Ten senior Hess Corporation executives and/or members of the Hess family each gave $28,500 to the joint RNC-McCain fundraising committee, just days after McCain reversed himself to favor offshore drilling, according to Federal Election Commission reports. Nine of these contributions, seven from Hess executives and two from members of the Hess family, came on the same day, June 24th, the records show. The total collected in the wake of McCain’s reversal for the fund, called McCain Victory 2008, from Hess execs and family is $285,000. We were alerted to the contributions by Campaign Money Watch, a non-partisan group that tracks campaign contributions. The contributions were given a quick mention deep in a report the group issued late last week, but with no names or other details provided. The Hess contributions are clearly newsworthy on their own.

The Washington Post reported last week that campaign contributions from oil industry execs rose in a big way in the last half of June, after McCain drew a huge amount of attention by reversing his opposition on June 16th to the federal ban on offshore drilling. These Hess contributions, however, hadn’t been reported until now, and they will give more ammo to those arguing that McCain is being rewarded by campaign contributions in exchange for pro-industry positions.

What?? Were you thinking coincidence?




  1. jbenson2 says:

    And Obama’s plan is to give out free tire gauges, urge tune-up and taking profits from the oil companies.

    Who will determine what a windfall profit is?
    The Obama will. And the windfall profit determination will be tightened to affect more and more companies during each year of his presidency.

    What a great plan to encourage corporations to leave the USA for lower tax countries.

  2. Brian says:

    1-typical right-wing approach. Instead of attacking the story (i.e. McCain rolling over on his previous position of no more off-shore drilling and getting huge donations from the oil industry), you and your ilk aim at Obama.

    Ignorant, much? Or just unable to comprehend your candidate is a bum of the highest order?

  3. GigG says:

    #2 OK can we talk about Obama doing the same thing?

    http://tinyurl.com/6dhaok

  4. McCullough says:

    #3. Absolutely. Talk about it.

  5. Brian says:

    3-Why does the right-wing refuse to talk to the issue here? That McCain, despite years of adamantly opposing our off-shore drilling, has sold his soul in a sense for campaign contributions from big oil? Why can’t you speak to that without invoking Obama?

    Impossible to do? Unable to reconcile that your man McBush is a lying, two-faced bum that the rest of us know he is?

  6. Malcolm says:

    Cheney in hip pocket of oil industry? Check!
    Bush in hip pocket of oil industry? Check!
    McSame in hip pocket of oil industry? Check!
    Ignorant public buying the lie that new offshore drilling is going to help? Check!

    Buying the presidency? Priceless.

  7. #3 – GiGi

    Obama didn’t flip-flop in exchange for $280,000.00 in donations, including two $28,500 donations from a Hess “office manager” and her Amtrak track foreman husband (see below). They must really love McCain, to donate that much money on the salary they make, huh? $57,000 is a lot of money for a couple living in a “lower middle-class” neighborhood.

    Obama supports limited offshore drilling as part of a bipartisan compromise. McCain just flopped over onto his belly and said “Fuck it. Drill ye tarriers, drill!”.

    Hess Employee Who Gave $28,500 To McCain Effort Is A Renter
    By Greg Sargent and Eric Kleefeld – August 4, 2008, 3:22PM

    Here’s a bit more on Alice and Pasquale Rocchio, the couple who each gave $28,500 to the RNC-McCain fund on the same day that eight Hess Corporation execs and/or Hess family members gave the same.

    As reported below, Alice is a Hess “office manager,” and Pasquale is an Amtrak “track foreman.” The two live in a middle class neighborhood in Flushing, Queens.

    Martin Bernstein, a city assessor at the New York Department of Finance
    Queens Assessment Office, has just confirmed to us by phone that the Rocchios rent their home.

    Late Update: There’s a bit of dispute over whether Flushing, Queens, should be described as “middle class” or “lower middle class.” It turns out that the median household income in the Rocchios’ zip code is $58,069.

  8. Is that Quentin Tarantino in the picture shaking McBush’s hand, getting goo-goo-googly eyes from Cindy McCain? You know she wants him. Bad. “Oh, schtupp me, you big naughty film director!! Schtupp me now!!

  9. hhopper says:

    McCain = Four more years of Bushonomics = USA killed

  10. Thinker says:

    hmmm…ok is anyone surprised by this?? From either party?? If one of them came out against nuclear power or beef I’m sure the donations would come in from PETA and Greenpeace.

    Not news I think. (or at least not suprising anyway.)

  11. Ah_Yea says:

    Oh great, here we go. Another round of knee-jerk reaction.

    Yes, McCain took money from Hess. Hess has simply concluded that McCain is more likely to win than Obama and wants to back the winning candidate. Part of that is the overwhelming public approval of offshore drilling. The public likes the idea, his numbers go up, Hess bets he will win, etc…

    If Obama’s numbers were up, then Hess would bet on him.

