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nine30 Donating Member (593 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:36 PM
Original message
Bill Gates supports Bush ???
I thought Bill Gates was a different kind of CEO, but I am afraid I am disappointed in him. I know he sympathizes with liberal causes (some say he is a closet liberal) but he recently donated $2000 to the Bush/Cheney campaign. Even Steve Ballmer did.

Are tax cuts really the bottom line for these CEOs ? Are they willing to overlook morality for a few dollars ?


http://fundrace.org/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=gates&fname=william&search=Search+by+Name
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emulatorloo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:39 PM
Response to Original message
1. He probably donated to Kerry too, but nonetheless he is a MONOPOLIST
Edited on Sun Oct-10-04 01:41 PM by emulatorloo
who approaches the marketplace with the kind of ANTICOMPETITIVE DIRTY TRICKS that would make Karl Rove proud. All to push software products that are the George W Bush of the computing world - buggy, insecure, confusing and confused, all hat and no cattle. IMHO. . . .
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nine30 Donating Member (593 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:43 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I doubt ..
..he donated to Kerry. If he did, it would have appeared in the link that I sent before
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whistle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:43 PM
Response to Original message
3. Bill Gates benefits from Bush's tax cuts big time.....
Joint Filer Results



My Information
Total Income $400,000,000 Total Dividends $0*
Dependents 17 + 0 Personal Exemption $6,100
Dependents under 17 0

Tax
Current Law
New Bush Law

Standard Deduction: $7,950 $9,500
Taxable Income: $399,985,950 $399,984,400
Child Tax Credit: $0 $0
Total Taxes: $154,364,878 $139,969,747


Your Tax Cut Under Bush Law: $14,395,132

Percentage Cut in Taxes $14,395,132 Is To Your Total Tax: 9.33%

Percentage Increase $14,395,132 Is To Your Family Income: 3.60%

* Some dividends may be taxable.

<link> http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/TaxCalculator/joint.cfm
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nine30 Donating Member (593 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. He is rich beyong anything that makes sense...
..what could he possibly do with the extra tax dollars that he couldn't with what he already has ?

Even a family trip to the ISS ( International Space Station) would cost him only $100m ($20m /head) that he can comfortably afford.

Supporting Bush shows he is a man with no scruples.
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w4rma Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:56 PM
Response to Reply #3
11. Bill Gates benefits from Bush's outsourcing, also (nt)
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IronLionZion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #3
13. Do you seriously think he cares about tax cuts?
He has more money than you or I will ever see. Tax cuts have to be last thing on his mind.

I bet he donated to Kerry too.
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LiberalAndProud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:46 PM
Response to Reply #3
30. No kidding?
I won't make the aggregate in my lifetime what Bill is saving in tax breaks with Bush. I really don't think he works harder or longer than I do. And is he really working that much smarter?

Talk about transfer of wealth! What is wrong with this picture?:crazy:
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acmavm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:44 PM
Response to Original message
4. Warren Buffet supports Kerry. But I'm more concerned with who the
people support.

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ninainsf Donating Member (71 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:45 PM
Response to Original message
5. Not suprising
The San Jose Mercury News did a piece months ago about how CEO's in Silicon Valley vote, and a surprisingly large number of them vote Republican. For me this was strange to read since this area is largely Democrat. But I guess company execs are in their own category. Funny, I just did a search on Fiorina, and two names show up, both CEO's of HP, Mr. Carleton Fiorina (carly, should be mrs.) and Mr. Frank Fiorna - no clue who he is. Both $2000 contributions to Bush.

Perhaps these CEO's want to show their shareholders just how committed they are to the health of the comnpany. Everyone knows that big business does better under Republican administrations, especially in terms of heeding to lobbyists desires.
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BillZBubb Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:59 PM
Response to Reply #5
14. Fiorina is a fanatical Repug.
She always has been and was very vocally supportive of the Chimperor in 2000. HP stock has done so well since then, too! NOT!!!!!
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LTR Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:06 PM
Response to Reply #5
21. Steve Jobs of Apple is a big Dem contributor
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Jobs&first=Steven

As is

Michael Eisner
Howard Schultz (Starbucks)
Howard Stringer (Sony)
Mel Karmazin (ex-Viacom)
Les Moonves (Viacom)
Jann Wenner (Wenner Media)




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HootieMcBoob Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:14 PM
Response to Reply #21
24. Steve Jobs is also...
on the board of Al Gore's new television station. And Al Gore is on the board of Apple. I'm a proud Macintosh owner, I would never own another brand of computer. since 1991 it's the only brand I've ever owned and I've never had a problem, never regretted it for a day.

I've never wanted to do this :argh:

(knock on wood) :)
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deckerd Donating Member (319 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 03:40 PM
Response to Reply #21
34. Retro Corporations vs. Metro Corporations... whose side are YOU on?
The DLC agenda is so obvious...

:evilfrown:

In any event, Mac and Sun Microsystems are a Dem constituency in a massive antitrust fight against Microsoft.

Bush prevented Microsoft from being broken up.

