We have complained about Republican Congressmen spending and supporting statist legislation once they are safely elected. Had the Republican Congress remained close to its conservative principles during Bush’s terms, we would not be looking at President Obama and Speaker Pelosi as they spend us into oblivion. How did this happen ?
The American Conservative Union asked FedEx for a check for $2 million to $3 million in return for the group’s endorsement in a bitter legislative dispute, then flipped and sided with UPS after FedEx refused to pay.
For the $2 million plus, ACU offered a range of services that included: “Producing op-eds and articles written by ACU’s Chairman David Keene and/or other members of the ACU’s board of directors. (Note that Mr. Keene writes a weekly column that appears in The Hill.)”
This is simply outrageous and shows us what has happened to “conservative” organizations.
Here is the letter I especially like the American flag at the top corner. Better they should have placed a dollar bill there.
The letter accuses FedEx of “falsely and disingenuously” labeling the rules change a “bailout” for UPS, since FedEx would become subject to the same arduous union structure.
The letter is also signed by Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, who is also on ACU’s board. FedEx is pushing its case with a website called www.BrownBailout.com.
I have been suspicious of Grover Norquist for some time. He seems to have some strange Islamic friends, among other things. These people are professional fund raisers and, if one side won’t pay, they are happy to support the other.
The basic issue is an attempt to punish FedEx because it is nonunion even though the union rules would probably disrupt its operations. I don’t blame UPS for trying to damage a competitor but why would a “conservative” group be supporting them after what happened to GM and Chrysler ?
This guy has a history of copping out, I guess.
I hate to say it but after witnessing the birth of a think tank close up, clearly they’re as corrupt as anyone else. They’re basically op-end and book-producing organizations, and research for hire, since the rest of us don’t have the time or resources to do that. And their mission is to prove their preconceived ideas with empirical evidence. All very unscientific of course.
If well endowed they can appear to be more above the fray but it’s probably an illusion depending on who the big donors are.
Being endowed is not exactly the same as using extortion.
Great stuff, Dr. Capt. I like how you’re helping clear the Augean Stables of ethics no matter which party.
Mike,
Do me a favor. Head on over to NM and check out Frum’s take and my measured and open-minded response.
http://www.newmajority.com/fedex-kicks-over-the-rock/#comments
Frum of course won’t address my questions; I’d very much like to get your take.
It seems to me that while Keene and Norquist do indeed have a bit of ‘splain’n to do, it may be a bit premature to start tarring the ACU as an organization.
Hey… you know me… the bodies will fall where the bodies will fall and I’ll happily spit on the graves of anyone I consider a “bad guy.”
That said, I’ve learned not to take what Politico reports at face value.
Anyway… looking forward to your further thoughts.
BILL
It sounds as though this may have been a Keene initiative or ACU is backpedaling rapidly. I expect more will come out.