Santa Claus and a cute little elf visted Mike McGavick’s campaign headquarters today to deliver an early Christmas present from the insurance industry to their favorite little boy: $14. 3 million in stock options. (FYI, I heard from an eavesdropping reindeer that the McGavick staffer in the photo yelled at Santa. Talk about a war on Christmas….)
I’d already reported the $4.5 million in accelerated vesting that Safeco is giving McGavick as a parting gift, but while he claimed he was leaving the company at the end of the year, now it turns out he plans to stay on the payroll through January 26… just in time to vest another $9.8 million in options.
And McGavick must have been a very good boy indeed, as he’s also still eligible for an undisclosed 2005 bonus.
All this makes me wonder… if the insurance industry wanted to skirt the campaign finance laws and make huge contributions directly to the McGavick campaign… wouldn’t this be exactly how they’d do it?
The more money these guys stuff in their pockets while exporting jobs to China and India, the more the wingnuts love them.
“All this makes me wonder… if the insurance industry wanted to skirt the campaign finance laws and make huge contributions directly to the McGavick campaign… wouldn’t this be exactly how they’d do it?”
But of course the same doesn’t apply to Cantwell and Glazer’s attempt to illegally fund her campaign? Sheesh, when will the hypocrisy on this site come to an end?
PS – Glazer is the number 1 contributor to democrats in WA state. The insurance industry is NOT the number 1 contributor to any party in any state. Get over yourself Goldy.
“if the insurance industry wanted to skirt the campaign finance laws and make huge contributions directly to the McGavick campaign… wouldn’t this be exactly how they’d do it?”
Dunno about that, but if I were an investor, I sure wouldn’t buy stock in a company that gives away the stockholders’ money like it was water.
1
“PS – Glazer is the number 1 contributor to democrats in WA state. The insurance industry is NOT the number 1 contributor to any party in any state.”
So what? Do you have a problem with Glazer, or Soros, or whoever giving their own money to political campaigns? Is that something only Republicans are allowed to do? Go fuck yourself.
Roger,
Right, Glazer can spend whatever he wants. Real Networks can also compensate their employees as much as they want. Same goes for Safeco. I just find it interesting (hypocritical as usual) when Goldy considers the Safeco compensation package to be excessive when the compensation package for Cantwell is no problem.
Why is that inconsistency so hard for you to undertand? Have a great day.
One thing is for sure, he’s going to wind up on the front page news just like every other corrupt conservative. After all, it is their corruption is engrained in their culture.
“Duke” Cunningham
Ney
Libby
Abramoff
DeLay
Frist
Rove
Card
“Dick” Cheney
Bush
I would pay good money to see a video of this.
Picture is a little dark. Who’s the cute elf? And why isn’t sant wearing a gorilla suit?
Oh darn another millionaire politician. Sheesh, 10 of the top 11 richest are democrats, how is this shocking?
Cantwell did something similar, except she borrowed against hers and went into debt for it.
I can’t muster any outrage on this, its just pointless.
CHURCHGOING REPUBLICAN JUDGE: INTELLIGENT DESIGN IS NOTHING BUT CREATIONISM
A conservative Republican federal judge has dumped the Dover, PA school board’s scheme to foist ID on that community’s public school children:
“Judge Bars ‘Intelligent Design’ From Science Class
“By MARTHA RAFFAELE, AP
“HARRISBURG, Pa. (Dec. 20) – In one of the biggest courtroom clashes between faith and evolution since the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, a federal judge barred a Pennsylvania public school district Tuesday from teaching ‘intelligent design’ in biology class, saying the concept is creationism in disguise.
“U.S. District Judge John E. Jones delivered a stinging attack on the Dover Area School Board, saying its first-in-the-nation decision in October 2004 to insert intelligent design into the science curriculum violated the constitutional separation of church and state.
“The ruling was a major setback to the intelligent design movement, which is also waging battles in Georgia and Kansas. Intelligent design holds that living organisms are so complex that they must have been created by some kind of higher force.
