Let's face it; true power in this world comes from the almighty buck. Your elected officials might claim to be "conservative" or "liberal", but they're mainly just in the pocket. So, do you put your money where your mouth is?
Boycott Diebold Election SystemsThe email that lots of people passed around, claiming to be from the Center for Responsive Politics, is somewhat inaccurate. Even so, it's safe enough to say that Stanley Tools, Arby's, Levi & Hyatt are Democratic, while Circuit City, Hallmark, Olive Garden, Pizza Hut & Marriot are Republican.
My list is far from exhaustive. There are many other big-spending partisan donors out there. These are just some of the larger ones that I think are worth knowing:
| 2004 Democratic Donors | ||
|---|---|---|
| amount to Dems | Companies | |
| 97% | $191k | Costco Wholesale (Price Club) |
| 82% | $1.1M | Viacom Inc (CBS, Westinghouse) |
| 80% | $2.1M | Time Warner |
| 73% | $660k | Walt Disney Co |
| 68% | $400k | IBM Corp |
| 64% | $170k | Gap Inc |
| amount to Dems | Worker's Unions | |
| 99% | $1.9M | United Auto Workers |
| 99% | $1.8M | Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union |
| 99% | $1.2M | Communications Workers of America |
| 98% | $1.1M | United Food & Commercial Workers Union |
| 98% | $980k | United Steelworkers of America |
| 97% | $1.6M | American Federation of Teachers |
| 97% | $1.4M | Am. Fedn. of State/County/Municipal Emp. |
| 97% | $1.1M | Sheet Metal Workers Union |
| 96% | $1.9M | Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers |
| 95% | $1.0M | Plumbers/Pipefitters Union |
| 93% | $980k | AFL-CIO |
| 92% | $1.1M | National Education Assn |
| 90% | $1.5M | Service Employees International Union |
| 90% | $1.4M | Teamsters Union |
| 90% | $1.3M | Ironworkers Union |
| 86% | $2.3M | Laborers Union |
| 85% | $1.0M | American Postal Workers Union |
| 85% | $950k | United Transportation Union |
| 80% | $1.1M | Operating Engineers Union |
| 80% | $810k | National Assn of Letter Carriers |
| 78% | $1.0M | Air Line Pilots Assn |
| 74% | $1.3M | Carpenters & Joiners Union |
| 69% | $970k | International Assn of Fire Fighters |
| amount to Dems | Lawyers | |
| 100 | $880k | Simmons Firm |
| 98% | $1.2M | Baron & Budd |
| 96% | $870k | Robins, Kaplan et al |
| 93% | $1.9M | Assn of Trial Lawyers of America |
| 77% | $840k | Skadden, Arps et al |
| 73% | $680k | Patton Boggs LLP |
| 68% | $760k | Greenberg, Traurig et al |
| 67% | $750k | Cassidy & Assoc/Interpublic |
| 64% | $700k | Akin, Gump et al |
| amount to Dems | Investment Houses | |
| 63% | $1.1M | Lehman Brothers |
| 2004 Republican Donors | ||
|---|---|---|
| amount to GOPs | Companies | |
| 98% | $490k | Outback Steakhouse |
| 97% | $290k | Pilgrim's Pride (chicken) |
| 94% | $670k | Home Depot |
| 91% | $820k | Reynolds American (RJR tobacco) |
| 88% | $490k | Exxon Mobil |
| 84% | $220k | John Deere & Co |
| 81% | $1.0M | Union Pacific (railroad) |
| 81% | $1.6M | Wal-Mart Stores |
| 79% | $750k | Southern Co (electric) |
| 76% | $274k | Target Corp |
| 73% | $640k | UnitedHealth Group |
| 73% | $1.6M | United Parcel Service |
| 69% | $620k | General Motors |
| 68% | $900k | FedEx Corp |
| 68% | $270k | Pepsico Inc |
| 68% | $1.4M | SBC Communications |
| 67% | $510k | Clear Channel Communications (radio) |
| 67% | $940k | Pfizer Inc (pharmaceuticals) |
| 66% | $860k | Northrop Grumman |
| 65% | $590k | Altria (Philip Morris, Kraft, Nabisco) |
| amount to GOPs | Business Associations | |
| 99% | $1.2M | Associated Builders & Contractors |
| 90% | $1.3M | National Restaurant Assn |
| 83% | $505k | National Assn of Convenience Stores |
| 79% | $1.5M | American Medical Assn |
| 77% | $1.7M | National Beer Wholesalers Assn |
| 73% | $1.8M | National Auto Dealers Assn |
| 67% | $710k | Natl Assn Insurance & Financial Advisors |
| 65% | $1.2M | National Assn of Home Builders |
| amount to GOPs | Investment Houses | |
| 98% | $890k | American Financial Group |
| 77% | $1.3M | PriceWaterhouseCoopers |
| 75% | $1.0M | MBNA Corp (bank, credit cards) |
| 73% | $900k | KPMG LLP |
| 72% | $1.4M | Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu |
| 70% | $990k | Wachovia Corp |
| 69% | $620k | Fidelity Management & Research |
| 69% | $1.4M | Merrill Lynch |
| 64% | $1.2M | Ernst & Young |
| 64% | $670k | Wells Fargo |
| amount to GOPs | Lawyers | |
| 67% | $970k | Blank Rome LLP |
If you have suggestions for this page, please contact me.
Back to Politics, or wherever you came from. Last updated 2005/03/20
