WTF? My Senator got $30k from Enron?

[Alex146]

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/toprecips.asp?ID=D000000137&Type=P&Cycle=A

Enron Corp
Top Recipients Among Federal Candidates, 1990-2004

George W. Bush (R)
$117,800

Bob Dole (R)
$102,650

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
$102,000

Phil Gramm (R-TX)
$99,100

Ken Bentsen (D-TX)
$47,250

Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
$40,200

Bill McCollum (R-FL)
$35,247

Tom DeLay (R-TX)
$32,700

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
$29,773

[La_Serpiente]

1. Oil anyone?

What did Schumer do to become senator?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. I do not mean to dimiss this but.....

$30,000 dollars to a campaign in New York State is VERY, VERY LITTLE!

When Charles Schumer Ran in 1998, he spent $22,000,000 (million) on his seat!

I would not make too much of this because many congress people recieved money from ENRON including the Anti-Deregulatory Sen. Fritz Hollings who got $3,500 dollars, again not much!

[gulliver]

3. Cover.

Republicans probably won't allow an Enron to donate solely to Republicans. The Ken Lay's of this world simply donate vastly more to Republicans than to Dems, achieving the same effect.

I believe it was Carville who noted that Bush by himself got more money than all Dems in Congress combined. And that's not including the indirect payola where Enron "hired" Ralph Reed.

[blm]

7. Heed gulliver's post.

Be careful not to smear our Dems because of the GOP's tactics.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Sheila Jackson Lee got more than Schumer

I would imagine that it has something to do with the fact that the district she represents is in Houston, where Enron's headquarters are located.

[cosmicdot]

5. is there a resource listing those who 'returned' enron money?

I think Carnahan did, and Gephardt.

of course, it's not the amount, it's the whole corrupting system which matters

what's very disturbing to me is looking at Senator Boxer's financial statement (before she cleaned it up with 'blind trusts', etc.) -- it's a corporate nightmare: WalMart, Halliburton, El Paso, Merck, GE, FRIST family HCA HMO, Exxon-Mobil

It must be tough to vote on legislation against one's financial investments ... that is, if one does.


http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/pfd2001/N00006692_2001.pdf

[La_Serpiente]

6. Here is why I am against coporate donations

They give you measly sums for a campaign. It is like this psychological game. They give you a small amount. If the company knows that he/she is rich, then whomever will vote more in favor with their policies so they can get more money.

That is the flaw with the current system. That's when the rep loses their faith in their district.

[Mairead]

8. Sorry, but Schumer has never seemed liberal/progressive to me

He's always seemed cut from the same cloth as the Clintons: Rocky Repub DINOs.

[WillyBrandt]

9. You're wrong: Schumer is great

Schumer fights tough, and is one of the few Democrats who has a proper spine. We need more like him.

He, probably more than anyone else, is responsible for derailing far-right Bush nominees to the Courts. And he is absoluely unapologetic about saying the reason why: not because of obscure personal failings, but because of their ideological extremist.

That's one of the most important things that anyone can do to save this country, and he needs to be praised, not trashed for it.

He's a closet Republican? Do you remember his predecessor? ALFONSE FUCKING D'MATO?

Crazy.

Also, it's common for Corporations to spread the manure around, hoping some of it will help. Large, consistent corporate donations from a single source or set of sources are meaningful. Schumer might not be tough enough on corporations, but just because he isn't a fighter in that battle, doesn't mean he isn't an excellent fighter in other ones. No one's perfect, but Schumer is pretty good.