Things aren't looking so good for Democrats campaign funds wise. It seems the Obama's willingness to rewrite legislation that effects big business is having an effect on the coffers:

The vast majority of those declines were accounted for by the absence of large donors who, strategists say, have shut their checkbooks in part because Democrats have heightened their attacks on the conduct of major financial firms and set their sights on rewriting the laws that regulate their behavior.

Remember how the group ACORN made headlines for advising how to set up a brothel and use underage girls as workers? And how the U.S. Congress became so incensed that it passed legislation to prevent ACORN from getting any more federal funds?

Turns about that the bill was written so loosely that it could be used against a lot of other groups or companies receiving federal funds:

The congressional legislation intended to defund ACORN, passed with broad bipartisan support, is written so broadly that it applies to "any organization" that has been charged with breaking federal or state election laws, lobbying disclosure laws, campaign finance laws or filing fraudulent paperwork with any federal or state agency. It also applies to any of the employees, contractors or other folks affiliated with a group charged with any of those things.

Here's a list of such companies who meet those conditions.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has unanimously approved the 2010 Pentagon budget. The bill has a price tag of $636 billion (PDF summary) and covers all the Pentagon expenses, including $128 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A few notes:

* Adds 21,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing total number to 68,000.

* Boeing Co. comes out nicely, with an orders for extra cargo planes and Navy jets which were not requested.

* $100 million requested by the Administration to close the Guantanamo Bay prison were strongly rejected and transfer, release or incarceration in the U.S. by any detainees is flatly forbidden.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan writes about the "Race to the Top" program and the $4.35 billion that it's making available for K12 schools to compete against each other for funds. However, according to the AP, most states will be using the money to avoid laying off teachers.

President Obama and the Pentagon doesn't want helicopters for the President or more F-22 fighter jets, but Congress seem bent on funding them anyway, despite a veto threat.

"The defense-spending panel not only decided to keep Lockheed Martin's F-22 fighter jet program alive — despite a personal promise by the president to veto any defense bill containing more funds — but went ahead with funding for a second engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which also provoked an Obama veto threat. They also poured money into the now- defunct presidential helicopter program, which Obama said he doesn’t want."