Former exec says Bank of America ordered "compulsory donations" to political candidates

Associated Press | November 12, 2003 | PAUL NOWELL

[TaxRelief]

We should bombard Forbes and other publishers of this article with the "which candidate?" question. (You know they're hoping we don't ask...)

[Mr. Jeeves]

When I worked for a major West Coast insurance company, they had a list of political candidates who they considered "right" on insurance issues, and officers of the company were required to donate to a PAC-like fund that in turn contributed money to those candidates. I think this is common practice in a lot of large companies.

[Ann Archy]

A crystal HAND GRENADE!!! What is THAT supposed to signify??

[Ann Archy]

What kind of man has a last name that's hyphenated???

[alloysteel]

On the interview, it may be possible to thread your way through a series of questions that would expose attitudes about what is their opinion of doing business for profit, what they think the employer should give them in the way of benefits, how they would regard a troublesome or annoying co-worker, and how to straighten out a misunderstanding that comes up in the workplace. Watch how they answer these questions, and ask them how this relates to their earlier experiences. If they are able to answer a series of inquiries like this in a coherent manner, and not get up in a huff and leave, there is a very good chance that they are not a doctrinaire super-lib.

Of course, some ringers do get through, and they are as hard to get rid of as sand fleas. For those, I extend my sympathy.

[Huber]

Huge McColl was an ex-marine and kept a hand grenade in his office to represent his aggressive approach to business and acquisitions. Over the years, the metaphor became associated with BofA, hence the crystal award.

[STONEWALLS]

......nothing would surprise me about Hugh McColl....he was a little man in every sense of the word.......and of course the Charlotte Observer was nothing more than a propaganda vehicle for him......Charlotte used to be a lovely Carolina town.......thanks to pimps and hustlers like McColl it has turned into another plastic sun belt megalopolis.......think: one continous strip mall.

[TaxRelief]

More like a hornets nest now, only the hornets are the members of the "chamber" party.

[aristeides]

I wonder if banks that don't donate to the correct politicians get harassed by the federal regulators.

[SC Swamp Fox]

Erskine Bowles

My first guess as well.