TPM has a report on the outpouring of generosity for the RNC-McCain fund by employees of the Hess Oil Corporation. Among ten Hess employees who each donated $28,500 to the beloved maverick was Office Manager Alice Rocchio, who rents an apartment in Flushing, Queens along with her husband, Pasquale, an AMTRAK employee, who also donated $28,500 at the same time. Obviously Ms. Rocchio is not one of those neglected workers that I have been worrying about. You would think the left might give Hess some credit for paying an office manager well enough that she had sufficient disposable income to make this generous donation. But no -- skepticism reigns among the rootless and ruthless cosmopolitans* of the lefty blogosphere. (According to TPM, the median income in their zip code is $58,069, which means if they are average residents of Flushing, they still would have $1,069 to live on for the year -- if they paid no taxes.)
Trust me folks -- there's nothing here. I mean how could there be? John McCain is all about the integrity. (Did you know he served in Vietnam and was a POW?)
[This looks to be more amazing work by the TPM people -- they are all over this story.]
Update - And now a report that a Hess driver made a $2,300 contribution to the McCain campaign. These Hess people obviously take good care of all of their employees.
*Isn't a "Ruthless Cosmopolitan" what MoDo drinks before going all Jane Austen on our asses?
*Sends resume to Hess immediately*
OMG, that MoDo column was quite possibly her worst ever.
And that's saying something.
Truly, truly bad writing--just totally phoned-in and full of tortured comparisons and mangled metaphors, with bits cribbed from that beyond-the-pale "Obama is too skinny to be liked by teh fat Amuricans" WaPo piece that the Sadlynauts were eviscerating.
Speaking of resumes, though, how does one get a job writing for the NYT, I wonder? I mean, I could do a better column blindfolded and blind drunk. With one arm tied behind my back.
Posted by: litbrit | August 05, 2008 at 09:34 AM
If the median income in their zip is $58,069 and they are an average household then they probably earn more like 80,000 USD.
Posted by: Ryd | August 05, 2008 at 12:17 PM
If the median income in their zip is $58,069 and they are an average household then they probably earn more like 80,000 USD.
Posted by: Ryd | August 05, 2008 at 12:18 PM
If Amerada Hess Corp. gave their employees bonuses and whatnot, which the recipients just happened to feel the urge to contribute to McCain...people were busted for this back in 1972 - Breslin covers this early on in How the Good Guys Finally Won.
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | August 05, 2008 at 01:24 PM
Even if the Rocchios made 80K per year, their take home would still likely be around 60K or so. So $57,000 ($28,500 apiece) would still be a big chunk of that. Heck, it would be a big chunk if they were making $150,000 per year.
Posted by: JC | August 05, 2008 at 01:37 PM
The median household income in their zip is $58,069.
Posted by: Matt Weiner | August 05, 2008 at 03:10 PM
Isn't the maximum donation $2300?
Probably they gave Hess corporation permission to donate that cash in their name. Or maybe they didn't give permission.
Posted by: Math Dad | August 07, 2008 at 09:55 AM
Math Dad,
The $28,500 payments were made to the RNC-McCain committee. The limits for party donations are different from those directly to the candidates, where as you note, the limit is $2,300.
Posted by: Sir Charles | August 07, 2008 at 02:58 PM