“Jones decried the ‘breathtaking inanity’ of the Dover policy and accused several board members of lying to conceal their true motive, which he said was to promote religion.
“A six-week trial over the issue yielded ‘overwhelming evidence’ establishing that intelligent design ‘is a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory,’ said Jones, a Republican and a churchgoer appointed to the federal bench three years ago.
…
“Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., which represented the school district and describes its mission as defending the religious freedom of Christians, said the ruling appeared to be ‘an ad hominem attack on scientists who happen to believe in God.'”
Now isn’t this last paragraph more than a little interesting — a public school board was represented by lawyers from a private religious group and criticized the judge’s ruling as an attack on people who believe in God. That tells the whole story right there.
BTW – Dover PA is where the voters bounced the entire school board in November. With the Christian Talibans removed from the board, the newly constituted school board says it won’t appeal the judge’s ruling.
9
I see Sven the Troll is moaning about how poor Republicans are … again. These guys are almost as good at poor mouthing themselves as they are at lying.
oh please Roger. I said nothing of the sort.
I just want to combat the myth that rebublicans are the richest.
Deal with the truth dude.
5
“Right, Glazer can spend whatever he wants. Real Networks can also compensate their employees as much as they want. Same goes for Safeco. I just find it interesting (hypocritical as usual) when Goldy considers the Safeco compensation package to be excessive when the compensation package for Cantwell is no problem. Why is that inconsistency so hard for you to undertand? Have a great day.”
Did I say they couldn’t? All I’m saying is that I don’t buy stock in companies that pay their CEOs $10 million a year to lose money for their shareholders. Attention Safeco board: I own NO Safeco stock. None. Zip. Zero. Nada.
Got a problem with that?
P.S., I don’t own Real Networks stock either, and never have, so where’s the inconsistency? God, you are a dolt.
10 & 11 – And now the fine children of Dover PA can be assured of an opportunity for a science education that could actually land them a job or a higher education in an accredited college.
Score one more for rationality!
Oh please. ID would have no effect on college. I dont really care about ID in schools, but it isnt like it was a replacement. This is much ado over nothing
Dunno about that, but if I were an investor, I sure wouldn’t buy stock in a company that gives away the stockholders’ money like it was water.
Comment by Roger Rabbit— 12/20/05 @ 2:41 pm
========================================
Gee, Schwartz and crew over at Starbucks can’t wait to give millions to the Dems. How shoud their shareholders react, Roger? Starbucks is a BIG, BIG supporter of the Dems.
So is Microsoft as I recall…..
C @2,
There is a difference. Cantwell started at Real as one of the earliest employees, and a top executive at that. Her initial option grants were for pennies a share, and she vested them during the years she worked there. Real did not accelerate her vesting after she left to run for the Senate… the shares she cashed out were the shares she vested before leaving. She made her millions, deserved or not, exactly the same way thousands of others made millions during the dot.com boom… by being in the right place at the right time. Well… not exactly the same… Real Networks actually has a real product, a real business, and is still a dominant player in their industry.
I’m not talking here about the tens of millions McGavick “earned” at Safeco shipping jobs overseas, denying claims and raising rates. I’m complaining about the gift they’ve given in leaving.
Roger Rabbit @10:
WASHINGTON – Conservative Christian televangelist Pat Robertson told citizens of a Pennsylvania town that they had rejected God by voting their school board out of office for supporting “intelligent design” and warned them Thursday not to be surprised if disaster struck.
—–
That Pat Robertson would flip out over this is ample proof that, despite denials by proponents of ID, it really is just re-packaged creationism.
sven said “ID would have no effect on college”
Actually it would. Besides the fact that US students routinely score lower in Math and Science than foreign students from industrialized nations, any time spent taking away from studies of science with religion will only exacerbate this situation.
