Abstract

Influence Peddling, Bush Style

The article focuses on George W. Bush's campaign, the presidential candidate of the Republican party in the next election in the U.S. Bush is trying to argue that he and his people are better than the other crowd. But Bush's crowd includes family members along with a political associate who have done business with one of the prime targets of the Republicans' investigations into Chinese espionage and Democratic fundraising abuses which is focused on the Charoen Pokphand Group, one of the largest foreign investors in China. A close look of the group shows that the game of influence-peddling can be played simultaneously on different fields: use a fundraiser to gain access to the White Hlouse or rent a former President, cut a deal with his son and sign up his former National Security Adviser.