Clinton bucks the trend and rakes in cash from the US weapons industry (independent.co.uk)

[Leo 9]

Clinton bucks the trend and rakes in cash from the US weapons industry

By Leonard Doyle in Washington
Published: 19 October 2007

The US arms industry is backing Hillary Clinton for President and has all but abandoned its traditional allies in the Republican party. Mrs Clinton has also emerged as Wall Street's favourite. Investment bankers have opened their wallets in unprecedented numbers for the New York senator over the past three months and, in the process, dumped their earlier favourite, Barack Obama.

Mrs Clinton's wooing of the defence industry is all the more remarkable given the frosty relations between Bill Clinton and the military during his presidency. An analysis of campaign contributions shows senior defence industry employees are pouring money into her war chest in the belief that their generosity will be repaid many times over with future defence contracts.

Employees of the top five US arms manufacturers – Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop-Grumman, General Dynamics and Raytheon – gave Democratic presidential candidates $103,900, with only $86,800 going to the Republicans. "The contributions clearly suggest the arms industry has reached the conclusion that Democratic prospects for 2008 are very good indeed," said Thomas Edsall, an academic at Columbia University in New York.

Republican administrations are by tradition much stronger supporters of US armaments programmes and Pentagon spending plans than Democratic governments. Relations between the arms industry and Bill Clinton soured when he slimmed down the military after the end of the Cold War. His wife, however, has been careful not to make the same mistake.

snip

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3075691.ece

[peacebird]

1. Hillary again proves she is not only a hawk but bush's true heir apparent.....

and ye shall judge them by the company they keep.....

[MethuenProgressive]

34. because some industy workers donated less than 50K??

Some people need to read more than the OP subject line...

[leftchick]

2. warmonger

this certainly backs up that claim. WARMONGER for PROFIT!

[MethuenProgressive]

35. Less than 50K - from blue collar workers = "warmonger"?

Wow, that's quite a leap...

[XemaSab]

3. K&R

[Rhythm and Blue]

4. What's the big deal? They think she's going to win and don't want to get on her bad side.

(I note you snipped where the article said she only took in $56,000 from those employees--hardly a scandalous amount.)

[Leo 9]

5. I snipped after four paragraphs.

That's why what I posted ended where it did.

[lateo]

19. Surely you jest.

Honestly...you must be joking.

[Rhythm and Blue]

26. I'm not kidding, and don't call me Shirley. nt

[lateo]

30. Joking aside

The weapons industry is worse than the mob they are going to expect payback for their contributions.

[gateley]

6. K&R nt

[RC]

7. Hillary is starting to make DINO's look good.

Why can't we have liberals running for office in the Democratic party? Would that really be so bad?

[LoZoccolo]

8. This doesn't mean a thing.

It could be that Republicans know they are going to lose and aren't donating at all.

[burythehatchet]

13. That sure could be it. I'm really starting to trust politicians so I'll hope for the best.

:)

[Cha]

18. Wanna pass that

joint over. :smoke:

[burythehatchet]

27. If only I could....

:(

:)

[David Zephyr]

24. You are right, LoZoccolo. They are covering their asses now.

Sometimes it's called sucking up. :thumbsup:

[peacetalksforall]

9. I hope not. I pray for no war. How could she come up with an idea

that would give them all the dollars and no accountability that they want and keep peace? Impossible?

How did we get so unlucky?

[Selatius]

10. She's getting Wall Street backing. It helps to explain why she can raise so much.

That's where the big bucks are, with the industrialists and bankers.

[Selatius]

11. Cut the pentagon budget. There's no excuse to spend 500+ billion a year anymore

The Soviet Union is dead, and Osama and Iran combined is nowhere near the level of the old Soviet Empire.

[burythehatchet]

14. US defense spending is equal to the rest of the planet combined

and we are happy to also supply the rest of the planets weaponry. Freedoms on the march.

[Solar_Power]

12. Clinton is a repuke in democratic clothing

[Rhythm and Blue]

29. Incorrect. nt

[Pastiche423]

15. She makes it difficult

to even like her.

For all that is good and just in this world, please don't let her be the Dem nom!

[msongs]

16. same deceptive headline as in many other threads on the same topic...

the headline says "from the US weapons industry" while the article details "employees" of the industry.

Msongs

[PaulaFarrell]

32. But did the companies encourage it?

Honestly, in the last election, one of the big pharmas told its employees in no uncertain terms who it should vote for. Maybe this is the equivalent

[Leo 9]

36. In many cases employees of an industry are the industry.

It's one of the ways they funnel their contributions.

From CEOs on down, they're expected to work together.

As for the headline, credit that to The Independent UK.

[emilyg]

17. Shame on you for butchering the headline.

[tkmorris]

20. He posted precisely the same title

as the article carries in the link. What would you have him do, spin it to something better?

[emilyg]

28. Since many DU'ers look at headlines only - would

have been nice to have a truthful op

[d_b]

21. color me shocked.

[cuke]

22. THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS

Given *'s past and current relationship with the military (does anyone think that any general actually respects AWOL?) it's obvious they are, to put it mildly, unhappy with him. When was the last time you heard rumors of mutiny? Credible sources have reported that some generals would refuse to carry out orders to attack Iran.

The military has for many years been hostile to the Democratic Party, and it has hurt us at the polls, and made it difficult for democratic presidents to govern. To have them change their attitude on this is A Good Thing so long as you don't think your distaste for Clinton is more important than the future of our govt. With repukes like these, do you really want the military to be sympathetic to them?

[mondo joe]

23. Everyone wants to court the winner. Hence some companes donate to both

the Dem and the Republican.

[MisterP]

25. the rats aren't "jumping ship," they're finalizing their takeover of the neighboring vessel!

[OneBlueSky]

31. nothing more need be said . . . hello, BushCo Lite . . . n/t

.

[MethuenProgressive]

33. 50K from blue collar, union members = Hillary is Evil?

This thread has been posted several times tday by the Usuals - who hope sheeple only read the OP subject line, and not the content. Less than 50K from industry employees. Big fucking deal.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

37. Taking money from "The Masters of War".

"Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks"

Bob Dylan