Good book on contemporary politics

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TB2K spinoff uncensored : One Thread

It came out last year. I pushed it on the old TB2000, and I'll push it here: Elizabeth Drew, "The Corruption of American Politics." It deals with the erosion of limits on campaign money.

-- Peter Errington (petere@ricochet.net), August 27, 2000

Answers

As a Senator, Lieberman Is Proudly Pro-Business http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/082700wh-lieberman.html

As a Senator, Lieberman Is Proudly Pro-Business By LESLIE WAYNE and DON VAN NATTA Jr.

Joseph I. Lieberman has introduced himself to the American people this month on a decidedly populist note, lashing out against oil companies, assailing industrial polluters and calling for greater government spending on health care.

But behind the traditional Democratic oratory of his convention speech is a senator who has described himself as being "pro-business, pro-trade and pro-economic growth." During his two terms in the Senate, Mr. Lieberman closely aligned himself with three industries -- insurance, high technology and health care -- that are the main sources of his campaign contributions, and whose lobbyists say they are pleased with how he has promoted their agendas in Washington.

Mr. Lieberman's pro-business record contrasts sharply not only with his own speech at the Democratic National Convention, but also with the larger message that Vice President Al Gore has been sending recently. In his acceptance speech at the convention -- and since then on the campaign trail -- Mr. Gore has repeatedly attacked "big tobacco, big oil, the big polluters, the pharmaceutical companies, the H.M.O.'s."

Whether defending stock options for the newly minted rich of Silicon Valley, promoting legislation that allowed insurance companies to enter new markets or promoting a moderate alternative to the administration's ill-fated health care program, Mr. Lieberman is seen as a leader among a small band of business-friendly Democrats on Capitol Hill.

He has embraced industries viewed as the pillars of a new high-tech, free-trade economy. And Mr. Lieberman and other centrist Democrats have received a windfall of campaign contributions from industries that are not traditional supporters of the Democratic Party.

"Joe Lieberman understands the needs of business and doesn't view industry with hostility," said Herbert Perone, a spokesman for the American Council of Life Insurers, an industry group. "You can count on Joe Lieberman to understand why something is important to us and vote the right way and not scoff at our reasons. He's been a friend to us."

Mr. Lieberman declined to be interviewed for this article, but instead issued a statement saying that he would "call it like I see it on the issues, including when I disagree with those individuals, industries and interests who support me."

-----------SNIP-----------------------

Before joining the Gore ticket, Mr. Lieberman had already collected nearly $3.3 million for a re-election campaign in which he faced minimal opposition. Executives and political action committees in the insurance, finance and real estate industries were the biggest givers, coming up with $773,386, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit group.

He received $276,000 from the health care industry and $173,563 from high-tech companies -- money that Silicon Valley fund-raisers say was given to the senator without his even having to solicit it.

Pro-Israel groups have given him $213,000, and he received $10,500 from the Free Cuba political action committee for his anti-Castro, pro-embargo stand, the largest donation given by that organization in the current election cycle. He received $102,700 from military contractors and a much more modest $84,997 from trade unions. He received no contributions from the handgun industry, although some handgun manufacturers are based in Connecticut.

Part of Mr. Lieberman's support among the financial services industry is due to Connecticut's close proximity to Wall Street. The industry was particularly pleased by his support last year of the financial services industry modernization bill, which permitted banks, brokerage firms and insurance companies to merge into even larger conglomerates.

In addition, Mr. Lieberman has used the gospel of the new economy to raise money for similar-thinking Democrats through the New Democrat Network, an ideological political action committee he founded in 1996 with Senator John B. Breaux, the moderate Democrat from Louisiana.

The group has raised a total of $7.2 million since its founding, $4 million of it coming in the past 18 months. Not surprisingly, the three largest industry donors to the New Democrat Network are the same ones that support Mr. Lieberman's Senate campaign committees. The PAC's donors include more than 22 of the nation's largest insurance companies; technology companies like Microsoft, America Online and MCI Worldcom; and a roster of pharmaceutical companies that includes Merck, Glaxo Wellcome and Johnson & Johnson.

"Our mission is to build a generation of Democrats who are more modern and global in their outlook," said Simon Rosenberg, executive director of the PAC. "We view ourselves as a venture capital fund for the Democratic Party."



-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), August 27, 2000.


