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  1. #1
    Senior Member Brian503a's Avatar
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    Top party booster rethinks support

    http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs ... 60323/1007

    Article published Aug 26, 2006
    Top party booster rethinks support

    By Suevon Lee
    Washington Correspondent
    WASHINGTON | Tuscaloosa resident John D. Hickman would like to see Congress do two things: ease citizenship requirements for immigrants and relax U.S. trade policy with Cuba.

    But Congress doesn’t appear likely to oblige.

    In December, House Republicans approved immigration reform legislation that does not include a guest-worker program, much less a path to citizenship.

    Despite that, Hickman made a $25,000 donation in February to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which helps keep the GOP in control of the House of Representatives. Hickman said in a phone interview that his money was used to sponsor a table at a March Republican committee fundraiser dinner in Washington, complete with tickets to a VIP reception and a photo opportunity with President Bush.

    Hickman’s contributions this election cycle -- $44,000 -- place him among the top five donors in Alabama.

    Over the course of a two-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2005, through June 30 this year, Hickman gave a total of $32,500 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. He also has given $7,000 to the Republican National Committee and about $4,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, according to Dwight L. Morris and Associates, a private research firm.

    “It’s mainly to get in front of these people and voice my opinion and get feedback on these issues," said Hickman, 31, a customer service manager at poultry supplier Peco Foods Inc. His father, Denny Hickman, is former president and CEO of the company.

    But John Hickman said he does not plan to donate any more money to the Republican Party. He believes the party is becoming alienated from the general public and is “out of touch with reality."

    Hickman questions the Bush administration’s policy in Iraq and the preference of some Republicans for a strict enforcement-oriented immigration law.

    “Bush was one of the main reasons I donated to the party," he said. “Anything I do in the future, it would be toward (an) individual candidate."

    Hickman’s shifting views may run against the evidence of his hefty donations to the party over the past two years, but he said the falling out didn’t happen overnight.

    Nathan Gonzales, political analyst with the Rothenberg Political Report, said people who typically donate to the national committees are hardcore party members.

    “That’s the base," he said. “It’s going to take a lot more for them to be disillusioned."

    William Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, said individuals who make big-time donations are able to use their financial clout to some advantage.

    “They have access in terms of contacting them about some problem they might have," he said.

    Alabama has traditionally been a red state, and residents have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Republican Party. This election year period is no exception. Campaign finance records show that the National Republican Congressional Committee collected $739,113 from households in Alabama while the National Republican Senate Committee received $277,865 through June 30.

    By contrast, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee received only $38,161 from donors in Alabama from Jan. 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee received $52,250.

    “In donations overall, Democratic fundraising has been tremendous," Gonzales said of this election cycle. “It’s been considerably more than in cycles past. Still, the NRC has outpaced the DNC by a wide margin."

    Nationally, Democrats would have to regain six seats in the Senate and 15 seats in the House to regain control of the majority in Congress, come November. Alabama’s Republican senators, Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, are not up for re-election until 2008 and 2010, respectively. Republican House Reps. Robert Aderholt and Spencer Bachus and Democratic Reps. Bud Cramer and Artur Davis do not face serious challengers this year.

    Hickman stands behind his support of a more generous immigration policy, a view bolstered by his frequent visits to Cuba and places in South America like Argentina and Chile. He said he agrees with Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Ted Kennedy’s views on immigration and that Sessions’ “ranting on the immigration issue" is one of his main reasons for being dissatisfied with the party.

    Hickman said he could possibly donate to the Democratic Party in the future.

    But as for Republicans, “I’m not going to contribute any more until they make some changes," he said.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member sippy's Avatar
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    Hickman said he could possibly donate to the Democratic Party in the future.

    But as for Republicans, “I’m not going to contribute any more until they make some changes," he said.
    So how about this, you give this $25k to ALIPAC, and William's team will decide how best to use it for the American people, not furthering your stupid political agenda!
    "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results is the definition of insanity. " Albert Einstein.

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