Bush 'Bundlers' Take Fundraising to New Level

[stevedeshazer]

<snip>

As chairman, president and chief executive of Safeway Inc., the world's 11th-largest grocery chain, Steven Burd is the nexus of a wide network of subordinates and suppliers, as well as friends in corporate
suites. And that is why he will play a critical role in President Bush's effort to raise the largest amount of money ever spent on a presidential campaign -- not by giving a lot of money himself, but by finding
a lot of people to give relatively little.

In the jargon of political fundraising, Burd is a bundler.

At two Bush fundraising events in California last month, Burd filled 10 tables with Safeway suppliers, including rice farmers, strawberry growers and a cheese manufacturer, plus representatives of Breyers
ice cream, Sunkist produce and Del Monte canned goods who paid $2,000 to hear Bush talk. Each donor wrote a four-digit "solicitor tracking code" assigned to Burd on his check so that the Safeway CEO
will receive credit from Bush campaign officials and they can keep a running tally of his efforts. The possible rewards, depending on how much money he can bring in, include cocktails with campaign
architect Karl Rove, dinner with Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans and photo opportunities and sessions with the president.

Bush did not invent bundling, an old practice in fundraising designed to give a collection of small donors more bang for their buck by combining their efforts. But the Bush campaign has refined it and
made it the central focus of its money strategy because of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law and its goal of reducing the role of mega-donors in political campaigns.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51558-2003Jul13.html?nav=hptop_tb

Just found some more places to not shop....

[Beetwasher]

1. This is what's known as a shakedown, except it's legal

"At two Bush fundraising events in California last month, Burd filled 10 tables with Safeway suppliers, including rice farmers, strawberry growers and a cheese manufacturer, plus representatives of Breyers
ice cream, Sunkist produce and Del Monte canned goods who paid $2,000 to hear Bush talk."

See what's going on here? Safeway is a CLIENT of all these suppliers. A HUGE client. So, Safeway "asks" these SUPPLIERS who they BUY THEIR PRODUCT FROM if they want to attend a Bush fundraiser and tell them I'm sure, that it would be a very good idea for THEIR BUSINESS TO DO SO!

[GaryL]

2. Boycott.

Don't buy from these A**holes. Simple as that.