The Carlyle-Fox Connection

August 06, 2004, 9:07 a.m.
Funny Business
What corporate exec would be stupid enough to endorse Kerry?

The Kerry campaign has just published a long list of “Business Executives Supporting Kerry-Edwards.”

How’s that again? For all of John Kerry’s tough talk about “Benedict Arnold CEOs,” higher taxes on “the rich,” and the need for more government regulation, one wouldn’t expect a lot of business executives to endorse him. Indeed, it would make about as much sense for a deer to endorse the National Rifle Association.

For some of the names on the list, the self-interest is clear. It’s no surprise to see Robert Rubin there — nominally an executive of Citigroup, but in reality Kerry’s Federal Reserve chairman-in-waiting. And no one should be shocked to see Harvey and Michael Weinstein on the list. They’re the co-chairs of Miramax Films, which distributed Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9-11.

And some number of names are sheer padding. Former Clinton economic advisor Laura D’Andrea Tyson may be the dean of the London School of Economics, but does that make her a “business executive”? And Lisa Caputo is listed mysteriously as only a “senior financial executive.” Turns out she’s Hillary Clinton’s former press secretary.

But the closer you look at the list of execs backing Kerry, the weirder it gets. For example, there are two names associated with the Carlyle Group. That’s right — the same Carlyle Group demonized by Michael Moore, Paul Krugman, and all the other leftist shock-pundits as the clearinghouse for corrupt self-dealing defense contracts in both Bush administrations. Be that as it may, William Kennard (Clinton’s FCC chief and Carlyle’s managing director), and Arthur Levitt, Jr. (Clinton’s SEC chief and a Carlyle “senior advisor”) are on Kerry’s list.

And here’s a shocker. Peter Chernin, president and COO of News Corp. and chairman and CEO of Fox Group is on the list. That’s right — the same News Corp. run by the evil Australian reactionary Rupert Murdoch, and the same Fox whose cable news channel stole the 2000 Florida election from Al Gore (according to Michael Moore).