Nurses Protest Cheney Visit, Political Corruption

Media Advisory May 16, 2006
Contact: Shum Preston, 510-273-2276 or Chuck Idelson, 510-273-2246.

California Nurses, Democracy Activists Protest Cheney-Doolittle Fundraiser in Sacramento 5/22

Vice President Hosts Corporate Fundraiser for Scandal-Plagued Congressman
as Nurses Push for “Clean Money Elections” to End Corruption

The California Nurses Association, joined by a wide variety of democracy and community activists, will protest against political corruption next Monday outside a Sacramento fundraiser featuring Vice President Cheney and Congressman John Doolittle, and advocate for its upcoming “Clean Money Elections” ballot initiative.

Both Cheney and Doolittle have raised enormous donations from corporate interests and paid their donors back with favors. This kind of “pay-for-play” politics is exactly the entrenched corruption that Clean Money Elections, also known as public financing of campaigns, is designed to end. Nurses have been submitting petitions to registrars around the state since May 15, and hope to qualify for the November 2006 ballot.

Titled the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, the initiative would establish public financing for candidates who reject private fundraising and institute strict limits on campaign contributions to other candidates and election committees. The initiative is modeled after the highly-successful public financing systems now in place in Arizona and Maine, which have led to a wider diversity of candidates, more choices for voters, higher voter turnout, and a reduction in the influence of lobbyists.

What: Nurses Protest Corruption at Cheney-Doolittle Fundraiser
When: Monday, May 22, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Sacramento Hyatt, 1209 L Street

“California voters are tired of the cash register politics that Cheney and Doolittle represent and looking for a way to restore integrity to our government—which Clean Money Elections do,” said CNA President Deborah Burger, RN.

Doolittle has earned a place in both of Congress’ most recent scandals. The Washington Post reports that he took $118,000 in donations from Brent Wilkes, the defense contractor who is an un-indicted co-conspirator in the case of former Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, and that Doolittle helped steer $37 million worth of government contracts towards Wilkes. Doolittle also took more than $130,000 from Jack Abramoff and his clients, according to The Sacramento Bee. Moreover, Doolittle’s wife Julie, by working as his fundraising consultant, has taken 15% of funds raised since 2001—some $215,000 total so far. Julie Doolittle is the fundraising contact for the Cheney event.