I really, really, really, really abhor the run up to the Presidential elections. And what I most abhor is the blind faith the “outsiders” always have that they have finally found “a guy” that is all right and that will do the right thing. Here is what we learn about Rick Perry (does he look like that guy from the West Wing?):
The LA Times investigates the big-money culture of Texas politics, which has gotten even bigger and money-er since Rick Perry became governor:
Perry has received a total of $37 million over the last decade from just 150 individuals and couples, who are likely to form the backbone of his new effort to win the Republican presidential nomination….Nearly half of those mega-donors received hefty business contracts, tax breaks or appointments under Perry, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis.
Perry, campaigning Monday at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, declined to comment when asked how he separated the interests of his donors from the needs of his state. His aides vigorously dispute that his contributors received any perks. “They get the same thing that all Texans get,” said spokesman Mark Miner.
Nearly half! And this doesn’t even include anything about David Nance and the largesse Perry distributes via his $200 million state-managed venture capital slush fund. Doling out political favors in industrial quantities is obviously something that isn’t frowned upon by Texas political culture, and Perry has taken it to whole new levels.
That was from Kevin Drum at Mother Jones (one of the Progressives I read regularly, some of you have openly wondered who I read from the “other” side). It would be nice to see folks recognize that this is not some isolated indictment of Perry. We live in the corporate state, a system of privilege, back-scratching, protection and borderline corruption that creates a rot from the inside, massively violates the rule-of-law and reduces the dynamism of the economy from where it ought to be.
Kevin makes a good point. He is an expert sophist, ready to comment on the gravy on the tie, whenever it is convenient. Do not hold your breath to have him talk about the Volt. The folks at Mother Jones live in a parallel universe, wistful of the days gone by. As wintercow has pointed out often, they want it both ways, as long as it defeats the capitalistic swine in America’s imperialistic circus.
I am shocked. SHOCKED! Who could ever had thought that a politician doled out favors?
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