Like most major corporations, Microsoft has a habit of covering its bases by giving to both parties; the goal is to have access to the halls of government, regardless of who holds power. But Microsoft has been decidedly one-sided this election season, giving $25,000 to the WA State GOP and $5,000 to the King County GOP… while giving the Democratic Party zilch.
I find this awfully curious in light of the Gates Foundation’s inexcusable support of the Discovery Institute, and Microsoft’s embarrassing flip-flop-flip on HB 1515, a bill that would have extended protections against discrimination in housing, lending and employment to gays and lesbians… a bill that failed by one vote. I also find this favoritism ironic, considering that Microsoft’s only other contribution was $10,000 to oppose I-912, an initiative the WA State GOP has officially endorsed.
In a political system so heavily influenced by money, Microsoft has the financial might to completely skew the balance of power in WA state. Considering its recent political track record, and its close ties to conservative Republican operatives like Ralph Reed, I think it’s time that Microsoft’s customers, employees and shareholders start questioning how Gates & Company plans to wield this power.
As soon as I can afford it, I’m switching to Apple.
Sun and Google are teaming up to create office suite products. I’ll vote with my money when the new products come out.
Bye-Bye Microsoft.
Not-Too-Swift @ 1 & (G)BS @ 2
So, now you’ll not only be marginalized politically, but technologically as well.
Obviously Microsoft sold their soul to the devil when the Repubs dismissed the anti-trust suit. So despite the fact that Mr. Gates was a well-known Dem, and his employees are overwhelming so, he has come down on the side of his pocketbook.
http://www.homesteadbook.com
I’m not petulant about it: Apple just looks better these days. Politics is less relevant than performace.
Dear Not-too-Swift:
As a confirmed Apple-user who sees my friends constantly grappling with viruses and other problems, I must say your comment is ridiculous.
GBS – You can do so today. There are a number of options but one is Openoffice. They have an open source office system that does almost everything MS Office does and is almost universally compatible with Word, Excel, etc. They are just about to come out with version 2.0 in a week or so give it a shot…
http://www.openoffice.org/
If Microsoft puts Apple out of business they’ll have no ideas left to steal.
marky mark @ 3
If Bill Gates followed your line of thinking IBM would still be the top dog in the software world.
Democrats = Progressive thinking
Republicans = Retarded thinking
Besides, have you noticed the recent success of Google? IPO opened at $85. Where’s the stock price now? $312.75. Is that because Google has marginalized technology and a faulty business plan?
C’mon, you ought to know better than that!
brainless loose-y @ 8
Clearly Apple survived after Xerox got out of the PC biz. Or do you actually think Apple invented the GUI & mouse?
GBS @ 9
It is because Google is the flavor of the month. Do tell me, if you think you’re so smart, what is Google’s primary business?
@ 10
Apple did invent Windows and coined the term “windows.” That’s exactly where Bill and Paul stole the idea and name from.
Seattle would surely become a really great place if it could create a district state of it’s own and receed from Washington. Washington, D.S. – cool, eh?
What I find interesting is that you Macolytes have absolutely no problem with Apple’s closed architecture or their suppression of the Apple clone market.
Windows will run on everything from an HP corporate computer to a homemade box with parts from every corner of the globe. Apple runs on… Apple.
Yes, you can see the incredible political power of Microsoft’s contributions by how political races west of the Cascades are dominated by Republicans.
In the State of Washington for this election cycle the Democrats have amassed $1 billion more than the Republicans yet you take issue with Microsoft’s comparatively small contributions to the less-capitalized side.
What you really want is one party rule.
KING NEWS:
WASHINGTON – Federal prosecutors have accepted an offer from presidential adviser Karl Rove to give 11th hour testimony in the case of a CIA officer’s leaked identity but have warned they cannot guarantee he won’t be indicted, according to people directly familiar with the investigation.
marky mark @ 9
Advertising is Googles main source of revenue.
that should read million, not billion
Goldy: So what? Like MS’ money is going to make any difference. Yes, I can see it now… “Executive-elect Irons credited the whopping $5000 from Microsoft as making the difference in unseating Ron Sims in heavily Democratic King County”. Yea, right, like that’s going to happen.
Also, as you implied, because of MS’ success, employees have been able to give thousands, if not millions, to progressive/liberal causes. Why not credit the company for its wealth creation that has had a lot of positive effects on the region, not it’s $.02 they’ve thrown at the GOP?
Gosh you LEFTIST PINHEADS sure get all emotional over relatively small contributions. Go back and re-read the series of posts by you LP’s!!! It’s like somebody pulled your drawers down in a crowded elevator.
Lighten up.
Perhaps Microsoft knew it was time to change Party leadership in Olympia? After all, Gates, Ballmer & Allen et al do have more brainpower than the combined IQ of the entire Freemount District.
@ 6 Are you retarded?
“As a confirmed Apple-user who sees my friends constantly grappling with viruses and other problems, I must say your comment is ridiculous”
Microsoft windows has more bugs than anything Apple makes. By far.
Gosh you Yellow Elephant KNUCKLE HEADS get all teary-eyed everytime W rambles on about terrorism when his poll numbers are are in the crapper.
What a bunch of Cowardice Chickenhawks.
Got Bin Laden?
Didn’t think so.
marky mark boy band wannabe — did I get your question right?
