傑布布什擬向在華美僑募款10萬美元
Jeb Bush, the former Republican Florida governor running for president, is tapping US expatriates in China for campaign contributions as he starts a series of fundraising calls in Asia to raise money for the 2016 race.
參加2016年美國總統競選的前佛羅里達州州長傑布布什(Jeb Bush)正向在中國的美國僑民募集競選捐款。他在亞洲的一系列電話籌款活動已拉開了序幕。
Mr Bush is expected to raise about $100,000 when he speaks by video conference to supporters in Hong Kong and mainland China today.
傑布布什今天將通過視頻會議向香港和中國內地的支持者發表講話，預計將可募集到10萬美元。
Each of the 40 people scheduled to attend the breakfast, at Hong Kong’s International Finance Center, will pay $2,700, the maximum allowed under campaign finance rules, to hear him speak.
根據安排，將有40人蔘加在香港國際金融中心(International Finance Center)舉辦的早餐會，每人將支付2700美元，這是競選活動財務規則規定的捐款上限。
Mr Bush was the early favourite to win the GOP nomination but his campaign has struggled to gain momentum as he faces 16 rivals, including Donald Trump, the property magnate who has surged to lead the field.
傑布布什在競選活動早期本來最有希望贏得共和黨總統候選人提名，但由於有16名競爭對手，他的競選活動難以壯大聲勢。他的對手包括唐納德礠朗普(Donald Trump)，這位地產大亨的支持率已快速攀升至領先位置。
He continues to dominate in fundraising. By late June he and his outside supporters had drawn $114m in donations.
傑布布什仍在籌款方面保持領先。截至6月末，他和他的外部支持者總共吸引了1.14億美元捐款。
While Mr Bush comfortably leads the other Republicans and Hillary Clinton, frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, in fundraising, the fact that there are 22 contenders coupled with looser campaign finance rules means 2016 will easily surpass the $2.6bn spending record in the last election.
儘管傑布布什在籌款方面遙遙領先於其他共和黨參選人、以及目前在民主黨候選人提名角逐中處於領先的希拉裏克林頓(Hillary Clinton)，但多達22人蔘加競選的事實和更爲寬鬆的競選財務規則意味着，2016年競選活動的支出將輕鬆超過上次大選創下的紀錄，即26億美元。
Mrs Clinton yesterday unveiled proposals to reform campaign finance, echoing a popular line from her stump speeches about the need to reduce the influence of big money.
昨日希拉里公佈了改革競選財務規則的提案，這呼應了她在巡迴演說中有關減少鉅額資金影響的一句受歡迎的話。
“We must end the flood of secret, money that is distorting our elections, corrupting our political system, and drowning out the voices of too many everyday Americans,” she said.
她說：“我們必須結束祕密的、無法解釋來源的金錢的涌入，這正在扭曲我們的選舉、腐化我們的政治體系、並且淹沒了太多普通美國人的聲音。”
Mrs Clinton advocated overturning a Supreme Court ruling that allowed outside groups to provide unlimited funding for candidates, passing legislation to force more disclosure of donations, and pushing the SEC to require companies to reveal all contributions. She also wants to create a small donor matching system to force candidates to listen to voters.
希拉里倡議推翻美國最高法院(Supreme Court)有關允許外部團體爲候選人提供無限資金的裁決，通過強制公開更詳細捐款信息的法案，並推動美國證交會(SEC)出臺要求企業公開所有捐款的規定。她還希望設立小額捐款者匹配系統，以迫使候選人聽取選民的聲音。
But Mrs Clinton also faces criticism for talking about reform while raising money from rich donors and relying on Super-Pacs, the political action committees that can raise unlimited sums following a 2012 Supreme Court ruling.
然而，在這方面希拉里也招致批評。批評者稱，在高談改革的同時，希拉里也在從富裕的捐贈者手中籌集資金，並依賴“超級政治行動委員會”(super-Pac)籌集競選資金。“超級政治行動委員會”，是依照2012年美國最高法院一項裁決可以籌集無限資金的政治行動委員會。
On the Hong Kong call, Mr Bush will speak for 10 minutes before taking questions, according to Michael DeSombre, global president of Republicans Overseas, event organiser. During the 2012 election, Mr DeSombre, a partner at the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, helped raise more than $2m in Asia for Mitt Romney, who lost to Barack Obama.
“海外共和黨人”(Republicans Overseas)是傑布布什此次活動的組織方，該組織全球總裁邁克爾德鬆布爾(Michael DeSombre)透露，在香港的視頻電話中，傑布布什會先發表10分鐘的講話，再回答提問。德鬆布爾是蘇利文克倫威爾律師事務所(Sullivan & Cromwell)合夥人，當年在亞洲幫助米特圠姆尼(Mitt Romney)籌集逾200萬美元，後者在競選中輸給了巴拉克攠巴馬(Barack Obama)。
“That caught people’s attention and helped them realise there’s an opportunity to raise good money here,” said Mr DeSombre, who said his group is focusing on the 8.7m Americans overseas.
德鬆布爾表示：“這引起了人們的注意，使他們認識到，在這裏也有機會籌集很多資金。”他還表示，“海外共和黨人”正把注意力放在870萬境外美國人身上。
“If they were a state, they would be the 13th biggest by population, but historically they have not had a voice because many do not vote.”
“如果把他們算成一個州的話，那將是人口居美國第13位的州。然而，由於他們中的許多人並不投票，歷史上他們並未發出自己的聲音。”
Mr Bush is by no means the only 2016 contender hoping to raise money from Americans overseas, but he is expected to have a big advantage in Asia because of the networks created by his father and brother, who served as president.
在角逐2016年總統選舉的參選者中，傑布布什絕不會是唯一一位希望從境外美國人身上籌款的候選人。不過，考慮到曾任總統的父親和兄長建立起的人脈關係，預計他在亞洲會擁有巨大優勢。
One supporter said the Hong Kong event was just the first of many that he would hold in Asia. He said few other Republican candidates had the ability to raise as much money in Asia because “Bush just has stature in the region”.
一名支持者表示，在香港舉辦的活動只是他將在亞洲舉辦的諸多活動中的第一場。他說，“布什在該地區有知名度”，其他共和黨候選人沒有誰有能力在亞洲籌集這麼多資金。
Allie Brandenburger, a spokesperson, said Mr Bush “welcomes the support he has received from American expatriates all over the globe”.
發言人阿利布蘭登布格爾(Allie Brandenburger)表示，傑布布什“對全球各地美國僑民給予他的支持表示歡迎”。
Mr DeSombre said the US business community in greater China was keen to have its voice heard on issues from foreign policy to the tax demands on expatriates. While many Republicans have called on the US to take a tougher stance on China, some there are less keen to rock the boat. “The question is: how do we engage in a positive way while still being strong?” said Mr DeSombre.
德鬆布爾表示，在從外交政策到對海外僑民的稅收要求等問題上，大中華區的美國商界人士希望發出自己的聲音。雖然許多共和黨人曾呼籲美國對中國採取更強硬立場，在大中華區的一部分人卻不那麼急於破壞現狀。德鬆布爾表示：“問題在於：我們如何在仍然強大的時候，以積極方式處理這一關係。”
