Facebook's political profile rises with donations to state attorneys general campaigns

April 27, 7:17 AMCalifornia Statehouse ExaminerScott Sabatini

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Facebook has increased its political profile in recent weeks. /AP

On a big weekend for California Democrats, news came out that one of country's biggest social networking site is dipping its toe into political waters.

Facebook, which hosted San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's announcement that he would run for governor in 2010 last week, also recently made its first political donations last month, according to a report in the Washington Times.

Facebook made a $10,000 donation to the Republican State Leadership Committee and a donation of the same amount to the Democratic Attorneys General Association.

Democrats were gathered in Sacramento this weekend where Newsom and the man he most likely will have to catch in the Democratic primary, California Attorney General Jerry Brown, both held high-profile events with party insiders.

The donations were made following agreements between Facebook and attorneys general from around the country to help protect children from online predators and to cut ties with pornographic Web sites, similar to the agreement it reached with New York in 2007.
 

Facebook officials still have not yet commented or denied persistent rumors that its chief privacy officer, Chris Kelly is planning to run in the Democratic primary for California Attorney General in 2010.

Though the campaign contributions were the first of its kind for the company, public records show that employees donated about $65,000 total to federal candidates during the last election cycle, most of which went to President Barack Obama’s campaign fund.

Political watchdog groups said increased political activity for the technology powerhouse should be expected, saying it comes as no surprise the company is putting its financial resources behind political objectives. The toe in the water will likely become a dive or even a cannon ball in the campaign cycle to come.

Political commentators had a fun weekend with the barbs between Newsom and Brown, in a preview for a campaign main event that will play out hundreds of times over the next year. Newsom fired at Brown, who hosted convention delegates at the old governor's mansion, which he lived in when his father was governor back in the 1950s, during a speech Saturday night.

""Will we offer Californians a stroll down memory lane?" he said. "Will we embrace the past, or will we embrace the future?" The California Progress Report reported.

While Newsom will try to make the race a choice between the future and the past, Brown has already shown he'll fire away at Newsom's youthful political missteps and personal indiscretions, that include having an affair with his top staffer's wife shortly after becoming mayor.

Brown continued to resist open declarations that he'll run, saying during the weekend he's in no hurry to announce, but also telling party loyalists to expect him in the race soon.

More California Statehouse news:

• Newsom says he'll defer to Feinstein, but not for long.
• Brown sues Wells Fargo for $1.5 billion.
• Poizner fires first at Newsom, Garamendi drops out.
• Republican comes out for same-sex marriage.
• Obama network seeks to educate voters for special election.