Monday, December 13, 2004
Porno for Tyros
What is it about Republicans and sex? Former US Sen. Bob Dole humps Viagra on late-night TV. Prior to becoming Fraud Governor, Willard Mitt sat on the Board of Marriott which has long offered a pay-for-porn service.
And now it looks like pornography may have helped fund the state GOP's bally-hooed but belly-up 'Reform Campaign.'
First, let's take a quick survey: how many of you have retirement monies in Fidelity's International Small Cap Fund? How about Fidelity's Focus Consumer Industries Fund? Or Fidelity's Nasdaq Composite Index Tracking Stock fund? Well wash your hands before you eat dinner because you may own shares in Private Media Group Ltd. which "distributes adult media content directly through a network of local affiliates, as well as through independent distributors and multiple channels, including newsstands, video rental stores, travel retail and adult bookstores; mail order catalogues; cable, satellite and hotel television programming." (source: finance.yahoo.com)
Interestingly enough, in 2001, Private Media entered into an agreement with Quadriga Worldwide, a leading European hotel entertainment and service provider. Among Quadriga's key customers were ... Marriott Hotels. Yes, the same Marriott Hotels upon whose Board Willard Mitt sat.
We're sure, however, that Romney, who resigned from the Board one year later, was absent from any discussion of that partnership. Despite the fact that he was described as "an active, hands-on director." (source: Washington Business Journal, April 2002)
But we digress.
So Fidelity owns a porn merchant. This matters?
Not to us, it doesn't. We're pretty hep on the First Amendment. But then, we haven't set ourselves up as the Morality Police. Team Reform, on the other hand, who publically claim that marriages of all but forebearers of Fraud Governors should involve one man and woman, look a wee stiff standing next to the Ron Jeremies of the world.
But again, is this an issue?
Well, since 2002, Fidelity fund managers, directors and sundry investment personnel have given Romney/Healey Inc over $6,000. (source: OCPF) (Okay, so they gave Romney slightly over $5,500 and Healey slightly around $100. But add both together and round up ....)
More importantly, however, in 2004 - the year the state GOP funded so many legislative 'reform' candidates, Fidelity Investment fund managers, investment advisers and staff gave a combined $60,000 to the Republican State Committee.
So where did these monies go? And did the recipients know they were getting money that may have come from investments in adult entertainment?
Now we are reasonably confident that none of the Fidelity donors who are listed as having given to the state GOP are personally involved with the Private Media Group. In fact, according to the Boston Herald, Fidelity made it very clear that company owners Ned and Abby Johnson were not responsible for buying into the porn company. (source: Boston Herald, 12/7/2004) But does this mean that their company is not involved in its financing?
We say that, to be safe, Romney and the Republican State Committee should refund Fidelity its blue notes.
Unless Team Reform is comfortable with dirty money.
Which would explain Team Reform's affinity for that plasma TV.
What is it about Republicans and sex? Former US Sen. Bob Dole humps Viagra on late-night TV. Prior to becoming Fraud Governor, Willard Mitt sat on the Board of Marriott which has long offered a pay-for-porn service.
And now it looks like pornography may have helped fund the state GOP's bally-hooed but belly-up 'Reform Campaign.'
First, let's take a quick survey: how many of you have retirement monies in Fidelity's International Small Cap Fund? How about Fidelity's Focus Consumer Industries Fund? Or Fidelity's Nasdaq Composite Index Tracking Stock fund? Well wash your hands before you eat dinner because you may own shares in Private Media Group Ltd. which "distributes adult media content directly through a network of local affiliates, as well as through independent distributors and multiple channels, including newsstands, video rental stores, travel retail and adult bookstores; mail order catalogues; cable, satellite and hotel television programming." (source: finance.yahoo.com)
Interestingly enough, in 2001, Private Media entered into an agreement with Quadriga Worldwide, a leading European hotel entertainment and service provider. Among Quadriga's key customers were ... Marriott Hotels. Yes, the same Marriott Hotels upon whose Board Willard Mitt sat.
We're sure, however, that Romney, who resigned from the Board one year later, was absent from any discussion of that partnership. Despite the fact that he was described as "an active, hands-on director." (source: Washington Business Journal, April 2002)
But we digress.
So Fidelity owns a porn merchant. This matters?
Not to us, it doesn't. We're pretty hep on the First Amendment. But then, we haven't set ourselves up as the Morality Police. Team Reform, on the other hand, who publically claim that marriages of all but forebearers of Fraud Governors should involve one man and woman, look a wee stiff standing next to the Ron Jeremies of the world.
But again, is this an issue?
Well, since 2002, Fidelity fund managers, directors and sundry investment personnel have given Romney/Healey Inc over $6,000. (source: OCPF) (Okay, so they gave Romney slightly over $5,500 and Healey slightly around $100. But add both together and round up ....)
More importantly, however, in 2004 - the year the state GOP funded so many legislative 'reform' candidates, Fidelity Investment fund managers, investment advisers and staff gave a combined $60,000 to the Republican State Committee.
So where did these monies go? And did the recipients know they were getting money that may have come from investments in adult entertainment?
Now we are reasonably confident that none of the Fidelity donors who are listed as having given to the state GOP are personally involved with the Private Media Group. In fact, according to the Boston Herald, Fidelity made it very clear that company owners Ned and Abby Johnson were not responsible for buying into the porn company. (source: Boston Herald, 12/7/2004) But does this mean that their company is not involved in its financing?
We say that, to be safe, Romney and the Republican State Committee should refund Fidelity its blue notes.
Unless Team Reform is comfortable with dirty money.
Which would explain Team Reform's affinity for that plasma TV.
