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when the rules aren't convenient, tap dance around them -- then give them jobs and appoint them as ambassadors. enron's ken lay is the LAST person who should be telling bush who to appoint on energy councils, for cryin' out loud.

i was pretty surprised to find out how few people really contributed, although not surprised to see how many were big businessmen.

one thing that disappoints me more and more about the republican party is how they were supposed to be the champion of small-mid businesses; seems like they've finally deserted the folks (middle class) who really built and supported the GOP.

The Bush campaign has raised $296.3 million since 1998, giving it the advantage in both the 2000 and 2004 elections. One-third to one-half of this $296.3 million was donated to the Bush campaign by only 631 people.

This is the end result of Bush's "Pioneers" campaign fund. The maximum individual donation to a presidential candidate by law is $1000; however, the Pioneers have been able to work around this regulation by creating a network of people, mostly businessmen, who are each able to persuade 100 friends or more to donate the $1000 maximum to their cause. Donors who have raised at least $100,000 are dubbed "Pioneers". Those who have raised at least $200,000 are called "Rangers".

Of the 246 Pioneers and Rangers in the 2000 campaign, 104 of them have received a job or appointment during Bush's reign in the White House. Twenty-three of them have been made ambassadors.

2000 election Pioneer Kenneth Lay, former Enron chairman, sent the White House a list of eight persons he recommended for appointment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission upon Bush's election. Two of the persons he recommended were appointed to the five-person commission.

The Pioneers group is now twice as large as it was in the 2000 election.

(Source: Cohen, Sarah, Thomas B. Edsall and James V. Grimaldi. "Pioneers Fill War Chest, Then Capitalize." Washington Post, 16 May 2004)

hog -- sorry, my friend. neither one of us are wealthy enough to afford to buy a job like that. lol

as for the legalities, it's legal but not the most ethical thing. likewise, there's the issue of bush encouraging churches to preach sermons saying to vote for him. churches, in govt terms, are considered to be tax-exempt charitible organizations, and this sort of thing violates the charter blatently:

the IRS reminded both Republican and Democratic national committees in a recent letter that tax-exempt charitable groups "are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office."

in that case, it's neither ethical NOR legal. but we seem to let a lot slide.

hog, will you be devoting this much scrutiny to those posts sourced by "the drudge report"? or do are you willing to just trust any ol' source, so long as it's bush-supportive?

this isn't a jab at you -- i'm serious. friendly, but serious.

and about the churchgoers... why the skepticism? bush's campaign spokesman isn't denying this at all! heck, back when i attended centerville christian church in the 80's, the pastor there told us we'd all go to hell if we didn't vote for reagan. lol but that's different from an organized campaign like is being run here, and it does appear to violate the law.

as far as i know, though, no one's sueing over it. :)

here's the article i read. terry holt is the spokesperson from the bush-cheney campaign.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19082-2004Jun30.html

The Bush-Cheney reelection campaign has sent a detailed plan of action to religious volunteers across the country asking them to turn over church directories to the campaign, distribute issue guides in their churches and persuade their pastors to hold voter registration drives.

Campaign officials said the instructions are part of an accelerating effort to mobilize President Bush's base of religious supporters. They said the suggested activities are intended to help churchgoers rally support for Bush without violating tax rules that prohibit churches from engaging in partisan activity.

"We strongly believe that our religious outreach program is well within the framework of the law," said Terry Holt, spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

But tax experts said the campaign is walking a fine line between permissible activity by individual congregants and impermissible activity by congregations. Supporters of Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, charged that the Bush-Cheney campaign is luring churches into risking their tax status.

"I think it is sinful of them to encourage pastors and churches to engage in partisan political activity and run the risk of losing their tax-exempt status," said Steve Rosenthal, chief executive officer of America Coming Together, a group working to defeat Bush.

The instruction sheet circulated by the Bush-Cheney campaign to religious volunteers lists 22 "duties" to be performed by specific dates. By July 31, for example, volunteers are to "send your Church Directory to your State Bush-Cheney '04 Headquarters or give [it] to a BC04 Field Rep" and "Talk to your Pastor about holding a Citizenship Sunday and Voter Registration Drive."

By Aug. 15, they are to "talk to your Church's seniors or 20-30 something group about Bush/Cheney '04" and "recruit 5 more people in your church to volunteer for the Bush Cheney campaign."

By Sept. 17, they are to host at least two campaign-related potluck dinners with church members, and in October they are to "finish calling all Pro-Bush members of your church," "finish distributing Voter Guides in your church" and place notices on church bulletin boards or in Sunday programs "about all Christian citizens needing to vote."

The document was provided to The Washington Post by a Democrat. A spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, Frank Keith, said, "It would be inappropriate for the IRS, based on a limited set of facts and circumstances, to render a judgment about whether the activities in this document would or would not endanger a church's tax-exempt status."

He pointed out, however, that the IRS on June 10 sent a strongly worded letter to both the Republican and Democratic national committees, reminding them that tax-exempt charitable groups "are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office."

That warning came one week after The Post and other news media reported on a Bush-Cheney campaign e-mail that sought to identify 1,600 "friendly congregations" in Pennsylvania where Bush supporters "might gather on a regular basis."

The IRS letter noted that religious organizations are allowed to sponsor debates, distribute voter guides and conduct voter registration drives. But if those efforts show "a preference for or against a certain candidate or party . . . it becomes a prohibited activity," the letter said.

Milton Cerny, a tax specialist in the Washington office of the law firm Caplin & Drysdale who formerly administered tax-exempt groups for the IRS, said there is nothing in the campaign instructions "that on its face clearly would violate" the law.

"But these activities, if conducted in concert with the church or church leadership, certainly could be construed by the IRS as the church engaging in partisan electioneering," he said. "The devil is in the details."

Rosemary E. Fei, a tax specialist at the San Francisco law firm of Silk, Adler & Colvin, said the campaign checklist "feels dangerous to me" not just because of what is in it, but because of what is not. "There's no mention whatsoever that churches should be careful to remain nonpartisan," she said.

Holt suggested such warnings are unnecessary. "Why would we warn one citizen about the boundaries of their political discussion with another citizen?" he said.

Bush/Cheney in '04


J


When you got nothing else, show your purple hearts.

dc: you'll have to address bloody about that. he would be the expert on govt. contracts for small businesses (seeing that he owns one and all). i defer to his comments on the subject.

BS,

You may want to read http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/sbqei.pdf

"Your experience" doesn't seem to coincide with the mainstream. Unless of course the SBA is lying...

Cheers

One major correction on my previous post--I forgot to put in the word, "MORE":

"You either have to become a part of GSA or forget about doing business with most of the Government. The irony is that by doing this, the Government has stopped open market bidding and is now paying 40%- 70% MORE-MORE-MORE for the same goods and services."

Now, back to your cocktails...

"Cheers"

blood

^More like anger & sarcasm than bitterness. Bitterness will ensue if dubya wreaks 4 more years of economic havoc. LOL

You belittle me and millions of other hardworking business owners when you publicly spew "facts" that I know to be false. Your SBA chart skews and manipulates numbers. I don't know how the bean counters arrived at their conclusions but I know that the real business picture is very bleak--all you have to do is LISTEN to the folks on the front lines.

Unfortunately for you, I've been around the block a few times and know how the system works, and no, I'm no longer a fan of large corporations--now that I understand their workings. They are greedy, have no loyalty to their employees or country, AND they will try to skirt the law unless the Government reigns them in.

Too bad if you're offended.

Cheers

cheers, that mean you's drink'n blood...