Blackwater boss supports the Republicans - and the Greens ...

[johan helge]

From http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/10/bwater.html:

Erik Prince, the head of Blackwater, "has given almost all of his donations to Republicans. There was, however, an exception in 2006, when he donated $5,000 to the Green Party of Lucerne County, Pa.
That was a Republican ploy to ensure the Green Party's U.S. senate candidate got on the ballot in an effort to peel votes away from Democrat Bob Casey and help Republican Rick Santorum."

Vote Democratic, not for third parties!

[parasim]

1. Just a tad disengenous there...

No, that doesn't say he supports the Greens, he just donated to them to support the Republicans. Big difference. Just because you don't want a third party doesn't mean you have to paint said third party as equal to the Republicans simply because some rightwing asshole gave them money.

I support the Green Party's causes, I just don't vote Green because I am in a swing state and know that, unfortunately, we only have two parties to choose from who actually win elections.

Damn, I wish we had more than 2 fucking parties to choose from in this country.

[johan helge]

2. I agree with everything you say, except perhaps:

"I support the Green Party's causes, I just don't vote Green because I am in a swing state". I agree, except that I think it is best to vote Democratic in all states, not just swing states. The stronger the Democrats are, the better for the environment. Voting Green has the same effect as not voting.

[L. Coyote]

3. Cross-Party meddling is a long-standing American political tradition. One of

the main ways to do it is to run opponents to incumbents in the primaries, to run third-parties or independents in the general (sometimes the very opponent who lost in the primary), to infiltrate the opposition, and, of sourse, to spend money where it most harms the opposition. The tactics and methods are legion.

Some data and useful links on Erik Prince and the Family. From:
Blackwater USA Connections - Campaign Contributions for the Culture of Corruption.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1966261

Here is a sampling, plus quotes from a study follow.

PRINCE, ERIK MR - MCLEAN,VA 22102
Donations:
7/27/2007 - $20,000 - National Republican Congressional Cmte
8/5/2005 - $25,000 - National Republican Congressional Cmte
7/14/2004 - $25,000 - Republican National Cmte
$500 - National Conservative Campaign Fund
$5,000 - Green Party of Luzerne County
10/15/2003 - $2,000 - Bush, George W
11/16/2004 - $1,000 - DeLay, Tom
09/26/2005 - $2,100 - DeLay, Tom

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search_hp.asp?txtName=Prince%2C+Erik&NumOfThou=0&txt2008=Y&submit=Go%21

PRINCE, ERIK - CODY,WY 82414 - THE PRINCE GROUP
10/30/2000 - $20,000 - Republican National Cmte
10/4/2000 - $68,000 - RNC/Repub National State Elections Cmte
1/30/2001 - $3,950 - RNC/Repub National State Elections Cmte
11/1/1994 - $1,000 - North, Oliver

===========================================================
The Internet makes searching political connections too easy.
Noone can hide their connections and affiliations like before.
Do your research at http://www.opensecrets.org/

Erik Prince's sister, Betsy DeVos, married Amway scion RICHARD DEVOS JR.
DEVOS RICHARD M
$500 - Feeney, Tom
$1000 - Harris, Katherine
$2000 - Miller, Candice S

Betsy DeVos, daughter-in-law of the Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, won special
status in 2000 as a so-called "Pioneer" after raising $100,000 for the Bush/Cheney campaign.
DEVOS, BETSY
$1,000 - New Century Project
$30,000 - Restoring the American Dream
$1,000 - Texas Republican Congressional Cmte

DEVOS, DANIEL - ADA,MI 49301 - AMWAY
5/23/1994 - $1,000 - North, Oliver
$7,000 - Bush, George W
11/14/2003 - $25,000 - Republican National Cmte
$8000 - Murtha, John P

================================================
Amway Industry = "Restoring the American Dream," a political action committee
that supports candidates opposed to the "fundamental coarsening of our culture" ...
http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/~dst/MerchantsOfDeception/files/theamwayindustry.doc.pdf

In April 1997, the co-founder of Amway Corp. gave $1 million to the Republican Party, one
of the largest single donations on record from an individual. Federal Election Commission
records show that Richard DeVos, said to be worth $3.2 billion, and his wife, Helen, wrote
two $500,000 checks on April 2, 1997 from their personal accounts. DeVos is the former
finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.

.........

In 2000, Amway was the second largest contributor of “soft money” to the Republican
National Party with contributions totaling $1,138,500. Amway was second in donations
only to Reynolds Tobacco.

........

Describing the events at the 2000 Republican Convention in Philadelphia where George
W. Bush was nominated, the New York Times wrote, “For the party’s top underwriters,
there will be an array of gold-plated events in Philadelphia, including cocktails with Gen.
Colin L. Powell and an evening cruise on the Delaware River aboard the ‘Enterprise,’ the
yacht owned by Richard M. DeVos, the Amway founder, who is a Bush supporter.”

.........

For large speaking fees, former Presidents George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford
and former Vice Presidents Bob Dole and Dan Quayle have spoken at Amway-related
functions, as have former Republican heavyweights Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, and the
current SE Regional Chairman for Bush-Cheney '04, Ralph Reed, among others.

Amway co-founder Rich DeVos dined with a friend this summer, and sat across the table
from George W. Bush. “I’ve been a friend to the says. “I give the max," DeVos said proudly.
"People talk about buying access, but all I can
tell you is that politicians know the people who support them”

.........

[L. Coyote]

4. K & R