Learning from the example of a father willing to
desecrate the history of our nation for short term
partisan political gain, it's not surprising that Quid-Pro-Kean Jr would sell his vote away so easily. And that's before you even consider the
long Kean family history of trading influence for campaign dollars. So
today's revelation should come as no surprise:
The same day state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. voted twice to let Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey keep a $40 million tax exemption, he collected $13,300 in contributions for his U.S. Senate race from 17 company executives and their family members.....including $4,100 from Horizon CEO and president William Marino and his wife, Paula.
Campaign contributions in exchange for corporate favors. Why does that sound
so familiar?
The same day as the board meeting, some UnitedHealth directors and executives were supporting a campaign by Mr. Kean 's son for a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey. Some of them attended a fund-raiser for Tom Kean Jr. that day, in UnitedHealth's home state of Minnesota. It isn't clear whether [CEO] Dr. McGuire and his wife attended, but each donated $2,000 to the cause. So did Richard T. Burke, who sits on a special board committee that is overseeing the options investigation. All told, UnitedHealth-affiliated donors have contributed $25,000 to the campaign.....
You might recall their explanation for why this took place on the same day Tom Kean Sr met on a board to decide the fate of United Health executives charged with fraud:
Jill Hazelbacker, Kean Jr.'s spokeswoman, said it was a "total coincidence" the events took place on the same day, May 5.
That's a coincidence we can probably all sympathize with. Who hasn't found themselves in Minnesota, taking money from the same executives whose fate will be decided by their dad? You know what else is a coincidence? Their explanation for this latest episode:
Hazelbaker and Horizon spokesman Thomas Rubino both suggested that the timing of the checks was a coincidence.
Tom Kean Jr doesn't know how to take responsibility for his actions. It wasn't a corporate shakedown - it was a coincidence. It wasn't a quid-pro-quo - it was a coincidence. He freely throws around charges of ethics violations, but he doesn't come close to meeting the lofty standards he imposes on others. A spokesman for Senator Menendez concluded: "He's a hypocrite...This shows he's not the reformer he portrays himself to be. It also shows that while his vote may be for sale, at least we know the price."
Update: Menendez campaign spokesman Matt Miller responds:
"Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy and Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln - that's a coincidence. Tom Kean Jr. taking 17 contributions from the state's biggest HMO on the same day he votes to preserve their $40 million tax exemption is pay to play. Tom Kean Jr.'s latest coincidence shows that he's not just a hypocrite, but a hypocrite who always sides with big corporations over average New Jerseyans. New Jersey needs a Senator who will stand up for everyone in the state, not just for big corporations and special interests."
Cross-posted from Blue Jersey