While governor, Dean accepted speaking fees, gifts from special interests

[wyldwolf]

While governor of Vermont, Howard Dean accepted personal pay from special interests at least five times for speeches and also received more than $60,000 in checks and pledges for his charity fund from insurers who benefited from a state tax break, according to documents and interviews.

The lion's share of Dean's $13,633 in personal speaking fees as governor came from a drug company that was embroiled in one of the nation's most high profile sexual harassment cases, which ultimately ended with a nearly $10 million federal penalty.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/09/politics1546EST0686.DTL&type=printable

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Oh no!

Stupid post. See Dean supporters? I gotcher back. I wish both camps would stop with this petty ass shit. It's beneath the party.

[wyldwolf]

3. Uh, no. It's a breaking story.

Are we to ignore breaking stories, Mr. Dawson?

[Snivi Yllom]

4. this will be all over the news

the media whores will eat this shit up and ask for seconds

[libview]

2. Hold on to your asses, heeeere we go!

[adadem]

5. not surprised n/t

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. This is new information, but Dean's corrupt ways are not a new story

the governor himself has said the donations buy access. "People who think they're going to buy a contract or buy some influence are mistaken," Dean famously said during the debate over a campaign finance reform bill in 1996. "But they do get access - there's no question about that. ...They get me to return their phone calls."

Advocates of public financing for campaigns complain about the message conveyed by the contributions. "Administration actions going back some years betray an inappropriate coziness with the utilities," said Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Service Research Group. "I am not prepared to say it's a result of contributions given. But these contributions present the appearance of impropriety or appearance of influence that it probably would have been better to avoid."

Dean's close relationship with utility representatives dates back to the day he became governor in 1991. A lobbyist for Green Mountain Power and a GMP employee were among the first people Dean called in to help his transition.

A list of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisers includes Green Mountain Power Corp.'s chairman, two company board members and a vice president, all of whom made donations to the Fund For A Healthy America. It also includes two longtime utility lobbyists.

Over the years, the governor has sided with the utilities on many of the most pressing issues, including the push for deregulation of the electric industry, and later backing away from that as a goal. Among other major decisions:

<snip for copyright - follow link for details>

Dumont contended that while the campaign contributions have helped utility executives gain access to the governor, others have been cut out. "There's been a one-sided flow of information to the governor's office about utility matters," he said.

Tony Gierzynski, a political science professor at the University of Vermont and author of a book on campaign finance called 'Money Rules,' said, "There's a great imbalance in the system between those who have money and those who don't."
http://timesargus.com/Archive/Articles/Article/43125

[HFishbine]

8. There's only one solution then

What we need then is a candidate who is not funded by special interests or huge contributions from a select few. What we need is a candidate whose campaign is financed by contributions from regular people, you know, $20 here, $50 there. That would be ideal.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. It would be ideal, if that candidate were honest.

[HFishbine]

38. Who would you suggest? (nt)

[quinnox]

7. Amazing, the media is on a mission to tear Dean to shreds

Last two weeks:

Dean warned on lax nuke security in Vermont

What is Dean hiding in sealed records

Dean's tax breaks for Enron

Dean bad-mouthed Iowa caucuses

Now this new story.


What's next?

[Renew Deal]

Dean beats his wife.

That's my guess

[dave29]

16. ughhh

On a lighter note, I'm fairly convinced Laura Bush beats Dubya on a regular basis. Remember the pretzel incident? She decked him out cold, guarunteed.

[Clark4Prez]

37. She should have beat him for that "lump in the bed"

Gosh, if I ever referred to my wife in public or private as my "lump in the bed", it would be hello, mr. couch nosexforyou.

[RUexperienced]

10. Howard Dean keeps a picture of Ronald Reagan by his nightstand

... ok that's just my guess for the next story.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RUexperienced]

41. No kidding!

[kerry-is-my-prez]

24. Well you know the schtick: build candidate up - then tear them down

once the media's on your case - they don't quite. Ask Al Gore about that....

[kerry-is-my-prez]

25. They're all legitimate stories except the "Dean bad-mouthed Iowa caucuses"

which is pretty stupid...

[blm]

28. Notice they waited till they were comfortable he had the numbers

and they were sure he's be the nominee. Too late for Democrats to adjust to any revelations about him.

