AT&T Bought 700 Copies Of Perry's Book

[kpete]

Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his book have one prominent fan in corporate America: AT&T.

Last December, the Dallas-based telecommunications firm bought 700 copies of the Texas governor's book "Fed Up!" as a gift to a gathering of Lone Star State lawmakers, activists and lobbyists, The Dallas Morning News reported at the time. Total cost? $13,000.

All proceeds from Perry's public policy missive benefit the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Center for Tenth Amendment Studies, so it's not as though the presidential candidate pocketed the money. But the purchase did underscore the closeness of Perry to AT&T, a relationship that will draw heavier scrutiny after the governor endorsed the company's merger with T-Mobile, which the Department of Justice rejected this week.

"Fed Up!" has been closely scrutinized since Perry entered the presidential race in early August. In it, Perry calls Social Security a "Ponzi scheme," while lambasting other entitlement programs. After a campaign adviser signaled Perry was backing off some of the claims contained in his book, the governor has doubled down on several of the book's arguments.


http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/09/perrys-a.php

[onehandle]

1. Ugh. Sprint will get the iPhone in a few weeks, so hopefully Credo Mobile will as well.

That will end my time with AT&T, I hope.

[muntrv]

2. Another reason to switch to Credo Mobile.

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. So what if Credo mobile bought 700 copies of Obama's book? How would you feel about that?

[muntrv]

4. I'd rather my money go to the progressives than the teapublicans.

[MattSh]

7. Progressives?? Where? Where?

Oops, sorry folks. Looks like a false alarm!

:spank:

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. So you don't have a problem with corporations influencing elections....

You just have a problem with corporations influencing elections of the candidates you don't want to win.

[OneGrassRoot]

8. CREDO makes no secret that they actively support only progressive causes...

If other corporations were as open, rather than take the faux "fair and balanced" stance, then at least the consumer would know what type of company they're supporting as far as their corporate ideology.

Most companies probably suck up to various politicians, public figures and causes according to what benefits their bottom line. They probably don't really have an ideology other than $$$$.

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. Well first of all....

I think your right. They don't have an ideology other than $$$$.

But why should every company let consumers know where they stand politically? It's really a quite bad idea to mix customers and politics. I'm not standing up for atat but they're obviously contributing to a candidate (through the books) that they feel is going to be best for their own interests. Why should they have to wear it on their sleeve?

[OneGrassRoot]

11. It may be a bad idea...

for companies to do it, but the reality is that many do (mix customers and politics), so I'd rather they be transparent about it if they are definitively progressive or conservative in the causes/candidates they support.

CREDO has a limited market because they are so transparent about supporting progressive causes; they definitely won't ever get conservatives or probably even independents to sign with them since they are so vocal and visible in progressive causes.

Risky business decision, but I always applaud transparency.

Who knows? Maybe AT&T has purchased Obama's book in bulk for some purpose in the past. But if their actions have been one-sided in this regard, I think it would be good for customers to know this, yet the onus is on the customer to do some research since there aren't many lists of this sort showing how companies have indirectly supported candidates and causes by buying books, etc.

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. Credo has attracted customers solely on the basis they contribute to certain causes.

Not because they have good service, the latest phones, good coverage etc.
Both companies are trying to get as many customers as they can, I assure you.
The difference is credo is filling this niche market of people that think the other companies are evil and donate to conservatives (Credo is no doubt beneficiary from whatever comes of that).

If one didn't problem didn't exist, there would be no Credo.
And that problem would be corporate influence on our elections and on regulation.

Corporations are not people. If they want to donate to charities that's fine with me but they ought to keep their money our of our democratic process.

That's my 0.13 Yuan

[OneGrassRoot]

14. I agree with your 0.13 Yuan. :) n/t

[holdencaufield]

5. I remember...

I remember another group of people who were anti-books....

[Initech]

6. And this is how conservative bullshit dominates the bestseller lists.

:argh:

[LeftinOH]

15. Yup. n/t

[MilesColtrane]

12. Perry is THE choice of the Koch brothers and 22 other billionaires.

It stands to reason that he will be backed by almost every major corporation in America.