Bush's Rangers

Bush's Rangers, fundraisers for the George Walker Bush U.S. presidential election, 2004, raised funds for Bush-Cheney '04 Inc. through the "practice of rounding up contributions from your friends [which] is known as 'bundling'."[1]

"Bush's elite fundraisers span the worlds of finance, real estate, industry and politics. The common denominator: each is wealthy and has access to others with fortunes. With few exceptions, they are white, male and over 50." [2]

Bush "all but ensured that he would double his purse this next round when he signed the 2002 'McCain-Feingold' campaign finance reform. While McCain-Feingold curbs certain abuses, it also doubled the value of Bush's Pioneer fundraising operation overnight by increasing federal contribution limits. A Bush Pioneer who raised $100,000 in 2000--by bundling $1,000 checks from 100 people--now can obtain $2,000 from those donors and enter Bush's new elite club of $200,000 'Ranger' fundraisers." [3]

"Ranger" System Designed by Rove

"The Ranger system, which was devised by Karl Rove, Mr Bush's senior political adviser, has helped to ensure that recent reforms of American campaign finances have backfired on their Democrat supporters. The new rules restrict soft money donations - often sent straight to a party from a corporate chequebook and used for issues-based electioneering - - but have doubled to $2,000 the limit for "hard" money donations by individuals.

"Mr Rove's system has proved to be the most effective way of operating within the law while allowing Rangers to come to the President's table with far more money than the individual limit.

"Pioneers who helped to open the White House door to Mr Bush were generously rewarded. By the end of his first year in office, 19 of them had become ambassadors."

According to Craig McDonald, who runs the watch group Texans for Public Justice, "the system had its origins in the campaign donor lists compiled for Republican candidates in Texas by Mr Rove, then a direct-mail solicitation specialist, in the 1980s. ... 'This is not Right-wing or Christian-Right money, and the motive [in giving] is simply self-interest,' said Mr McDonald. "From the start, the two largest sectors for donors were the energy and extractive industries, and then finance. ... 'These were the people who ran Texas. Rove thought President Bush would be a perfect fit with this oligarchy of Texas when he ran him for governor, and now they have expanded to system to cover America. They got it right.'" [4]

Some of the "Rangers"

• Jack Abramoff, convicted on 5 felony counts. Given 5 yrs in prison and ordered to pay $21 Million in restitution on March 29, 2006.
• James A. Baker IV helped Bush set foreign policy. Was co-hcair of IRaq Report, which Bush refused to accept. Congress passed legislation enacting the Iraq Group report in early 2007.
• Haley Barbour currently Gov of Mississippi
• Marvin Pierce Bush work in an office leased by the Saudi Royal Family in the Watergate, D.C.
• Randy "Duke" Cunninghampled guilty, on Nov 28, 2005 after resigning from Congress. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison, and a $ 1.8M restitution.
• William DeWitt, Jr. of Cincinnati, head of an investment firm and co-owner of the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Richard J. Egan, billionaire, Hopkinton, MA, "founder of EMC Corp., which makes computer data storage units. He is the president's former ambassador to Ireland. His sons Christopher and Michael also are Rangers." IRish media implicated Egan in a $62 Million fraudulent tax shelter.
• Don Evans appointed US Commerce Secty bu Bush. Resigned Jan 2005.
• Frank E. Fowler, art dealer, Lookout Mountain, TN, "who represents the work of American artist Andrew Wyeth."
• Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, "ousted in March [2005] from AIG, the Shanghai property insurance company he built into a revered powerhouse because of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into his alleged stock manipulation" Indicted in New York on four counts in Sept 2006.

He and his two son's control the largest amount of insurance in the US.

• James "Buck" Harless, a West Virginia mine operator.
• Dennis Hastert retiring in 2008, after losing his Speaker of the House when Dem retook the House in the 2006 elections. Tainted by several ethcis scandals, under his watch, including a cover up of the well know Rep. Mark Foley -R-FL's sexual online stalking of male Congressional pages.
• Mori Hosseini, Chairman and CEO of ICI Homes, Trustee of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Larry Householder, former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives "under grand jury scrutiny for the alleged skimming of campaign funds" but was exonerated. LIves on his farm.
• Ray L. Hunt heir to the hunt Oil Fortune, Got Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist U, where he sits on school's board. Entered into probable illegal oil lease with Kurds in Iraq, in 2007, without authorization from official Bahgdad government.
• P. Nicholas Hurtgen,convicted on 3 felony charges in a hospital construction extortion scam, Was former aide to Wisc Gov. Tommy Thompson.