The original poster of this thread doesn't even realize this, apparently he or she has never tried to open one of the video links that are constantly posted to DU with no benefit of Quicktime or Realplayer for those of us who use Macs. All most people have ever known is Windows on their computer and Starbucks in their coffee.

It's creepy. We'll eventually end up like Saudi with a common uniform for all citizens, presumably distributed by Gap.
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HootieMcBoob Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 03:54 PM
Response to Reply #34
35. MSNBC won't let me view any of the videos on their website
I can't even view them with Windos Media Player.

Because my operating system was not purchased from Microsoft! Is that BS or what?

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ninainsf Donating Member (71 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 11:19 PM
Response to Reply #34
36. Are you referring to me?
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Scoopie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:47 PM
Response to Original message
6. What's even scarier
is that the Diebold use a Windows OS.

Think about this: Gates supports Bush. Diebold uses Windows and Windows is probably the most hacked (and easiest to hack) operating systems available.

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merh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:47 PM
Response to Original message
7. During whose admin was his corporation pursued by the
Justice Department for the monopoly issues? During whose admin did those cases find their "friendly" resolution?

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girl gone mad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:00 PM
Response to Reply #7
15. I'm sure it has everything to do with the federal lawsuit..
Edited on Sun Oct-10-04 02:21 PM by girl gone mad
and with the threat of regulation to the industry.

Gates wants to keep getting away with putting out a defective product. A Democratic administration poses a real risk to the status quo, because they could potentially try to protect consumers.
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merh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:06 PM
Response to Reply #15
20. That would be my guess!
Damn dems hate corporations, we hate them for their greed and whoever is labeled the richest man in the world has got to have just a little greed, don't you think!

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glitch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:04 PM
Response to Reply #7
19. Exactly, but it's not just business, he's a creep on a personal level too
back in the early 90s he tried to get a local cop fired for giving him a speeding ticket.

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merh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:15 PM
Response to Reply #19
25. Gee, what a surprise....
Rich people like him are the infection that is destroying our nation.
They believe because of birth or "brains" (:puke:) they are entitled to their positions in life and the rest of us are not entitled to anything but what they allow us to have.
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Cha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:50 PM
Response to Original message
9. Fuck gates....bush is
goin' Down! Let's see how they manage under Kerry. They care nothng about their Country..in my view they are the LOSERS!
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Oak2004 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:54 PM
Response to Original message
10. Not even close.
He's a traditional monopolist/robber baron type. He's simply in a new industry. Look into some of his labor practices. And look into what he's done to his competition while government regulators have either looked the other way or slapped his wrist.
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Lefty48197 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 01:56 PM
Response to Original message
12. Gates foundation gives hundreds of millions of dollars to charity
That's probably enough to outweight 2 G's to TeamBush.
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IronLionZion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:00 PM
Response to Reply #12
16. He did more to combat AIDS than Bush ever will
Bill donated to the people who actually needed AIDS drugs. Bush just gave our tax dollars to big drug corporations in no-bid contracts.

But I suspect Gates loves outsourcing. Indians write a lot of the code in Microsoft software and handle a lot of the phone calls, tech support, and financial analysis.
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sherilocks Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:01 PM
Response to Original message
17. Bill Gates is only is a self-centered SOB
who is still mad because the Clinton Justice Dept went after him and the current administration let him off the hook. Revenge motivates him, not politics.
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Nimrod Donating Member (999 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:04 PM
Response to Original message
18. You don't REALLY think
That Gates got so rich by using fair business practice and being nice to his workers did you?

Sorry, but "different kind of CEO" my white ass.
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IronLionZion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:07 PM
Response to Original message
22. Screw Bill Gates, we got Hugh Hefner!
but in the interests of full disclosure, Bill does donate mostly to Democrats. http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=WA&last=Gates&first=William
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w13rd0 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:12 PM
Response to Original message
23. You need look no further than the greased palm...
...of a thankful Bill Gates for Ashcrofts diligent DOJ and their antitrust stewardship. Oh, wait, that's right, that vanished with Bush, and Gates becomes a Bush supporter. No quid pro quo, move along please.
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Lilli Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:16 PM
Response to Original message
26. Not surprising
Edited on Sun Oct-10-04 02:18 PM by Lilli
Just watched Fahrenheit 911 and seem to remember the voice-over saying Microsoft was at the meeting with all the other companies looking for a piece of the action.

And I believe the Bin-Laden family does (or did own) a piece of Microsoft, so its not surprising that he'd make the donation.
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terrya Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:17 PM
Response to Original message
27. Remember the anti-trust thing a few years ago?
Bush kinda overturned the court decision in favour of Microsoft. Bush scratched Gates's back, and now Gates is scratching his. It's payback time. But $2,000 seems like a token amount just so he won't seem ungrateful.
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Shoeempress Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:19 PM
Response to Original message
28. Gates ONLy donated to the repukes & here's the link to prove it:
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PermanentRevolution Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:42 PM
Response to Original message
29. Oh, it's more than just $2,000
www.opensecrets.org comes through again.

