Ross doesn't hesitate to extract any advantage he can in Washington. A longtime giver to Democratic candidates, he was a major fund-raiser for Bill Clinton, but his pragmatic side has him courting the opposition at the moment. These days, he's down in Washington every week to argue his view on trade and the need to protect American jobs. With their eye on next year's election, lawmakers and the political staff at the White House have welcomed meetings with Ross. He has put together something called the Free Trade for America Coalition. With 70-odd members, the protectionist group ranges from labor unions to corporations to agricultural interests and is a formidable lobbying machine. He likes to portray himself as helping to publicize a groundswell of popular discontent at the demise of American manufacturing. But make no mistake: He expects WL Ross to profit. "We are not," he assures, "an eleemosynary institution."
Do you think Toon's ties to Ross have any Coal-gate implications?
mew, it would seem that Abramoff would have info on the Clintons the IRS would love to see. It's the least he can do.
The world Ross walks in is politely called distressed investing. Less politely, it's vulture investing.
That was exactly my thought as I started reading the story. A vulture picking at the bones.
A long time giver to Democratic candidates, he was a major fund-raiser for Bill Clinton.
That says it all.