Rating: 
Summary: The president is bought and sold!
Review: A disturbing book.It is a terrible thing to contemplate what money has done to prostitute the American political process. People don't support candidates to do better for the country. They're buying influence and -- if you don't pay, you can't play. The saddest thing is to look at these obscene expenditures on campaigns and consider what some of that money could do in a good way. And then to consider what more all the money that will be stolen as a result could do on top of that.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: Before the November elections, the responsible voter should first read this book. This book discloses funding information that the candidates would rather you not focus on in the November election. There is no wonder why issues like gay marriage have been pushed to the forefront by Bush in order to distract the average voter from bigger issues like the fact that democracy no longer exists in America. Our democracy is for sale. Capital Hill is for sale. You don't even need to have the most votes to become the President and this is not about to change. When looking at the facts, it is obvious that Washington DC is corporate occupied territory. For anyone with their head in the sand for the past 4 years, you may be alarmed by the facts on the Bush administration. The only presidential candidate who can't be bought by corporate America is Ralph Nader. Read this book and the facts will speak loud and clear on each candidate. Your vote is truly insignificant to the influence of the all mighty dollar. The problem is so ingrained in our system such that government agencies such as the USDA no longer work to protect the interests of the taxpayers, it works to protect the interests of large corporations and it works as an insider in the same industries it oversees to maintain the current structure of non-sustainable food production methods in order to protect current profits. (The cow with Mad Cow Disease in WA state was not a downer cow according to the actual cow owner/farmer, this is contrary to what the USDA officially reported that is was a downer.) It's time for the average American to wake up, listen to non-biased, not for profit media like National Public Radio, read books such as this one which focus on facts, and ignore the propaganda you receive from most major media outlets. And then vote your conscious and make sure your voice is heard. PS. I'm a Republican but I'll be voting for Nader to oust Bush and to oust the influence of the dollar on legistlation. Power to the people.
Rating: 
Summary: The Buying Of The President 2004
Review: Charles Lewis gets right to the point of how the United States goes about picking our president. It all boils down to money and always as, and Mr. Lewis doesnt pull any punchs in where the money comes from. If you want to find out just where and how the money comes in to the elections this book is a must read. Larry Hobson-Author "The Day Of The Rose
Rating: 
Summary: burn this book now!
Review: I cannot tell you how much I hated this book and urge you to boycott it. I am a lifelong Republican and activist. My party stands for those who are successful, Christian minded, and controlling those who want to hurt American business. - First of all, how dare you oppose Bush in not supporting of the glorious war and Crusade against non-Christian infidels? What's all this bull about WMDs? Saddam killed, so we killed, might makes right in any sensible mind. So all those who are against Bush are going to hell.
- Democrats are all renegade swine, quite frankly, and it's a crying shame they are even allowed to vote. Jesus would have supported Bush in his war against muslim sheep and cutting funds for people who are disabled, crippled, retarded, old, etc. It's their own fault, Bush didn't make these losers the way they are.
- So Bush didn't win the popular election; God wanted him to be President, God didn't trust the 'popular majority' and God wanted a military hero like Bush in office. Thank God for our unbiased Supreme Court.