In 2000-2004:

$1,637 for Missourri Republican State Committee
$2,530 for Republican State Committee of Michigan
$595 for Republican Party of Maine
$1,600 for Slade Gorton's campaign (R) Wash. Senator
$1,487 to the Arizona Republican Party
$745 to the Republican Central Committee of Nevada
$4,017 to the Republican Party of Florida
$2,000 to Americans for a Republican Majority
$2,000 to Keep Our Majority PAC
$2,000 to John McCain (R) Arizona Senator
$1,265 to the Republican Party of Minnesota
$2,975 to the Republican Party of Ohio
$595 to the New Hampshire State Republican Committee
$2,000 to the Wisconsin Leadership PAC
$1,000 to Jeff Sessions (R) Alabama Senator
$1,000 to Roy Blunt (R) Mo. Rep. and House Majority Whip
$2,000 to Jennifer Dunn (R) Wash. Representative

But he also gave:
$2,000 to Patty Murray, (D) Wash. Senator
$1,000 to Patrick Leahy (D) Vermon. Senator
$1,000 to Jay Inslee (D) Wash. Representative
$1,000 to Jean Carnahan (D) Mo. Senator
$1,000 to Tom Harkin (D) Iowa Senator
$4,000 to Harry Reid (D) Nevada Senator
$2,000 to Tom Daschle (D) S. Dakota Senator
$1,000 to Ellen Tauscher (D) Calif. Representative

And, perhaps most tellingly, he's given HIMSELF $25,000 in funding for the Microsoft PAC.

What struck me is that his major Republican donations are to swing state committees, while his major Democrat ones are for either influential Dems, Washington State Dems, or Dems who were active in fighting internet regulation.
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KharmaTrain Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 11:34 PM
Response to Reply #29
40. Gates Is Paranoid Of Another Eric Holder
Remember, kids, Bill Gates had a real rough 8 years under the Clinton Justice Department. Eric Holder was Janet Reno's #2 at the DOJ and pretty much ran an endless investigation of MS that cost the company billions in legal costs and almost got them nailed with anti-trust and broken up. If that happened to your company would you want to see another similar administration?

For the past 4 years the DOJ has ignored MS and visa versa and my bets are all the money Bill Gates spreads around is to make sure things stay quiet.

Notice, also that most the names on the above list are members of the various committees that regulate Microsoft or represent the district it's living in.

My bets are Gates is apolitical at this point and just paying the price of doing business in Corporate U.S.A.
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Robert Oak Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 02:48 PM
Response to Original message
31. Gates is Outsourcing to India and China as fast as he can
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liberalpragmatist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 03:04 PM
Response to Original message
32. I wouldn't be surprised if he donated to both
I'm under no illusions about Bill Gates, who I strongly dislike. And of course it's possible that he's a big Bush supporter given that he probably likes Republican economic plutocratic policies.

Even so, many CEOs and big businessmen donate a lot to both parties in order to play it safe and keep in good graces with whoever is in power.
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deckerd Donating Member (319 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 03:30 PM
Response to Original message
33. I find your faith in upperclass socially liberal robber barons..disturbing
Edited on Sun Oct-10-04 03:43 PM by deckerd
This is where the party is headed under the leadership of the DLC and
(if worst comes to worst) the Clinton wing of the party.

Alliances with "socially aware" robber barons and an attempt to
reconstitute the pre-New Deal Republican Party (which ruled over the
exact same electoral votes as Gore did), under the Democratic banner.

It's bad enough Kerry has to endorse Welfare Reform and oppose means
tested social programs in order to maintain his energised, white and
middle-class Democratic base voters. (Colby King has been warning
Dems repeatedly, for weeks now that blacks are disheartened by the
Democratic party and the generally patronizing "vote for Kerry or die;
we'll re-enfranchise you if we win" GOTV approach.

Dare I mention Salazar and Carson are running to the RIGHT on social
issues and trashing their opponents on those grounds in order to get
elected? And then, these "blue dog" "moderate, DLC" Dems will stay
ultra-conservative on economic issues at their party's behest.

Salazar is attacking Pete Coors for his opposition to the death penalty, comparing Coors to Bin Laden... and attacking him because his company sponsored a Gay Pride event.

So much for "liberal on social issues, moderate on economic issues" -- we're looking at the resurrection of the Republican Party of Benjamin Harrison and Calvin Coolidge.

Do not FAIL me again... Senator. :evilfrown:
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Mr_Spock Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 11:22 PM
Response to Original message
37. OK, time to switch to a non-Gateswhore software. What a stupid fuck
how can anybody justify giving money to FUCKING HITLER!! How can they not see that Dumbya is the Anti-Christ!, Hitler, Mussolini, a lying mass-murderer to say the least. Amazing how stupid some people can be.
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Tatiana Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 11:23 PM
Response to Original message
38. Not surprising. Look at the anti-trust suit lodged against them.
Gates would only logically assume that the corporate Bush administration will keep his company from being broken up (and assure the Windows monopoly).
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Reciprocity Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 11:24 PM
Response to Original message
39. I would think that a mere $2000 to be an insult.
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leftofthedial Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-10-04 11:35 PM
Response to Original message
41. he's one of the 250 or so people on Earth
the little bushturd has actually benefitted
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