Kerry is no Gandhi on corporate donations

[Wonk]

(snip)

To be sure, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being Gandhian suffering and 10 being unbleachable filth, Kerry cannot possibly smell like President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the Republican Party.

The polluters, bomb makers, big oil, and big tobacco give the current administration a solid rating of 14, with the bonus points coming from the no-bid Iraq reconstruction contracts to Halliburton and cancerous Philip Morris, the Republican Party's top donor for the last quarter-century.

Kerry is not a 14. Nor is he Gandhi, according to Charles Lewis, executive director of the campaign finance watchdog group the Center for Public Integrity in his new book, "The Buying of the President."

In the mid 1990s, Johnny Chung illegally funneled $8,000 to Kerry. This month arms contractor Bob Majumder pleaded guilty to illegally funneling between $13,000 and $25,000 to Kerry. Kerry wrote 28 letters from 1996 to 1999 supporting Majumder for federal funds for a proposed missile system. The company received $150 million in federal funds.

more...
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/02/27/kerry_is_no_gandhi_on_corporate_donations/

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Jackson is an excellent writer.

Extremely incisive.

[Wonk]

5. Who's that in your avatar? Just curious. nt

[greatauntoftriplets]

6. Bobby Sands.

One of the H Block hunger strikes in Northern Ireland in 1979 - 1981. Bobby was elected to the British Parliament while in prison and on the "dirty strike", but died before he could take his seat.

Thanks for asking.

On edit; More information.

http://www.bobbysandstrust.org/

[Raya]

2. This is an OP/ED not a factual story. In fact almost every assertion is

false as stated. Keep in mind that Kerry only took individual
donations (under the $1000 or $2000 limit) for all his campaigns.

[Wonk]

4. So, you think we can expect a libel suit in the near future? nt

[Wonk]

9. Here's another similar article, this time in the Detroit Free Press

DEMOCRATS: Kerry no stranger to big-money donors
Critics see a hypocrite; fans call him reformer
http://www.freep.com/news/politics/kerry28_20040228.htm

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Ghandi is setting a pretty high standard.

I'd settle for my next-door neighbor.

[H2O Man]

7. Gandhi (not Ghandi!)

One should remember that it took millions in contributions from wealthy backers to allow Gandhi to live in poverty. History is full of interesting things that should open our eyes. Also: on Bobby Sands, my wife's cousin went back & forth to the Old Sod and was friendly with him. Sent me a tape of some of Bobby's poetry.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. How interesting H2O Man (also my favorite beverage, water, that is)

When did your wife's cousin know Bobby Sands?