Bush Raises $27 Million for GOP By Zachary A. Goldfarb, Special to The Washington Post

President Bush suggested last night that Republicans must remain in control of Congress for the country to effectively combat terrorism and keep the economy healthy, speaking at a $27 million fundraiser meant to provide a needed boost to the campaign war chest of congressional Republicans.

“The most important responsibility we have in Washington is to defend the people of the United States,” he said. “When this country sees a threat, we must deal with it before it fully materializes.”

Bush addressed about 5,000 of the GOP’s strongest supporters at the “President’s Dinner,” the largest fundraiser of the year for the Republicans’ two congressional campaign committees. [mjh: that averages to $5400 / attendee]

Bush said that the “Democrats are good talkers, we’re good doers,” but generally avoided the harsh language he used to describe the Democrats at last year’s dinner, when he urged support for his Social Security plan. [mjh: Social Security? Yeah, there’s some good “doing.”]

[Bush] added: “It’s important to have members of the United States Congress who will not wave the white flag of surrender in the war on terror.” …

It cost $2,500 for a ticket to the dinner. Campaign finance regulations allow someone to contribute up to $25,000 per party committee. Last night, for that sum, attendees could be photographed with the president. [mjh: it really is cheaper to live in Albuquerque; it only cost $5,000 to be photographed here with the Great Doer.]

Ah, the associative nature of the mind. When I heard the words “Goldman Sachs” this morning, they rang a bell.

Rice’s Deputy to Join Goldman Sachs – New York Times By CHRISTINE HAUSER

Robert B. Zoellick said today that he will leave his post as the deputy secretary of state and return to the private sector to work with the New York investment bank, Goldman Sachs. …

Mr. Zoellick served during the presidency of George H.W. Bush as the under secretary of state for economic and agricultural affairs, as well as counselor. From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Zoellick served at the Department of the Treasury in various positions. …

Mr. Zoellick had previously worked for Goldman Sachs as an international adviser, a part-time consultant, when Bill Clinton was president. A Goldman Sachs statement said Mr. Zoellick would return to the company as a managing director, a full-time position, with the title of Vice Chairman, International. In that capacity he will head the firm’s group of international advisers.

Perhaps there is little to note in the revolving door that has a fellow work for Republican presidents and Goldman Sachs alternately. But Zoellick isn’t the only GS alum in the Bush administration, nor the biggest.

Now, in all that follows, I don’t see some evil conspiracy. I see the intimate ties of wealth and power, which certainly involves Democrats as well, though perhaps not so blatantly or successfully. Rich Democrats may not manipulate the rabble (aka The Base) as shamelessly as Rich Republicans. Or, maybe, poor Democrats like me, aren’t fooled into believing we set the agenda or that the Rich have our best interests in mind.

In the end, I must say I find new Treasury Secretary nominee Paulson interesting. He’s a big business environmentalist with at least a pragmatic view of gays in the workplace. He surely will hate every minute he spends with Duhbya the Doer. mjh

Continue reading It’s No News that Money Equals Power →

Good god, what is Heather thinking? All across America, Independents and Democrats HATE Duhbya. Do you think his 30% approval rating is bad? That’s after you average in Republicans — among the rest of us, he’s in the teens, if he’s lucky. So, in a majority Democratic district, which, granted, has only elected Republicans, she is gleefully embracing Duhbya. After all the spin about independence, which even Duhbya mouths on stage at her fundraiser, this event — this picture — says it all. Got a problem with Duhbya? Vote Madrid!

As an aside, who in the world would spend $1000 to hear Duhbya speak? And $5000 for a photo-op? Some people have more money than sense. mjh

Shake that money-maker!

(photo by Marla Brose/Journal)

ABQjournal: Bush Pit Stop Nets $375,000 for Wilson By Tania Soussan and Leslie Linthicum, Journal Staff Writers

President George W. Bush praised Rep. Heather Wilson as an independent-minded woman during a Wilson campaign fundraiser in Albuquerque on Friday.

While about 300 Wilson supporters gave the president an enthusiastic welcome inside the Albuquerque Hyatt Regency, about 200 protesters outside called for Bush’s impeachment and Wilson’s ouster in the fall election. …

Wilson campaign spokeswoman Anne Ekern said the reception brought in about $375,000. …

“It should be no surprise to New Mexicans that Heather Wilson and George Bush will again be standing side-by-side today in Albuquerque,” Madrid said, “because Heather Wilson has stood lock-step with George Bush since he was elected.” …

Gerald Pacheco, a 29-year-old Albuquerque banker, brought his 13-year-old nephew to the event to get a picture taken with the president. But Pacheco said he was there more to support Wilson. [mjh: Oh! So Bush is hoping to get a lift from Wilson, not the other way around!] …

Wilson flew with Bush from Washington, D.C. … The Bushes have made three trips to New Mexico in the last three months. …

Chris Berkheimer, a 38-year-old Albuquerque attorney and a combat veteran of the first Gulf war, said Iraq has been a disaster and, like many in the crowd, he linked Wilson to Bush in his blame for the result.

