LD413HF_REV.qxd:LD413HF 4/4/13 9:55 PM Page 1 VOLUME15 NUMBER 4 ! APRIL 2013 The It’s the most god-awful aahuman activity that doesn’t involve physical pain.bb ——FORMER REP. BARNEY FRANK, remarking on constantly having to solicit campaign donations from wealthy interests, which he candidly calls “begging” and “debasing yourself.” WRITTEN BY JIM HIGHTOWER ! PUBLISHER, PHILLIP FRAZER Logo Lowdown from the 2012 elections. Part 1—donors on the record Here’s who is buying America’s democracy THE SPARK THAT IGNITED TEA PARTY WRATH in 2008 was bailout scandal, the logical step to take not such right-wing bugaboos as “Obamacare,” the federal would’ve been to strengthen and extend that public financing alternative as a way to limit the spoilage that deficit, or states’ rights, which were added on later by Koch- inevitably flows from special-interest political spending. created front groups. Rather, the uprising sprang directly But no. Such pinheaded potentates of the House as Majority from the public’s raw outrage over Washington’s flagrant Leader Eric Cantor strutted out to declare that killing public financing coddling of Wall Street banksters. was “a no-brainer” (a phrase that, ironically, admitted the mindless- ness of his move). eople were affronted by the most naked example in The supremacy of private-interest funding has turned our elec- recent times of the power of corporate campaign cash tions into a crass auction of government power to the wealthiest of to buy an obscene injustice. Here were America’s most moneyed elites. privileged elites in plain view, jetting into the capitol city Who are these masked men? We the People have a right to follow to call in all of the favors they were owed for the political the money, right down to the brand names that take our consumer “donations” they had previously made. That binding, dollars and convert them into political donations that produce anti- ongoing dependence of lawmakers on Big Money is what consumer, anti-worker, anti-environment, anti-democracy public poli- Pallowed the Wall Street titans to (1) escape jail for their reckless self- cies. This month and next, the Lowdown will name as many of these ishness, which crashed our entire economy and destroyed millions heavy hitters as we can unmask, including some of the severely shy of our jobs; (2) keep their top-executive jobs, their grossly inflated ones trying to hide their self-serving corporate donations by funnel- paychecks, and their even-more-inflated sense of self-worth; and (3) ing them through secretive “dark money” front groups. be handed trillions of dollars from us taxpayers and Federal Reserve In this issue, we chart the flow of publicly reported contributions “regulators” to bail them out while that corporations make through workaday people were left to sink. their executives, PACs, and “soft Brandishing the tea party banner money” channels. The numbers in 2010, a bevy of new candidates here are drawn from the compre- parlayed the public’s fury into a hensive compilations of our coun- Republican takeover of the US try’s two preeminent trackers of House. However, having gained the political money: OpenSecrets power to push for a little less cor- (www.open secrets.org) and the ruption, one of the very first actions Sunlight Foundation (www.sunlight these fire-breathing “reformers” foundation.com). We break the took after being sworn in was to brand name donors into industry make special-interest political groups, listing major corporations money more influential than ever that gave $100,000 or more to the by voting to kill the Presidential GOP’s presidential and congres- Election Campaign Fund (PECF), sional campaigns, with at least two- the sole financing mechanism for thirds of their money going to clean elections in national law. It Republican presidential and con- disburses no-strings-attached pub- gressional candidates, party groups, lic funds to presidential candidates or outside electioneering fronts. so they don’t have to debase them- We also list the top-20 brand name selves by dragging a sack down K- backers of 2012’s Democratic can - Street, through Wall Street suites, didates for the White House and and into the penthouses of the super-rich— literally selling them- Congress. In the May issue, the Lowdown will focus on the self- selves to private interests, one check at a time. serving corporate donations funneled in by secretive SuperPACs Admittedly, the presidential fund has been greatly weakened and dark-money front groups run by the likes of Karl Rove and the since it was enacted in 1974. But, in the wake of the Wall Street US Chamber of Commerce. LD413HF_REV.qxd:LD413HF 4/4/13 9:56 PM Page 2 2Hightower| Lowdown April 2013 SUPERMARKET CHAINS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Publix Super Markets $1,103,598 83% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Kroger $365,067 81% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Shamrock Foods $254,235 100% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Meijer $235,689 96% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Houchens Industries $116,800 100% Houchens Markets, IGA, Save-A-Lot, Mad Butcher, Piggly Wiggly, Tobacco Shoppe. RETAIL SALES AND SERVICES AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Home Depot $2,151,998 76% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Amway/Alticor $761,200 87% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Best Buy $361,712 65% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Total contribution indicates the amount contributed to all parties. Percentage contributed reflects the amount given to a single party and/or members thereof. Lowe’s $339, 862 75% FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROCESSORS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS RESTAURANT CHAINS THE FINAL SERVICE: Even dying Altria Group $1,721,888 81% H.J. Heinz $200,790 71% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Tobacco giant (Philip Morris), but also owns such wineries Heinz, Bagel Bites, Classico, Jack Daniel’s Sauces, Lea & McDonald’s $1,334,547 69% can have a political twist. While as Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14 Hands, Antica Napa Valley, Perrins, Nancy’s, Ore-Ida, Poppers, Smart Ones, T.G.I. AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS funeral homes aren’t big political Antinori, Col de’Salici, Columbia Crest, Conn Creek, Friday’s frozen foods, and Wyler’s bouillon and soup/dip Distant Bay, and Erath. mixes. OSI Restaurant $805,670 97% donors, undertakers who do AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Partners Dean Foods $331,967 74% Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish contribute tend to be morbidly Flowers Foods $195,500 100% Grill, Flemings, Roy’s. Owns dozens of milk brands including Borden, Oak Farms, Nature’s Own, Whitewheat, Cobblestone Mill, Sunbeam, Republican. The National Funeral Meadow Gold, TruMoo, Swiss Premium, Dean’s, Garelick Bunny Bread, ButterKrust Bakery, European Bakers, AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Directors Association put $133,750 Farms, Lehigh Valley, Shenandoah’s, Morning Glory, Alta Tastykake, Mrs. Freshley’s, Blue Bird, Mi Casa. Wendy’s $447,907 84% Dena, PET, Purity, and Hygeia. Also owns Horizon, the AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS into last year’s elections, 73% to largest seller of organic milk products, and Silk, which makes soymilk, almondmilk, and coconutmilk. Russell Stover Candies $190,302 100% TACO PAC $443,250 98% Russell Stover’s, Whitman’s, Pangburn’s. Republicans. However, four funeral AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Taco Bell Franchisees. AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS home operators (O’Donnell, Bass- Tyson Foods $294,261 65% Smith, Brunswick and Fernwood) America’s biggest factory farm operator and meat Sugar Creek Packing $173,000 100% Buffalo Wild Wings $226,615 92% processor. Brands of poultry, pork, and beef include Tyson, Provides bacon, turkey, pork, and vegetables to grocery AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS interred 100% of their modest- Bonici, Mexican Original, Wright, IBP (formerly Iowa Beef stores, companies, schools, and prisons. Processors), and Lady Aster. Yum! Brands $211,564 85% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell. level donations in Democratic AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Silverado Vineyards $184,750 73% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS campaigns. SABMiller $278,736 76% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Miller beers, Blue Moon, Coors Light, Hamm’s, Henry Pizza Hut Franchisees $197,500 98% Weinhard’s, Icehouse, Leinenkugel’s, MGD 64, Mickey’s Patrón Spirits $182,650 73% Malt Liquor, Milwaukee’s Best, Old English 800 Malt Patrón, Ultimat Vodka, and Pyrat Rum. Liquor. AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS CORPORATE FARMS AND SUPPLIERS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS J.M. Smucker $161,410 93% CLOTHING & TEXTILES AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Bacardi $264,295 96% Adams peanut butter, Café Bustelo, Crisco, Crosse & AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS John Deere $874,605 88% Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire, Oxley, Eristoff, Grey Goose, Blackwell, Dunkin’ Donuts (in stores), Dutch Girl, Eagle Tractors, mowers, tools, bbq grills, chemicals, wagons 42Below, Martini, Noilly Prat, Martini sparkling wines, Brand, Folgers, Hungry Jack, Jif, Kava, Knott’s Berry Farm, Cintas $506,673 95% and toys for children, etc. Dewar’s, Cazadores, Corzo, B&B, Benedictine, Drambuie, Laura Scudder’s, Magnolia, Martha White, Mary Ellen, Uniforms. AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Disaronno, and Hatuey beer. Pillsbury, R.W. Knudsen, Santa Cruz Organic, and Smucker’s. Monsanto $536,604 66% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Nike $394,607 69% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS Pesticides (especially its “Roundup” brand) and seeds ConAgra Foods $213,697 80% AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS (top maker/marketer of corn, soybean, cotton, and Reddi-wip, Hunt’s, Ro*Tel, Healthy Choice, Swiss Miss, JBS $126,000 84% others seeds that have had their DNA altered with Marie Callender’s frozen foods, PAM, Chef Boyardee, Swift meats, Gold Kist Farms, Pilgrim’s Pride (Pilgrim’s Standard Textile $268,350 99% genetically modified organisms). These seeds, Orville Redenbacher’s, Egg Beaters, Fiddle Faddle, Co.), 1855, Aspen Ridge Natural Beef, 5 Star Beef, Miller’s Healthcare workwear. branded as “Roundup Ready,” are bio-engineered to Fleischman’s, Gulden’s, Hebrew National, P.F. Chang’s, Blue Ribbon Beef, Liberty Bell, Moyer, Packerland.