From: "Adam Flinton" 

I suppose noone should be surprized.....politicians need cash but can't
grab tax cash & corps need tax cash/helpfull laws & have
"private cash".

http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/06/party.promises.ap/index.html

e.g (just one example) :

" In a 1999 letter, then-RNC Chairman Jim Nicholson wrote Charles
Heimbold, then chief executive of Bristol-Myers Squibb, to discuss the
company's plans to form an industry coalition to lobby for issues important
to drug companies.
"A coalition will be the perfect vehicle for the Republican Party to
reach out to the health care community and discuss their legislative
needs," Nicholson wrote. Republicans then controlled both chambers of
Congress.

"We must keep the lines of communication open if we want to continue
passing legislation that will benefit your industry."

Nicholson enclosed a copy of the RNC's health care proposals and asked
Heimbold for his suggestions to improve it. He also included an outline of
GOP lawmakers were doing involving health care legislation.

In the next paragraph, Nicholson encouraged Bristol-Myers -- already a GOP
donor -- to give $250,000 to join the Republican committee's new
"Season Pass" program, which offered donors "premier
seating" at the RNC's fund-raising gala and "VIP benefits"
at the Republican presidential nominating convention in Philadelphia in
2000.

In all, Bristol-Myers gave $291,200 to the RNC in the 1999-2000 election
cycle, according to figures compiled by the nonpartisan Center for
Responsive Politics, which tracks political contributions.

Heimbold donated $50,000 to the RNC in October 2000. He was named
ambassador to Sweden by President Bush last year. "



BTW I love the assumed position that "to reach out to the health care
community" does not include the consumers of the drugs as they are
small weini's & have no cash....



Adam

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