Pacific Views

Cheney Stumping for Reichert

The veep will be coming to Seattle today raise money for Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-8). My local mole inside more respectable Democratic circles sent me the following info on the planned protest:

See details below and try to come down and join us in "welcoming" the Liar & Thief Jr., and his empty suit Sheriff who can't even do a fundraiser in his own district.

When: Monday June 6, 10:15 to 11:30 AM arrival
Where: 7th & Pike/Pine, Downtown Seattle [Ed. - There may in fact be a group on each corner. Or not. But definitely on one of them.]

What: Protest by bringing your own sign, or borrow those provided by other groups. Make a stand for the press, we need the public to know of his vulnerability.

Theme of signs: "Reichert votes for energy bill = Cheney raises $$", "Tell Reichert to give back DeLay and Cheney money", "Reichert cuts Medicare", "Reichert opposes Healthcare for Reserves"

Obviously, a DeLay puppet like Reichert is a target rich environment. The suggested sign themes are intended only to forestall paralysis in the face of an avalanche of choices.

Update: You can always check out the FEC database entry for Reichert to find out who he's in hock to, all the figures below are totals for the last two years. Here are a couple of his more colorful owners:

• WAL-MART STORES INC. PAC FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT: $1000
• TEXAS FREEDOM FUND: $10,000
• CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE: $2,500

Here are some of his owners in the energy & transportation industry:

• AUTOMOTIVE FREE INTERNATIONAL TRADE PAC: $3,500
• CIVIC INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM/GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION: $1,000
• CONOCOPHILLIPS SPIRIT PAC: $2,000
• DEALERS ELECTION ACTION COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE DEALERS ASSOCIATION: $6,000
• EXXONMOBIL PAC: $7,000
• IPAA WILDCATTERS FUND: $5,000

Here are some of his owners in the financial services industry:

• AMERICAN FINANCIAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION PAC: $1,000
• BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION STATE AND FEDERAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE: $1,000
• CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP. ASSOC. POLITICAL FUND: $1,000
• CREDIT UNION LEGISLATIVE ACTION COUNCIL OF CUNA: $5,000
• FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE AKA FREDDIEPAC: $1,000
• INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY BANKERS OF AMERICA POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE: $5,000
• J. P. MORGAN CHASE & CO. PAC: $2,500
• KPMG PARTNERS/PRINCIPALS & EMPLOYEES POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE: $5,000
• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL ADVISORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE: $5,000
• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS, INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE: $4,122
• PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE I: $2,500
• SALLIE MAE INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (SALLIE MAE PAC): $7,500
• WACHOVIA CORPORATION EMPLOYEES GOOD GOVERNMENT FEDERAL FUND I: $1,000
• WASHINGTON MUTUAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (WMPAC): $1,000

Reichert voted in favor of bankruptcy 'reform,' the repeal of the estate tax, and the Republican energy plan. He's also got a long list of supporters all across the spectrum of the medical and health insurance industry, and though there apparently hasn't been much that he could do for them just yet, I'm sure that what's gone around will come around. I'll be getting around to listing all of those soon, but I don't have time just now.

Note that both of the above lists by industry are incomplete because they only list industry committees, as individuals affiliated with them may also contribute, and either group may contribute to committees not associated with any one industry who then funnel more money back to the candidate.

Further note that I fully recognize the necessity of fundraising. Campaigns are expensive, and the money has got to come from somewhere. But if you take money from corporate interests and then turn around and vote not only in favor of them, but favor them in a way that makes life worse for a majority of the voters, expect to take heat for it. It isn't right for a moneyed elite to own the government of an ostensibly democratic nation and act against the interests of its citizenry.

Does that mean that I wouldn't mind if an unaccountable moneyed elite owned the government but acted in the best interests of the citizenry? Well, show me a case where that's happened, we'll talk. If people were all good, we wouldn't need government, as they say.

Our government was founded on the suspicion that people shouldn't be trusted with too much power, particularly well-connected people, and it has so far proved to have been a good assumption. Unfortunately, in my view, the well-connected in the days of the founders were the landed nobility. One of the things they didn't foresee was the tyranny of unchecked financial power, which sucks for us.

Posted by natasha at June 6, 2005 04:25 AM | WA News & Trivia | Technorati links |