Goldy,
You are a real whiner — and perhaps a counterproductive one at that. In reality, Microsoft gives FAR more money to the Democrats and liberal causes, than they give to Republicans and conservative causes.
In 2004, Microsoft gave the Washington State Democrats $70,000. The Washington State Republicans received only $16,500 and the King County Republicans $5,000. That is better than THREE-TO-ONE DEMOCRAT!
Presumably, Microsoft will be giving the Democrats far more money this year than the $30,000 they gave the Republicans. Perhaps Microsoft has already done so — the Washington State Democrats are notoriously sloppy in filling out their PDC reports and failing to timely report their donors.
Also, last year Microsoft gave at least $200,000 to the Democrat proposal to increase the regressive sales tax by one percent — that was Initiative 884, which the voters defeated by a 60% to 40% margin, despite millions of dollars in contributions by wealthy liberal Democrats (the folks who favor sales tax over income tax). I-884 didn’t carry a single county, and got barely over 45% in King County.
So by all means get people to boycott Microsoft. Don’t forget to cross-post this thread on Daily Kos, so that liberal pinheads (not my usual term, but I had to) all over the country can stop patronizing Microsoft. Cut off the dollars to the liberal Democrats!
I find it interesting that when Microsoft only gave contributions to the Democratic parties it was good but now that they have appeared to reverse the flow of funds (Mind you its about 1/4 of what they annually gave to the state Democratic party), you are all screaming like stuck pigs.
Stop drinking the kool-aid and face reality:
DNC = Regresive Elitism (Few rule the majority)
RNC = Progressive Elitism (Elected few rule the majority).
Partisian politics is the majority of the problem & you are sucking up to it willingly. Its laughable.
Richard… why the ire? I pointed out facts… that Microsoft usually gives to both sides, and that this time they have not. And all I did was suggest that people ought to question how MS plans to spend its political money. No call for a boycott… no nasty name-calling. Hell… I didn’t even make any Mac-centric statements. (Though clearly, it is the better platform for most consumers.)
Facts, Richard. $30,000 to R’s, $0.00 to D’s. I’m just wondering what’s up?
David T. @ 6
“Obviously Microsoft sold their soul to the devil when the Repubs dismissed the anti-trust suit. ”
1) The federal anti-trust suit wasn’t dismissed, it was settled, after the original ruling (to break up Microsoft) was remanded to the District Court by the Supreme Court. The settlement was largely accepted by the presiding judge.
2) Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, the original judge that ruled Microsoft should be broken up, is a Reagan apointee.
3) Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who ruled on the remanded case, after Jackson was removed because of his behavior in the original trial, is a Clinton apointee.
4) The settlement was not only with the US DOJ, but with the AGs of New York, Illinois, North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Ohio. Not sure of the party affiliations of all these people, but I’m sure they aren’t all Repbulicans.
So from these facts how did you determine that the “Repubs” dismissed the Microsoft antitrust suit?
So, how does it feel for a change to have the tables turned? This is hysterically funny to hear the loonies cry wolf. I might just now support Microsoft products if they continue to keep your knickers in a knot. And, Apple would have bugs also if anybody used their products, which few do. Go Linux!!
GBS @ 12
“Apple did invent Windows and coined the term “windows.” That’s exactly where Bill and Paul stole the idea and name from.”
Got some proof of that? Apple sued Microsoft (and HP) in 1988 that Windows infringed on Apple’s copyrights for the Lisa and Macintosh OSes. The suit was over the “look and feel” not the name “Windows”. Apple lost.
The Apple Lisa debuted in 1983. Paul Allen left Microsoft in 1983 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. Windows didn’t come out until 1986. So, I’m not sure how Paul Allen “stole” the idea for Windows from Apple at all.
Mark @14 OSX86.
Warning: I have seen more flame wars start over the OS holy wars than any other topic. You are more likely to convince windie to become a republican or to convince Mr Cynical to become a democrat than to convince someone another OS is better.
To forestall the question, I use OSX, WinXP and Linux daily, and have no preference. The are each good for their own uses.
Don’t sweat it Goldy. Lots of big companies give money to both political parties. They do so to garner favor and influence with both parties.
And rest assured: while Bill Gates may have a little Republican in him, his dad is REALLY, REALLY a Democrat, and like how! There’s not much chance of the Gates family turning into the Gorton family!
Wow, I didn’t know any of this. I may have to switch back from Linux to Windows. Go Bill!
So Goldilocks: (Goldy is his name and his brain is locked on liberal) Will you reprint the new values when Richard Pope is proven correct? Or better yet, why didn’t you call Paul Berendt first and ask him how much Microsoft has given to the Demented Party B4 you posted this worthless dribble? I suggested that you do your homework but once again you did a face plant!
BTW, the best yet is a very fast system with Linux running VMWare and then you can run multiple Windows inside the VMWare windows. You have the stability of Linux overcoming the fragility of Windows and you have the applications of Windows overcoming those of limitations of Linux. This is what I do for a living, solving peoples nightmares in the IT world.
Puddy, look at Xen
@ 29
Yes, there is proof of that. In the trail you are referring to, Microsoft won the right to use “Windows” for one explicit reason — Apple failed to trademark the term and MS did.
There you have it, there you go.
Goldy, doesn’t Microsoft own Slate, one of the most rabid liberal Internet news sites known to man (after you of course)? So much for his Conservatism!!!
