Bush Tops Three Quarters Of A Billion Dollars in Fund-Raising Donations

The following is a dispatch from CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller:

(CBS)

Because President Bush is giving a speech tomorrow on the situation in Iraq, you won't hear much about the two Republican Party fund-raisers he's doing later in the day. And that's the way the White House prefers it.

But as a sitting president, George W. Bush has no equal as a fund-raiser. Our CBS News tally shows that he has attended over 300 political fund-raisers since taking office, raising – get this - over 3/4s of a billion dollars for the GOP and its candidates.

To be exact, he has done 304 fund-raising events over the last seven years – generating $760,232,500 in contributions to various GOP committees and candidate campaigns. This amount only includes the contributions raised by the fund-raisers he personally attended, including those for his re-election campaign.

And you can expect that total to increase significantly by the end of his term – since much of his political activity this year is expected to be relegated to Republican fund-raising.

In 2000, Bill Clinton's final year as President, he attended a whopping 203 political fund-raisers – including 29 for wife Hillary's campaign for the U.S. Senate. He raised just under $106 million dollars that year. But Mr. Bush topped that amount in four of the last seven years – and did so attending far fewer events.

For example, in 2002, Mr. Bush did 68 fund-raisers generating over $145 million. During his campaign for re-election in 2004, he did only 49 money events, but racked up nearly $154 million – his highest one-year total to date.

So far this year, Mr. Bush has attended only 13 fund-raisers – but has brought in over $30 million. You don't hear much about them, because 11 of the 13 events have been closed to the press. Whenever a fund-raiser attended by the President is held in a private residence – usually belonging to major contributor - the White House seizes it as an excuse to exclude reporters.

Both of the fund-raisers he's attending tomorrow in Ohio and Pennsylvania will be closed to the press as well.

[cbsblogger]

Should be public financed and fully audited so that the candidates aren''t being bribed and the public screwed. Corporate donations illegal and individual contributions limited.

[MIpapaof4]

dragonwagon5 First, I beg your pardon!!!
Myself, I have worked for Halliburton and the CEO at the time was *** Cheney. Our slogan was, and I quote "*** Cheney before he ***** you." We did all of the work but got paid very little, but it was a job or career. The white shirts got all of the benefits and the pay for what we accomplished in the field, be it rain, snow, hail and blizzards, below zero temperatures and hotter than hell in the summer. Yes sir, I am proud to say I worked for Halliburton. "NOT"

[simpsonman19]

Couldn''t all this money raised by both parties be spent on something a little more important? It''s amazing how much money people donate to help their canidate get elected. I think people shouldn''t give a thing. I don''t, if anything the canidates should pay me for my vote. You know that little check box on the 1040 that says check if you want $3 to go to the presidential election fund (it doens''t effect your return) I never check it. Screw them I say! They can spend their own money if they want to be president so bad.

[antizion]

Bush and the repukes have zero support except from the Israeli lobby but then Bush broke the US and killed 4000 of our citizens fighting Israel''s war of expansion and oil in order to escape lawsuits for his grandfathers role supporting Hitler. Blackmail is the currency of trade in DC.

http://www.tarpley.net/bush2.htm

I am surprised the people don''t rise up and flush that toilet we call DC.

Since Hillary and Obama can''t be trusted to keep the war criminals safe under Rockafeller and Rothschild, they will put billionare and new world order advocate al Gore out front after the zionist controlled media destroys the democrats the jewish central bankers don''t trust.

Gore took a dive just like John Kerry. Enough of the skull and bones working for Rockafeller''s Standard Oil monopoly.

[quirky121]

Here''s a novel idea%u2026%u2026%u2026. why not have ONE day, set aside for EVERYONE to vote. Not only would that stop months of mindless dribble from the news media, and ads, it would also have the people who are running actually do what they were elected to do, that is take care of the people'' busineess. Now we have Senators, Governors and Congressmen running around the country for months, getting a salary for doing what they were elected to do, but NOT doing it.

[cdfoxtrot]

I seem to remember all the fuss over Al Gore using a phone at his official residence to do fund-raising. The moron-in-chief uses his $200m tax-payer funded toy to do the same thing, but it''s oki-doki because he''s a Republican??

[mattcat25]

If you%u2019re wealthy, I%u2019m not talking about comfortably earning (nowadays) under $500,000 per year combined with your spouse (or, significant life partner).

I%u2019m talking about sick wealthy $DOUGH!! Into the millions and (nowadays) $BILLIONS of Dollars per year!

You would be a Republican, and I%u2019m sure you would be donating to support your earnings and interests are to be sustained. This is very understandable, and if I were in your position I would be writing in favor of the John McCain GOP Conservative policies in this year%u2019s election.

If you and your partner aren%u2019t in the class of making sick money, then you should really evaluate what (not whom) you%u2019re voting for. Guns, ***, and God aren%u2019t going to put any more dollars into your bank account, nor lesson the hidden taxes set in place by the Richard Cheney Energy Plan, this is already a reality today 03/27/08.

[b-easy63]

ONCE AGAIN....Obama may find himself in hot water--not for something he did, but for who he knows. Those Rezko indictments are sure to heat up and spill over and cause damage!!

Unfortunately for Hillary--she can''''''''t catch a break, soon to potentially break in the news is the story before the California appeals court which could DeLay her candidacy for good. this time evidence shows that Hillary (HERSELF ONCE AGAIN)was involved. At issue is a 250K donation made to her senatorial campaign. Her staff said she had no knowledge of it, so she was not roped into the scandal when her campaign mgr faced charges of hiding that money from the IRS.

Unfortunately VIDEO may again place Hill in deep doo, doo. It seems there is a video tape recording her discussing the fund raiser with the donors (on it, she talks about who would be there and what they will do) this means she performed what is known as a direct campaign request. donations from donors for that kind of request are limited to 25K. Since the donation was for 250K, that would be considered campaign fraud.

Woe is Hillary and Damnnnn those videos and tape recordings that make being a great liar so hard to keep up these days!!! ROTFLMAO.

Maybe Hill should quit, before she finds herself in court this time, with no way to hide her hand in shady dealings. Here''''''''s the Link: http://www.usjf.net/modules.php?op=modlo

ad&name=News&file=article&sid=344

[mattcat25]

The $money (people with it) are controlling the $money.
The People controlling the $money are controlling the people with less $money (a lot less) by dividing the nation with unnecessary war, hidden taxes through the high costs of living created by energy, religious moral debate, and racism.

The proletariat is deemed as merely rats in a maze, running around, and around, and around, that continue to vote against their own better interests.

[yesobama2008]

Answer to "truthbug"

Let''''s put it this way to have a better understanding of your logical thinking:

Your best friend''''s father is not running for presidency.
Your best friend (BF) is running for presidency.

Your best BF''''s father commited a crime against the society.
Your BF''''s father is the adviser and role model of your BF.

The behavior of your best BF''''s father reflects your BF''''s behavior.
Your BF can''''t disown his own father.
This is like a white person not disowning KKK.
Your BF is his father double (closeted).

Your BF is his father and deserves to be punished for his father''''s crime.