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...Politex's |
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for MARCH 7..."Working for Women" |
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...Politex's |
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for MARCH 7..."Working for Women" |
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"Wednesday the Bush campaign started running ads in New York which accused McCain of opposing federal funding for breast cancer research in a New York hospital. In the interim Salon revealed that breast cancer is a subject close to McCain's heart and Friday the Associated Press discovered that Bush denied $40 million in funding for breast cancer screening while governor of Texas because "most of the money comes from the federal government." (Salon, 3/3) "The Texas Campaign for Women's' Health, a coalition of 50 local groups, estimates that 1.7 million women in the state are not covered. Women without health insurance are less likely to get checkups and screenings, said Peggy Romberg, executive director. Bush didn't support the group's request for $40 million in state funds for breast cancer exams, a program that had won the backing of the state health commission, said Romberg....At a campaign stop Friday at a breast cancer research center in New York, Bush said he hadn't provided funds for breast cancer research in Texas because 'most of the money comes from the federal government.'"--AP,3/3
"The latest misportrayal of McCain deserves more notice than it's getting, especially as a window on the man with the smirk whose weird, college boy mind-set led him to chuckle through a question and follow-up on the death penalty during the recent debate here.
"The breast cancer canard...is a direct Bush...fraudulant... operation. In a commercial that was followed by a personal appearance at a cancer center on Long Island, Bush uses a cancer survivor to charge McCain with fighting funds for breast cancer programs. With horror, she intones, ''That's shocking; America deserves better.'' The survivor, Geri Barish, doesn't disclose that she is a major crony of New York's top Bush-backer, Governor George Pataki. ["Barish, who draws a $65,000 salary from Nassau County to run a new cancer facility, is no stranger to politics. A critical letter she wrote to then-Rep. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, was used against him by rival Republican Alfonse D'Amato in last year's Senate race." NYDN, 3/5/00]
"The truth is that McCain [,whose sister is a breast cancer survivor,] is a solid supporter of research and treatment programs for breast cancer, and always has been, especially when what's before him in Congress are the bills that actually produce the money as opposed to publicity stunts for the folks back home. What he opposes is pork-barrel. In this case, Bush [who, when initially asked by reporters at the conference, was unable to name a specific action he has done as Texas governor in support of the fight against breat cancer,] has seized on votes against amendments to extraneous legislation purporting to increase funding, usually with juicy allocation formulas that make the sponsoring senator look generous. These kinds of proposals are made only in the confident expectation that they will not become law.
"If what is involved is an actual appropriations bills for health programs, McCain is a reliable yes vote when the bills conform to congressional budget rules. The facts, however, are irelevant when Bush Rules are operating. So also is the more relevant fact that Texas is one of the most dangerous places for a woman to live. It ranks 50th in its percentage of women with health insurance; the figure of 21.9 percent without any coverage compares with 13.8 percent nationally. And one study found that nearly half the Texas women over 50 had not had a mammogram and breast exam in the last two years. Attacking someone on an issue where you are the bad guy has got to be a new low. The tactics used against [McCain] should be remembered as the year goes on; they were dirty and dishonest." --Thomas Oliphant, 3/5/00
Note. When Bush appeared at the N.Y. breast cancer conference with Governor Pataki, they were both wearing pink breast cancer ribbons. Bush said his appearance there was a welcome respite from his campaign activities. Unlike his past photo-ops where members of his team searched the audience for black children to sit on the stage with Bush, the breast cancer photo-op featured Bush seated with women. Perhaps the Texas governor could combine his photo-op themes next time by featuring Bush with black women seated behind him. Also, we will be looking for pink ribbons on Bush at future campaign stops outside of New York. --Politex, 3/5
"Dallas investors Sam and Charles Wyly are spending more than $2 million on television commercials in New York, Ohio and California that promote George W. Bush's environmental record while attacking that of Republican presidential rival John McCain. Wyly and his brother Charles are major Bush political donors. Wyly's Maverick Capital Fund received a $90 million investment of University of Texas trust monies in 1998 that pays a commission of more than $950,000 a year." Ratcliffe and Robison, HC, 3/4/00