Hey it’s about time don’t you all think? Go ahead folks switch to Apple. heh heh heh. Whats the matter with you guys. Microsoft suddenly woke up or should I say grew up and decided that the Republicans are not bad people. Thats why they say “The Right” because Republicans are always Right! Go Microsoft Go
Not that you care or are prone to learning from your mistakes Puddy, but check out Slate’s blog sometime…. the guy does nothing but attack Democrats. There are a number of other contributors from both sides though. it may lean left on the whole – hard to quantify – but it is certainly does not live up to your silly hyperbole.
Hey Pope, how can you stand to have guys like this on your side?
Goldy, think about it, it’s all LOCAL contributions. Why do you think that so many people and companies are contributing more money to Republican party/candidates locally? It’s because the local Democrats are running the state, county, and various cities into the ground.
Instead of lashing out at the people who have the right to contribute to who they feel will do the job right, look at who’s really screwing things up.
And for those who want to harm a local company just because of recent contributions, shame.
Go Microsoft!
Now, as to why they did something so IDIOTIC as fighting against I-912, I have no clue. I’m certainly not paying 10 cents more a gallon as a down payment on even larger taxes in the future, thank you very much. Our government needs to learn to show responsibility with the money it already gets before I’ll willingly give more.
You are Stuck on Stupid, Nindid === PINHEAD, Jackass of Animal Hind Parts Are you really this dumb or you just play the part on Animal Hind Parts?
Bullshit on you too:
Slate Votes At this magazine, it’s Kerry by a landslide!
Posted Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, at 3:32 PM PT
Kevin Arnovitz, Fray Editor: Kerry
Paul Berman, Contributor: Kerry
Henry Blodget, Contributor: Kerry
Paul Boutin, Technology Writer: Kerry
Phillip Carter, Military and Legal Affairs Writer: Kerry
Bryan Curtis, Deputy Culture Editor: Kerry
Sara Dickerman, Food Writer: Kerry
Daniel Drezner, Political Scientist and Contributor: Kerry
Jonathan Epstein, Software Development Engineer/Program Manager: Kerry
Gretchen Evanson, Office Manager: Kerry
Mia Fineman, Curator and Art Writer: Kerry
Kris Fritz, Software Development Engineer: Kerry
Richard Ford, Law Professor and Contributor: Kerry
David Greenberg, Contributor: Kerry
Christopher Hitchens, Contributor: No Choice*
Jim Holt, Contributor: Kerry
Margo Howard, Advice Columnist: Kerry
Fred Kaplan, Contributor: Kerry
Jon Katz, Contributor: Kerry
Mickey Kaus, Contributor: Kerry
David Bradley Kenner, Intern: Bush
Kathleen Kincaid, Design Director/Lead Program Manager: Kerry
Laura Kipnis, Contributor: Kerry
Steven Landsburg, Economic Writer: Bush
Rachael Larimore, Copy Editor: Bush
Josh Levin, Assistant Editor: Kerry
Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor: Neither
Scott Moore, General Manager of the MSN News and Information Division: Kerry
Robert Neubecker, Illustrator: Kerry
Timothy Noah, Senior Writer: Kerry
Meghan O’Rourke, Culture Editor: Kerry
Josh Payton, Interactive Designer: David Cobb
Jill Hunter Pellettieri, Assistant Editor: Kerry
David Plotz, Deputy Editor: Kerry
Charlie Powell, Illustrator: Kerry
William Saletan, Chief Political Correspondent: Kerry
Jack Shafer, Editor at Large: Michael Badnarik
Gerald Shargel, Contributor: Kerry
Lee Smith, Contributor: Bush
Laurie Snyder, Copy Chief: Kerry
Mark Alan Stamaty, Illustrator: Kerry
Mike Steinberger, Wine Writer: Kerry
Dana Stevens, Television Writer: Kerry
Seth Stevenson, Contributor: Kerry
Chris Suellentrop, Deputy Washington Bureau Chief: Kerry
Maureen Sullivan, Copy Editor:
June Thomas, West Coast Editor: Kerry
Louisa Herron Thomas, Intern: Kerry
Julia Turner, Assistant Editor: Kerry
Garry Trudeau, Contributor: Kerry – Mr Jane Pauley
Eric Umansky, Contributor: Kerry
Jacob Weisberg, Editor: Kerry
Owen West, War Stories Contributor: Bush
Robert Wright, Contributor: Kerry
Need more proof?
Kerry’s Real Defense Record, Slate.com Defends The Undefensible
Slate editor Jacob Weisberg talks skiing and politics with Chris Heinz, the 30-year-old stepson of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry.
Slate Chatterbox – Gossip, speculation, and scuttlebutt about politics. Chatterbox applauds Kerry’s political message.
Slate sets Kerry’s voting record straight
This article has got some good stuff to counter the barrage of attacks on John Kerry’s Defense voting record. Read the whole thing.
Slate Bushisms The president’s accidental wit and wisdom.
Bushism of the Day By Jacob Weisberg
Jacob Weisberg is editor of Slate and co-author, with Robert E. Rubin, of In an Uncertain World.
Nindid – The real Ass of HorsesAss
Nindid: Just admit you are an idiot and I’ll stop finding more Slate support for Democrats! Nindid: He’s Stuck on Stupid!
Easy does it – take a deep breath. Let it flow from your brain to your fingers to the keyboard then press the Enter Key!
Mikey @ 39
so many people and companies are contributing more money to Republican party/candidates locally
Yeah, I can tell they’re really winning the Westside money race.
