IS THE OVAL OFFICE FOR SALE TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER?

This year's presidential election is already one for the record books: the most obscenely expensive race in history. Some of the leading aspirants have already run tens of millions of dollars through their political war chests, and Election Day 2000 could bring the American people their first "$200 Million President." Why and how has the process of choosing a President moved from the voting booth to the auction block?

In The Buying of the President 2000, Charles Lewis and the Center for Public Integrity shine their spotlight on the special (and often secret) interests that have heavily invested in the politicians who are seeking the nation's highest office. This incisive and eye-opening book has been widely acclaimed as the authoritative guide to special interests that are bankrolling the presidential contenders--Democrat, Republican, and Independent, major contender and "dark horse" alike. Here, and nowhere else, you'll find the answers to questions like these:

Which candidate made a cool $15 million in a sweetheart deal arranged by his top political patrons?

Who is secretly pushing to abolish the corporate income tax?

How has one candidate turned his presidential campaign into a gravy train for himself and members of his family?

How did one candidate become a millionaire with a series of by-invitation-only investment deals?

Can you afford not to read The Buying of the President 2000? In THE BUYING OF THE PRESIDENT 2000, Charles Lewis and the Center for Public Integrity shine their spotlight on the special (and often secret) interests that have heavily invested in the politicians who are seeking the nation's highest office. This incisive and eye-opening book has already been widely acclaimed as the authoritative guide to special interests that are bankrolling the presidential contenders-- whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, dark horse or major party candidate. Here, and nowhere else, you'll find revealing facts such as which candidate made a cool $15 million in a sweetheart deal arranged by his top political patrons; how one candidate has turned his presidential campaign into a gravy train for himself and members of his family; how another candidate became a millionaire with a series of by-invitation-only investment deals; and much more. Can any American afford not to read THE BUYING OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT 2000?

Amazon.com Review
The essential fact of politics, writes Charles Lewis, is that "it takes mammoth sums of money to obtain power." The Buying of the President 2000 reveals who is paying. Since 1976, the candidates who have raised the most money have become their party's nominees--and money has become increasingly important with each new election. In 1999, George W. Bush raised $37 million in four months--before a single primary--more than Bill Clinton and Bob Dole raised for their respective campaigns in all of 1995 and 1996. Who is giving all this money to the presidential candidates, and what do they expect in return?

The Buying of the President 2000 reveals that the top 10 donors to the Democrats include the National Education Association, the Walt Disney Company, and Loral Space and Communications (which benefited from the Clinton administration's loosening of restrictions on selling high-tech equipment to China). Among the top 10 Republican party donors: Philip Morris, AT&T, Atlantic Richfield, and Archer Daniels Midland. Bill Bradley's top donors include Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley; Al Gore also gets money from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, as well as Ernst & Young and BellSouth. It's not surprising that George W. Bush's biggest career donors are companies with business in Texas, including the Enron Corporation and the Bass family, or that John McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has donors with important business before his committee (US West, AT&T, Viacom, Boeing, and Bank of America). But The Buying of the President 2000 does not seek to make voters more cynical, just better informed. If you care about American democracy, it is an alarming, but very important, reference. --Linda Killian