Why is "Mr Swiftboat" Bob Perry the largest private donor to US politics?
832301
Hell hath no fury like a coward denied his medal for valor.
521565
Are you kidding? Who could possibly be more Republican than Bush?\n\nThis is the party of:\n- Tom DeLay money laundering\n- Duke Cunningham mega-bribery\n- Bill Frist insider trading (through a supposedly BLIND trust)\n- a prostitute given a daily press pass by the White House\n- officials who outed an undercover CIA operative for political reasons\n- officials who "lost" over $8 billion in Iraq reconstruction funds\n- Rick Santorum and the "K Street Project"\n- Jack Abramhoff and lawmakers who accepted millions in dirty money and boondoggle trips, who were paid to overlook human rights abuses against women in the US territory of Saipan, including forced labor, forced prostitution, and FORCED ABORTIONS\n- congressmen, CIA officials, Defense officials consorting with prostitutes at the Watergate Hotel\n\nNo, I think Bush is all too representative of the Republican "Culture of Corruption."\n\nHave you had enough? I have. Vote Democrat!
1094862
You are correct in this assumption.\nAs long as Big Business supports the "two party system", then the little man has abolutely no chance at all unless its "name recognition alone".\n\nRoss Perot had a chance at getting a third party in "once", but, he picked as an unlikely candidate for a Vice President as anyone ever could have, and lost miserably...\n\nI wish you well..\n\nJesse
537122
Ken Lay was Bush and friends single biggest campaign contributor...that's what it has to do with politics.\n\nhttp://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/indivsrecips.asp?ID=D000000137&ContribID=U0000000049&Cycle=A\n\nhttp://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.asp?ID=D000000137&Type=A\n\nThe Bush family also has a long history with Ken boy.\nhttp://www.commondreams.org/views02/0210-04.htm\n\nhttp://www.topplebush.com/article1_busdeal.shtml
446242
I'm with paanbahar. The Alaskan "Bridge to Nowhere" is the all-time crowning achievement in Congressional pork. Republican Senator Ted Stevens deserves his share of credit for this one too. No one can waste taxpayer money like these guys!!
671586
Money. Cheney is still getting money from Halliburton. Bush's father works for the Carlyle Group, which owns quite a few defense contractors. In 2004, defense contractors donated $16,326,213 to candidates, 37% to democrats and 63% to republicans. In 2004, Halliburton donated $221,249 to candidates, 13% to democrats and 87% to republicans. Remember Randy "Duke" Cunningham? The Carlyle Group was his #1 campaign contributor, $78,040 since 1989, followed by Northrop Grumman ($74,250), Lockheed Martin ($74,219), and General Dynamics ($69,575), all defense contractors. \n\nCampaign contributions that large are not given without "strings attached".
843643
Just to insure that his money and all his "friends" money continues to roll in......one way or another.  I can't see any other reason he would have to run for governor.....he has done nothing for TX.....
486332
Because Hillary was the best Republican president we ever had.\nMurdoch is a businessman. He wants someone who is friendly to big business, as the Clinton record has proven.
1181947
Because people have moved on?\nOr because billionaire George Soros has a new place to spend his money - perhaps he's directly buying Senator Clinton, instead of going through loopy intermediaries.\n\nFor the party of the 'little guy' they sure have a lot of millionaires and rich people running their party and calling the tunes.
246822
he donated to both parties, but Microsoft donated a LOT more money to the republican party than to the democratic party in the 2004 election cycle, whereas steve jobs personally and apple donated only to the democratic party.
962371
This from a Democrat:\n\nIt wasn't that long ago that the Republican Party was pro-business and for a strong national defense but also for civil rights and protecting our environment. \n\nNewt Gingrich was the evil political chemist who threw that out the window and melded the wealthiest Americans with the most socially conservative people in our society. His strange cocktail gave birth and power to the likes of Tom DeLay, James Dobson , Exxon and Halliburton.\n\nObviously the wealthiest Americans like the Walton family are greedy. I promise you that the far right's religious leaders are as well.\n\nWhen are the little people going to understand that they're being gamed? Jesus has nothing to do with this.
928629
John Kerry is a Victim of Himself, Not  the PC police or any other group.  I don't need a spinmeister either. I can hear his words and understand EXACTLY what  he means.  But this also goes back to the Mark Foley Non-Story.  The Media, in its vigor to be the next to tell the story, forgot to mention, that the SMS messages that got the publics attention were sent to a man over the age of18,  Who happened to be a former page. The emails were sent to a former page under the age of 18 but were not sexual in nature.  But all we heard about for 2 weeks was how terrible Republicans are for even having Gay men in the Party.\n\nEvidently they should only belong to the democrat party or stay out all together.  The problem is I know many "Log Cabin Republicans" And would trust my children with them on many occasions.
774463
Because thats politics. Jimmy Carter broadcast the U.S. stealth planes on national T.V. during his presidency when we were having trouble in Iran about the hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Nobody knew about the stealth fighters and bombers until then or that we were working on such technology.\n All the scandals about the republicans just before the mid-term elections were released in an effort to dislodge as many republicans from congress as possible (that was admitted to in the news by the Democrats).\n The liberals have just as many scandals,but they go unreported in the liberal news media.