I don’t know what MS is doing. Maybe Steve Ballmer is a Republican.
Apple is good, but they benefit from their 5% market share in that they are not the main hacker target. Likewise Linux. And BTW, Windows is a lot of things, but it hasn’t been “fragile” since Windows Me bit the dust.
Just saw Jeff Brotman the chairman of Costco on tvw just now. What a breath of fresh air. Seventy percent of Costco’s costs are for wages and benefits and they resist Wall Street’s cries for more profits. Brotman seems to care about there being a middle class to shop at his stores so he does what he can to rally his company and other companies with which he has influence to resist the WalMartization of America. It’s not just about being a good guy or a good member of the community – it’s good business.
It’s ironic that when Sam Walton was alive, he had “buy America” posters in his stores. He knew it would raise his prices a bit but it kept American manufacturing going. After he died, it was “just cut costs baby” all the way. I don’t know how anyone can patronize a WalMart.
Hey I bet ya all you libs will be buying your Macs at Costco. As for me I am sticking to Windows. I wonder about Gates really being a democrat. I think its an act to keep the liberal lawyers away and prevent another shakedown like what happened in the 90’s.
GBS @ 12
“Apple did invent Windows and coined the term “windows.” ”
GBS @ 35
“Yes, there is proof of that. In the trail you are referring to, Microsoft won the right to use “Windows” for one explicit reason – Apple failed to trademark the term and MS did.
There you have it, there you go.”
Trademark law doesn’t quite work that way. You claimed that Apple used “Windows” first. If true your statement were true, this would mean Microsoft couldn’t trademark “Windows” themselves, because there wouldn’t be clear ownership of the term, at least for computer OSes.
I’ve personally never seen Apple refer to any of their OSes as “Windows”, and I’ve used Apple products as far back as 1988. If you can provide some information contrary to that I’d be happy to look at it. Otherwise, keep digging.
clueless@45
Costco also was behind the emminent domain suit, go look it up….a foe to freedom to own and enjoy your home.. unless a big box warehouse wants to build there…
Swift Boat Vets For Universal Healthcare @ 1
‘As soon as I can afford it, I’m switching to Apple.’
That’s what I like to hear. Less money to send to the lefty causes. I wonder if Rove is behind this?
‘But Microsoft has been decidedly one-sided this election season,..’
Let’s hope Gates has half the insight about the future of WA politics as he had about the PC in the 80’s.
clueless@45–
Walmart is awesome!
I get my oil changed while I shop.
People are nice to you.
They have a huge selection and great prices.
And as Larry the Cableguy says:
“And in their bathrooms, they have a nice big stall for cripples…complete with one of them sidebars for “power-squeezin”!!!”
48 – patronize a WalMart if it makes you feel better – I’d expect no more from you.
51 – My, my the whores for WalMart are comin’ out of the woodwork!
Goldy;
I am completely confused on why you think Microsoft should have some kind of loyalty to the WA State Democrats.
A few years back, when Microsoft had its anti-trust issues before the feds, where were all of the prominate Democrats who run this state? Why wasn’t this states leadership loyal to Microsoft? Why didn’t any of our leaders stick up for them>
And now you question why they are not married to the Democrats.
Bill Gates Jr. figured out really quick that by staying apolitical, when he needed it, he didn’t have a friend in the world. Nobody, Democrat or Republican helped him out then (or on his rise up, for that matter).
And now your shocked that he works both sides of the aisle. I can not believe you are that politically naive. So why else might you be angry at Microsoft? Maybe, just maybe, Microsoft doesn’t see the world the same way you do. Is that a crime?
My, my the whores for WalMart are comin’ out of the woodwork! -Comment by For the Clueless— 10/6/05 @ 8:43 pm
I guess the union whores just hate the younger, brighter, free market competition, eh?
54
The Dem WA politicians were pretty much in lockstep behind Microsoft – Locke, Murray – you name ’em they were opposed to the anti-trust action.
Microsoft was special in that they gave very little if anything to politicians. They learned real quick after the lawsuit.
And the sycophantic Republican asses like ASS like to watch the race to the bottom!
My, my the whores for WalMart are comin’ out of the woodwork! -Comment by For the Clueless— 10/6/05 @ 8:43 pm
I guess the union whores just hate the younger, brighter, free market competition, eh? -Comment by HowCanYouBePROUDtobeAnASS— 10/6/05 @ 8:48 pm
And the sycophantic Republican asses like ASS like to watch the race to the bottom! -Comment by For the Clueless— 10/6/05 @ 8:54 pm
Ah, the shame of the embarassing liberal double standard… i think they sell adult diapers for that, but I suppose Pull-ups might serve you better.
re 10:You just make this crap up. The internet is like the Bible or the constitution: You can always find what you’re looking for in it.
59
No Liberals can always find what they are looking for in the Bible and constituion. It is real easy when you don’t know what either of them mean.
Why won’t conservatives debate liberals if they can’t cut their mike’s? It’s because righty steam is generated on paranoia and lies and hate. This is easily exposed in an open forum.
Right.
We’ll keep that in mind.
Why are companies giving shareholder assets to politicians? Let them give their OWN funds.
MS sees the future.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....45_pf.html
On defense and social issues, “liberals espouse views diverging not only from those of other Democrats, but from Americans as a whole. To the extent that liberals now constitute both the largest bloc within the Democratic coalition and the public face of the party, Democratic candidates for national office will be running uphill.”
