Jamie Allman from the terrific 97.1 “Allman and Smash in the Morning” Show here in St. Louis presented this grotesque piece of biased reporting by the AP on his morning show today:
Like many Americans I was angry to read the General Accounting Office’s report on wasted millions in the Katrina aftermath. I was more disturbed at the AP’s story about how many of the no bid contracts awarded were given to “politically connected” companies. The AP went on to quote Democrats attacking the Bush Administration. The last paragraph of the AP story reads:
“The 13 Katrina contracts reviewed involve the following 12 companies: C. Henderson Consulting; Americold Logistics; Clearbrook LLC; CS&M Associates; Gulf Stream Coach Inc.; Morgan Building & Spas Inc.; Bechtel National; Fluor Enterprises Inc.; CH2M Hill Constructors Inc.; E.T.I. Inc.; Ceres Environmental Services Inc.; and Thompson Engineering Inc.
Some of the firms, including Gulf Stream Coach and Bechtel, have close ties to the Bush administration or have contributed significantly to the GOP.”
Wow. Bush and his friends were at it again, I said, as many Americans probably echoed me.
But unlike many Americans I decided to find out for myself just how much Gulf Stream Coach and Bechtel were tied to the Bush Administration and GOP.
I followed the money through OpenSecrets.org
For Bechtel: in the most active years of 2000-2001
To Democrats: $155,000 (47%)
To Republicans: $172,250 (53%)
Total: $327,250
Corpwatch–a non profit watchdog– followed the money more in depth and described the Bechtel breakdown this way:
“The company and its workers contributed at least $277,050 to federal candidates and party committees in the last election cycle, about 57 percent to Democrats and 43 percent to Republicans, the center found. Bechtel gave at least $166,000 to national Republican Party committees, center figures show.”
Did you catch that? 57% to Democrats. 43% to Republicans!
Bechtel not exactly in the pockets of the Bush Administration and GOP according to these figures. In fact they gave more to Democrats!
As for Gulf Stream Coach, the AP further fabricated overt Bush Administration and GOP connections, possibly because the AP reporter to the first Google search result he found when he typed in “Gulf Stream Coach” and “Republicans”. The reporter simply copied previous fraudulent reporting by none other than Bloomberg:
**Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. Homeland Security Department awarded two contracts worth $521 million, for trailers to house hurricane victims, to a politically active Indiana firm that has contributed mostly to Republicans.
The founding family and employees of Gulf Stream Coach Inc., which won the contracts, have given at least $81,650 to political candidates and groups during the past 10 years, all but $5,250 to Republicans, according to the Federal Election Commission.**
Despite both Bloomberg’s and the AP’s insinuations of influence peddling on the part of Gulf Stream Coach and the Bush Administration and the GOP, federal election records show Gulf Stream Coach gave a whopping $500 dollars to George Bush in 2004, and a grand to GW in 2001. And $81,650 OVER TEN YEARS? Here’s how the chump change breaks down.
Date
Amount
Recipient
Corporate
2004
$500
Bush, George W.
Personal from Shea family
1993 $1,000 Flake, Floyd H
1993 $1,000 Lugar, Richard G
1993 $500 Roukema, Marge
1993 $1,000 Roemer, Timothy John
1994 $500 Roukema, Marge
1994 $750 Lugar, Richard G
1994 $3,000 McIntosh, David M
1994 $250 Buyer, Steve
1994 $1,000 Roemer, Timothy John
1994 $250 Burkett, Richard
1995 $1,000 Gramm, Phil
1995 $750 Lugar, Richard G
1995 $250 Dickey, Jay
1995 $1,900 Coats, Daniel R
1995 $350 Holtz, Daniel A
1995 $3,500 McIntosh, David M
1996 $2,500 Buchanan, Patrick J
1996 $1,000 Lazio, Rick A
1996 $2,970 McIntosh, David M
1996 $1,350 Zakas, Joe
1996 $250 Holtz, Daniel A
1996 $1,000 Faircloth, Lauch
1996 $1,000 Ney, Bob
1996 $500 Castle, Michael N
1996 $500 Bereuter, Doug
1996 $2,000 Dole, Bob
1997 $2,500 McIntosh, David M
1997 $1,000 Bereuter, Doug
1997 $2,000 Faircloth, Lauch
1997 $1,000 Lazio, Rick A
1997 $1,000 Ney, Bob
1998 $500 Burton, Dan
1998 $250 Buyer, Steve
1998 $1,000 Helmke, Paul
1998 $1,000 Lazio, Rick A
1998 $1,000 Linder, John
1998 $2,500 McIntosh, David M
1998 $500 Ney, Bob
1998 $2,000 Roemer, Tim
1999 $500 Bereuter, Doug
1999 $500 Bush, George W
1999 $250 Calvert, Ken
1999 $500 IN Republican State Central Cmte
1999 $500 Lazio, Rick A
1999 $500 Lugar, Richard G
1999 $500 McIntosh, David M
1999 $1,500 Roemer, Tim
2000 $1,000 Bush, George W
2000 $1,800 Lazio, Rick A
2000 $1,000 Ney, Bob
2000 $2,000 Roemer, Tim
2001 $1,000 Chocola, Chris
2001 $1,500 Ney, Bob
2001 $1,000 Roukema, Marge
2002 $500 American Liberty PAC
2002 $250 Burton, Dan
2002 $7,000 Chocola, Chris
2002 $2,500 NRCC
2002 $4,000 Souder, Mark E
2003 $5,000 IN Republican State Central Cmte
2003 $1,000 Chocola, Chris
2004 $500 Bush, George W
2004 $1,000 Chocola, Chris
To depict this as a Republican scandal is fraudulent reporting! The AP tried to turn this into a story about the Republican scandal which it is not.
This would be shocking if it didn’t just happen two weeks ago with another bogus AP story published and distributed and later retracted after 10 thousand reprints. Sadly the Democrats did not care that the story was untrue and slandered President Bush with it anyway.
Update: (Friday 7:45 AM) Jamie Allman is talking about this story here on 97.1 Talk FM as I write this.
Lorie Byrd at Polipundit and Right Wing News says “Don’t Confuse the AP with Stinking Facts.”
Powerline has more on Bechtel.