- Furthermore, how dare you show narrow-minded animosity at Bush when he is a self made man. Don't believe those who say the US doesn't have enough jobs. If the Mexicans can find jobs, so can you. Republicans get better jobs because we know the game, know how to take advantage of the system, and because of our Godly contacts. You should buy Anne Coulter books instead. She is the leading spokeswoman for the Republican party because she knows and speaks our truth. Quotes from her:
• "I think [women] should be armed but should not [be allowed to] vote...women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend it....it's always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care."-- Politically Incorrect, 2/26/01
• "...a cruise missile is more important than Head Start."-- Speech, 11/01, rebroadcast by C-Span in Jan. 2002
• "In his brief fiery ride across the landscape, Joe McCarthy bought America another thirty years. For this, he sacrificed his life, his reputation, his name. The left cut down a brave man, but not before the American people heard the truth."-- The Drudge Report, quoting from Coulter's new book, Treason, 6/19/03 • "We hate them. Americans don't want to make Islamic fanatics love us. We want to make them die. There's nothing like horrendous physical pain to quell anger. A couple of well-aimed nuclear weapons will get our opposition out of the way."-- Column, 9/25/02
• "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."-- Column, 9/13/01
• "We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too. Otherwise, they will turn out to be outright traitors."-- Speech to Conservative Political Action Conference, January 2002 • "Soldiers are just cowards with their backs against the wall. The lowest IQ men in our society, those incapable of normal careers enlist. Their choice in life; prison or the military. Some will have to die in the support of our cause."-- Intervention Magazine, 11/06/03
• "The only beef Enron employees have with top management is that management did not inform employees of the collapse in time to allow them to get in on the swindle."-- Column, 1/24/02
• "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."-- New York Observer interview, 8/20/02
• "Then there are the 39 million greedy geezers collecting Social Security. The greatest generation rewarded itself with a pretty big meal."-- WorldNetDaily, 12/10/03 My hero is the Ex-House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, GOP presidential prospect, and architect of the Republican Party's failed impeachment of President Clinton. He only failed because Newt was having an affair. Who could blame Newt, his wife went and got sick with cancer. That was completely different from Clinton.
Unlike Clinton, Newt was smart enough to divorce his wife after she got sick and could no longer drag him down with her. Lastly, how dare you stumblingly expose your miscreant incompetence with rantings against the Patriot Act. In my mind
Some Americans have too many Constitutional rights. The Bill of Rights should not even apply to the blue-collar middle classes who are too stupid to get involved. No Bush hating media or newspapers should have 'freedom of the press,' since they only have their rights and freedoms because the rich allow them to have them. Ever see some poor slob or middle class idiot who owned a newspaper company? You defamatory libelous, uneducated swine should keep your comments to yourselves or we'll send your job overseas. Go out and burn this book now! I'll pray everyone who buys this book will burn in hell!
Rating:
Summary: The most important book that every voter should have in 2004
Review: I have been doing a lot of research to find a book that provided a non-partisan view of the candidates-- and this book does a superb job of doing just that when it comes to providing information on the significant financial and political roots and decisions of the incumbent president and his rivals. Other reviewers have done a fantastic job of providing a more detailed look into the contents of the pages, so I will not repeat them here. I'm writing to praise the balanced approach of the text as well as how informative the chapters are on the candidates' backgrounds. This book is the comprehensive work of award-winning investigative journalists who have come together under the non-partisan Center For Public Integrity. The book reads like a continuously-engaging newspaper article and provides analyses backed by records appropriated through the Freedom of Information Act-- records that the politicians cannot hide from, and hope you don't read. That's what makes this book so interesting: the truth it exposes about the candidates crosses all political boundaries, so you are free of potential media bias. This book provides a wealth of knowledge for someone interested in beginning or expanding their political awareness of the candidates, which is particularly important for an election year like this one. I can only imagine that this book, along with the Center for Public Integrity, will only gain more prominence and clout with the voting public as each election cycle draws near. It certainly has my vote, and I will be certain to keep reading updated editions as they become available. This book receives my highest recommendation, for its value in the election year decision-making process is priceless.
