by Jim Hightower
Before we rush full-tilt boogie into the '04 election cycle, let's hear a word from our sponsors.
Yes, the good folks who pay for the campaigns of George W. and most of the Democratic presidential contenders should be acknowledged before next year's vote. I say we should highlight these corporate interests now, just to get a sense of who's buying what in our Land of the Free.
Of course, the corporate big spenders and the politicos they purchase insist that nothing is being bought, that the corporations putting up $100,000 to a million bucks each want only "Good Government." If you believe that, Pollyanna, you should check out something called "Internal Political Party Documents" at this Web site: www.campaignlegalcenter.org. Here you'll find the smoking quid pro quo between the corporate contributors and the political contributees of both parties.
For example, there's a letter from the Republican Party chairman to the drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb requesting $250,000. Does the letter ask for "good government"? Not exactly -- it encloses the GOP's health care proposal, asking Bristol-Myers for any changes they'd like to make! The politico says to the CEO, "We must keep the lines of communication open if we want to continue passing legislation that will benefit your industry."
There's another letter from the Republican Party's finance chairman to the chairman of Global Crossing, the corrupt telecomm giant that, at the time, was pushing for federal OK of a merger. As an ante, Global Crossing had pledged $100,000 to the party, with a promise to give $250,000 if the merger went through. Surprise -- it did! So the finance chairman wrote back to the corporate guy: "I am taking the liberty of enclosing an invoice for the additional upgrade."
This corporate money is not buying "good government" and it's not buying "access" -- it's buying corruption. To stop it, call Public Campaign: 202-293-0222.
Source: "Buying a High-Priced Upgrade on the Political Back-Scratching Circuit," New York Times, September 15, 2003.
Publication date: 1/22/04
Before we rush full-tilt boogie into the '04 election cycle, let's hear a word from our sponsors.
Yes, the good folks who pay for the campaigns of George W. and most of the Democratic presidential contenders should be acknowledged before next year's vote. I say we should highlight these corporate interests now, just to get a sense of who's buying what in our Land of the Free.
Of course, the corporate big spenders and the politicos they purchase insist that nothing is being bought, that the corporations putting up $100,000 to a million bucks each want only "Good Government." If you believe that, Pollyanna, you should check out something called "Internal Political Party Documents" at this Web site: www.campaignlegalcenter.org. Here you'll find the smoking quid pro quo between the corporate contributors and the political contributees of both parties.
For example, there's a letter from the Republican Party chairman to the drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb requesting $250,000. Does the letter ask for "good government"? Not exactly -- it encloses the GOP's health care proposal, asking Bristol-Myers for any changes they'd like to make! The politico says to the CEO, "We must keep the lines of communication open if we want to continue passing legislation that will benefit your industry."
There's another letter from the Republican Party's finance chairman to the chairman of Global Crossing, the corrupt telecomm giant that, at the time, was pushing for federal OK of a merger. As an ante, Global Crossing had pledged $100,000 to the party, with a promise to give $250,000 if the merger went through. Surprise -- it did! So the finance chairman wrote back to the corporate guy: "I am taking the liberty of enclosing an invoice for the additional upgrade."
This corporate money is not buying "good government" and it's not buying "access" -- it's buying corruption. To stop it, call Public Campaign: 202-293-0222.
Source: "Buying a High-Priced Upgrade on the Political Back-Scratching Circuit," New York Times, September 15, 2003.
Publication date: 1/22/04
