Some more mainstream conservative Republican senators are being targeted from an interesting source in 2008. Oregon's Republican Senator Gordon Smith who may already face a tough re-election battle and has a flexible somewhat maverick voting record is being targeted for defeat by Philip Morris Tobacco because of a vote in favor of a federal tax increase on cigarettes to help pay for part of the health care problems that cigarettes create for children.

Despite being ruled as racketeers in a previous lawsuit, big tobacco is funding attacks on mainstream Republican senators like Smith as well funding an attack ad campaign in Oregon to defeat a tax increase on cigarettes meant to fund children's health care.

This has to be the first time in American election history that some corporations that a judge has declared as violating organized crime laws are spending millions to influence the 2008 election. Anyone here for election reform to prevent convicted racketeers from choosing our next government? This large scale racketeer involvement in the 2008 election makes even the corrupt Norman Hsu mess look small by comparison.

I think you need to cogitate and then meditate on the meaning of the term 'racketeer', Paul. Pray over it, if you must, but do something.
===================================

Kim, after the federal judge's ruling declaring some large tobacco companies as racketeers in response to their criminal conspiracy to hide certain facts, organizations such as Tobacco Free Kids urged all political candidates to return any campaign funds and donations received from these convicted organized crime corporations, but so far very few ever have.

So does that make them all co-conspiritors with these racketeers?

And you dismiss Hsunami with a wave of your hand.
===================================

Kim, Norman Hsu is definately part of the major problem as I already noted. His $850,000 in political donations is indeed serious. But $32 million in campaign donations for convicted racketeers is even a bigger scandal than Hsu. All of this begs for tighter campaign finance laws to prevent fugitives from justice, convicted racketeers and others from influencing our government. Current law would allow convicted racketeers to donate money to candidates for judge for example.

I've found Senator Gordon Smith to be a very open and honest elected official, and I'm very happy that my communications to his office have resulted in Senator Smith's vote against the health problems caused by big tobacco. The fact that these convicted civil racketeers have now targeted him for defeat because he will not support their corporate efforts is indeed outrageous.

Norman Hsu or convicted racketeers should not be allowed to determine our next government in my view. But nothing will change without campaign finance reform.

Hey, you got washed away with that first 850,000 dollars. There's is forty million missing in New York, and another thirty-three in LA. Hsu is a racketeer, running lots of rackets. So is Hillary Clinton. The political contributions from the corporations of which you speak are legal.

Understand the difference or just stand there.
=============================================

Kim, I thought it was clear that I find Norman Hsu's donations wrong, no matter what the total amount is. $850,000 was only the figure I pulled from an NBC estimate. Donations from fugitives and racketeers are both wrong in my view.

That is the spirit!

As '08 approaches you will need to take heart in small things ... like an incumbant trailing by "only" 5% in the polls.

Hey maybe Republicans will have an awesome election season and the Democrats will only win 3 seats in the Senate and 15 seats in House. Always look for the silver lining.

Hooson's a imbicile.

I'll take big tobacco funding any day over the #1 source of funding the of Democrats-- Suers (or "trial lawyers", or "plaintiff's attorneys" if you prefer euphemisms).

The left and their financers are far more evil and does considerably more harm than the tobacco companies.

Harry,

That's right. Those predictions sound right. Now swallow this. Hillary goes down on Rudy by 100 plus electoral votes.

But remember, you guys got three Senate seats.