On Wed, 4 Aug 2004, Eric Mitchell wrote: > Still no dice. Vance gives money across the board to both endorsed and > non-endorsed candidates.
Indeed. > > He's backed winners and losers. Of course. > > He is putting his money and influence in action against Bush. Kelly came > out for Bush, this would seem to innoculate Vance being behind this or > whatever you were trying to drum up. I was not discussing this latest action. I was discussing ONLY the Kelly-Benanav race for mayor. My point was, it might not just be the so-called stupid masses voting their stupid mindless idiot rabble prejudices, etc, etc (and who defends them? they don't have money, so who cares?). My point was, there are other influences on elections - like money and influnce. The rich have a lot more to give, and the great bulk of campaign giving is by the very rich -- they're buying influence and future benefits from officials. So let's look to them for a bit, before we descend to calling the people stupid. > > In that last few years, Vance has also given money to: > Wellstone, Bob Kerry, Forbes for President, Steve > Novak, Thune for Congress, Chris Coleman for Congress, > ND Senator Kent Conrad, ND Congressman Earl Pomeroy, > Hillary Clinton for Senate and HillPac, Montana > Democratic Party, NY Senator Charles Schumer, Bill > Luther for Congress, RI Congressman Pat Kennedy, MN > Womens Campaign, Vt Senator Pat Leahy, SD Senator Tom > Dashle, John Kerry for President,ND Senator Byron > Dorgan, Herseth for COngress(SD), Lisa Quigley for > Congress(CA), Mark Dayton andPatty Wetterling for > COngress. > > He may have given Kelly a few bucks- big deal. He > gives money to a lot of candidates. It benefits your defense of VO to poo-poo the amount. I believe he gave NO money to Benenav. I heard also that he used his influence to slim down the support the DFL ususlly gives to its endorsed candidate, Benanav in this case. > His company was sold a few years ago, so he is not the heir to West > Publishing. It appears you have a problem with him because he's rich. His father was in West; he was his father's heir. You know what I meant. I DO have a problem with rich people distoring representative government by using more money and power than most people will ever have. Oligarchhy and democracy don't mix. Vance effectively vetoed several DFL endorsees who weren't enuf "business-friendly" for him. And no, I DON'T like it. And there's no reason for anyone else to like it either. Sure it's legal. It shouldn't be. Sure it's "business" - business that distorts and subverts democracy. --David Shove Roseville e > > I'm starting to get Shove and his ilk. It's the old > blame game in reverse, the rich are to blame for > everything and the conspiracy rolls on until one day > the masses will rise and overthrow them. > > You failed this time to make a DFL conspiracy out of > this. > > Eric Mitchell > Eastsider > What Party endorsed the bigotted anti-Semite for US > Senate in Minnesota? > > --- David Shove <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Info on Vance Opperman: > > > > Here are a few quotes from past local articles. Not > > much - perhaps enuf to > > make some points without violating the ban here on > > complete articles or > > even long quotes: > > > > City Pages 3/4/98 > > The Player [Vance Opperman] > > by Britt Robson > > > > >From West Bank radical to White House insider, he's > > remained the most > > powerful man you've never heard of. > > ... > > He counts Vice President Al Gore among his friends > > and has enough > > clout to get President Clinton to return his phone > > calls. > > ... > > Opperman has become known as the ruthless corporate > > fighter who steered > > Eagan-based West Publishing Inc. through an industry > > revolution. He is > > also recognized as the big-time donor who promised > > large sums to Democrats > > at a crucial point in the 1996 campaign--two weeks > > before the Justice > > Department cleared the way to a corporate > > acquisition that would make him > > fabulously wealthy. One Washington-based advocate of > > campaign-finance > > reform considers Opperman "a perfect example of what > > is wrong with the > > political process." > > ... > > But in Minnesota, it is hard to find people with a > > discouraging word to > > say about Opperman. Off the record, people from both > > ends of the political > > spectrum say that his wealth and power deter any > > honest criticism. > > ... > > As state Sen. John Marty, Minnesota's self-appointed > > conscience on matters > > of campaign finance, puts it: "I am not accusing > > Vance of being corrupt, > > but he knows money talks. He's got a lot of money, > > and it really talks." > > > > ----- > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > New and Improved Yahoo! 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