UNITED STATES: Democracy for sale

Issue 

The names that didn't appear centre stage at the Democratic Party convention in Los Angeles are the ones that will actually pay for the event — names like General Motors, British Petroleum, Microsoft and AT&T. These corporations are underwriting much of the costs, which are expected to exceed $35 million.

Many of the companies — like General Motors and Microsoft — were equally generous in their support for the Republican's convention in early August in Philadelphia.

The Republican Party has created a new level of top givers, the "Regents": individuals and companies who have given the party at least $250,000 since January 1999. As of July 1, the Republican Party had more than 100 such donors, who were rewarded at the convention with box seats, private dinners with party leaders, champagne receptions deluxe hotel accommodation, cocktails with Colin Powell and an evening cruise on the Delaware River aboard the Enterprise, owned by Richard M. DeVos, the Amway founder and a George W. Bush supporter.

Already, Bush's campaign has collected a record $90 million in federally restricted, individual donations of $1000 or less. Nearly one-quarter of that amount was raised by a national network of 212 business executives and wealthy individuals who call themselves the Pioneers.

Three of the Republican national committee's 10 largest donors — Philip Morris, the National Rifle Association and Microsoft — contributed record sums to the party this year, at a time when they face legal and legislative challenges from the Democrats. Not surprisingly, Bush supports limits on damages in product liability lawsuits and on fees for trial lawyers and opposes federal anti-tobacco litigation. In Texas, he was also responsible for environmental waivers for the oil and energy industries and has opposed most gun control legislation and government lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

Not in the top 10 donors to the convention is Enron, a Houston-based natural gas company. However, this company is the biggest supporter of Bush to date.

A June 15 internal memorandum to executives soliciting contributions to the company's political action committee lays out the reasons: Enron faces numerous legal and regulatory challenges, including taxation of electronic commerce, restructuring of the electric industry, international trade legislation, regulation of power plants and oil pipelines and a variety of environmental and tax issues. The memorandum suggests "voluntary" contributions towards its $1 million target of $500 a year from low-level Enron managers to $5000 a year from Enron executive committee members.

[Abridged from Corporate Watch at <http://www.corpwatch.org>.]

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