Today, the New York Times reports that News Corp, the media conglomerate that owns Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, among others, gave just over $1 million to the Republican Governors Association.

That's a hefty sum for a media corporation, OpenSecrets.org's Dave Levinthal tells the Times—especially one that touts "fair and balanced" reporting. The Governors Association, in turn, gave New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez a $250,000 contribution earlier this year.

The Times picked up the story from Bloomberg Businessweek, which reported yesterday that since governors' associations can take in unlimited corporate donations, they're getting a lot of attention in anticipation of a heated election season.

The phenomenon is hardly limited to Republicans. In New Mexico, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish received $125,000 from the Democratic Governors Association, plus another $100,000 from its biggest contributor, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

What appears to hit a nerve with the News Corp. contribution is that it's media-related.

Media Matters, a liberal-leaning media research group, writes on its blog that the donation "underscores News Corp.'s role as an appendage of the Republican Party"; New York Magazine reports that "News Corp. Further Aligns Itself With the GOP."

But a News Corp. spokesman tells Politico's Ben Smith that the donation has to do with the company's interest in a "pro-business agenda"—nothing more. And Fox News' political action committee, Smith reveals, also swings the other way:


Though Bloomberg calls it the RGA's "biggest corporate donor," according to OpenSecrets, News Corp. ranks sixth in the lineup of total RGA donors. (The Michigan Chamber of Commerce comes in first, followed by Perry Homes and the Republican National Committee. Many top DGA donors are unions.)

Here's the kicker, though: The RGA's eighth-biggest donor, just two spots below News Corp., is Blue Cross Blue Shield. The health insurer is currently fighting the state Public Regulation Commission's attempts to block its proposed 21 percent rate hike.

Denish is on record opposing more oversight for the PRC; according to the online New Mexico Independent, Martinez didn't return calls for a June article on subject. Blue Cross is a regular political contributor whose largesse has extended to Denish but not Martinez, campaign finance reports show.

The one bright spot for consumers is the recent announcement that New Mexico will receive $1 million to better evaluate rate hike proposals.