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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


11.02.2006

 

Sweet and sour

It's one of the many small stories that's been running under the radar in the mucho-dinero Senate race between Republican Rich Tarrant and independent Bernie Sanders: Sanders' acceptance of a $500 campaign donation this spring from the Florida Crystals Political Action Committee and the Tarrant campaign's obsession with needling the Congressman about it.

Florida Crystals is owned by the Fanjul family and is one of the nation's largest sugar producers. Among its holdings is a plantation in the Dominican Republic that a CBC documentary says has deplorable working conditions and pays cane cutters 16 cents an hour. The Fanjuls' company has also been beneficiaries of major federal susidies over the years.

Team Tarrant thinks Sanders, who rails against corporate welfare, is a phony for taking the $500. Sanders says he's no fan of the Fanjuls but doesn't have time to research the background all 50,000 donors to his campaign.

They both have a point and, given the $12M plus these two guys have spent trying to win this race, a $500 contribution is not that much of a story. Besides, a check with the Federal Election Commission shows that the Fanjul's PAC has given to Republicans like Pres. George W. Bush and Rep. Mark Foley and Democrats like Sens. Joe Lieberman and Diane Feinstein. Heck, even our Senator Jim Jeffords once got a $1,000 from Florida Crystals.

Undeterred, the Tarrant folks established a "Hypocricy Watch" earlier this year and have been counting out the days, now weeks, that Sanders has "refused" to return the money.

The Senate campaign may be winding down, but Team Tarrant is cranking up its attacks on Sanders' sugar money.

Reporters, including yours truly, have over the past week received recycled press releases on the subject, plus items like a pound of sugar, a miniature flag of the Dominican Republic, a full edition of a 1998 Time Magazine containing an article on the Fanjuls. some Sugar Babies candy packets on Halloween and, today, a framed photo of a smiling Alfonzo Fanjul and, I guess, his wife.

Sugar ain't so sweet after all, it seems.

-- Sam Hemingway

Comments:
Yeah,

I did the same research and found the same.

The Fanjuls as a whole have given to both parties. Both Clinton and Bush. Any candidate who has received money from the National Republican or Democratic parties has received Fanjul money.

There's really no story regarding campaign contributions. The money is spread across both parties with just a bit more to republicans.

The real issue is the republican trick of forming bills with the cane sugar money and with legislation targetting American sugar beet growers. Its a nasty scenario since voting against the sugar cane money makes a politician look like they are anti farmer, while voting for the sugar cane money makes you look like you are pro farmer.

My guess is that The Tarrant campaign is getting desparate and are now trying a different tactic.
 
Different tactic???

He's beating the same dead horse into hamburger.

Tarrant is 2 steps away from replacing Jack McMullen in the archives of Vermont has-beens.
 
This isn't about the fact that the Fanjuls give to other candidates, this is about Congressman Sanders breaking a long standing commitment to Vermonters not to accept Corporate PAC money. That is the real issue.
 
I have another question why did Bernie and Democrats Party headquarters decide to use a non union communication company.

They accepted Union contributions but apparently did not feel it was necessary to put their money where their mouth was. Protecting better paying jobs for the lower and middle class in Vermont.

Just like cheaper cloths from foreign countries - cheaper non union services put good hard working people out of jobs.

With so few days left before the elections I guess they thought it would go unnoticed.
 
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