roundtable: Re: Back to the Future Robber Baron Days

roundtable: Re: Back to the Future Robber Baron Days

Re: Back to the Future Robber Baron Days

Glenn S. Tenney (tenney@netcom.com)
Tue, 3 Jan 1995 09:42:35 -0800 

Message-Id: <v02110106ab2f3a37dd07@[199.35.142.155]>
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 09:42:35 -0800
To: roundtable@cni.org
From: tenney@netcom.com (Glenn S. Tenney)
Subject: Re: Back to the Future Robber Baron Days


At 6:41 PM 1/2/95, Jeff Porten wrote:
>Far be it from me to be a Gingrinch sympathizer, but the retraction
>from the $4.5M advance to a $1 advance does put him back on ethical
>ground.
> ...
>With a $1 advance, everything changes; Gingrich only makes the amount
>of money that he earns by selling books.  That's perfectly proper; as
>Newt pointed out, there's a long history of sitting Congresspersons
>selling books.
> ...


This is most naive.   Let's say, hypothetically of course, that 
Murdoch wants to give Newt some money for helping to get certain 
laws passed that favor his business empire; Murdoch could spend a 
few million $ publicizing Newt's book; Murdoch could also agree to 
pay 25 or 50 % royalties (as a way to "give" Newt some extra money 
for a job well done); Murdoch could chose to pay all costs to write 
the book and prepare the book (ie. pay a ghost writer, etc.) from 
his share of the revenue instead of the author's share (aka a gift); 
of course, Newt might be running for office, so those millions paid 
to advertise the book and fly Newt all around the country on book 
signings and talk shows wouldn't be a campaign expense (ie. wouldn't 
be limited to $1,000 and wouldn't be reportable as such)... no, no 
one would think that...  etc. etc. etc.

The point is that what may be acceptable for a Congressperson is 
*NOT* acceptable for the Speaker.  However, since the $4.5million 
deal was announced, it's clear that this is not like ANY other book 
deal ever before (that amount is NOT unique).

Even with no advance, this deal stinks to high heaven.  Imagine what 
Rush or Newt would have said one year ago today if Folley, Gore, or 
Clinton had done the same thing... why should Newt be able to get 
away with something he already has objected to (remember Speaker 
Wright...)?


---
Glenn Tenney
tenney@netcom.com            Amateur radio: AA6ER
Voice: (415) 574-3420        Fax: (415) 574-0546

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