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GOP Uses Public Service to Cash In

On the same day that bitter rivals Boeing and Lockheed Martin became as tight as blood brothers, “joining hands to produce rockets for the US military” — David Sirota makes this tidy list of the incestuous Bush corporate clansmen:


“Ridge, Ashcroft and Giuliani are particularly shameless,” Sirota writes on his blog. “They went from using their platforms to raise fears of terrorism, to then going into industries that are making a millions off those fears”:

TOM RIDGE: Goes from Secretary of Homeland Security to corporate board member of Savi Technology, a company that the New York Times noted has won more than $100 million in government contracts for security technology. This one really is no shocker. As CBS News reported, “the day after President Bush named him homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge visited the Arizona home of a friend whose lobbying firm represented companies that were later awarded contracts by Ridge’s department.”


JOHN ASHCROFT: Goes from Attorney General to K street lobbyist/consultant for corporations on security issues.


RUDY GIULIANI: Goes from Mayor of New York to high-paid consultant for the pharmaceutical industry. He also does security consulting work. … more below:

More from Sirota’s list:

DON EVANS: Goes from Secretary of Commerce which oversees U.S. industry, to CEO of the Financial Services Forum. There, he will “interact closely with the CEOs of the largest financial institutions in the world” and push their agenda.


TOM SCULLY: Goes from head of Medicare, to health care lobbyist immediately after using his government office to help pass the health care industry-written Medicare reform bill through Congress.


BILLY TAUZIN: Goes from chairman of the committee that oversees the drug industry, to the head of the drug industry’s lobbying association.


ARI FLEISCHER: Goes from top White House spokesman to opening “Ari Fleischer Communications” – a firm the New York Times reported on 7/14/03 “that will advise corporate executives.”


CHRIS WRAY: Goes from Bush’s top corporate cop to top corporate criminal defense lawyer.


Of Note: David Sirota, a fellow at the Center for American Progress, made his debut today as the official blogger for Working for Change.

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