While the presidential candidates wax poetic about alternative energy, climate change, reducing emissions, and health care, we’ve been digging up the truth. Here’s the dirt: each of the frontrunners—both Dems and GOPs—accepted sizable contributions from oil companies.
It may seem like some of the candidates are seeing green, but, in fact, most have dollar signs in their eyes. OilChange International has taken contribution data and graphed the candidates according to how much cash they’ve culled from oily sources.
The slimiest candidate of all? Former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, who received $550,608 from oil companies. Ironic, I think, seeing as he governed over the city that upholds the nation’s finest public transit system, and where cars are about as useful as a Billyburg hipster who uses his mother’s bank account to buy booze and black Converse. (But, then again, that’s another irony, altogether.)
Here’s the word from our friends at EnviroWonk:
Close behind is former front-runner Mitt Romney, who received $336,783 in contributions. McCain is fourth among candidates, while Huckabee is last, behind even the Democrats.
Hilary Clinton is top among the democrats, with $223,350. Love Clinton? Well, maybe you can take minor comfort in the fact that despite coming in a healthy sixth with $106,112, current democratic front-runner Barack Obama received Exxon’s top contribution ($15,150).
Oil Change International, whose mission is to "separate oil and state," also provides oil-money graphs for previous elections. You can see, for example, just how much the Bushes love their oil (and how much it loves them back).
Photos via flickr by olivier_jules & by christhedunn.
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For me, I see no reason to turn up our noses at modern, well made shoes. I have rather high arches. Without shoes that appropriately support me, once I’ve been walking for awhile, my feet hurt – then legs – all the way up to what will become nearly chronic lower back pain. And I’m only 25!
Could I have lived in an earlier age, barefoot or using a one-size-fits-all cobbler? Sure – but why suffer the pain when we no longer have to?
Walk around all day in
1. cheap shoes
2. decent shoes
3. barefoot
I’ve tried all three, and you’ll feel the best at the end of day 2, with barefoot edging out cheap shoes.
I live in the country and walk barefoot most of the time around my home, inside and outside. I love it. When I drive to town, though, there is no way I would go barefoot. Not with people spitting on the sidewalks, spilling stuff and yes, unfortunately, dirty needles. I am a Registered Nurse and safety is always on my mind. One of my pet peeves is seeing patients or visitors walking barefoot in the hospital; especially children. There are really nasty bacteria that live and thrive in the hospitals. Our skin is a good barrier to these bugs, but if breached, one could be in serious trouble. Personally, I find moccasins the most comfortable.