577965
Unfortunately this blatantly unethical behavior is almost more "American" than grandma and apple pie.  Just look at the last 100 years of American history!  What was Watergate?  McCarthy, anyone?  And before McCarthy we had national security interests... communism, etc.  And it DOES get used for unethical purposes.  Just like it would be impossible to listen to EVERY conversation, likewise it is difficult to thouroughly screen every applicant for the job, let alone have political appointees specifically there to terrorize others and gain an unfair political advantage.\n\nWould the founding fathers do it?  You can bet your hinnie!  Just look at the early presidential battles!  You think Adams or Jefferson wouldn't use spying to get one up on the other to win?  Yeah, right.  Now there WERE obviously some that would disagree, which is why we have this one, problematic amendment to the constitution:\n\nThe second amendment is about the right to bear arms, but the REASON for having that right is to be able to oust a corrupt government... But the government is tracing your calls, has superious firepower, and less ethics.  Guess who wins?  I would guess that most serious insurrectionists get assassinated before they start.  It's not acceptable.  I hate it.  I hate this government.  But that's the reality.  You shut up and move along to get along or else.  I'm not saying that wasn't true before Bush, but Bush made it crystal clear that "might makes right" is the real operating principle of this country.  If you aren't rich and powerful, sorry about your luck because the screwfest is on.  Gah.  I hate talking about this sh-t.  I'm not a rich bastard, so ask a rich republican.  I'm sure they can put a shiny gloss coat on the crap-pill you're being asked to swallow - maybe even with sugar coating!  Joy.\n\n"Un-American."  Sounds good to me.  Kind of like that McCarthy bullcrap, only now being "unAmerican" is cool because McCarthy was an @sshole.  Where do I sign up?\n\nPS.  Crack is bad.  See what it did to our first respondant?  Moons, clovers, pink horseshoes, and blue diamonds... Messes up your head...\n\nALSO, the founding fathers DID expect that the government would become corrupt and need to be replaced eventually, but it happened fast and the idealists were quickly replaced by the corrupt...  Will we always have subpar leadership?  The idealist in me feels that there HAS to be a better way... but it hasn't been created yet... What is it?  How do we get there?
561348
The current Republican administration has given us the biggest INCREASE in spending on social programs in our history, besides the increases in defense spending. For example, 15 MILLION MORE people are on Medicaid now than when George W. assumed office in January, 2001, and this has become our most expensive entitlement program. If that ain't liberal, what the hell is?
981725
The main issue with this guy is his appointment as Majority Whip, isn't it? Perhaps Republican spinners and agitators figure the dumb masses don't understand this and that it's better to play on his membership on an Intelligence Committee. \n\nBut no matter, you've raised an issue about serious charges made against Alcee Hastings while he was a judge 25 years ago. The alleged bribery occurred in 1981, and a judge taking bribes is very serious. This is a complex case, and it seems to involve a partial acquittal. I can't find much more information now, but I'm sure there will be articles reviewing his history in the next few days and weeks.\n\nI'd be more concerned if there were more recent charges. Perhaps he's kept his nose clean knowing that he got a free pass in the early 1980's.\n\nI hate to say "the other side does the same" because this is a frequent and usually false Republican argument. However, when it comes to the small pool of candidates for Congressional leadership, a direct and fair comparison can be made.\n\nA few years ago, John Boehner, the current  Republican Majority Leader passed out checks from tobacco lobbyists to other members of the House, right on the floor of the house. Two other guys that were in line for Tom DeLay's job had records that were even more tarnished. And of course, Tom DeLay, the former Majority Leader, is under indictment and will likely do jail time for election law violations.\n\nCurrent Speaker of the House Hastert, failed to remove Foley and endangered young pages for as long as 5 years. Hastert got his job because the candidate before him had too much taint, and the moral majority leader of the impeachment against Clinton, Newt Gingrich, was a serial adulteror who was involved in a long affair with a young aide.\n\nAll I can say is the leadership pool seems pretty tainted, and if someone's record  has been clear for 25 years, that's probably the best they can do. After all, McCain was heavily involved in a scandal involving the failure of the savings and loan industry about 25 years ago also. And that fact will probably not impact his bid for the presidency.
758985
It's called 24 karat Hypocrisy!  Jabba the Hut Michael Moore comes off and  portrays himself as a  middle class "Working Stiff" yet lives in a 3.5 million dollar mansion. \n\nBarbara Streisand is a Gore Environmentalist and has a 22,000 square foot Air Conditioned Barn. She was a vocal Iraq war protester BUT fell silent when Israel invaded Lebanon!\n\nAl Gore flies only in his Ketchup Queens Leer Jet!\n\nCongressman Jefferson has yet to be prosecuted for the Bribe money he took found in his Freezer, $90,000 cold cash AND he's still running again !!!\n\nJerry Studds and Barney Frank had anal intercourse with Pages 17 y/o on Capital Hill in their offices and Studds was re-elected 3 times after that and was given a standing ovation by Dems when he retired!\n\nI could go on but why bore you. Oops, can't forget Ted Kennedy, never tried for Murder/Manslaughter...ever heard of "Chappaquiddick"?\n\nSlick Willy Clinton, sued and racked up MORE sexual molestation, attempted rape and groping Charges including perjury and Hillary looked on approvingly and supportively and he has yet to be tried for any of the same?\n\nWhere was Gloria Steinem then and why didn't they all come running g to aid those abused women?\n\nHow about Rose O'Donnell. She is totally against the Second Amendment Right and fights to remove all Gun Licensing and Registration  take Fiorearms oput of the hands of Law Abviding citizens "YET" she  has four Full Time Armed Body guards they carry .45 cal Kimbers !!