executive and expert poker player Marc Lasry and John Morgan, himself a major fundraiser for Obama’s reelection campaign.