“I’m not opposed to the war on terror,” Berkheimer said. “What I’m opposed to is Bush, with Heather’s help, fighting the war incompetently.”

The protest moved closer to the Hyatt when Bush arrived and, with baton-wielding police standing guard at the door, a couple of Bush supporters shouting “Remember September 11th!” faced off against the 100-strong anti-Bush crowd chanting “Impeach the son of a Bush!”

Sigh. “Remember September 11th!” These people are frozen in time unable to think of anything but 9/11. And they think they are the only ones who remember.

On the other hand, cries for impeachment galvanize the extremes on both sides and may turn-off anyone who manages to sit in the middle (how they stay in the middle, I can’t imagine). Let Bush run out his days in all his incompetence; let him continue to fuck up; he’ll be the stake in the heart of the Radical Religious Right. mjh

“New Mexicans deserve a leader who will stand up to George Bush – not stand next to him for fundraisers and photo-ops,” Patricia Madrid said.

Bush Brings Controversy And Cash to Campaigns By Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post Staff Writer

Wilson was enthusiastic in her embrace of Bush today, and the president returned the favor in a joint appearance at a downtown hotel here, where he called on New Mexicans to return “a clear-eyed realist” to Congress. He described Wilson as a strong supporter of his effort to “stay on offense” against terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere.

The events Friday underscored how Bush remains a powerful fundraising magnet for GOP candidates, as well as the president’s desire to play a major role in the crucial midterm elections. By the end of the day, the White House said, Bush will have appeared at 39 events for congressional candidates and raised $125 million, more than he had at this point in the midterm elections four years ago. This time, however, he is a much less popular figure, and Democratic challengers are rushing to tie incumbents to the president in a way they did not four years ago.

“I am sure he’s going to raise her a tremendous amount of money,” Wilson’s challenger, Patricia Madrid, said in an interview before Bush arrived in Albuquerque. “But it makes it difficult for her to appear independent of him.”

Yahoo News Search Results for bush albuquerque

US House panel backs minimum wage increase By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. House of Representatives panel on Tuesday voted to raise the U.S. minimum wage in increments to $7.25 an hour by January 1, 2009.

The House Appropriations Committee backed the proposal by a vote of 32-27 during work on a massive fiscal 2007 funding bill for labor and health programs.

The surprise result came after seven Republicans on the committee supported the Democratic amendment.

But the legislation faces many hurdles, including possible efforts by Republican leaders to have the proposal stricken from the legislation, according to Republican and Democratic aides.

Under the proposal, which was offered by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, the current $5.15-per-hour federal minimum wage would rise in 70-cent increments starting January 1, 2007. On that date, the minimum wage would be set at $5.85 and a year later it would go to $6.55 before topping off at $7.25 in 2009.

Think Progress » Right-Wing Shelves Vote on Minimum Wage

Earlier this week, the House Appropriations Committee voted to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour by 2009. The increase passed as an amendment to the Labor-HHS spending bill after seven Republicans — Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), John Sweeney (R-NY), Ray LaHood (R-IL), Don Sherwood (R-PA), Mike Simpson (R-ID), James Walsh (R-NY), and Bill Young (R-FL) — broke ranks to pass the increase.

The right wing objected to the move on the grounds that the committee “shouldn’t be legislating on an appropriations bill.” (They forget how Sen. Frist (R-TN) and Rep. Hastert (R-IL) did exactly that last year when they slipped liability protections for vaccine makers into a defense spending bill.)

The “next step” for the bill would have been for the House Rules Committee “to decide whether to ‘protect’ the amendment as part of the bill,” followed by a floor vote on their ruling.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who offered the amendment along with Rep. George Miller (D-CA), told ThinkProgress he was planning to fight attempts to take the increase out of the bill. “If there is an attempt to strip the amendment on procedural grounds,” he said, “we will fight back for the American people. The minimum wage is now at its lowest level in 50 years, and hardworking American families deserve a fair, livable wage.”

But now it looks like the vote will be delayed indefinitely. CongressDaily reported yesterday that “the bill would not reach the floor next week” and “there is a chance it would not come up even the following week, and possibly not at all.”

Conservatives are clearly afraid to be on the record opposing a minimum wage increase at a time when 83 percent of Americans support such a move.

The Seattle Times: Nation & World: House lawmakers take $3,300 pay raise

Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that would increase their salaries to $168,500.

The 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate. Lawmakers easily squelched an attempt by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the increase, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it.

In the early days of GOP control of Congress, lawmakers routinely denied themselves the annual COLA.