The decision to have the Univesity of Texas provide Wyly with a $90 million investment was made by a committee headed up by Thomas Hicks. Bush billionaire friend, business associate, and major campaign contributor Thomas Hicks is the Bush-appointed chairman of The University of Texas Investment Management Co. which manages the Permanent University Fund. Hicks, the investment banker to whom Bush and Bush friend and financial mentor billionaire Richard Rainwater sold the Texas Rangers, owns a vast sports and media empire and was George's biggest '98 campaign contributor. Bush had allowed him to head up a committee charged with "investing $1.7 billion of public university money in the form of investments in private companies." Unfortunately, according to R. G. Ratcliffe in a March 20 investigative article written in the Houston Chronicle, questions have recently been asked because "almost a third of the $1.7 billion has been committed to funds run by Hicks' business associates or friends (and).... five funds run by major Republican political donors." These questions have remained unanswered and Hicks has been unwilling to answer questions about his activities on the public's behalf.. "In the past three years, state auditors have criticized the secretive nature of (the Hicks committee's) investment decisions and have complained about the potential for conflicts of interest for board members." Recently, Hicks has decided to take on fewer responsibilities within the public university fund and the committee has promised to be more public in its financial activities, but has declined to provide explanations about past dealings, citing contractual agreements with the parties involved. --Politex, 3/4/00
While it would be illegal for the Bush campaign to participate in planning a $2 million ad campaign promoting Georg W.'s supposed pro-environment record, the Mac campaign has yet to find a smoking gun. To date, however, this is what is known:
*Sam Wyly, a Texas-based Bush pioneer who has given, with his brother, over $200,000 to the Bush gubernatorial campaigns and has collected over $100,000 for his presidential bid, is heading up the ad campaign as Republicans for Clean Air.
*Lydia Meurat, the executive director of a GOP PAC led by Rep. Henry Bonilla of Texas, a longtime Bush backer, has bought the ad time, which totals $1.5 million in upstate N.Y., alone.
*"The ads were placed by Multimedia, which has done work in the past for campaigns run by New York Gov. George Pataki and by former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato of New York, both Bush backers," according to the AP.
*Leading environmental groups are on record as favoring Mac over Bush. "Republicans for Environmental Protection has endorsed the Arizona senator. And the Sierra Club has spent nearly $100,000 attacking Bush's record on the environment as governor of Texas.
"Bush's environmental record is terrible," said Dan Weiss, political director of the Sierra Club. (AP) During Bush's tenure as Governor Houston has become the nation's smoggiest city. With respect to the Bush-backers' ad itself, "the language [of the ad] is extremely misleading," said Jon Schneider of the Sierra Club.A New York Times analysis has concluded that "there are flaws in every claim....With the outcry from environmentalists who say the advertisement is inaccurate, it is unclear how effective it will be." --Politex, 3/3/00
NEW YORK McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
MASSACHUSETTS McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
RHODE ISLAND McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
MAINE McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
CONNECTICUT McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
VERMONT McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
MARYLAND McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
GEORGIA McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
OHIO McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
MISSOURI McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
MINNASOTA McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
CALIFORNIA McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
HAWAII McCain 00%, Bush 00%, Keyes 00% Status...00% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
WASHINGTON McCain 38%, Bush 58%, Keyes 00% Status...100% Prencincts Reporting. Winner...
Absentee Ballots Still Being Counted
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to TODAY'S BUSH HEADLINES including...
BUSH ADS "UNETHICAL, VERY POSSIBLY ILLEGAL"
today's headlines about the other candidates at...ELECTION 2000
1st in Children without Health Insurance %...1st in Toxic Air Releases...1st in Smog Days (Houston)...1st in poorest counties(3)...3rd in Hunger %...5th in Highest Teen Birth Rate...41st in Breast Cancer Screenings...45th in Mothers Receiving Pre-Natal Care...46th in Public Libraries and Branches...46th in High School Completion Rate...46th in Water Resources Protection...47th in Delivery of Social Services...48th in Literacy...48th in Per Capita Funding for Public Health...48 in Best Place to Raise Children (29th before Bush)*...48th in Spending for Parks and Recreation...48th in Spending for the Arts...49th in Spending for the Environment...50th in Women with Health Insurance...50th in Teachers' Salaries plus Benefits...
*Children's Rights Council. further documentation
Analysis of key states by AP Delegate Estimates Bush 208 McCain 104
Jan. 24 Iowa caucuses (Bush 42%, Forbes 30%)Republicans Only
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