Free Republic

How 'bout a little refresher re. Obama political Godfather  and actual (16-count!) convicted felon Tony Rezko...? The Syrian-born Rezko is an infamous Chicago slumlord, fast-food restauranteur, and sleazy political operator who played a key role in the Blagojevich case- as well as the unlikley ascension to power of Barrack Hussein Obama.Obama's longtime ally, friend, and top fundraiser was found guilty of 16/24 counts of felony influence peddling back in June 2008. Of course the story was mostly buried/detached from his bud Barry in the run-up to that year's most unfortunate (for us) presidential election whilst the jury convicted Rezko of wire...

Some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names are digging into their deep pockets to help Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold, one of the Senate’s most reliably liberal voices — and a top Republican target this fall. Among Feingold's contributors are filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Harvey Weinstein, actors Michael Douglas and Edie Falco, as well as NBC’s Jeffrey Zucker, music executive David Geffen, and producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, according to CQMoneyLine.com. Writer and producer Tom Fontana, creator of the television series “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Oz,” also ponied up for Feingold, as did actress Kathryn Erbe, who has...

So, just what does it take to score an invitation to the hottest — not to mention most secretive — political wedding of the summer? More than a cross-country ride on a private jet, apparently. “I’m good enough to borrow a plane from, but not good enough to be invited to the wedding?” complained one Clinton friend, who remembered the times he handed over his jet and his pilot to take Bill Clinton around the country but had not landed a coveted invitation to Chelsea Clinton’s nuptials. Next Saturday, Ms. Clinton, 30, and her fiancé, Marc Mezvinsky, 32, are expected...

When contributors hand over money to a trade group that’s lobbying on a bill before Congress, the public has a right to know who’s putting up that cash, a federal appeals panel has ruled. In an opinion issued Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a relatively recent law requiring public donor lists. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) had challenged the disclosure provision in the 2007 ethics overhaul law (PL 110-81), arguing that the First Amendment’s guarantee of the right to petition Congress means that financial backers of lobbying...

Since we are being spammed by threads today slamming Thompson's campaing hopes, thought you all might like to know who is supporting him (financially). Just a few: Peyton Mannning Mary Matalin Pat Sajack Others here: http://newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P00003186 In fairness, Mitt Romney does have former Boston Celtic player Danny Ainge.

http://www.opensecrets.org/ Want to find out who's giving money to whom? Your senators? Your congressman? Your neighbors? All you need is a zip code.................

I sold some items to a customer of my eBay store this week, and today a packaged arrived from him in the mail with a cover letter and several letters to Senator Rick Santorum, Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina, Arlen Specter, Vincent Fumo, Attorney General Tom Corbett or Pennsylvania. The cover letter speaks of how he was wrongly incarcerated for a crime and how he compares his incarceration with serving time in a domestic war, and how after March 16, 2006 he will stop paying taxes and that he challenges the government to come after him. On the face...

Freewheeling spending in the Los Angeles mayor's race by a wide range of interests that have something to gain has swamped the city's ethics-reform efforts and heightened concerns that City Hall is for sale, political experts said Wednesday. Companies, unions, individuals and other special interests locally and across the country have contributed millions of dollars to candidates in the primary and runoff elections and spent millions more as independent expenditures in an effort to sway voters. The opening of the floodgates has resulted in more than $2.6 million being spent outside the campaigns on behalf of Mayor James Hahn and...

Big-Money Contributors Line Up for Inauguration President Bush wants to lower barriers to building nuclear power plants, and the lobby that promotes nuclear energy could not be happier. To show its thanks, the group has given $100,000 to help pay for his inauguration. "He's a big supporter," said John E. Kane, chief lobbyist for the Nuclear Energy Institute. "Our donation is just a small way of supporting him." The nuclear energy industry's contribution is part of a record-breaking outpouring of corporate cash to next week's inaugural festivities. At least 88 companies and trade associations, along with 39 CEOs and top...

The Tax Foundation has released a fascinating report showing which states benefit from federal tax and spending policies, and which states foot the bill. The report shows that of the 32 states (and the District of Columbia) that are "winners" -- receiving more in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes -- 76% are Red States that voted for George Bush in 2000. Indeed, 17 of the 20 (85%) states receiving the most federal spending per dollar of federal taxes paid are Red States. Here are the Top 10 states that feed at the federal trough (with Red States...

