Politics and Corporate Sponsorship
Boycott Bush is running a list of corporations that have given to President Bush’s campaign. Are these folk trying to incite the Left to boycott these companies? The same whining about being “blacklisted” by the National Rifle Association? I guess boycotting your enemy’s sponsors is ok as long is artisitic integrity isn’t at stake. But the Left has seen the might of the consumer in flyover country and is trying to use the same device to pump up their own base. What they’ve not thought much about, due to their blinding hatred of President Bush, is who is lining up behind their own candidates in 2004. This could well turn into a perverbial case of “biting the hand that feeds you” for the Liberals and Democrats.
For example, several of the companies listed by Boycott Bush are in Dean’s, Kerry’s, Edwards lists. Goldman Sach’s presence in ALL candidates listings is quite consistent, as is Ford, General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, Anheuser Busch, Time Warner/AOL, Citigroup and the list goes on.
The information is easily accessible to the general public where we can see that the Top contributors to Clinton/Gore 1996(seeing Raytheon in that list surprised me), Bush & Gore in 2000 and the breakdown of the funds sources, the DNC and RNC Contributors are fairly consistent. The total contributions of both parties for 2000 and 2004 election cycles also offers some intersting stats, talk about putting your money where you mouth is.
Another minor annoyance is that in 2000 the US Department of Agriculture ($102k) and the US Dept of State ($42k) gave to Gore’s campaign (in ‘96 is was Guam, Dept Agriculture, Dept State, Dept Justice, Dept Commerce and Dept Transportation) . This seems a blatent conflict of interest, the government lobying for candidates. I have no problem with Government employees donating to the candidate of their choice, but a governemental agency is something else.
If anyone believes these multi-National corporations give to one candidate or another because of political beliefs is painfully unaware of the world they live in and should probably be locked up before they hurt themselves or others with their nievity.