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Please take a long vacation, Mr President ~ we saw what happened when you turned your attention to Iraq and I don't think we can handle how badly you might screw up the economy and our precious social security system.
Isn't here some brush on the ranch that needs to be cleared out or some more medals that you can hand out to your fellow conspirators like you did with Bremer, Franks and Tenant . Or perhaps you could visit your soulmate Putin ~ and compare notes on how to rig elections.
Your attention is like the Kiss of Death and it's even starting to scare children who will have to bare the burden of your 200 billion dollar plus Iraq debacle ~ much less seniors who got clobbered when you turned your attention to Medicare.
And now with the full adoration of all your bought corporate friends you hold an economic conference which is, in reality, little more than a gathering of corporate cronies, ex- campaign surrogates and political contributors.
Fortunately The Center for American Progress lays out the truth of this economic flim flam.
Want objective insight into the America's tax policy? Look no further than Pamela Olson, who, until this November was employed as a "Bush Campaign Tax Expert" and was a surrogate for Bush at tax-related campaign events. Olson also contributed $3,000 to the Bush campaign and her law firm kicked in $107,490. "
Allen L Roland
Cronies Converge
The White House claims this week's economic conference will feature a "wide range of people from the business community." In fact, it is little more than a gathering of corporate cronies, ex- campaign surrogates and political contributors. (The event does provide insight into Bush's priorities. He has made time on his schedule to attend panel on Social Security privatization and tort reform, but will skip the panels on "Making Health Care More Affordable" and "The State of Our Economy.") All told, the 35 individuals participating in the conference, and the companies they represent have showered the president with $388,340 for his presidential campaigns. The elite group will undoubtedly paper over the disastrous effects Bush's economic policies have had on the middle class. Here are some things you might not know about a few of the participants:
AT HOME IN THE WHITE HOUSE: Home Depot's CEO, Bob Nardelli, will need no introduction when he sits with President Bush on the panel on "lawsuit abuse" today. Nardelli hosted a fundraiser with Bush in May, pulling in $3.2 million for GOP candidates. Nardelli's company, Home Depot, has donated $1.5 million to the Republican Party since 1999 and "during that time, no candidate has benefited from Home Depot's largesse more than Bush." But Home Depot has received a great return on its investment: in October, Congress secured a $44 million subsidy for Chinese ceiling fans, of which Home Depot is one of the main beneficiaries. Nardelli and his wife, Susan, have donated $76,000 to GOP coffers.
ALWAYS TIME FOR CORPORATE CRONIES: Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons will be testifying about financial challenges for our future. But Bush's Social Security commission co-chair has not provided a very good example with his own business practices. In 1998, the Labor Department filed suit against Time Warner, alleging the company had "wrongly classified hundreds of workers as temporary employees and independent contractors to keep from paying them health and pension benefits." The White House maintained it was "not aware" Parsons had paid $5.5 million to settle the suit when it appointed him, and maintained he would provide "valuable contributions and insight" to the commission. Parsons, who is due to start receiving Social Security benefits in 7 years, told reporters, inexplicably, that until President Bush was elected he "never believed" he was "going to get anything out of Social Security." But he has contributed more than praise to the president: Time Warner gave $35,000 to the Bush campaigns in 2000 and 2004, with Parsons and his wife, Laura, chipping in $9,000.
ROLLING IN DELL: Dell CEO Kevin Rollins will participate in today's panel on "the state of our economy." Perhaps he will have some thoughts on the problem of corporate subsidies, after his company reportedly extorted the state of North Carolina for $242 million in tax breaks and other incentives over 15 years in return for moving a plant there. Dell officials reportedly misrepresented the offers of competing states to land the plumb deal. Dell's PAC has contributed $64,488 to GOP coffers in 2004 and Rollins gave the Bush campaign the maximum $2,000.
CAMPAIGN HACKERY CONTINUES: Want objective insight into the America's tax policy? Look no further than Pamela Olson, who, until this November was employed as a "Bush Campaign Tax Expert" and was a surrogate for Bush at tax-related campaign events. Olson also contributed $3,000 to the Bush campaign and her law firm kicked in $107,490.
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