Rating:
Summary: Money is the Big Stick
Review: It was President Theodore Roosevelt who said, "Talk softly and carry a big stick." This applies today in a way that Roosevelt was not speaking about when he delivered his famous statement. Roosevelt was talking about foreign affairs, but Charles Lewis demonstrates unmistakably that this maxim applies today in the campaign finance realm. Lewis, the head of the Center for Public Integrity, relates fascinating facts about how the big money of special interests is the big stick that generates the necessary talk to achieve results. One does not even have to talk loudly, just incessantly enough to achieve the objective at hand, bolstered by the big stick of unceasing gobs of cash. He lets us know, for instance, that 40 members of the U.S. Senate are millionaires. These are people highly familiar with big money and its useful application. He also informs us that surveys indicate that the candidates raising the largest amounts of money will be the respective nominees of the Democrats and Republicans at election time. He cites an example of one candidate who pocketed money from a pharmaceuticals company and earned it by speaking on the industry's behalf while he was running for office. In a recent interview with Bill Moyers on PBS, Lewis conceded that it was difficult to remain optimistic in the floodtide of corporate dominance through the purse string. All the same, he noted, seeing just how outrageously the system operates energizes him to make efforts to inform the public about the calamity we face. Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman have been mentioned repeatedly in civics books to demonstrate to youngsters that with hard work and application an individual from modest roots can reach the presidency. The staggering reality today is that many politicians have become no more than unblushing bag men. Such is the case with the presidency itself as George W. Bush spends a significant amount of time away from his White House desk, picking up vasts sums of money at quick stops. It was suggested recently that perhaps he can avoid the facade of speaking at a dinner where donations are given, saving time by just grabbing the money and moving on to his next stop. Lewis notes that there is an inverse relationship between the overpowering dominance of big money in campaigns and the participation of citizens. Many, understandably, after observing the travesty of money chases masquerading as American democracy, opt out of the system altogether. As the money influence grows, more citizens stay home on election day, a sad and tragic consequence of a system that has run amuck as quests for public office have degenerated into special interest bidding wars.
Rating:
Summary: Americans really are ignorant
Review: Let me start by saying I do not want George W. Bush re-elected, and I don't have any interest in John Kerry running the White House for the next four years either. I left myself open to have my opinions on American government influenced by this book, but I could never have imagined the magnitude in which this book changed my beliefs of our political process. It's no secret to anyone that money rules each and every major player in our political system. But what this book does is demonstrate just how out of control it's gotten. Author Charles Lewis uses indisputable facts and figures to show the shortcomings each of this year's presidential candidates, especially each candidate's willingness to let money and particular groups dictate the policy he feels is best suited to run the country. He hammers Bush in a bad way, but nothing he says can be considered untrue. Lewis uses the Freedom of Information Act to compile a body of evidence that implicates Bush in a dozen shady financial undertakings and also describes the way in which many of Bush's closest advisers landed high-level positions in government. You simply cannot fathom the number of Bush's advisers who were once employees or board members in companies (pharmaceutical, energy, law firms, etc.) that make up Bush's chief campaign donors. That is, at least until you read this book and Lewis starts listing them one after another. Lewis and the Center of Public Integrity maintained their own integrity by taking a completely non-partisan approach to this book, unafraid to tackle Bush and Democratic challengers alike. I cannot wait until 2008 to see what Lewis uncovers next. Hopefully, Bush and his cronies (or Kerry, for that matter) won't further gut our rights as Americans and refuse us the right to read it -- and Lewis' right to write it.
Rating:
Summary: This is current, invaluable information and analysis
Review: The aspect of this book that I particularly find extremely valuable are the lists of the top contributors to the political parties and all the presidential candidates --- simply GREAT for learning who-gave-it and who-got-it --- armed with this information, one can discuss the candidates and political parties at message boards, amongst friends and family, etc. and have a substantial edge on others about the influences upon our political parties and candidates.
