"Corporate Conventions: How Millions of Dollars will buy Influence .."

[GreenPartyVoter]

Four years ago, maverick Democratic Senator Russ Feingold addressed the Shadow Convention, a gathering of activists in Los Angeles on the eve of the 2000 Democratic National Convention. After a perfunctory declaration of support for his party, the Wisconsin Democrat launched into a passionate condemnation of “what has happened to our conventions, to our government and to our democracy.”

“I’m sorry to say it, but the big story at the Democratic Convention is really influence buying and peddling,” said Feingold, whose attack on “our brave new corporate democracy” won him a standing ovation.

Has anything changed four years later and two years after legislation bearing Feingold’s name, along with that of his Republican colleague John McCain, ushered in a new era of federal campaign finance regulation? Yes and no. The McCain-Feingold law has made one big difference: No longer can corporations, unions and wealthy individuals purchase access and influence with federal politicians by making direct and unlimited contributions of “soft money” to their political party committees. Nor are elected officials allowed to solicit such checks anymore. The blatant shakedown is over.

But that hasn’t stopped the influence game from taking a new shape. One huge loophole that was left unclosed was the funding of the parties’ national political conventions, which get millions in public funds but are also allowed to accept support from local civic groups. This year, the nonprofit host committees for the Democratic and Republican conventions have been raking in corporate cash in unheard of amounts. Together, the two committees are expected to raise more than $100 million from private sources — more than 12 times as much as they raised in 1992, according to a new analysis by the Campaign Finance Institute. Here as in the presidential fund-raising race, the Republicans are in the lead, expecting to raise $63.6 million to the Democrats’ $39 million.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0722-13.htm

[PoliticsSportsMusic]

1. I have that on tape...

He hit the nail on the head. Its a condemnation of Clinton with out actually naming him. Clinton was the worst thing to ever happen to the Democratic party...I would rather lose and stay liberal than win with Repug-lite. The one good thing to come out of the * presidency is the Dems have shifted back to the left again....its up to us to hold our Dem leaders feet to the fire...THEY HAD BETTER REPRESENT US. Don't stick your heads in the sand after the election...hold Kerry accountable.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Welcome to DU, and put on an asbestos suit cause you could get even more

flamed than me! *lol* :hi: