>The title drew me in. I just knew it couldn't possibly be from you :o) Only thing I'm not clear on is where is the proof that money was involved to buy influence? Something surely occurred behind the scenes. It appears clear from the post that the vote was going to be yes however it came to pass, but not what gained the VP's support? I guess we will have to wait to see if suddenly he is spending vacations on the French Riveria or on a private resort or retires to become a consultant for MSFT...

Exactly. As they say, money isn't everything. There's real estate, precious stones, gold, influence... though, how much influence can one earn by falling under buyer's influence?