We are already loosing jobs to more skilled workers in the sciences abroad, and any continuation of the slipping standards for science in the US will be a disaster. Economically, technologically and impair our ability to defend our country (which counts on technological advancement).
This is not just my concern but those of parents, teachers and lawmakers throughout the country.
After the Grantsburg school board voted to require the teaching of all theories of origin..
In Georgia during a similar crisis in science education threatened by ID
http://www.geotimes.org/nov04/WebExtra111204.html
This unfortunately has happened too often in the last 20 years. And people like you, sven, are undermining our children, our economy and our country with your ignorant attitude.
Roger,
“P.S., I don’t own Real Networks stock either, and never have, so where’s the inconsistency? God, you are a dolt.”
When did I ever discuss your investment portfolio or accuse you of investing inconsistently? Why don’t you stick to the insults since you can’t argue facts.
Goldy,
Cantwell’s position was very temporary and she earned millions. Right place and right time, so no big deal, right? However, Real Networks filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. Glazer was courting Congress to penalize Microsoft for including their player on their operating systems. Who better to complain to than a Microsoft-home state Senator who happens to be an ex-employee who “luckily” made millions as a result of very temporarily being employed by Real Networks which in turned financed her campaign for Senate.
Now I’m not saying that McGavick deserves the compensation package. Nor am I saying that the Safeco board is making the right decision. Nor am I saying that shareholders should be satisfied with their board’s performance. I am simply pointing out the inconsistent standards by which you judge politicians. It’s also ironic that right after you accuse Sharkansky of being a conspiracy theorist, you accuse the entire insurance industry of conspiring to get a Senator elected…
C @22,
No… you are wrong. Real Networks (actually, “Progressive Networks” at the time) was a risky dot.com start-up that Cantwell got into on the ground floor. She was one of the first executives that Rob Glaser brought in, an integral part of the company, and worked there (putting in long hours) for several years before running for the Senate. If it had failed, those options would have been worthless… just like the options at most high-tech startups.
Every option she cashed out to pay for her campaign was vested PRIOR to declaring her candidacy. Real Networks typically granted early employees a 5-year vesting schedule, with the first fifth vesting after the first year, and the rest vesting in six-month increments. To imply that Real Networks paid her that money during the campaign is just plain wrong.
13
“I just want to combat the myth that rebublicans are the richest.”
Show me a CEO with a captive board who is paying himself $14.3 million a year, and I’ll show you a Republican.
13 (continued)
Katherine Harris (R) net worth = $6 million
Dean Logan (NP) net worth = next month’s rent
13 (continued)
Michael Bloomberg (R-Mayor of NY) net worth = $$$ billions $$$
Greg Nickels (NP-Mayor of Seattle) net worth = not sure, but it ain’t billions
13 (continued)
Stefan Sharanksy (R blogger) lives in house worth $800,000
Roger Rabbit (D blogger) lives in hole in ground worth less than 10 cents
roger,
You cannot be serious. One example gives you the ability to make a sweeping generalization?
dona,
The ID theory reduces nothing from evolution, just from naturalism, and only as an altrnative.
I fail to see why it scares you.
As I said, I dont have a dog in that fight, but you attribute more to it then it deserves.
If Roger really thinks he is a Rabbit, and really thinks he lives in a hole, then Roger has issues I don’t even want to know about.
…and Sven has thoughts we don’t want to know about…
At least I dont pretend I am a rodent
:D
Wonder if we have another “Deke” Cunningham situation in the making? Maybe those two will become cellmates? Maybe they’ll end up bunking with their buddy DeLay when we get him too?
Goldy
How many people do you know who worked w/ Maria?
I know quite a few. Worked for her, w/ her.
A real hag, and gotta love her credentials.