    Talking about this very point, everyone listen up. I know you all are in love with Obama, but he is a politician, not withstanding the “I’m not part of the establishment” crap. He takes money from anyone who is willing to give just like any other politician. Check out this link.
    http://tinyurl.com/69969j

    So does both Hess and Soros own a part of Obama? How is he “above the fray” when he takes donations just like any other politician?

    Not only that, but look how he redistributes his money to buy favors from other politicians.
    (Scroll down the link above)
    So how is he not like other politicians again?

    And look at how Hess actually distributes it’s money. It’s at least 4 to 1 Democrat!
    http://tinyurl.com/5by5y3

    I know the kool-aid taste good, but….

  12. Ah_Yea says:

    I’ve got some hot dogs and burgers ready, just waiting for the flames!

  13. deowll says:

    Now let me see.

    Some of you actually claim you are surprised that large companies will donate large amounts of money to candidates that claim to support what ever it is they want done?

    Do you live at the bottom of a well or something?

    My bank account is much smaller but I do the same thing and so does everyone else who has ever donated so much as dime to one of these people.

    We donate to people and causes we approve of and we don’t donate to those we don’t approve of, duh!

    The next thing you are going to claiming to be shocked that large contributions can cause a candidate running for office to change their position on something.

  14. The answer says:

    Well Golly sarge, like we didn’t need any more evidence that McCain is in it for himself

  15. #11 – Ahhhhhhhhh_yea

    >>Hess has simply concluded that McCain is more
    >>likely to win than Obama

    HAW! Come on. The oil companies may be evil, but they’re not stupid.

    Does ANYONE really think that McBush is going to win??

    Let me reiterate: HAW!!!

  16. Ah_Yea says:

    “Does ANYONE really think that McBush is going to win??”

    Apparently Hess does…

  17. chuck says:

    McCain ’08: Let’s make the same mistakes again!
    Obama ’08: Let’s make brand new mistakes!

    The likely solution:

    Obama/McCain ’08 – does it really make any difference?

    http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/tedrall

  18. Paddy-O says:

    #17 – You pretty much nailed it except Obama wants to make mistakes that haven’t been made in a couple of decades, so they only look new.

  19. MikeN says:

    The biggest problem I have is with the city assessor telling people over the phone whether someone is renting. Most apartment complexes don’t give out that type of information.

  20. MikeN says:

    You guys missed the real story. McCain is taking 28,500 per person after spending years claiming he would take the big money out of politics.

  21. MikeN says:

    So let’s see. On the one side we have a big corporation spending it’s money so that they can give me gasoline. On the other side we have people who want to take away my car and make me move into a tiny apartment.

  22. MikeN says:

    Isn’t it possible McCain read the polls and flipflopped accordingly? Have all of his position changes been because of corporate contributions? It makes sense that a company would support a politician that would help them.

  23. MikeN says:

    Ah Yea, Hess doesn’t need to conclude that McCain is more likely to win. Just that giving money to McCain makes him competitive enough that Obama will flip-flop to the same position, which he is doing.

  24. #16 – Ah_yea

    >>Apparently Hess does…

    Nobody ever said being rich made you smart.

    There’s just nfw McBush is going to win. Pretty-boy Romney would have had a better chance, kooky religion and all.

    I think there should be a moratorium on Obama/ McBush stories for hte next 168 days, until Obama takes the oath of office. Anything between now and then is just jibber-jabber.

  25. Ah_Yea says:

    #24, Mustard. You nailed it with Romney. A McCain/Romney hookup would get the right-wing in a lather.

    Obama would have to get someone like a Powell to have the same punch.

    This could get interesting!

  26. MikeN says:

    ‘will give $100K when the president vetoes tort reform, but we really need it now. Please send ASAP if possible.’

    Official memo not considered enough for an investigation. OK, now you have your burden of proof.

  27. MikeN says:

    Yeah, Obama-Powell is probably his best choice. Or maybe Chuck Hagel. Or Evan Bayh.

  28. lou says:

    The old guy is going to hurt his back with all these flip flops.

  29. MikeN says:

    Mustard, the bloghead honcho thinks McCain will win.

  30. Mr. Fusion says:

    #11, Ah Yea,

    What the hell are you suggesting?

    Your first link shows several contributers to his 2004 Senate campaign. So what? None of these named contributors are companies, they are all individuals.

    Your second link is laughable. It lists ALL the people names John Hess who have made a political contribution. Maybe you are unaware, but there just so happens to be a lot of people named John Hess in the US. Add to that fact that the Democrats are way ahead of the Republicans in contributions.

    You’re a effen moran !!! Attributing all those donations to a single person. LOL. Suggesting it is the same person with all those different middle initials and different addresses. WOW, how desperate are the wing nuts here?


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