McAuliffe says, “This administration just doesn’t get it, our economy is adrift today, they want to see leadership . . . . The President has not talked about how we get the economy going.” But despite what Terry says, The American people think the President and Republicans have led on the economy. In a recent Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, 55% of voters disagreed “with those who say Republicans are . . . not paying enough attention to the economy.”

Then, while throwing stones at Bush and Republicans, Terry denies he made millions from an Enron/Worldcom style free-for-all, by saying on ABC’s “This Week”, “First of all, you have no idea if I made one penny, Sam. I was merely an investor in a company.” But, that’s not what he told the New York Times. “[I]n 1997 . . . Mr. Winnick offered Mr. McAuliffe an opportunity to invest in a new Internet-related venture that would own and operate undersea fiber-optic cables. The venture, now known as Global Crossing Holdings, had potential risks and rewards. It also faced myriad regulatory issues in Washington and around the world. For Mr. McAuliffe and all the other early investors, Global Crossing turned out to be a bonanza. Mr. McAuliffe says his initial $100,000 investment grew to be worth about $18 million, and he made millions more trading Global’s stock and options after it went public last year. And recently, Mr. McAuliffe said he took a telecommunications deal to Mr. Winnick that Global Crossing will put money into. Mr. McAuliffe says he is a dealmaker and a matchmaker.”

And again, while Terry is castigating Bush for touring the country we forget that HE was the moving force behind the infamous Lincoln Bedroom fund-raisers at the Clinton White House. McAuliffe’s first fundraising] project was to organize breakfasts, luncheons, and coffees with the President for about twenty ’major supporters’ at a time – to ’offer these people an opportunity to discuss issues and exchange ideas with the President. McAuliffe’s second [fundraising] project was to offer the very top supporters ’overnights’ at the White House.

Then, referring to the President’s Economic Forum in Waco Texas this month, Terry McAuliffe claimed that “The problem is no Democrats are invited to the Economic Forum” . . . . but at least 43 of the Forum attendees have donated to Democrat candidates and party organizations. Since 1990, Forum attendees have given over $255,000 to Democrats.

The PACs Of Economic Forum attendees the Teamsters, Seafarers, Carpenters, And Operating Engineers Unions have contributed more than $8,000,000 to Democrats in the past two election cycles, over $6,600,000 more than they have given to Republicans.

The PACs of some corporations whose CEOs are attending the economic forum have given approximately equal contributions to both Democrats and Republicans, including The American Medical Association (AMA), American Express, The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), And Hewlett-Packard.

Guest speakers at the forum are respected leaders in their fields – not just “A bunch of donors.” Panelists include Doug McCarron, General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters; Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Michael Novak, business ethicist at the American Enterprise institute; Charles Schwab, Chairman and CEO of Charles Schwab, Inc; Karen Kerrigan, President of the Small Business Survival Committee; John Chambers, President and CEO of Cisco Systems; Glen Barton, CEO of Caterpillar; and Charles Vest, President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Attendees include more than twelve university professors who are experts in their fields – Not just “A bunch of donors,” as Terry classified them. These experts, among others, include Michael Useem, Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business; Terry Maness, Dean of Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business; Susan Dudley from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Richard Burkhauser, a Cornell University professor and expert in Social Security, disability, retirement and pension policies; John Shoven of Stanford University; Jonathon Skinner, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College; Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia University; Jim Henderson and Joe McKinney, professors of economics at Baylor University; and Mark Pauly, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.