Kerry Blocked Law, Drew Cash

[fjc]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate colleague was trying to close a loophole that allowed a major insurer to divert millions of federal dollars from the nation's most expensive construction project. John Kerry stepped in and blocked the legislation.

Over the next two years, the insurer, American International Group, paid Kerry's way on a trip to Vermont and donated at least $30,000 to a tax-exempt group Kerry used to set up his presidential campaign. Company executives donated $18,000 to his Senate and presidential campaigns.


http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001/20040204/2216002095.htm

[West Coast Democrat]

1. I posted this story yesterday

in the GD Primary forum

[Sinistrous]

2. It was also posted earlier here in LBN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=346959&mesg_id=346959

Mods have been alerted.

[papau]

3. GOP/AIG lies/spin revealed and answered by Boston Globe and at DU

"paid Kerry's way on a trip to Vermont" is $540 for travel to give a speech that Kerry reported to ethics committee (that is how we know about it)

The "tax-exempt group Kerry used to set up his presidential campaign" is the Citizen Soldier PAC that does not fund his election campaigns but gives money away - albeit it gives the money to Dem party organizations, and indeed some of those are in "presidential primary states"

Man - Rove/Bush/US media is hurting if this is all they can throw at Kerry.

[seasat]

7. Geez, just look at all the stuff we can throw at Bush

Pharmaceutical Cos and his Medicare bill.

Enron and their donations. Heck, he flew on their private jet during the recount.

Halliburton and all their contracts, donations, Cheney, and over-billing of the Government.

Timber companies and his leave no tree behind bill.

Petroleum industries and his push to further subsidize them.

The funeral co that Shrub took the stand for and their donations to him in TX.

These are just off the top of my head. I imagine that we could compile quite a list with quid pro quo benefits for donations that went to Shrub.

The Kerry campaign also defended itself by pointing out that all the Massachusetts Senators and Representatives supported this move. They were trying to protect money for the "big dig" according to what I heard on NPR this morning.

[bahrbearian]

4. Thanks for the post

I would not have seen it.

[fjc]

5. I guess ya gotta tune in here every day.

[salin]

6. Story looks pretty complex

(about the intervention, itself) hard to cast as a one-dimensional "good or bad". Would the funds stripped have halted the nearly completed construction project - right in the middle of a major metropolitan area that was causing economic disruption (as all major projects due while being constructed)? My read seems to indicate that the fear was this would halt the project mid-way. Can't imagine any congress person not intervening on behalf of a major project in their district state if it is midway and if the action would halt the project.

This is one of those items that I would read more carefully - get more information from varied sources - before pulling a conclusion.

[Moderator]

8. Locking--previous thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg& ;forum=102&topic_id=346959&mesg_id=346959