Did Boeing make an illegal $1 million contribution to the Bush campaign?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Poll question: Did Boeing make an illegal $1 million contribution to the Bush campaign?

The $1 Million Bill

Regardless, all those overtime numbers are actually pretty piddly when compared to what it cost for the Boeing Co. to give all the workers at its plant outside Philadelphia the day off when Bush visited on Tuesday. Boeing spokesman Jack Satterfield told me yesterday that he estimates that it cost the company about $1 million. Satterfield said that Boeing decided that there was no way the Secret Service could sweep the facility with all the workers around. So about 4,500 employees got the day off with pay. (They're unionized.)

Employees were offered tickets, and many of them accepted. Satterfield estimated that at least two thirds of the audience of about 9,000 were Boeing workers, their families and friends. The rest of the tickets were distributed by the Bush campaign. Satterfield was adamant that no one was paid to attend. "The point was, we told our people whether they came or not, they would be paid," he said. And he said the $1 million cost is being absorbed by Boeing -- not by the U.S. government, which of course is paying for pretty much everything Boeing is doing there.

So how does that work?

"We have provisions for special charging which will be absorbed into what we call our overhead, and the federal government will not be charged," he said. Traditionally, that only happens when there's a massive snowstorm, or some other act of God, Satterfield said. "I'm not drawing any parallels, but I'm saying the circumstances were literally beyond our control." Satterfield said Boeing was told up front that the president was coming on a campaign stop, not an official visit. And he said Boeing considered the legal and ethical issues before deciding that it was appropriate to proceed.

He said the $1 million should not be considered a gift to the campaign.

"It wasn't (a gift) and it has nothing to do with the political campaign," he said. "This was an instance where the president of the United States, who happens also to be a candidate running for office, came to thank us for doing an excellent job for the national defense.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15276-2004Aug19.html

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. Did you know

The head of Boeing in Australia is married to Laura Bush's best friend? Ex-Coalition MP Andrew Peacock, appointed by John Howard as Aust.Ambassador to Washington is married to former Texas beauty queen Penne Peacock , the best friend of Laura Bush and both regularly spend holidays at the Bush ranch. Peacock now heads Boeing in Asia.

Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State is president and partner of Armitage Assoc. LLP 75, was a Boeing consultant.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. Kick

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