Just another good old boy network, I will admit that much. Will you?
sven @ 27 I see you did not read my post again, but decided to respond in obvious ignorance again
Read my post again, and discover your obvious error.
sven @ 32 “At least I dont pretend I am a rodent”
What? Your not pretending to be a rodent? Fooled me!
righton @ 34, I am confused. is Cantwell a “fucking twat” or a “good old boy”?
curiouser and curiouser.
donna
I am able to critize her for being unpleasant and a political buddy, but then also admit she’s as much a buddy of the left as many repubs have been over the years
You guys willing to admit she’s not a saint, and mooched off the public markets?
(you should be more upset at her lying about not taking outside money cuz she is rich. What happened was the worst possible, outside money saved her from being broke…
I am terribly upset about all these things if true.
But she is one hell of a good senator, and she takes the stands that need to be taken.
Given that our political system requires massive amounts of money to be elected, I will give the balance to her for her good political stands.
What happened was the worst possible, outside money saved her from being broke…
Makes no sense at all. She spends all her money campaigning, raises some more after it runs out. Big deal. Any other politician would do the same.
mooched off the public markets?
So lame. Who wouldn’t do the same if they’d be given the chance? All accounts say she worked hard helping to build that company. Some people work hard and are paid modestly, others get rich. Some people hit the lotto. It’s called being in the right place at the right time.
I just got done watching the original movie “A Christmas Carol” on AMC. It was fabulous, as always. I can never get enough of Tiny Tim saying “God Bless us, every one!”
I noticed that the “politcally-correct” version is on the Dems website…
The call it Charles Dicken’s “A HOLIDAY Carol”!
Oh and it’s not Tiny Tim…oh no!!!
The KLOWNS call him “Vertically-Challenged Tim”!
And Vertically Challenged Tim cannot say “God Bless”….oh no…..
He says “Mythically Higher Power Bless Us, Every One”!!!!!
Merry Christmas!!!
And to the less than 3% of AmeriKans offfended by Merry Christmas, Mr. Cynical sez:
MERRY CHRISTMAS ANYWAY!!!
Rog sez:
“Katherine Harris ® net worth = $6 million
Dean Logan (NP) net worth = next month’s rent
Comment by Roger Rabbit— 12/20/05 @ 5:54 pm”
WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! BAD RABBIT! BAD RABBIT! BAD RABBIT!
Huge mistake Rog.
What you meant to say is
Dean Logan==NOT WORTH A SHIT!!!
WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! BAD RABBIT! BAD RABBIT! BAD RABBIT!
Huge mistake again Rog.
Rog sez:
“Michael Bloomberg (R-Mayor of NY) net worth = $$$ billions $$$
Greg Nickels (NP-Mayor of Seattle) net worth = not sure, but it ain’t billions
Comment by Roger Rabbit— 12/20/05 @ 5:55 pm”
What Rog meant to say is:
GREG NICKELS===NOT WORTH A SHIT!!!!!
Oh and yet another mistake Rog—Rog Sez:
“Stefan Sharanksy (R blogger) lives in house worth $800,000
Roger Rabbit (D blogger) lives in hole in ground worth less than 10 cents
Comment by Roger Rabbit— 12/20/05 @ 5:57 pm”
What Rog meant to say is
Roger Rabbit DOESN’T KNOW HIS ASS FROM A HOLE IN THE GROUND!!!!!
har har har har har har har har har!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
44
Mr. C — you just gotta see my disappearing act! When the Park Department fascists think they have me cornered, I hop into my own asshole, and — poof! — rabbit gone! It’s like jumping into a black hole. Poof! Invisible rabbit. Not a chance in hell they’ll ever catch Roger Rabbit. Come to DL sometime and I’ll show it to you.
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR
42, 43
Well, if Logan and Nickels aren’t worth a shit, why do trolls like Sven go around saying Democrats are richer than Republicans? Does he mean that Republicans are worth even less than shit?
30
“If Roger really thinks he is a Rabbit, and really thinks he lives in a hole, then Roger has issues I don’t even want to know about.”
Of course I don’t think I’m a rabbit. I’m just role playing. God, how stupid are you??? (It would be better if you didn’t attempt to answer that.)
