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Global Crossing Funded Anti-Free Speech Incumbents Wes Vernon, NewsMax.comWASHINGTON – As the House prepares for debate today over the anti-free speech "campaign finance reform bill,” which would silence independent voices in an election season, the measure has the support of House lawmakers who took campaign cash from Global Crossing. As reported previously by NewsMax, Global Crossing is a huge telecommunications company being investigated by the FBI and SEC for the suspicious circumstances of its bankruptcy, the fourth largest in U.S. history. Democrats are awash with cash from Global Crossing. Their party is strongly favored by company executives. Eight of the top brass of the corporation gave big money to Sen. Ted Kennedy’s political action committee, Committee for a Democratic Majority, the biggest recipient of Global Crossing cash, according to Federal Election Commission records for 1999-2000. Moreover, four of the top five House recipients of money from the corporation - which left its employees and shareholders in the lurch while its insiders made a killing, just like Enron - received money from this one company. What’s more, a prime sponsor of the House version of the Senate-passed McCain-Feingold bill has taken money from Global Crossing and handed his political opponents back home some political ammunition to use against him. (More on that below.) The Center for Responsive Politics has named the five House members who were the chief beneficiaries of the Global Crossing PAC and individual company contributors. At least four of the five are strong supporters of the Shays-Meehan bill, the House version of McCain-Feingold. Global Crossing's Democrat Friends They are Reps. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., $12,500; Harold E. Ford Jr., D-Tenn., $10,250; Jane Harman, D-Calif., $5,000; and Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., $4,000. The lone Republican in that charmed circle, Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-N.Y., $8,000, had not returned a NewsMax call by Tuesday evening as to where he stands on Shays-Meehan. Research indicated he has opposed the anti-free speech bill in the past. Assuming that holds, it leaves four out of the top five House beneficiaries of Global Crossing firmly behind Shays-Meehan. After they took money from a company that went under in much the same fashion as Enron, they now want you to shut up 30 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election. There is nothing inherently corrupt in taking this campaign largesse. It just spotlights an extreme irony and hypocrisy on their part. If this bill becomes law, Joe or Jane Six Pack will find their contributions to the National Rifle Association, Club for Growth, or the Family Research Council’s PAC are restricted from conveying their messages in an election season. And here is another ironic tidbit. Rep. Martin "Marty” Meehan, D-Mass., a prime sponsor of the legislation, is getting flak from the opposition back in his home district over Global Crossing contributions. The Lowell Republican City Committee of Lowell, Mass., says Meehan took $3,000 from the telecom giant. "John Comparin, Thomas Goff, and John Scarpati, all Global Crossing executives each donated $1,000 to the Meehan election effort,” reads a GOP release in Meehan’s district. Says the Lowell GOP Committee Chairman Paul J. Hoar Jr.: "Congressman Meehan has a history of double-speak when it comes to reform measures. He often talks about reform while doing the exact opposite . ...” Hoar challenges the congressman to return the Global Crossing money to a relief fund for the company’s workers who got the shaft after the top execs pulled the plug as soon as they took their money off the table. As reported previously by NewsMax, Democrat national Chairman Terry McAuliffe got a cool $18 million off the table in time to avoid Global Crossing’s fiasco. That netted him an off-the-charts 18,000 percent profit. McAuliffe had a friendship with Global Crossing CEO Gary Winnick. Political contributions and government contracts have raised further questions about this episode. Further, as we have noted, the top Senate recipient of Global Crossing campaign money is Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has made so-called campaign finance "reform" his pet cause. Hollings' Latest Hypocrisy During Senate hearings on Enron Tuesday, Enron CEO Kenneth Lay took the Fifth. Sen. Ernest "Fritz” Hollings, D-S.C., made the network sound bites with a comment about "Kenny boy” and "cash-and-carry Enron.” Let the record show that according to published records of the Federal Election Commission for 1999-2000, top executives of Global Crossing gave $5,000 to Sen. ("Fritzy boy”?) Hollings.
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