Posted on 07/23/2002 1:55:18 PM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
Frustrated Republicans are urging the Bush Administration to engage in a “bold move, any bold move” to move the country beyond the current stock market crisis that threatens the party’s chances in the November elections.
Republican leaders in both the House and Senate are telling the White House that “nice speeches about cracking down on corporate crooks” isn’t enough to restore public confidence in the country’s economic system.
“Forget Osama bin Laden,” grumbles one House Republican. “The real enemy is sitting in a fancy corner office in some corporation, figuring out new ways to cook the books.”
Corporate accounting scandals have left Republicans at odds with the party’s strongest base – big business – and given Democrats their best campaign tool to use in the mid-term elections.
“I expect to get screwed by the Democrats,” an angry House Speaker Dennis J. Hastert told fellow Republicans on Monday, “but I didn’t expect to get screwed by our friends (business interests).”
Dealing with the scandals have left many Republicans walking an ethical and financial line. Business PACS provide more than half the funding for GOP House and Senate campaigns. With even more revelations of shady accounting practices expected to surface, the party of the elephant is wondering how it will finance the many important elections necessary to regain control of the Senate and at least maintain the slim majority in the House.
“You can make a big show out of returning campaign contributions from tainted corporate sources,” says professional political fundraiser Grevinna Robinson, “but you can’t keep returning money you will need in November.”
Democrats, who get most of their campaign funds from organized labor and non-business special interest groups, love to see their opponents in such a quandary.
“Republicans have been sleeping with big business for a long time,” says Democratic strategist Jonathan Block. “If they get a case of corporate clap from these whores, then all the better for us.”
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But while Democrats rub their hands in glee over the corporate scandals, they are keeping a wary eye on scandal-ridden members of their own party.
Besides maverick Ohio Democrat Jim Traficant’s assured ouster from the House over his felony convictions for racketeering, bribery and tax evasions, Democratic leaders are worried about Sen. Robert Torricelli’s ethical problems and a brewing ethical crisis for Virginia Democrat Jim Moran.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle met recently with federal prosecutors investigating Torricelli for illegal campaign contributions and influence-peddling and has told other Senate Dems that the New Jersey Senator is in “big trouble.”
On the House side, Minority Leader Richard Gephardt told a meeting of fellow Democrats recently that Moran “could become a major embarrassment for the party.”
Moran, deep in debt from questionable stock trading, is under investigation for accepting loans from lobbyists and then promoting legislation for them. He also is suspected of omitting details from his financial disclosure reports and lying to federal investigators.
“We might have trouble tying the corporate scandals to the Republicans if one of our own is selling his vote to big business lobbyists,” a Gephardt aide admitted this week.
I want this person named. Get a backbone yourself and put a name behind your words.
99% of America has a job in some kind of business. Dems think that all of America are whores?
I told anyone that would listen ...
America likes a winner, America likes quick action (like in high school when we got into a fight and then it was over).
America is tired of all of this talk, talk, talk and get nowhere talkin' talk.
Somebody freepin' DO something!
PAC contributions to all federal candidates for the 1999-2000 election cycle reached $245.4 million, up 19% from the 1997-98 cycle of $206.8 million. PACs gave $127.9 million to Republicans, $116.8 to Democrats, and $630,955 to candidates from other parties. Contributions to incumbents far outpaced monies given to other types of candidates. Incumbents received $184 million, while challengers received $27 million and open-seat races, $34.3 million. PACs contributed more substantially to House races, where PAC receipts of $193.4 million represented 32% of receipts compared to Senate races, where $52 million in PAC money accounted for only 12% of monies raised.
In general, Democrats are somewhat more PAC dependant than Republicans. Big business PACs give mostly to incumbents and lean towards the party in power on the Hill; on balance, they are marginally Republican, while labor PACs give 95%+ to Democrats. Republicans have a significant edge in small contributions from individuals.
O.K., massively cut government spending, taxing, and regulating. That should improve the economy...
IF? ONE? Oh, that's rich--LMAO.
This fits the description of almost every member of Congress.
Of course! Half of their supporters were acquired by being bought off via entitlement programs, and most of the other half are bought just for election day for the price of a pack of cigarettes. Thus, their constituents are whores.
Dems own the votes of 99% of Americans who don't have a job of any kind.
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