is Bill Gates a Democrat?

[Egalitarian Zetetic]

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=WA&last=Gates&first=William

I know he and melinda do tons of work for the third world. I know bill isn't an active in american politics, he gave to a few republicans, but to me it looks overwhelmingly democrat

[otohara]

1. His Dad Is

big time, hangs with Jimmy Carter

[democracyindanger]

4. His dad also

was an outspoken opponent of the eliminating the estate tax.

One thing that's for sure: Billy-boy was raised by a father who has his head on straight.

[TSIAS]

2. There are a lot of Democratic donations there

However, this one sticks out at me:

BUSH, GEORGE W (R)
President
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC $2000 09/03/03


I read earlier that his father was opposed to the Bush tax cuts.

[mom cat]

7. Only $2000! that is nothing from Bill. It's a slap in the face.

[DieboldMustDie]

10. $2000 is the maximum allowed by law.

[Orangepeel]

11. it's the legal limit

He couldn't have given any more no matter how rich he is. Rich people can get all their rich friends to donate, too, and thus become "rangers" or "pioneers" or whatever. They'll get credit in the bush campaign for raising more than $2000, but it will show up in federal reports as only $2000 from them.

[KharmaTrain]

12. I Like Gates but...

seeing that $2,000 is a red flag here, since that money is for this election cycle. I should pop over to Newsmeat.com later (great site!) and see if there are other "Gates" with $2,000 donations. I sure hope not.

I've traced a bunch of the "Rangers" and "Pioneers" ($100k & 200k) in donations and how it's $2,000 from mom, $2,000 from dad, $2,000 from each kid, $2,000 from the neighbor, $2,000 from the cleaning lady, $2,000 from the dog and so on. A great example of this is looking at the morons who run Sinclair or Loewry Mayes or Thomas Hicks.

The sneaky ones are those who keep their donations under $250 and don't get listed. One person can write 8 checks and never show up on that list.

I've heard Bill Sr. and love the man. He was a success in his own right and realizes that when all ships rise, we all go farther. I think Bill Jr. sees it the same way as Microsoft really led the ecomonic boom of the 90's.

[Eric J in MN]

3. This donation over-rules the others to me:

This donation over-rules the others to me:

BUSH, GEORGE W (R)
President
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC $2000 09/03/03

[Djinn]

5. their "work" in the third world

consists of pushing the "intellectual property" rights bandwagon:

From Greg Palast:

Gate’s demi-trillionaire status is based on a nasty little monopoly-protecting trade treaty called “TRIPS” – the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights rules of the World Trade Organization. TRIPS gives Gates a hammerlock on computer operating systems worldwide, legally granting him the kind of monopoly the Robber Barons of yore could only dream of. But TRIPS, the rule which helps Gates rule, also bars African governments from buying AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis medicine at cheap market prices.

(snip)

Gates knows darn well that “intellectual property rights” laws such as TRIPS – which keep him and Melinda richer than Saddam and the Mafia combined – are under attack by Nelson Mandela and front-line doctors trying to get cut-rate drugs to the 23 million Africans sick with the AIDS virus. Gate’s brilliant and self-serving solution: he’s spending an itsy-bitsy part of his monopoly profits (the $6 billion spent by Gates’ foundation is less than 2% of his net worth) to buy some drugs for a fraction of the dying. The bully billionaire’s “philanthropic” organization is currently working paw-in-claw with the big pharmaceutical companies in support of the blockade on cheap drug shipments.


Gates’ game is given away by the fact that his Foundation has invested $200 million in the very drug companies stopping the shipment of low-cost AIDS drugs to Africa.

[FDRrocks]

9. What a goddamned peice of trash... n/t

[Djinn]

any particular reason?

or is that your standard answer to something you don't understand?

[FDRrocks]

14. You posted the reason

I am opposed to "intellectual property" rights and VERY SICKENED by the involedment of Gates in the pharmaceutical situation in Africa.

He is a piece of trash.

[Djinn]

16. sorry FDRrocks

thought you meant Greg Palast was - totally take back my snarky comment!

[FDRrocks]

17. It's all gravy...

Palast has my utmost respect. I love his work regarding the 2000 election, above all.

[Djinn]

13. Self deleted - repeated post

[malatesta1137]

6. Didn't Clinton try to divide Microsoft?

We might've lost him then.

[shraby]

8. Gates was being prosecuted for

having a predatory monopoly until Bush took office and it was suddenly dropped to a great extent and went to another judge. Can't remember all the particulars but he slicked out of it.

[FrankBooth]

15. There was a Seattle Times article published last week

That mentioned that Gates was a Bush supporter.

(I have tried to find the link w/o success as I refuse to sign up for Seattle Times archive access.)

[JohnnyRingo]

18. Also donated $2000 to Kerry

..Butter the bread on both sides:
http://www.fundrace.org/