Oh Blackwater keep on runnin' Green

In the Blackwater hearings today Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) quized Blackwater CEO Erik Prince about his political contributions trying to show that he and other company executives gave to candidates other than Republicans. Prince and other well connected contractors from companies such as Haliburton indeed funneled money to the Green Party or maybe just one particular Green Party candidate in Pennsylvania.

From TPMMuckraker:

...he (Prince) and his wife shelled out $10,000 in contributions for a Green.It was part of an effort by connected Republicans (lobbyists and millionaire CEOs among them) to recruit Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli to enter the 2006 Senate race. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) was trailing Dem moderate Bob Casey in the polls -- and Romanelli, the scheme went, could take some of those liberal votes away from Casey...Ultimately Republicans raised more than $150,000 for Romanelli.

It's always good to find a local connection to a national story. Lehigh Valley Ramblings had all the details last fall.