On Darfur, Brownback practices what he preaches

No one can accuse Sen. Sam Brownback of hypocrisy in urging Kansas and other states to divest their state employee pension funds from companies that do business with the genocidal government of Sudan, which Kansas is now doing. Filed Tuesday, Brownback’s financial disclosure forms for the presidential campaign show he has sold tens of thousands of dollars in mutual fund holdings to get his own investments out of Sudan. Good for him.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

12 Comments

  1. GSheridan
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 5:10 am | Permalink

    Much as I don’t care for him – that is a good move.

  2. BG
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 7:49 am | Permalink

    well why wouldn’t you transfer them out, it is a bad investment..

  3. ken
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 7:54 am | Permalink

    Good for him — now why doesn’t he go a step further and take a leadership role on the issue and try to influence the Wall Street barons to jump on that band wagon ….

  4. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 9:17 am | Permalink

    …so wingnuts, could you please answer a simple question?

    Why is it a GOOD thing for god’s senator to urge “Kansas and other states to divest their state employee pension funds from companies that do business with the genocidal government of Sudan, which Kansas is now doing”

    But it is a BAD thing for Senator Donald Betts to advocate the same thing?

    Damn, you wingnuts are all the way THROUGH the looking glass. Six impossible things before breakfast and all.

    Geez, you guys are so hypocritical it isnt even FUN to point it out anymore. Why is is good for sam to do but bad for Don to do?

    Jesus wept.

  5. Tom
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 9:21 am | Permalink

    Hypocrisy, thy name is legion.

  6. Ben
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 9:44 am | Permalink

    Sam has been incredibly consistent on this issue. He has also tried to work ‘across the aisle’ to get meaningful action. I salute him for that.

  7. BG
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 9:52 am | Permalink

    I personally don’t think cutting invest will make a bit of a differance on the continuing Genocide, but if it makes you feel better by all means do it.

    as far as badmouthing Sen Betts, I don’t remember anybody doing that..

  8. Tom Paine
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 7:22 pm | Permalink

    you can argue that divesting doesn’t have an impact but the other side of the coin not doing so is defacto support.

  9. steve
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 8:59 pm | Permalink

    He just wants to beat the others and not watch his holdings in Darfur take a plummet! Stay ahead of the herd.

  10. Econ101
    Posted May 20, 2007 at 12:08 am | Permalink

    Something to think about: There is a pretty good chance that some of the companies doing business in that hell-hole have employees that have helped hide, feed and smuggle some of the people out of harms way.

    Also, those who own stock can bring resolutions and stockholder meetings and the like.

    Likewise for those who own mutual funds that hold such investments.

    I admire Brownback for being consistent but I never badmouthed Betts, I just wondered about tactics and strategy.

  11. Econ101
    Posted May 20, 2007 at 12:09 am | Permalink

    Who did we sell the stock to? Did we profit from that sale? Was that profit “blood money?”

  12. Ben
    Posted May 20, 2007 at 12:13 am | Permalink

    I would rather see KPERS join with CALPERS and others to pressure the companies they own to divest directly from Sudan and/or to pressure the Khartoum regime.