Despite having taken more than $3.5 million in campaign contributions from business-related political action committees (PAC), the U.S. Senate’s most liberal member Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is attacking corporate money in politics in advance of a tough reelection bid, tweeting yesterday that he is “ready to rumble” with Republicans “for using corp. money to influence elections.”

Brown’s tweet links to an Examiner article that describes his election-cycle rhetoric as “geared to energizing his base and attacking the GOP, and any future candidate that runs against him, for going after middle-class workers and their families and using corporate money to influence elections.” Meanwhile, Brown’s campaign website refers to corporate money in politics “pay-to-play electioneering” and touts Brown as “a man of principle who has made a career of standing up to special interests in Washington.”

But in addition to taking more than $3.5 million from business-related PACs, Brown has taken $2.3 million from lawyers and lobbyists, as well as $1.6 million from labor interests – the fifth most of any U.S. Senator since 1992. And though he decries the influence of “big banks” on his campaign website, Brown has taken nearly $550,000 from commercial banks, securities and investment interests. Brown was also the beneficiary of millions of dollars in independent expenditures in his 2006 Senate campaign, and big labor interests spent hundreds of millions on behalf of Democrat candidates in 2010.

Notably, Politico recently reported that Senate Democrats are “are putting the finishing touches on a group called the Majority PAC, a “super PAC” that can raise unlimited money to attack or support candidates,” and “at least some of the money could hail from anonymous donors, a tactic Democrats bitterly decried last year.”

“Senator Brown loves to engage in populist rhetoric, but his words simply don’t square with his record,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond. “Fortunately, there’s a simple solution here – if Sherrod Brown is serious about being ‘ready to rumble’ with Republicans over corporate money, then he should give back every dime he’s taken from corporations, banks and lobbyists over this career. If he’s not willing to do so, then maybe it’s time Senator Brown started talking straight with Ohioans.”

Background Information:

Senator Sherrod Brown Has Raised Millions Of Dollars From Corporate PACs

Senator Sherrod Brown Has Received $3,594,900 From Business Related PACs Over His Career. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 3/29/11)

Senator Sherrod Brown Received Thousands Of Dollars From Corporate PACs In The Final Months Of 2010:

• Comcast Corporation PAC, $1,000, 12/9/10

• KPMG Partners & Employees PAC, $1,000, 12/1/10

• General Electric Company, $1,000, 11/17/10

• United Airlines PAC, $2,000, 9/27/10

• Continental Airlines PAC, $2,000, 9/15/10

• Duke Energy Corporation, $2,500, 8/23/10

• Johnson & Johnson PAC, $1,000, 8/16/10 (CQ Political Money Line, http://moneyline.cq.com, Accessed 3/29/11)

Sherrod Brown’s Money By Sector

Brown Has Received $2.3 Million From Lawyers And Lobbyists Over The Course Of His Career. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 3/29/11)

Brown Has Received $1.6 Million From Labor Over The Course Of His Career –Fifth Most Of Any Senator Since 1992. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 3/29/11)

Brown Has Received $408,107 From The Real Estate Interests Over The Course Of His Career. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 3/29/11)

Sherrod Brown Has Received $360,605 From Securities And Investment Interests Over The Course Of His Career. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 3/29/11)

Brown Has Received $186,037 From Commercial Bank Interests Over The Course Of His Career. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 3/29/11)

Brown Has Received $55,650 From Oil And Gas Interests Over The Course Of His Career. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 3/29/11)

Brown Was The Beneficiary Of Millions In Independent Expenditures In 2006

The SEIU’s Political Action Committee Made $272,141 In Independent Expenditures For Brown In 2006. (CQ MoneyLine, www.cqmoneyline.com, Accessed 3/29/11)

The Sierra Club Made $37,589 In Independent Expenditures For Brown In 2006. (CQ MoneyLine, www.cqmoneyline.com, Accessed 3/29/11)

MoveOn.org Made $25,899 In Independent Expenditures For Brown In 2006. (CQ MoneyLine, www.cqmoneyline.com, Accessed 3/29/11)

The DSCC Made $6.2 Million In Independent Expenditures Either Supporting Brown Or Opposing Mike DeWine In 2006. (CQ MoneyLine, www.cqmoneyline.com, Accessed 3/29/11)

Big Labor Has Spent Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars On Behalf Of Democrats

“The AFL-CIO Is Planning Its Biggest Political Campaign Ever This Year, Surpassing The $53 Million Spent In 2008 To Help Elect President Barack Obama. Trying to avert a Republican takeover of both the House and Senate in the November midterm elections, the labor federation is focusing on a “firewall” of six states with key congressional elections and relatively high numbers of union households: California, New York, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania.” (“AFL-CIO Readies ‘Firewall’ Strategy For Fall Elections,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/2/10)

“At Least Two Influential Unions Will Spend Close To $100 Million On The 2010 Election, With Most Of Those Funds Going To Protect Incumbents.” (“Unions To Spend $100M On Saving Democrats,” The Hill, 5/21/10)

• “Union Officials Told The Hill They Plan To Help Endangered Members — Particularly Freshmen — Who Made Politically Difficult Votes In A Year During Which An Anti-Incumbent Mood Has Filled The Country.” (“Unions To Spend $100M On Saving Democrats,” The Hill, 5/21/10)

“The American Federation Of State, County And Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Plans To Spend In Excess Of $50 Million During The 2010 Campaign, Part Of Which Will Fund ‘A Massive Incumbent Protection Program,’ According To Gerry Mcentee, President Of The Union.” (“Unions To Spend $100M On Saving Democrats,” The Hill, 5/21/10)

“The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Plans To Spend $44 Million In Total On Its 2010 Election Program. The Union Spent $85 Million On Its 2008 Campaign, According To Union Officials.” (“Unions To Spend $100M On Saving Democrats,” The Hill, 5/21/10)