> However it would seem to be in Kerry's interests that Bush does
> appear to be isolated. After all, if the Bush White house can't even
> keep sycophantic allies like Australia in line, then it would be easy
> to portray the administration's foreign policy as the most bungling
> and incompetent in US history. So I can't work that out, is the
> fellow determined to cover Bush's weakness?
>
> But all this haranguing of Latham from Washington seems a bit risky.
> The more strident the tone, the more difficult it would be for Latham
> to quietly reverse course. Even the Australian Labor Party has to
> maintain some semblance of self-respect. It can't be seen to be
> obviously grovelling to the American tune, so whereas Latham might
> very well have changed his line after being elected, that now seems
> politically impossible.
>
> And self-interested lectures from Washington are unlikely to hurt
> Latham in the polls and thus make the more obsequious John Howard
> more likely to win. (Even the most partisan of anti-Labor Australians
> might be likely to decide that Latham, although a political menace,
> is at least OUR political menace.)
>
> Frankly, I never cease to be amazed by the incompetence of the Bush
> White House. I guess that's the big problem with having overwhelming
> military superiority, no-one ever thought it was necessary to teach
> elementary diplomacy, given that they have such a big stick. They
> expect they can just stamp about the world proclaiming that
> resistance is futile and rudely demanding that everyone follow their
> orders.
>
> Another reason to keep Bush in office for a few more years. Although
> perhaps Kerry is nearly as stupid, by the look of things.
Kerry represents different strata of capital than those represented by Bush (see below). That doesn't make Kerry opposed to a war which still appears to be reasonably popular with US voters. And as we know, all wars are good for business.
"Now Kerry must face up to those tough questions"
Paul Harris in Washington Sunday February 15, 2004 The Observer
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"Kerry - like Bush - has recruited an army of 'bundlers' who skip around strict campaign finance laws by gathering $2,000 cheques from friends and employees into bundles of $50,000 or $100,000. Kerry has 32 $100,000 bundlers and 87 $50,000 bundlers. They come mainly from powerful law firms, real estate companies, financiers and lobbyists.
Kerry has received more money from lobbyists over the past 15 years than any other serving senator. Some of Kerry's close links with lobbyists have raised eyebrows among supporters used to his campaign slogan: 'From the moment I take up office, I will stand up to special interests.'
Kerry has strong ties to lobbyists for the telecommunications industry. Michael Whouley, a top Kerry political aide, is a registered lobbyist for telecoms giant AT&T. Kerry has also taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from Boston lobbying firm Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky. Kerry's brother Cameron is a lawyer for the company which represents communications firms and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.
Between 1999 and 2002 Kerry sponsored two law bills and co-sponsored six more that were seen as advantageous to CTIA's interests. One of Kerry's main bundlers, Chris Putala, is employed as a lobbyist by the CTIA. 'We are beyond the point of whether he takes money from special interests, but rather what, if anything, has been done in response to the funds,' said Steve Weiss, spokesman for the Centre for Responsive Politics watchdog.
Kerry and his wife are also personally linked to the fortunes of the telecommunications industry. Official records show the couple have at least $17 million invested in firms with a stake in the industry. Tracing the actual effect that donations have on politicians' decisions is virtually impossible. A Kerry spokesman has denied Kerry has ever acted in response to donations.
But Paul Davis, co-founder of internet firm Predictive Networks, has seen the process of how fundraising and legislation mix. Kerry met a top Predictive executive on 25 July, 2000. A day later Kerry introduced a Senate bill that would allow internet firms to monitor what their consumers were viewing and that Predictive had been lobbying for. In February 2002 Predictive chief executive Devin Hosea threw a fundraiser for Kerry in Boston. Kerry was given a lift back to Washington DC in a private jet. Hosea threw a second fundraising party that summer. In the end Hosea become one of Kerry's $100,000 'bundlers' .
Davis said many executives and investors at the firm were disturbed by the links with Kerry, as they were Republican supporters. But some even wrote Kerry cheques at the parties. 'One (Republican) wrote out a cheque for the maximum amount. Philosophically, you look at that and think what could they possibly have in common,' Davis told The Observer."
* * * *
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1148524,00.html