Lawyers & Lobbyists: $985,915 Lawyers/Law Firms $852,332 Mintz, Levin et al $65,050 Hale & Dorr $24,450 Peabody & Brown $19,350 Foley, Hoag & Eliot $17,500 Milberg, Weiss et al $13,750 Goodwin, Proctor & Hoar $9,100 Provost & Umphrey $8,300 Goulston & Stoors $8,250 Choate Hall & Stewart $8,150 Donahue & Donahue $8,000 Palmer & Dodge $7,650 Cooley, Manion et al $7,000 Ropes & Gray $6,600 Chimicles, Jacobsen & Tikellis $6,384 Sullivan & Liapakis $6,250 Sugarman & Sugarman $6,000 Sullivan & Worcester $5,950 Verner, Liipfert et al $5,750 Robins, Kaplan et al $5,050 Corboy, Demetrio & Clifford $5,000 Marks, Murase &...

2004 ELECTION OVERVIEW Top Overall Donors Rank..............Contributor............Total Contributions..To Dems..To Repubs..Contributions Tilt 1....Goldman Sachs...........................$2,656,413.........51%.......49%.....On the fence 2....National Assn of Realtors..............$1,464,806.........51%.......49%.....On the fence 3....Wal-Mart Stores.........................$1,372,840.........16%.......84%.....Strongly Republican 4....Lehman Brothers.........................$1,272,063.........45%.......55%.....On the fence 5....Citigroup Inc..............................$1,262,072.........46%.......54%.....On the fence 6....Time Warner..............................$1,100,781.........71%.......29%.....Strongly Democratic 7....SBC Communications......................$1,093,935.........32%.......68%.....Strongly Republican 8....Assn of Trial Lawyers of America........$1,047,499.........91%........9%.....Solidly Democratic 9....Morgan Stanley..............................$1,039,883.........37%.......63%.....Leans Republican 10...National Assn of Home Builders..........$1,034,500.........38%.......61%.....Leans Republican 11...United Parcel Service...................$1,024,271.........28%.......72%.....Strongly Republican 12...Merrill Lynch...........................$1,016,789.........20%.......80%......Strongly Republican 13...Laborers Union............................$997,880.........82%.......18%......Strongly Democratic 14...Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers....$979,330.........96%........4%......Solidly Democratic 15...Carpenters & Joiners Union................$970,000.........63%.......37%......Leans Democratic 16...Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union........$942,011.........98%........1%......Solidly Democratic 17...National Auto Dealers Assn................$936,300.........30%.......70%......Strongly Republican 18...PriceWaterhouseCoopers ...................$925,108.........14%.......86%......Strongly Republican 19...Microsoft Corp............................$914,882.........56%.......44%......Leans Democratic 20...UBS Americas..............................$912,738.........28%.......71%......Strongly Republican 21...National Beer Wholesalers Assn............$888,618.........26%.......74%......Strongly Republican 22...MBNA Corp.................................$875,647.........23%.......77%......Strongly...

The A list:Dean's celebrity donors. Alec Baldwin - $1,000 (no doubt the $$$ he saved by not leaving the country last time) Jim Belushi - $500 (address - Chilmark,MA?????) Ted Danson - $2,000 Larry David - $2,000 Michael Douglas - $2,000 Morgan Fairchild - $250 (maybe she's figuring to go for SecState?) Janeane Garofalo - $250 (No kneepads for you,JG) Christopher Lloyd - $2,000 (too bad the clock wasn't fast!) Leonard Nimoy - $2,000 (editor felt it necessary to describe Nimoy as "Mr. Spock of Star Trek"...bet thqat made him feel good.) Paul Newman - $1000 (another reason to skip...

I'm grateful to my friend Amanda who sent me this information. I'm posting it for those of you who may not have heard of this information. Very extensive. Reveals Presidential contributors for the parties, state programs, etc.. You might want to bookmark it. http://www.opensecrets.org/

Woman files sexual harassment suit against conservative contributor By WILLIAM McCALLThe Associated Press5/15/02 9:38 PM PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A woman who worked as a translator for Loren Parks has filed a $6 million federal lawsuit claiming the financial backer of conservative causes pressured her into having sex with him on trips and sent employees sexually explicit e-mails. Maria Guerin spent four years working at Parks Medical Electronics Inc., the suburban Aloha equipment company Parks founded in 1963 based on medical devices he invented. Guerin, 56, filed the lawsuit last week in U.S. District Court in Portland after a complaint...