Wasn’t this the same Bill Gates that donated a Billion dollars to charity?
Don’t get me wrong, I cuss Gates and MS daily (I’m a computer professional, so that goes without saying). But just because he donates to the GOP doesn’t make him any worse than the Unions, NOW, Jesse Jackson, NAACP, or anyone who runs to the Dems bank so they can bribe them.
Note I said bribe. It’s about time someone called all this money pouring into elected officials for what it is. Bribery, plain and siimple.
Until one side is actually willing to step up to the plate and call it for what it is, this bribery will never end. Sadly both sides want to keep the corporate (or union) money coming to their side, all the while finding a way to prevent the union (or corporate) money going to the other side.
Until your willing to give up the money pouring in on your side, articles like this are just “whining”
So, Microsoft leads the charge for the gas tax, and Microsoft’s head honcho was just speaking to the Seattle Chamber’s annual meeting about how “we have to defeat I-912” – and now we hear that Microsoft gives the State GOP $25k, so they can turn it around and give it to the pro-912 campaign.
Sounds like a company that can’t tell its head from its ass.
clueless @52 & 53–
Go ahead and pay higher prices and waste more time shopping if it turns your crank dumbass. Somehow you have rationalized in your miniscule alleged mind that it is a Good thing for you and everyone else to pay higher prices and burn more fossil fuels by running around to little “boutiques” to make retail purchases.
When these little “boutiques” only buy 1`or 2 of an item, they pay much more and always have higher mark-ups. Thus we, the consumer, pays more.
PLUS…most little shops pay minimum wage with absolutely ZERO benefits you stupid sonofabitch!!
Clueless is appropriately named. You live in the LEFTIST PINHEAD Fantasy Island where demonizing the cost efficent movement of goods & services is your addle-brained schtick!!
I can picture Clueless as little Herve “Tattoo” Villechaize saying to Mr. “Ricardo Montalban” Roarke—
Da plane Boss….Da Plane!!!!!!!
Instead California Dreamin’ Clueless Dumbass points to a building crying….Da Walmart Boss….Da Walmart!!!!
Go ahead and waste time and pay higher prices Clueless.
That’s why you are poor.
Come on DJ, Perfesser of Economics among other things. Take a toke on the bong and weigh in here. Cluelessness needs your massive imaginary economics skills help, so cum to his rescue!!! Good ‘ol CPA Cynical has the economies to scale argument correctly stated. Now I know why all these roads clogged with Western Washington LEFTIST PINHEADS? They are shopping, wasting precious gas in their 80s Volvos visiting their favorite boutique. Why not shop on line using Microsoft products like Internet Explorer LEFTIST PINHEADS? You’ll save gas money, the exhaust pollution will be reduced, and you’ll FEEEEEEL good about yourselves.
“If at 20 you are not a Liberal, you have no heart.
If at 40 you are not a Conservative, you have no head.”
Sir Winston Churchill
I guess Bill Gates has passed his 40th birthday.
By the way, I believe the Clinton Administration and the EU have taught Gates a lot about government abuse of power to help their friends (Microsoft competitors).
That 69 was bugging me.
#12, I guess I should have been clearer. I am a confirmed Mac user. I was saying my friends who use Windoze constantly have virus problems. Who needs it?
Also, Costco doesn’t sell Macs, or can’t really, because Apple doesn’t allow it’s products to be discounted.
Ok – So let me get this straight. Gates gave to the Democrats and they turned around and sued his ass off under Clinton. So then he turns around and starts giving a little more heavily to Republicans and this is unfair? If this reaction is a mystery to you then start simple. Take hammer. Hit hand. It hurts. Repeat. Move on. Take a shower. Your wet. Repeat. Starting to see a pattern?
re 62: Kerry didn’t lose. The extreme right wing of the Rep. party used dirty tricks and rigged voting machines to win in Ohio. Even so, it was still almost not enough for the Reps.
According to Media Matters, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman, Rahm Emanuel, Dem., Il., on an Oct. 2nd broadcast of , Meet the Press, outlined the actual Democratic agenda. As you’ll see, although perhaps not attractive to job-exporting multi- national corporations, it may indeed seem pretty attractive to Mr. and Mrs. Average Voter come 2006:
1- universal college education.
2- a summit on the federal budget and the federal debt.
3-a new energy policy to cut our dependence on foreign oil ( Just think how far along we’d be on this if we had followed Jimmy Carter’s lead and not that shameless corporate shill, Ronald Reagan?)
4-a new institute on science and technology to maintain America’s cutting edge.
5- a universal health care system.
Do you extreme righties really think you can sell tax cuts to the rich and billions of dollars of unaccounted dollars going into Halliburton’s coffers over our agenda? I think not. How will we pay for this? Well, for starters, a windfall tax on oil company profits that’s retroactive. That will be another hard sell for extreme righties: How to explain why we should not tax the oil companies on their excessive profits.
Good luck, losers.
DT @ 71
The only reason Apple has fewer virus or other security issues is that the installed base barely fills a VW Beetle, relatively speaking. It also helps that they’ve locked down to proprietary hardware and zero legacy support. You don’t get anywhere near the same forced migration (and cash outlay) with Windows as you do with Mac.
Also, Apple has been known to HIDE security issues from their users, just like every other software company.
The mindless ravings of wingnut idiots like Cynical and Puddybud will be the first to go when this site moves to Scoop.