Mark Langdale Bush appoints as Ambassador to Costa Rica in 2005

• Kenneth L. Lay, convicted in largest US fraud case in history. Died before sentencing.
• Tom Noe, convicted of money laundering with Bushh-Cheny 2004 campaign, in May 2006.
• Joe O'Neill, "the Texas oilman who introduced Mr Bush to his wife, Laura."
• George E. Pataki, former Governor of New York (1995-2006).
• Alex Spanos, Stockton, CA, "real estate developer and owner of the San Diego Chargers."
• Manuel Stamatakis, a "management consultant who once chaired the [Philadelphia] region's port authority" under investigation by FBI from the other "Rangers" Hurtgen and Noe, as of 2006.
• Craig Roberts Stapleton Bush made US Amb to Czech Republic. MArried to Bush's cousin.
• James Tobin, "Maine political consultant, guilty of jamming the Democrats' phone lines in New Hampshire three years ago"
• Jerry Weintraub, film producer, "credits include Nashville and Ocean's Eleven."
• Jim Wilkinson Iraq War Planner and chrony appointee in US Sate Dept.
• Charles Wyly and Sam Wyly, brothers who "have 'fessed to concealing half their holdings in one of the rich boys' companies, Michaels Stores. The grand jury is still out on deciding to indict the two for the crime of fraud upon the stock market." Orignial founders of Swift Boat Vets for Truth, which was fined by FEC for campaign 'irregularities in the 2004 election.

Updated Sept 20, 2007 from Wikipedia, newspaper and other news sources. Simple Google search of Ranger's names brings up convictions and associations. Sources for names and contributions of Bush's Rangers:

• Telegraph UK, June 15, 2003.
• White House for Sale.org, with interactive name links.
• USA Today, October 15, 2003.

Related SourceWatch Resources

• Bush administration scandals
• James Francis Jr.
• Republican 'culture of corruption'
• Republican National Convention

External links

• Jim Hightower, $hrub's Pioneer$, BushFiles.com, May 28, 1999.
• Charles Laurence, Bush's Rangers on trail to round up record $200m, news.telegraph.co.uk, June 15, 2003.
• Steve Kingstone, Bush begins fundraising drive, BBC, June 18, 2003: "If Bill Clinton was the consummate campaigner, George Bush is the final word in campaign fundraising."
• Editorial: Bush's Rangers / Money shouldn't make the political world go round, post-gazette, July 21, 2003.
• Dave McKenna, Ambassadors of the Game, WashingtonCityPaper, September 13, 2003.
• Thomas B. Edsall and Sarah Cohen, Bush Campaign Raises A Record $49.5 Million. For Their Efforts, Fundraisers Also Gain, Washington Post, October 15, 2003: "The record receipts -- more than triple the top Democrat's fundraising for the quarter -- were driven in large part by just 285 men and women, who collected $38.5 million or more, which was at least 45 percent of Bush's total take. This fundraising elite, many of whom were beneficiaries of Bush administration policies, included 100 'Rangers,' who raised at least $200,000 apiece, and 185 'Pioneers,' who collected at least $100,000 each."
• Jim Drinkard and Laurence McQuillan, 'Bundling' contributions pays for Bush campaign, USAToday, October 16, 2003.
• Glen Justice, Once at Arm's Length, Wall Street Is Bush's Biggest Donor, New York Times, October 23, 2003: "A study to be released today shows that the financial community has surpassed all other groups, including lawyers and lobbyists, as the top industry among Mr. Bush's elite fund-raisers. The list of those generating $100,000 and $200,000 now includes chief executives like Henry M. Paulson of Goldman Sachs, John J. Mack of Credit Suisse First Boston and Stanley O'Neal of Merrill Lynch, whose firm has already raised twice the amount for Mr. Bush's re-election that it did during the entire 2000 campaign cycle. ... 'It's really a question of policy, that's what's driving this,' said Marc Lackritz, president of the Securities Industry Association, which represents more than 650 securities firms. 'It's a pro-investor policy.'"
• Glen Justice, Newcomers Provide Fuel for Bush Money Machine, New York Times, March 14, 2004.
• Thomas B. Edsall, Sarah Cohen and James V. Grimaldi, "Pioneers Fill War Chest, Then Capitalize," Washington Post, May 16, 2004.
• Jonathan E. Kaplan, "RNC offers 'Super Ranger' status," The Hill, May 18, 2004.
• Greg Palast, "Give It Back, George. Did Wyly Coyotes' Ill-Gotten Loot Buy White House?," gregpalast.com, April 11, 2005.
• Joshua Boak, "Criminal probes entangle numerous fund-raisers. 8 Pioneers and Rangers face wide range of allegations," Toledo Blade, December 18, 2005.