Slice 1:
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, accepted more than $400,000 in donations last year to help fight the various ethical allegations against him, but still owes three law firms at least $125,000 for his ongoing legal expenses.Slice 2:
Financial disclosure forms released Wednesday show that the Texas Republican took in $439,300 in contributions to his legal expense fund in 2004 when the House ethics committee investigated him and rebuked him for his conduct. Separately, DeLay faces questions about his ties to a lobbyist under federal criminal investigation, Jack Abramoff.
Other reports show that $254,250 of those contributions came to DeLay's legal defense fund during the last three months of 2004. He still owes three law firms between $125,003 and $315,000 combined for his legal expenses, and three major companies who have in the past given to his fund — American Airlines, Verizon and Nissan North America Inc. — have said they will no longer contribute.
Republican members of Congress have an additional $23 million in the bank, thanks in large part to the efforts of President Bush. GOP leaders spent much of Monday and Tuesday entertaining campaign donors, but it was Bush's speech at a gala Tuesday night that drew the people who shelled out $2,500 per ticket.
Bush reiterated his favorite recent themes, calling for an overhaul of the tax code, a national energy bill and permanent tax relief. He accused Democrats of trying to block all of them.
"Political parties that choose the path of obstruction will not gain the trust of the American people," he said. "If leaders of the other party have innovative ideas, let's hear them. But if they have no ideas or policies except obstruction, they should step aside and let others lead."
The fundraiser brought in $14 million for House Republicans and $9 million for GOP senators. More than 5,000 people filled the Washington Convention Center to hear Bush speak.
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Humm, obstruction versus obfuscation? Which is worse - people from the minority working to protect a majority of the populations' interests? Or, people in the so called majority obfuscating and fixing the facts to support war with Iraq so that a small number of capitalists can fatten themselves up even more? You decide.
3 comments:
Education is not a right. It is a commodity like breakfast cereal. But for the record, a free education is now available to anyone with a little time and a computer with internet access. Education is cheaper than ever.
Dear Ophir,
I'm confused. What does your comment have to do with this particular post? Moreover, are you saying education, like food or cereal, is a necessity? Or, is it something quite different, meaning optional? We all need calories to survive. Do we similarly need education?
No confusion here
Education has always been free. When children were in the real world at a tender age, feeding the chickens and hauling in wood at age three, they knew the necessity for it. Then it wasn't available. Now it is. But children are no longer out in the world, they don't realize the necessity for it (education). Where the learner doesn't know why he's being educated, education is a hard sell. It's being sold as ''good for you, good for your earning 'potential' .'' More supply-side economics that don't work. The market is driven by buyers. If the kids aren't buying no amount of selling is sufficient.
Republican fund raising prowess
The size of the contributions is indicative of how much trouble they're in.
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