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WARNING!
Gore/Bush
Coming ... |
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Brought
to you by:
Corporate Friends
In High Places
Big bucks from big business.
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No,
this isn't a Labor Party spoof. It's an actual giveaway
from corporate contributors to the Republican National
Convention containing actual macaroni. We wonder,
though: Will Kraft macaroni really help solidify support
for George W. Bush? |
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Al Gore has already raised more money than any
Democratic presidential candidate in history, some of it from
the very industries he says he opposes. Of the $52.5 million
total, Gore’s gotten over a million from the health care
establishment, $297,000 from insurance companies, $87,000 from
drug companies, and $264,000 from energy companies.
The problem isn’t just the kind of money
Gore’s swimming in; it’s the people he hangs around with.
His closest financial advisors include drug industry lobbyist
Peter Knight and chemical company lobbyist Tom Downey. For
campaign manager, he chose Commerce Secretary William Daley,
the NAFTA/WTO lobbyist and one of the administration’s most
corporate-connected members.
THE 'GO-TO GUY'
And then there’s Gore’s vice presidential
candidate, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, the guy who a
few months ago was collaborating with House Majority Leader
Dick Armey to help insurance companies limit lawsuits from
people in auto accidents. Over the years, he’s also worked
to limit corporate liability in the gun, tobacco, HMO, and
pharmaceutical industries. Oh — and asbestos too. But it’s
the insurance industry that’s been Lieberman’s financial
mainstay. The Wall Street Journal describes Lieberman as the
"go-to guy" for the insurance industry among Senate
Democrats. He’s also voiced support for capital gains tax
cuts for the rich and partial privatization of Social
Security.
For the past five years, Lieberman has chaired
the Democratic Leadership Council, founded 15 years ago to
promote "mainstream values and innovative,
non-bureaucratic, market-based solutions" (aka,
pro-corporate policies) inside the Democratic Party, including
"spurring private sector economic growth" (corporate
tax breaks), "fiscal discipline" (cutbacks in public
spending), welfare reform, and expanded free trade.
EVEN BIGGER BUCKS
George W. Bush has raised more money ($93
million) from more big corporations, and has more big-money
friends than Al Gore. His vice presidential candidate is
scarier than Gore’s too. Newt Gingrich recently noted that
when he and Dick Cheney served together in the House,
"Cheney’s voting record was slightly more conservative
than mine." Few could claim to have a cozier relationship
with the oil industry than Cheney, who just left the
chairmanship of Halliburton under an extravagant golden
parachute valued at $20 million.
END CORPORATE
DOMINATION OF ELECTIONS
The Labor Party calls for an end to corporate
domination of elections. We propose a financial cap on what
candidates can spend; full public financing of elections; and
fully financed equal media time for candidates with proven
popular support.
These reforms would help us begin to clean up
our polluted electoral process. Obviously, there’s no point
waiting around for George W. Bush or Al Gore to enact such
legislation. For that, and for all the other substantive
changes we have to make, we can only rely on the everyday
activism of working people.
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