Google donates to repukes

[proud2BlibKansan]

Looks like Google's been watching Fox News — its new Google NetPAC, launched last month, made contributions to three Republicans congressional candidates, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The Merc's Frank Davies reports $1,000 contributions to each of Reps. Heather Wilson of New Mexico, Deborah Pryce of Ohio, and James Sensenbrenner, head of the House Judiciary Committee and sometime gavel-wielding control freak. At least two of the candidates, Wilson and Sensenbrenner, have porfolios that implicate the use and regulation of the Internet.

Three of Google's new lobbyists were drawn from Republican rankss: Jamie Brown, former legislative liaison in the Bush administration, and former GOP senators Connie Mack and Dan Coats (Davies does not mention what proportion of Google's lobbying staff that comprises). According to Davies, in the past Google executives have donated "overwhelmingly to Democrats and liberal groups" (he also notes that Google employees skew Democratic). Google lobbyist Alan Davidson says PAC donations are intended for the building of "long-term relationships with policy-makers" supported "across party lines." To that end, Google also donated $1,000 each to two Democrats candidates, Rep. Anna Eshoo* of Palo Alto (where Google HQ is located) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. More here.

*Gezundheit.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/2006/10/21/...

[Eric J in MN]

1. It doesn't seem like Google's PAC will have a big impact on...

...the 2006 election, but it's something we should watch in future years.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I guess I need to find a different search engine

Any suggestions?

[Eric J in MN]

8. I don't think it's necessary to switch search engines yet.

Let's see how the PAC shapes up.

[Kukesa]

3. BuyBlue states they gave to Dems.

$71,500 to Dems and zero to Repukes.

Check this website:

http://www.buyblue.org/node/1053/view/summary

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Hmmm Huffington Post or BuyBlue?

Who to believe?

[Eric J in MN]

9. BuyBlue isn't updated to include Google's PAC.

http://www.buyblue.org/node/1053/view/financials

"No company PAC exists."

[Auggie]

5. Sounds like they're just covering all the bases

[Clark2008]

6. So what? Al Gore was on their board of directors.

Don't know if he still is, but he was in 2003:

Mr. Gore serves as a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc. He is also a visiting professor at the University of California Los Angeles, Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/mar/19gore.html

[Debau2005]

7. Google was the only one that

didn't hand over search and email docs to the gov't when they demanded. So just for fighting for the privacy rights of their users, they still get my support.