Walmart’s business model is built on cheap oil – a warehouse on wheels – it ain’t cheap any more and the costs continue to rise. They have a bleak future.
Costco is unique in that they pay their workers a decent wage and they patronize American manufacturers whenever they can. They are decent corporate citizens. Jeff Brotman doesn’t stop there. He encourages the companies he has influence with to adopt Costco’s attitude.
Fascist lunatics like Cynical and Puddy Freephead are totally opposed to this.
Clueless @ 74
Costco also uses similar pricing techniques to Wal-Mart. They launch things at dirt-cheap prices and slowly inch up the price some of the products until they’re MORE expensive than competitors. People see enough low prices to reinforce the not-always-true notion that Costco (or Wal-Mart) is the cheapest.
Also, Costco has had a few problems with items they weren’t supposed to be carrying. For example, they used to sell gray market Sony TV’s.
For the Clueless @ 74
‘Walmart’s business model is built on cheap oil – a warehouse on wheels’
And Costco moves their mechandise how? Using hybrid vehicles?
‘They are decent corporate citizens.’
The word “decent” here is subjective, and all are entitled to their opinion. Most would say that if Wal-Mart doubled wages and layed off half the employees it would be indecent. Good “corporate citizens” are those that satisfy the customer, shareholders and the employees. Any objective analysis would show that Wal-Mart does that as well as Costco. Remember, half of the Wal-Mart employees would have to vote against their better interest in saying they should instead be unemployed.
Despite the success and good corporate “citizenship” of Costco, it is not fair to campare it to Wal-Mart. It is a small fraction of the size and caters to whole different customer base. When Costco gets as big as Wal-Mart and caters to similar customers the wage and skill level of the employees can be compared better.
Apple has vigerously defended their ownership of everything they stole from Xerox PARC.
Vandals go after Windows because it is the biggest target. As other systems [like Google} get bigger, they attract their own tail.
Not everything in the world is realted to I-912 Goldy. Get off it already; you’re getting miserably pathetic. Microsoft can endorse and support anything it damn well pleases. You going to blame old pal Timmy the watch salesman for that too? Blame, blame, blame………..
Clueless @ 74—
Hell, I shop at Costco too!
They have some great “mass quantity” purchases that saves me money.
It is great that some like CLUELESS is the “Arbiter of Corporate Decency”. It seems his only standard is employee wages and benefits.
Notice how CLUELESS avoided addressing the fact that his “tunnel-vision” of 1950’s America with little specialty shops and boutiques no long makes any sense BECAUSE THEY CANNOT COMPETE!
LEFTIST PINHEADS like Clueless rant and rave about the evils of Corporate America….yet they still shop their or over the Internet. Clueless has some “wet dream” about little shop owners being able to provide a decent selection at reasonable prices. WAKE UP DUMBASS….this is 2005!!!
Your “wet dream” cannot compete with the Internet. Competition between Costco and Walmart is GOOD for the consumer. If Clueless shops at Costco and feels this is morally and ethically superior God Bless him.
In fact Clueless, I FUCKING SALUTE YOU for promoting free choice and free enterprise and freedom to spend your own money wherever YOU please….that is what you are saying, isn’t it??
Clueless would penalize the consumer so his wet dream could be realized.
Clueless is a prime example of the PINHEAD in LEFTIST PINHEAD!
Marky Mark and No Wonder:
Costco’s pricing practices are similar to any retailing outfit – just look at an auto parts store that puts batteries on sale and then jacks the prices of all other items that customers historically purchase when they go battery shopping. As with any business, caveat emptor.
Travel by car up and down the west coast and the highways are filled with WalMart trucks. “Warehouse on wheels” is central to Wal-Mart’s business plan and has little future in an era of higher fuel prices and tight fuel supply.
Costco’s patronage of American manufacturers keeps shipping costs under control.
The primary shareholders of WalMart are Wall Street and the Walton family. Everything else is subordinate to that. Due to the predatory business practices of WalMart customers often have little choice but to patronize WalMart. Employees are poorly treated and often often forced to work extra hours at no pay.
Costco’s top management are united in their belief that there must exist a middle class in America to sustain their business. To that end they pay their employees a living wage and buy American whenever they can. WalMart’s greatest mistake is that they could care less.
The right-wing ideologues like Mr. Cynical and Puddybud who revel in the cornucopia of cheap shoddy goods from China and elsewhere that are stacked to the ceilings of WalMarts are the true haters of this country.
Clueless @ 80
Actually, Wal-Mart causes the marketplace to polarize, not wipe it out entirely. For better or worse, Wal-Mart eliminates the middling local businesses that charge too much and provide iffy quality and/or service. OTOH, they end up helping the high-quality and/or high-service local businesses that were previously losing business to their cut-rate competitors. People pay for (perceived) value.
Wal-Mart = iffy service, questionable quality, but (generally) lower prices
“Better” local business = higher prices, good/great service, good/great quality
Can Costco and Wal-Mart coexist? As long as Costco is perceived as being higher-service and/or higher-quality. Or as long as they can maintain their middle-to-upper-middle class brand positioning.