As a Senator, Lieberman Is Proudly Pro-Business http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/082700wh-lieberman.html

As a Senator, Lieberman Is Proudly Pro-Business By LESLIE WAYNE and DON VAN NATTA Jr.

Joseph I. Lieberman has introduced himself to the American people this month on a decidedly populist note, lashing out against oil companies, assailing industrial polluters and calling for greater government spending on health care.

But behind the traditional Democratic oratory of his convention speech is a senator who has described himself as being "pro-business, pro-trade and pro-economic growth." During his two terms in the Senate, Mr. Lieberman closely aligned himself with three industries -- insurance, high technology and health care -- that are the main sources of his campaign contributions, and whose lobbyists say they are pleased with how he has promoted their agendas in Washington.

Mr. Lieberman's pro-business record contrasts sharply not only with his own speech at the Democratic National Convention, but also with the larger message that Vice President Al Gore has been sending recently. In his acceptance speech at the convention -- and since then on the campaign trail -- Mr. Gore has repeatedly attacked "big tobacco, big oil, the big polluters, the pharmaceutical companies, the H.M.O.'s."

Whether defending stock options for the newly minted rich of Silicon Valley, promoting legislation that allowed insurance companies to enter new markets or promoting a moderate alternative to the administration's ill-fated health care program, Mr. Lieberman is seen as a leader among a small band of business-friendly Democrats on Capitol Hill.

He has embraced industries viewed as the pillars of a new high-tech, free-trade economy. And Mr. Lieberman and other centrist Democrats have received a windfall of campaign contributions from industries that are not traditional supporters of the Democratic Party.

"Joe Lieberman understands the needs of business and doesn't view industry with hostility," said Herbert Perone, a spokesman for the American Council of Life Insurers, an industry group. "You can count on Joe Lieberman to understand why something is important to us and vote the right way and not scoff at our reasons. He's been a friend to us."

Mr. Lieberman declined to be interviewed for this article, but instead issued a statement saying that he would "call it like I see it on the issues, including when I disagree with those individuals, industries and interests who support me."

-----------SNIP-----------------------

Before joining the Gore ticket, Mr. Lieberman had already collected nearly $3.3 million for a re-election campaign in which he faced minimal opposition. Executives and political action committees in the insurance, finance and real estate industries were the biggest givers, coming up with $773,386, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit group.

He received $276,000 from the health care industry and $173,563 from high-tech companies -- money that Silicon Valley fund-raisers say was given to the senator without his even having to solicit it.

Pro-Israel groups have given him $213,000, and he received $10,500 from the Free Cuba political action committee for his anti-Castro, pro-embargo stand, the largest donation given by that organization in the current election cycle. He received $102,700 from military contractors and a much more modest $84,997 from trade unions. He received no contributions from the handgun industry, although some handgun manufacturers are based in Connecticut.

Part of Mr. Lieberman's support among the financial services industry is due to Connecticut's close proximity to Wall Street. The industry was particularly pleased by his support last year of the financial services industry modernization bill, which permitted banks, brokerage firms and insurance companies to merge into even larger conglomerates.

In addition, Mr. Lieberman has used the gospel of the new economy to raise money for similar-thinking Democrats through the New Democrat Network, an ideological political action committee he founded in 1996 with Senator John B. Breaux, the moderate Democrat from Louisiana.

The group has raised a total of $7.2 million since its founding, $4 million of it coming in the past 18 months. Not surprisingly, the three largest industry donors to the New Democrat Network are the same ones that support Mr. Lieberman's Senate campaign committees. The PAC's donors include more than 22 of the nation's largest insurance companies; technology companies like Microsoft, America Online and MCI Worldcom; and a roster of pharmaceutical companies that includes Merck, Glaxo Wellcome and Johnson & Johnson.

"Our mission is to build a generation of Democrats who are more modern and global in their outlook," said Simon Rosenberg, executive director of the PAC. "We view ourselves as a venture capital fund for the Democratic Party."



-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), August 27, 2000.


SLIMEBALL cpr walks all over Peter's thread.

-- (nemesis@awol.com), August 28, 2000.

Yep, he has been doing a lot of walking lately and (as I reach over and whisper in Nemisis ear) seems to be Talking to himself alot too.

ROFLMAO.....nem, you are tooo funny.

-- (gez@who.cls), August 28, 2000.


um...if i dont like politics, will i like contemporary politics?

-- cin (cin@=0).cin), August 28, 2000.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