Kerry urges White House to disclose lobbyist meetings.

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This is a Kerry press release and it really goes after Bush hard on the access for donors issue. As a reminder, Kerry released all the info of his meetings as Senator a few months ago.

New Report: Bush’s Pay-To-Play White House
Kerry Campaign Urges White House to Disclose Lobbyist Meetings

May 17, 2004

For Immediate Release

In light of a new report being released today from the non-partisan Texans for Public Justice detailing the scope of the Bush fundraising effort, the Kerry Campaign urged the White House to disclose meetings it has had with the lobbyists representing these interests.  Bush recently topped $200 million raised for his re-election, much of it due to the prowess of an elite group of fundraisers called the Pioneers and Rangers, who raised for at least $100,000 or $200,000 respectively, for Bush. 

Today, the non-partisan Texans for Public Justice (TPJ) issued a new report (www.tpj.org/pioneers/pioneers04/summary.html) on Bush’s record-breaking fundraising machine, detailing his top supporters and what they get in return for their support. 

In response to this report, Kerry Campaign Manager Mary Beth Cahill urged the Bush campaign to release meetings the White House had with these donors or their lobbyists.

“It’s time for this pay-to-play White House to come clean about how these donations influence the President.   When this Administration raises unprecedented amounts from a few wealthy people seeking favors from the government, the public deserves to know whether their President is serving America or the special interests.  John Kerry has shown his commitment to open government by releasing the most detailed list of lobbyist contacts that any candidate for president has ever made public. Now it’s time for President Bush to start following suit by opening the files of Dick Cheney's secret energy task force that his Administration has fought so hard to hide from the public.”

FACT: In Unprecedented Move, Kerry Issues List Detailing Contacts With Lobbyists. John Kerry disclosed nearly 200 meetings he has held with lobbyists since 1989, including dozens having business before his Senate committees.  No member of Congress-turned-presidential candidate has ever listed in such detail contacts with lobbyists, who are paid to influence policy decisions.

FACT: Bush Has Restricted Information from Congress and Public.  “In an attempt to reinforce the powers of the executive branch, the Bush administration has denied Congress access to information on the vice president's energy task force, restricted the handling of presidential records, and curtailed government responses to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act. … The president's emphasis on confidentiality predates the war on terror, though.”

KEY FINDINGS OF NEW REPORT ON BUSH’S PAY-TO-PLAY WHITE HOUSE: Who are Bush’s Top Fundraisers?

1)  Lobbyists & Executives:  Bush’s 2004 Pioneer-Ranger network is dominated by corporate executives and business owners, who account for 70 percent (358) of these 511 elite 2004 donors.  Bush’s 2004 elite also include 87 full- or part-time lobbyists and 33 people employed as elected or appointed public officials.

2)  Involved in Pollution, Corporate Scandals:  Including Enron’s Ken Lay, 133 elite Bush donors have been involved in corporate scandals or helped run companies involved in them.   Seventy-eight elite donors either have been involved in campaign-finance scandals or helped run companies involved in them.   And forty elite Bush donors recently ran or worked for polluting companies, including Pioneer Anthony Alexander, president of FirstEnergy Corporation and a member of Bush’s 2000 Energy Department transition team. FirstEnergy’s electric plants emit large quantities of mercury and sulfur dioxide, which cause acid rain and respiratory disease.

What did Bush’s top fundraisers get in return?

1)  Federal Contracts, including IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN contracts:   101 companies that have employed 123 elite Bush donors received federal contracts worth $3.5 billion in fiscal year 2002.  The construction firm Washington Group International, whose President and CEO Steve Hanks is a 2004 Bush Pioneer, has received contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan worth over $500 million. 

2) Appointments and Access:  Of the 630 elite donors from Bush’s 2000 and/or 2004 campaigns, 143 (23 percent) have had themselves or their spouses appointed to Bush’s 2000 transition teams or to one or more federal posts. These big-donor appointees include two cabinet secretaries, 24 ambassadors and 47 transition team members.  In addition, President Bush invited family members of 26 elite donors to sleepovers at the White House or Camp David.

[Thrill]

1. OUCH

Why not mention the execs from Exxon and other big oil companies and the big healthcare companies

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3. This is just the beginning.

Laying groundwork for a constant pressure.

[Catfight]

2. Bushdora's box is about to be open!

[loudsue]

4. Now there's a post worth bookmarking! Geeez! Bought-&-paid-for-Bush

BUSH: BOUGHT & PAID FOR by those who seek to subvert democracy in order to have their own agendas rammed down the throats of the PEOPLE.

I am sooooo proud of Kerry! I wasn't aware that he had done such a record-setting disclosure, and I think it shows some damned good & clear conscience on his part, just to do that.

Of course (!) he's been influenced by donors to some extent, but he's not trying to hide where his values are because of it.

bush and cheney, on the other hand....they don't want anyone to know! As if we couldn't tell by looking!

:kick::kick::kick:

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5. Yep.....that was a very smart move by Kerry.

It keeps the pressure on Bush to release his info for the rest of the campaign.

Hitting BushInc on the whole "secrecy" issue.