Remember Microsoft matches contributions. IF I give 5 bucks to a Republican canidate and I let Microsoft know they match it. So you may think it is the Company giving it but most of the time it is matching funds from Employees giving money. So if one rich republican gives $5000 Microsoft matches it. If the democrats can find someone at Microsoft to give them money. Then they will get matching fund money from Microsoft. I guess the active republicans are getting their matching funds to the Republican party. Granted Microsoft as a company also gives money but again it has to see it in its interests. The demands of the past that Microsoft give only to Democrats only caused a lot of problems. Democrats were getting a lot of money from Microsoft back then but The Court case changed things a lot. I dont know all the answers but look at the history of who was in power when Microsoft was having all the court problems and still is. Dont bite the hand that feeds you or it may stop feeding you.
Marky Mark @ 81
Your narrow analysis leaves out the economic distortions caused by the predatory business practices of WalMart. WalMart cares little about communities and being a good corporate citizen. Customers are only cash cows to be milked until they can’t be milked any longer. Employees are to be paid as little as possible and worked extra hours without pay as much as can be gotten away with. Suppliers are to be dropped instantly if they cannot supply the extra pennies of profit requested from an eight dollar polo shirt.
I don’t see how any decent, thinking person can vote for this arrangement with their dollars unless they are forced and in many communities this is indeed the case.
In the WalMart business plan, the rich (Wall Street and the Walton family) get richer and the poor get poorer. In the Costco business plan, everyone for the most part wins.
Clueless@83–
You are competing with me for cynicsm.
Due to your persistent and never ending negative attitude, I hear by dub thee:
MR. NEGATIVE BULLSHITGUY—
It’s a perfect name for you….although CLUELESS is also quite fitting.
No one FORCES me to spend my money anywhere dumbass.
Are you saying Walmart comes to your “cave”, rips you out of there with your wallet and “forces” you to buy stuff at unreasonable prices???? Sounds like it Clueless, when you use hot words like “FORCED”!!!
Clueless has clearly read all the Evil Corporate America books ever written. He fails to acknowledge small, local stores also sell cheap shit from China.
There are very few things that someone is “forced” to purchase Clueless. Bad word….FORCED. Competition between chain stores is real….and they are almost always cheaper than locally owned merchants. Local merchants are like shopping for groceries at 7-11! Paying high “local” prices is like an additional TAX…raising the cost of living for ME so some little guy can continue his local business.
Hey, I’ve got an idea Clueless…
How about if I keep track of the prices I pay at Wal-Mart and then look at a local store and simply give him the difference????
Say I spend $100 on goods on Wal-Mart and local, yokel ABC Sunshine Store sells the exact same stuff for $140. If I already bought it at Wal-Mart, how about if I go into ABC Sunshine Store and hand the owner a couple of $20 Bills!!!!
It’s the same thing DUMBASS!
You LEFTIST PINHEADS need to get your head out of the clouds….or whatever other deep dark hole it dwells in.
Lucite uses Media Matters, the George Soros mooron.org of the “media review” web sites. They have no credibility in media. Kerry lost because he had people like most of the Slate board supporting blatantly him. Kerry lost because he didn’t have a clue. Kerry lost because the Ohio cities didn’t have their shit together. You keep repeating George Soros mantras (he is not an American, he hates this country) and I’ll continue to place the facts on this blog to read.
Cluelessness , if you didn’t live your mantra, we would respect you somewhat. Idealogue? We are talking economics. That’s why I suggested that you get Perferrer DJ to halp you understand Keynesian economics. I even placed the WIKI link for you cluelessness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keynesian_economics
Everytime you write you demonstrate your chosen name. WTF are you saying you dumb ass? I go to Costco 8X more than Walmart. Each has it’s niche. Wake up and stop wanking. You are as stupid as JustDumbBozo. And yes Cluelessness, the shit you write needs a scoop, a front end loader!
Halp should be help. Perferrer should be Perfesser. So much for staring at people in the Atlanta airport.
Puddy Freep:
I’m pleased that you vote much more often for a company who believes in the American middle class over a company who could care less about sustaining an American middle class. However, you are predictably blind to the larger picture.
The WalMart business model is not sustainable. It is the second or third largest corporation in this country and it has gotten this way by hollowing out rural and semi-rural economies, a pattern of irresponsible predation. It doesn’t sell goods so much as it sells the siren song of value through lower prices which they then jack up whenever they can get away with it. The “value” one gets in return are mostly in the form of shoddy imported goods.
If fuel prices continue to rise Walmart has as much of a future as Enron.
I could care less if you respect me or my views. I have utterly no respect for you at all or your crackpot theories that you glean from wingnut blogs.
Continue to drive your SUV and give your fuel dollars to marginal regimes who then leak funds to people who hate America. The last thing you’d do is buy a diesel vehicle and fuel with biodiesel made here in this country. That would be too “green” for you.
Clueless@88–
The first rule when you find yourself in a deep dark hole is to stop shoveling. You continue to dig….as expected.
Clueless loves to use all the LEFTIST PINHEAD buzzwords like “sustainable”, “irresponsible predation” and all the other lingo from the LEFTIST PINHEAD library of bullshit.
Clueless has somehow would himself into such a tight coil that he truly believes RETAIL SALES by little privately owned “boutiques” are a key to “sustaining” the middle-class!!!
HAR-HAR-HARRRRRRRRRRRR!
I have yet to hear CLUELESS the doofus address Internet sales. How does that “sustain” the middle-class???
The key to sustaining the middle-class is a strong manufacturing base which is precisely why I am a Libertarian.
