Friday, November 26, 2004

Progressive Shopping



This is the big consumer day in the United States, the Black Friday when everyone is supposed to go out after gorging yesterday, and to spend money for the good of the American corporations and labor markets. Well, I didn't do that, though I've continued the gorging today (did I mention the chocolate truffle cake yet?). Instead, I've researched the U.S. companies that sell all the stuff we are supposed to buy to be good patriots.

Did you know how many American corporations are wingnuts? An awfully large number. In fact, many of the largest firms donate only to the Republican party. It seems a little sick to support these firms if you are a card-carrying Democrat, especially if alternatives are available.

An interesting website on the political bent of firms is the freenortheast.com. You can go there and find which companies are especially Bush-loving in your state, and perhaps, just perhaps, they'd rather not have your money at all. Think about it. Why would a bleeding-heart liberal pay into the coffers of wingnuttery?

If you wish to know the worst of the worst wingnut firms, click here. Hmmm. It looks like I'll have to change some of my shopping habits from now on.

Added later:

The top-giving corporate political action committees didn't hedge their bets in the fall elections despite the narrow division between the GOP and Democrats in Congress. They favored Republican candidates 10-to-1.


Not the way the votes went, of course. Among the most Republican of these PACs are the following:

The five most Republican-leaning corporate PACs include:
_Cooper Industries PAC: All $208,000 to Republicans. Cooper Industries, based in Houston, makes hardware and electrical and automotive products.
_Flowers Industries PAC: All $131,500 to GOP candidates. Flowers Industries, a bakery company, is based in Thomasville, Ga.
_The PAC of Phillips International, a publishing company based in Potomac, Md.: All $113,500 to Republicans.
_Harris Corp. Federal PAC: $168,500 to Republicans, $4,000 to Democrats. Harris, based in Melbourne, Fla., is an international communications equipment company.
_Illinois Tool Works for Better Government Committee: $139,500 to Republicans, $5,000 to Democrats.


You can check the list for the five most Democratic PACs at the link.