Raising Money from Terrorists

The DCCC has some great info how the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) has taken money from an accused terrorist financier and refused to donate this money to charity. This is despite the fact that the National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) already has. The DCCC goes on to list the 22 Republican Reps who have taken money since the accused terrorist started donating money, and of course Rep. Roskam is among them. As the saying goes, “You can tell who a person is by the company they keep.” Rep. Roskam should do the glaringly obvious right thing and call on the NRCC to donate this money back. If they do not, we should call on him to donate his portion of this terrorist money to charity.

One thing Roskam and NRCC should NOT do is just give the money back. I’ve heard some suggestion of that from the media, and this has always struck me as silly. Just because the money is tainted and shouldn’t be used to further your conservative political agenda doesn’t mean you should return it to an accused terrorist. We would all be much better having that tainted money do good for a charitable cause. Since Sneaky Pete claims he cares about seniors so much that he won’t even collect taxes from oil companies and with seniors facing such high prescription drug prices as a result of members like Roskam forbidding the government to negotiate for lower prices, I think we should call on him to donate the money to a charity that helps seniors buy prescription drugs. Any other suggestions on what charity this terrorist money should go to?

Roskam already cozying up to lobbyists

Its not taking Roskam long to adopt to the Republican culture of corruption – what do we expect from someone who is protégé of the indicted Tom Delay? The Roll Call reports that tonight he is having a fundraiser hosted by lobbyist Erick Gustafson (Mortgage Bankers Association) at the swanky steak house Charlie Palmers. If Roskam wants to spend his time cozying up with lobbyists at posh steak houses, that is up to him. But when it results in votes against the interests of middle-class Illinois residents – then its time for us to step in. We’re watching. If he keeps voting with his lobbyist friends that he makes at $1,000 cocktail reception and steak dinners, we will make sure his constituents know. All donations made tonight should eventually be available in a future FEC report, so I’ll be sure to update you all later on the roster of high paid lobbyists that attend.

$140,000 cash on hand

The new FEC campaign figures were released earlier today, and it looks like Roskam had about $140,000 in the bank at the end of 2006. Hope to take a look later at where he raised some of these campaign funds from. But no one should get their hopes up that dumping him will be easy, he has plenty of time to raise more money and he himself made close to $700,000 in 2005 and has ample personal funds to dip into.

Are you kidding?

Did anyone else see Roskam's justification for voting for H.R. 6 and tax cuts for oil companies? Get this:

“The bill is overflowing with unintended consequences. One of the most disturbing is severely damaging the retirement savings of seniors. Retirement and pension accounts hold forty-one percent of domestic oil and gas company shares. When our domestic companies’ production levels shrink, so do the hard-earned and well-deserved savings of our seniors."

Oh please. Only a trial lawyer could come up with such baloney. Remember this quote - If in the future he votes for legislation that will hurt seniors (he's already voted against allowing the government negotiate for cheaper prescription drugs), I will be sure to bring this quote back up.

Of course, its complete nonsense that he voted against repealing these corporate handouts because of seniors. Remember, having the government collect the $14 billion it should be collecting would leave lots more money available for Social Security (which doesn't depend on the inequitable owning of stocks), Medicare, and the promotion of clean energy (I'm sure a few retirees have stocks in clean energy companies too).

And how much of this corporate handout are actually going to the stockholders? According to the 13th Annual CEO Compensation Survey:

*The top 15 U.S. Oil Barons are paid 281 percent of the average CEO
compensation in comparably sized businesses. The top 15 U.S. Oil
CEOs were paid an average of $32.7 million in 2005 while the average
compensation for CEOs of large U.S. firms in all industries was
$11.6 million.

*Top three highest paid U.S. oil chieftains in 2005:
#1 William Greehey (Valero Energy) = $95.2 million
#2 Ray R. Irani (Occidential Petroleum) = $84.0 million
#3 Lee Raymond (outgoing CEO of ExxonMobil) = $69.7 million

And lest anyone think that is the pay required to get a CEO capable of running an oil company:

*The second- and third-largest oil companies in the world are both foreign firms, British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell. Both pay their
CEOs considerably less than comparable U.S. oil companies. While
they operate in the same global marketplace, their average pay was
$4.8 million, compared to the average of $39.2 million for the top 2
U.S. oil CEOs.

If Roskam really cares about the minority of retirees that have stock in oil companies, perhaps he should look into doing something about CEO pay disparity? Of course, maybe the $127,065 he's received from energy interests is the real reason he voted to keep their corporate hand-outs. It certainly isn't to protect an average American retiree. That is one of the lamest justifications for voting the wrong way I've ever heard.

Roskam votes for big oil

So Roskam once again goes with the hard line conservatives and votes for tax breaks for Exxon and other big oil companies (H.R.6). I guess he missed the headlines about the record setting $10.7 billion in quarterly profits Exxon recently made. What about helping the working classes Mr. Roskam? Maybe he voted because Big Oil companies contributed $70,765 to help him get elected? I guess he does take after his indicted former boss and K-Street project founder, Tom Delay, when it comes to influence peddling.

Giving away $14 billion dollars to companies making record profits is a terrible idea. If we are ever to become energy independent it makes sense to use this $14 billion towards an apollo like enery project. From the Apollo Alliance, I've learned that $14 billion can potentially: Power 4.2 million homes with wind energy. Create 29,000 jobs in the solar industry. Or fund incentives to help 5.6 million Americans purchase hybrid cars. But unforturtunately, Roskam once again votes the wrong way. He is way too conservative for Illinois.