Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Republican corruption by the numbers, Part 5: Education

Here's the final installment of the p3 Republican Corruption Index, drawn from the report on Republican corruption released last week by the Democrats on the House Rules Committee. You can read Part 1, on health care, here; Part 2, on energy policy, here; Part 3, on national security, here; and Part 4, on employment and the economy, here.

This one's a little thinner than the previous four, for a simple reason: The money that the Republicans spend on education is so paltry to begin with--compared to the eye-popping sums that change hands in national security, health care, and so on--that an index of the corruption numbers here is at a disadvantage to begin with. Count on the Republicans to throw their efforts where they can expect the greatest rewards.


$17,600

Average debt faced upon graduation by the two-thirds of all public college or university student who take out student loans.
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$22,581

Average debt faced upon graduation by the 73% of all students at private colleges or universities who take out student loans.
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$292,570

Total donations during the last election cycle from employees and lobbyists for private student lending companies including Sallie Mae, paid to the PAC of Republican Representative John Boehner, chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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1

Number of Boehner's daughters hired by a Sallie Mae subsidiary after Boehner mentioned her during a round of golf with the owners.
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3 comments:

The Rambling Taoist said...

Growing up in the 60s and 70s, the mantra of the GOP was that Dems were "tax and spend" liberals. Though I never bought in to this critique, the words became etched in my brain. So, in today's world, I find it simply incredulous that today's GOP has adopted a strategy of "borrow and spend" -- an even worse policy than tax and spend.

Another example of GOP memory loss concerns the Clinton years. Back then, the right wing screamed and ranted about a balanced budget. If the federal budget isn't balanced, they charged, America will sink to the bottom. Yet, during the Dubya presidency, the right seems completely unconcerned that the budget is nowhere near balanced, that we're digging a hole that can only be solved by future taxes.

Nothstine said...

Glenn Greenwald has a good post up today: "Latest Iraqi war casualty--conservative belief in 'individual responsibility.'"

thanks for the note

bn

Anonymous said...

John Boehner to play Bluto Blartarsky in Repbulican remake of the movie Animal House
By Nancy Rivas

(An early draft of one famous scene has leaked out)

Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert: Well, it looks like the days of flying around on the private jets of companies with business before Congress are over.

House Majority Leader, John Boehner (as Bluto Blatarsky): Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is!

Was it over when this story first hit the press? Hell no! I still got elected Leader.
.................................................................................................................

President Bush: What's over?

Al Lord (Chairman of Sallie Mae): [Starts crying]

Please tell me the Single Holder Rule is not over. I'm just starting to build my own private golf course, and I need more money to buy my own baseball team. [Crying continues]
:....................................................................................................................

Boehner: It ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!

[Runs out with Al Lord]
.........................................................................................................................
[Boehner returns alone]

Boehner: What happened to the Republicans I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh?

Hastert: I thought we wern't going to talk about Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff anymore.
....................................................................................................................

Boehner: Look, there is no way we can run the country without seeing what's going on in Boca Raton first hand.

Bush: We can't? Does Sallie Mae live in Boca?

Boehner: Don't worry. I've got plenty more rabbits up these sleeves.

House Education and Workforce Chairman, McKeon: That line was OK for the bankers' convention, but what do I tell the students?

Boehner: Forget about them. They've been freeloading on the taxpayers for years with the subsidies they have been getting on their student loans.

House Majority Whip, Blunt: Shh...60 Minutes and Leslie Stahl might find out about how we eliminated the refinancing of consolidation loans.

Bush: We did?

Boehner: Just tell the students to stop complaining about a few lousy dollars per month and get a job.

Now, who's with me?

[Silence]