[slinkerwink]

9. so he accepted a speaking fee for a charity fund?

And he made this public, even though he didn't have to?

So now raising money for a charity is bad?

You lost me somewhere...

What next? Dean sending money he twisted out of corporation for a Widows and Orphans fund?

What a monster!

[revcarol]

11. Anyone who doesn't like this can contribute to DeLays's fund for orphans.

Same-o, same-o. Buying access.

[denverbill]

15. Howard Dean killed my puppy and sold it's remains for campaign cash!

[Dookus]

43. read about Eva Peron

[TLM]

13. And? He did speaking events.... was he speaking at republican fundraisers

like Clark did, and sayig how great the republicans were and what great leaders of vision they were?


Why didn;t you quote this part....


"Dean's fees and charitable donations were legal and did not have to be disclosed under Vermont law but were detailed in correspondence and tax records reviewed by The Associated Press. "


or this part...



The checks and pledges totaling at least $62,500 to Dean's Vermont Computer Project, an initiative the governor created to donate equipment to Vermont schools, came from captive insurance and reinsurance companies, nontraditional insurers which provide health care coverage to companies in tax-friendly ways.



Oh GOD... not equipment for schools!

[lurk_no_more]

30. Does the CATO institute count?

And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[Bozola]

14. "Dean's fees and charitable donations were legal"

What does this story tell me? It tells me that Dr. Dean doesn't charge much for his speaking appearances; he's pretty damn cheap.



If these are the worse that can be tossed at Dr. Dean, then he really is a sterling candidate.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

31. But they're not the worst than can be said.....

This is only minor compare to the rest of his Vermont dealings.

[Bozola]

33. Innuendo?

We'll have NONE of that here!

Enumerate and cite references NOW.

[dave29]

17. If you send money to Dean now

you too can buy access

[KittyWampus]

21. Not Really... But I Know Many Dean Supporters

seem to enjoy believing that.

[Bozola]

22. Hahah! Good one!

With the amount my wife and I have contributed to the Great Dr. Dean's campaign, I expect him over for dinner.

[MODemocrat]

27. I'm expecting to be invited to Dean's house for dinner

After the huge contributions I've made to Dean's campaign, shouldn't I expect that much? Let me see, after sending in my check today for $50.00, that puts it clear up to $225.00!! He's worth it too. :hi: :D

[jmaier]

18. This seems like

very much ado about nothing, especially the charitable contribution donations. I guess it might be a good thing that we leave no potential muck unracked around DU.




Wes Clark. He will make an extraordinary American President.

[maddezmom]

19. all and all not too damaging

<<<But in a 1993 letter to Dean, Primmer wrote that two insurers were sending a gift to the governor, described only as a "package," after Dean met with them to discuss the bill that would provide new tax breaks. Dean signed that bill into law later that year.>>>

But what do you think the "package" was...a box of candy? hmmmm

[MIMStigator]

20. Looking more like * every day

n/t

[killbotfactory]

23. Bush raised money for charity as governer?

[KittyWampus]

29. Governor Gives Company Huge Tax Break

Company gives Governor Gifts, Contributions for Reelection and Donations to "Charities" which then help get Governor re-elected so he can give said company further tax breakes or assistance of some sort.

[KittyWampus]

26. Remember When Clark First Entered The Race & Refunded Money From A Speech?

It was a pre-engagement. Clark's campaign refunded the money even though it probably wasn't illegal.

As I recall, lots of Dean supporters were pretty harsh about that.

[Padraig18]

32. Are you saying there was anything illegal in doing so?

or is this another all-purpose smear thread?

[wyldwolf]

34. Just the facts

You will notice I added no commentary. No opinion. Just excerpts from this NEW and BREAKING story and the link.

Take your silly "smear" charge to the Associated Press who wrote the story.

And have a nice evening.

[Padraig18]

39. And you felt an 'obligation' to post it.

How admirable.

Have a nice evening yourself.

[wyldwolf]

40. New article. New news.

General Discussion: 2004 Primary

This forum is for discussion of everything related to the 2004 Democratic presidential primary.

[maddezmom]

42. true

thanks for keeping us up to date, wyldwolf. ;)

[Hep]

35. I could try, but I would fail to care less

What's the signifigance of this?