by
Mike Cohen
Published in Star Banner, June 26, 2001
A couple of stories spaced 30 pages apart in the June 4 issue of Newsweek magazine, unsavory
enough when read separately, add up to outright political corruption when read together.
The story on page 36 tells us that the Justice Department's environmental lawyers won another
big victory forcing Marathon Ashland Petroleum to install up-to-date pollution control equipment
at a cost of $265 million. The latest in a series of critical wins by Justice was termed by Attorney
General John Ashcroft "a victory for the environment."
We leave page 36 for a moment now and go to page 5 to read about the Republican National
Committee's smashing successful ($29 million) round of fund raisers, which started with a dinner
at Vice President Dick Cheney's government-owned residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
The contributors, who donated $250,000 or more each, were classified as "regents" and were
invited indoors for photos with Cheney. Those who contributed only $100,00 ("Team 100") were
left outside in a tent in a driving rainstorm.
The next night, President George W. Bush showed up at a black-tie gala to deliver a brief pep
talk, after which he and Cheney blew out, all in a total elapsed time of 16 minutes.
Were the attending "fund raisers" upset? You bet. Does it matter? Not really. Because the
purpose of these events is not really social; the purpose of fund raising is strictly business. You
don't spend $250,000 or even a petty $100,000 just to hear a few presidential platitudes, you
spend it to buy your company bottom line tangibles: favors, preferential treatment.
We go back now to Newsweek's page 36.
After all the Justice Department's great "victories for the environment" come second thoughts:
for all those millions in contributions it's payback time. The White House unveils a thing call a
National Energy Policy, and tucked away in the fine print is a directive to Ashcroft to review
existing enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act. The Justice lawyers are furious. Law
enforcement is about to be subjected to veto by a powerhouse lobbying campaign led by highly
paid (and worth every dime of it to their private-industry employers) unelected political sharks.
Some settlements already agreed on are now in doubt; some pending cases are now as good as
lost.
Sure, some of those campaign dinners were served cold. Sure, the rain blew in under the canopy.
Sure, the president flitted in and out in minutes. And yes, $250,000 - and for some people even
$100,000 is a lot of money.
But venality never comes cheap, Mr. CEO. You bought yourself a bargain.
Mike Cohen
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