[Marxism] RE: US ruling class and elections

[Richard Menec <menecraj@xxxxxxx>]

[also check out the Center for Responsive Politics for more info on
corporate donors]

Here's the beginning of a list of corporate donors, excerpted from:
<http://lefthook.org/Politics/Shepherd100904.html>

by Toby Shepherd

Left Hook (October 09 2004)

"Here's a good one. An ad produced by the Nader haters at TheNaderFactor.com
charge Nader with all but conspiring with the RNC to steal the election from
Kerry. You should know that TheNaderFactor.com is a project of the National
Progress Fund, a rag-tag team of major Democratic players, which, according
to
the IRS, received its single largest donation from corporate executive Bobby
Savoie. (Savoie's company, Apogen Technologies, is a major contractor with
several departments of the federal government, including the department of
Homeland Security.) Savoie donated a generous $25,000 gift to the National
Progress Fund one month after donating the same amount to the Republican
National Committee. A month before that, he gave the RNC another $2,000.
(His wife Lori gave equal amounts on the same days.)

Here's the clincher. According to the New York Times, TheNaderFactor.com's
television ad cost them $5,000 to produce and another $20,000 to run in New
Mexico and Wisconsin, totaling $25,000 dollars, the exact same amount that
corporate Republican Bobby Savoie donated. Could the Democrats really be so
hypocritical as to charge Ralph Nader with financing his campaign with
Republican money - with Republican money?

In reality, the accusations are largely baseless. An independent
organization
known as the Center for Responsive Politics provided data that Republican
donors
who are funding George Bush's reelection campaign have given more money to
the
Democratic National Committee than to Ralph Nader's campaign. The study
found
that only 4% of Nader's funding, a total of $54,000, came from donors who
had
also given to Republicans. But those very same donors gave a total $66,000
to
the Democrats!

Exit polls in 2000 showed that 25% of Ralph's votes came from registered
Republicans - it shouldn't be surprising therefore that less than 5% of his
campaign is being funded with "Republican money". Nader has repeatedly
called
on conservative Republicans upset with Bush over his rejection of the
Republican
Party's ideologies (irresponsible fiscal policies, expansion of intrusive
government) to consider his campaign.

Unlike Kerry, Nader has refused to accept corporate donations on principle.
Kerry, on the other hand, has been quick to accept money from companies that
are
funding Bush's campaign as well. Citigroup: $157,806 to Kerry, $557,250 to
Bush.
UBS Americas: $157,450 to Kerry, $431,850 to Bush. Goldman Sachs: $115,250
to
Kerry, $350,875 to Bush. Microsoft: $104,663 to Kerry, $184,040 to Bush.
Morgan
Stanley: $101,954 to Kerry, $700,000 to Bush."



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