13 (continued)
Stefan Sharanksy (R blogger) lives in house worth $800,000
Roger Rabbit (D blogger) lives in hole in ground worth less than 10 cents
Comment by Roger Rabbit— 12/20/05 @ 5:57 pm
No Wabbit you have Osama Bin Laden sleeping with you tonight you are now worth millions if you call Jim McDermott. Wabbit did you hear that Michael Moore made 31 million than Halliburton last year? We all know old lawyers now live on fix incomes and cannot donate to the democrat party anymore. How long did you stand in the food stamp line yesterday rabbit? Unlike Oregon, you still have to pay Property Taxes in Green Lake. God forbid if you do not get your old-timer discount at McDonalds. Life is a bitch when you get old. Merry Christmas everybody!
30 (continued)
I’m a rabbit only when there’s a full moon.
48
“Wabbit did you hear that Michael Moore made 31 million than Halliburton last year?”
Of course Michael Moore made more than Halliburton — he’s more popular than Halliburton. Honesty is always the best policy.
48 (continued)
“How long did you stand in the food stamp line yesterday rabbit? Unlike Oregon, you still have to pay Property Taxes in Green Lake. God forbid if you do not get your old-timer discount at McDonalds.”
WTF are you talking about? Food stamps? You mean Stefan’s garden. Property taxes? Oh, I suppose Stefan pays them. McDonalds? You mean Stefan’s garden. (munch munch)
48 (CONTINUED)
Happy Holidays, trollfuck.
48 (continued)
Who do YOU sleep with? Next week’s Fear Factor meal?
Hey kiddies — I work the night shift, and it’s time for me to hop up to Stefan’s garden! Later.
SvenTroll @ 16 Any student taking a course in biology polluted with ID can kiss entry in any legitimate med school good-bye. Deal with it.
Hmm. What do I see here at #42,43,44. Mr. Cynical, the repubuglican troll wanting to instruct us on the worth of various politicians. The ignorant troll who thought the repubuglicans were in power during WWII. With this abyss of ignorance, what more of worth can you provide us with? Hmmmmmnn?
ID=strawman.
You all are way too scared of it.
Cute Elf?
Is that a 13 year old boy?
17
“Gee, Schwartz and crew over at Starbucks can’t wait to give millions to the Dems. How shoud their shareholders react, Roger? Starbucks is a BIG, BIG supporter of the Dems.”
Son, ask me again after you look up who the CEO of Starbucks is. Ain’t nobody named Schwartz workin’ there.
28
“roger, You cannot be serious.” “One example gives you the ability to make a sweeping generalization?”
Who said I’m serious? You guys aren’t serious. You’re hilarious! Why should your side have a monopoly on hilarity? Republicans want a monopoly on every fucking thing!
Do you think some guy who role-plays a rabbit just to be funny is SERIOUS? God, you trolls are dumb.
“One example gives you the ability to make a sweeping generalization?”
Why not? You guys do it all the time. You say stuff like all Democrats are commies, all liberals are traitors, etc. Why should your side have a monopoly on sweeping generalizations? Why can’t we make some sweeping generalizations, too? You Republicans are all alike — you want a monopoly on every fucking thing! You all fuck armadillos, too.
29
Intelligent design is nothing but a legal theory concocted by lawyers to get around the Constitution.
Hey all you religious freaks — I think God designed evolution. Happy now?
I’ve never seen an armadillo and wouldn’t know what one looked like if it bit me.
Roger,
SO I was right. You are the troll who just pops off comments to get the water stirred off. Cool, as long as you admit what you are.
And for what its worth, I dont call people names, so kindly do not lump me in with the ones that do.
Happy Holidays to Mr. Cynical…
I think Goldy’s got it and the others do not. Maria Cantwell did not declare her candidacy, make a bunch of money off Rn and THEN leave the company. She made her money, left the left the company and THEN declared her candidacy. McGavick is in a position where there’s a very real appearance of a conflict of interest.