Dean on donors: "they do get access — there’s no question about that"

[Feanorcurufinwe]

But the governor himself has said the donations buy access. “People who think they’re going to buy a contract or buy some influence are mistaken,” Dean famously said during the debate over a campaign finance reform bill in 1996. “But they do get access — there’s no question about that. ...They get me to return their phone calls.”

<snip>

— After years of pushing for the companies to absorb the excess costs of their expensive contract with Hydro-Quebec, Dean’s Department of Public Service agreed to let ratepayers be billed for more than 90 percent of what those excess costs are expected to be in the coming years. The extra costs will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

— The department also agreed to allow the utilities to sell Vermont Yankee to a Pennsylvania company for a price that was expected to be $23.8 million by the time the deal closed. Shortly before the Public Service Board was to make a final decision on that sale, another company stepped in and offered more than seven times as much. That sale to Entergy Nuclear Corp. is currently before the board.

— After it became clear in the late 1990s that selling Vermont Yankee was a top goal of the utilities, the administration failed to heed warnings for more than two years that the money the nuclear plant was paying for emergency planning was much less than was needed. An administration official said there was concern about interfering with the sale.
http://timesargus.nybor.com/Legislature/Story/43125.html

Nuclear power plant safety, or protecting his energy industry buddies?

It's an easy choice for Dean.

[sangh0]

1. "You've got the power!!!"

Unfortunately, he neglected to mention he was talking about his campaign funders.

[killbotfactory]

2. That's why he supports campaign finance reform

And everyone knows it's true for every candidate. Would you prefer someone who lies about this, or someone who tells the truth and wants to fix it?

[Octafish]

3. The power company thing.

Funny how all that hasn't been addressed ONCE by Big Media. Probably won't be needed until Rove gives the Go-Code.