Anyone who says the R’s or D’s are for the working class is full of shit. NAFTA and GAT. The R’s and D’s did a great job here didn’t they. But for a fucking idiot like Clueless to think Retail Sales is the key is nuts.
re 86: You couldn’t see a fact if it was a brain-dead woman in your living room! Media Matters simply repeated what Emanuel said on Meet the Press. How is that a Soros influenced event?
You are a righty retard…
re 47: What about , “The Last Best Place”? I know you’ll need to look that one up and figure out how it refutes your lamebrain opinion.
Wow — the comment counter on the main page says there are 90 comments, but the one above me from RUFUS is only # 60?
Now I see the other 30 comments.
re 92: With all your tax-cut dollars you should invest in a better computer.
Gates is a billionaire. Why should we be surprised that he donates to Republicans?
@3
How can anyone possibly be “marginalized” as a result of NOT using Microsoft’s crappy software? Almost anything is better. But go ahead, buy Microsoft, I need the money — I own some MS stock.
95
Doesnt suprise me at all. Why would Gates (a winner) invest money in democrats (losers).
Mr. Cynical is a bullying, name-calling, brain-dead fascist. I don’t see how he looks at himself in the mirror every morning.
I drew a contrast between Costco and Walmart. I choose Costco because they are somewhat responsible corporate citizen – a concept that is lost on most of corporate America and WalMart in particular. It’s pretty obvious where Mr. Cynical stands on corporate citizenship. He aparently would never believe that the corporation as Peter Drucker wrote is in the least “affected with the public interest”.
I said NOTHING about small “botiques” but that doesn’t stop the sorry excuse for a human being that is Mr. Cynical from spinning his fantasies about his ideological adversaries for his own twisted entertainment, a sad comment on his empty life.
Suprisingly Mr. Cynical supports American manufacturing. If he bothered to actually read my comments he’d learn that Costco tries to buy from American manufacturers as much as they possibly can – the shipping is cheaper, but it is helpful that Costco’s customers actually have living wage jobs so they can shop at Costco – a concept that is completely lost on WalMart which holds the distinguished position of absorbing at least 10 percent of the exports of China – a paragon of free market and libertarian values.
I trust you will look forward to your future WalMart shopping experiences with the utmost pride, Mr. Cynical.
You left wingers are funny… keep up the good work. At this rate you will get more Repbublicans elected… Oh damn.. I let the cat out of the bag. Nevermind that last… just keep being you.
Microsoft is getting bad advice on its political giving. The Boeing Compnay has announced that it will not be giving anything to the state GOP now that Chris Vance and company have backed the anti-roads initiative 912. Microsoft should do the same thing.
It will be a long time before the GOP will be in power again in our state. The state Senate will surely be more Democrat after the GOP’s lock-down last year in favor of discrimination. The state House is safe. And Rossi is being exposed as no leader at all. His failure to say NO on 912 will do no more than boost stock in Governor Gregoire and define Dino as just another obstructionist.
thor–@100
You are completely retarded…
But then again…you will be the last to know.
Keep drinking the KOOLAid. The gas tax does nothing to releive congestion.
What is I-912? The opponents against it can’t make up their mind on how to fight it. The supporters all agree that we are willing to cough up more money for roads if certain things take place.
1. True Audits with no limitations on what can be audited. Legislature wants a committee that the State Auditor does not have a vote in but must attend. So a buch of appointed people who want to protect their special projects can prevent them from being audited. They want to audit Transportation using an outside agency to audit the program. Let me see If I want to get that contract I know the people who hire me dont want me to find anything bad so If I dont audit certain portions I can give them a clean bill of health. Even though a whistle blower mentions some aspect of failure. Just like the audit for the 2004 election never audit Absentee ballots against Envelops. Where there not more Ballots then absentee voters credited for voting. OR did the just want to ignore that issue.
2. The money spent only on improving grid lock. Do you think that getting 5 cents out of each dollar for gridlock fixes is really cost effective. What about the via duct. Does moving 25% of all truck traffic to I-5 because the tunnel will not support them make sense. That means I-5 Traffic problems get worse not better. Yes it needs to be fixed but why does the fix make traffic problems worse instead of better. IF you can get more lanes built to improve traffic flow and get rid of its grid lock issues when you build it that would be cost effective not make it worse. Is that really a smart way to use the money.
3. Tax payers don’t expect to see the problems fixed overnight but when you take a loan out on the future tax revenues to pay for the project. YOu just tied up My grandchildrens gas tax money from paying for future improvements. Why can not they plan the projects with out 20 to 40 years of paying bonds. IT means when the next project in 5 years needs new gas tax money or it can not be accomplished. Eventually you get to the point that you keep having to pay funny into the future for nothing in return. How much of the gas tax that we pay right now is bonded? I dont know but we are paying one of the highest gas taxes in the nation and everything is bonded for decades you will get no maintenance money to maintain the roads unless you tax yourself even more. Live within a budget. Make smart choices don’t get big dreams.
Sorry I am off topic but it gets me when people dont think about what is being done right now with the money. The State is still going to collect a ton of money from all the other taxes that I912 could not repeal because the legislature put an emergency clause on the bill. That took away tax payers right to question the legislature. Let the people speak. In the last 5 years many plans have been researched and some of the ideas are good. Take the choke points and fix them. FOr billions less in cost you can fix grid lock in a few years. With current funds comming in without bonding the tax gas for the next 30 years. Smart planning not big plans. No spending money on hopes but do practical fixes.