WASHINGTON — Yesterday's foes are today's friends.
That's the attitude of CUNA's PAC, which after last month's elections made contributions to 10 members of Congress, whose opponents it had originally backed.
Senators-elect Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) each received $5,000 from Credit Union Legislative Action Council after they won their elections.
Representatives-elect Bobby Bright (D-Ala.), Travis Childers (D-Miss.), Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.), Larry Kissell (D-N.C.), Betsey Markey (D-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) and Mark Schauer (D-Mich.) also received post-election contributions. Each received $5,000 except for Childers, Kissell and Markey, who received $2,500, $3,000 and $2,500, respectively.
Rep.-elect Cynthia Loomis (R-Wyo.) also received a $5,000 post-election contribution, even though CULAC did not back her opponent.
The contributions were disclosed in the report filed by CULAC earlier this month.
By contrast, NAFCU-PAC made no post-election contributions.
Those reports also showed the vast differences in the size of the PAC's coffers.
CULAC, which began the 2007-2008 election cycle with $393,763, raised just under $4 million ($3,981,831.02), and spent $4.2 million (including $2.8 million in contributions to candidates and committees and on independent expenditures). It ended up with $142,578. CULAC had to spend a lot of money to raise a lot-including $600,000 to buy the state quarters that were given as premiums to some contributor.
CUNA Political Director Trey Hawkins said they are discontinuing that program and substituting less costly premiums.
CULAC was the 14th biggest PAC (among approximately 4,300) in terms of candidate donations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a research and advocacy group.
NAFCU-PAC, which began the 2007-2008 election cycle with $112,537, raised $370,635 and spent $411,335, almost all on committee and candidate contributions. It ended up with $71,757 left in its coffers.
–cmarx@cutimes.com

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