Rating:
Summary: Money and Politics
Review: The Buying of the President 2004 is an excellent book documenting the connection of political decisions and positions to donations for political campaigns. Author Charles Lewis makes the connection by using examples of President Bush and the Democrats that were competing for the Democratic nomination. President Bush and all of the Democratic competitors were linked to specific incidents where decisions and positions were made or taken based on influence from campaign contributors or personal investments. For those who follow politics the fact that wealthy individuals, powerful issue groups, and large corporations exchange campaign contributions for political influence is nothing new. The exchange of campaign contributions for political influence can be a bit shocking even to those who know that it goes on when seeing it in as much detail as is in this book. I came to several conclusions while reading this book. One of the conclusions is that voters themselves don't mean much to politicians when more and more money is needed to run campaigns and the money has to be raised privately. The other conclusion is that this system is nothing more than legal bribery. This system lets the wealthy decide who can run for office and who can't. The voters then can decide only between pre-approved candidates. President George W. Bush is one of the best sellers of influence in office right now. The book details many instances when the President sold influence. One of the most notorious companies that bought influence from President Bush was his largest contributor Enron. When Bush became Governor of Texas Enron Chairman Ken Lay was head of the Governor's Business Council. Under Governor Bush the GBC went from a minor agency to one of the most influential state agencies in Texas. Ken Lay being the head of the GBC and Chairman of one of the largest energy companies in Texas gain much influence with the Governor. There were many other examples of Governor Bush's selling of influence at the expense of everyday people. Senator Kerry also has taken money from special interests that have influenced his position on certain issues. The telecommunications industry is a good example. Senator Kerry has been a good ally to the telecommunications industry and has pushed their agenda in congress. It just so happens that a law firm that represents the telecom industry and employs Senator Kerry's brother is Senator Kerry's largest contributor. All of these examples point to one main lesson of the entire book. The lesson is that our democracy has been and is continuing to be eroded by the necessity to raise large amounts of money for campaigns for public office. Politicians have no choose but to do the bidding of their contributors. If politicians don't do their contributors bidding they cut off the ability to get reelected. This reality makes the voters far less important then they used to be.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Eye Opener
Review: The question to ask this election season is not, repeat, not: "Which candidate will turn away from special interests?" As meticulously documented by the Center for Public Integrity in "The Buying of the President 2004", every candidate -- from richest to poorest, from the incumbent (Bush) down to the underfunded (Kucinich, Sharpton, etc.) -- gets their money from some political action committee (PAC) or other. The back cover blurb for BOP04 asks four questions about where candidates get their funding: the answer to two of those questions is "Joe Lieberman". "Buying of the President 2004" runs nearly 500 pages, and I can honestly say I learned something new on nearly every page. The book begins with a series of three loosely connected essays about the state of the American electoral system, surveying the wreckage of the 2000 campaign (from the Bush teams coyly racist ploy to subvert John McCain in Arizona), to the 2000 election aftermath (you'll be surprised at the extent of voter disfranchisement in Florida), to which major corporations fund which parties. Most shocking is that News Corp -- the people who brought you Fox News Channel -- rank among the Democrats' top 50 donors over the last quarter century, but not among the Republicans'. BOP04 names the corporate names, and provides the dollar figures. The second portion of the book is the political expose on President Bush -- from his New England birth and sheltered Yale education, to his disastrous years as an oil magnate, to his riding ownership of the Texas Rangers all the way to the Governor's mansion and beyond. His presidency is coolly dissected, contribution by contribution, dollar by dollar. You will feel positively unclean after reading these chapters, especially if you voted for him based solely on his debate platform and his "compassionate conservative" campaign talk. But, BOP04 is not merely partisan slash work. The ten declared Democratic presidential candidates for 2004 are also taken apart by the same dispassionate, and at times sarcastic, eye. The most interesting chapters detail Dennis Kucinich's rocky political career, and Al Sharpton's bizarre financial dealings. The chapters on John Kerry and John Edwards are most significant now. Neither candidate is revealed to be special-interest-free. These chapters come highly recommended, especially as a lot of this information is still not well known out on the stumps. The book's conclusion is grim. The writing begins to get carried away, especially with the reference to Todd Beamer on the final two pages. They'd already made their point quite clearly through the previous 500 pages. It's hard to wrestle with the facts and dollar signs presented in this book. The real question of the election season then, is not "Is my candidate truly indepedent?", but rather, "Am I comfortable with giving my candidate's financial backers access to the Oval Office?" That may not be what the Founding Fathers envisioned (or maybe it is). Reading BOP04 did not cause me to change the lever I will pull in my party's primary (or in November), but I do feel a much more informed citizen for having read it.
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