Republicans typically associated with....
Republicans typically associated with....
I seriously believe things have gone nearly full circle as to which party best represents the average working stiff!
Democrats persist & love to label Republicans the cold, supporting big business, out-of-touch with the avg. constituent party!
But I believe the right is more representative of that which many Americans want/support: less govt intervention in our lives, tax cessation, supports for small businesses, strong military, the right to public displays of worship - such as Christmas scenes or prayer @ graduation ceremonies, right to life, campaign contribution reform, social security reform etc..
Which brings me to an article I read in the Washington Post while drinking a Cuban Cooler here in a port town of the Laguana de Chapala just south of Guadalajara, east of Corona(yes that Corona)& west of Margaritaville:
An alliance of nearly a hundred of the nation's wealthiest donors is roiling Democratic political circles, directing more than $50 million in the past nine months to liberal think tanks and advocacy groups in what organizers say is the first installment of a long-term campaign to compete more aggressively against conservatives.
A year after its founding, Democracy Alliance has followed up on its pledge to become a major power in the liberal movement. It has lavished millions on groups that have been willing to submit to its extensive screening process and its demands for secrecy.
The large checks and demanding style wielded by Democracy Alliance organizers in recent months have caused unease among Washington's community of Democratic-linked organizations. The alliance has required organizations that receive its endorsement to sign agreements shielding the identity of donors. Public interest groups said the alliance represents a large source of undisclosed and unaccountable political influence.
Democracy Alliance was formed last year with major backing from billionaires such as financier George Soros and Colorado software entrepreneur Tim Gill. The inspiration, according to founders, was a belief that Democrats became the minority party in part because liberals do not have a well-funded network of policy shops, watchdog groups and training centers for activists equivalent to what has existed for years on the right.
But the alliance's early months have been marked by occasional turmoil, according to several people who are now or have recently been affiliated with the group. Made up of billionaires and millionaires who are accustomed to calling the shots, the group at times has gotten bogged down in disputes about its funding priorities and mission, participants said.
"Like a lot of elite groups, we fly beneath the radar," said Guy Saperstein, an Oakland lawyer and alliance donor. But "we are not so stupid though," he said, to think "we can deny our existence."This article is based on interviews with more than two dozen Democrats who are members of the alliance, recipients of their money or familiar with the group's operations. None would speak on the record about financial details, but all such details were confirmed by multiple sources.
Democracy Alliance works essentially as a cooperative for donors, allowing them to coordinate their giving so that it has more influence.
To become a "partner," as the members are referred to internally, requires a $25,000 entry fee and annual dues of $30,000 to cover alliance operations as well as some of its contributions to start-up liberal groups. Beyond this, partners also agree to spend at least $200,000 annually on organizations that have been endorsed by the alliance. Essentially, the alliance serves as an accreditation agency for political advocacy groups.
This accreditation process is the root of Democracy Alliance's influence. If a group does not receive the alliance's blessing, dozens of the nation's wealthiest political contributors as a practical matter become off-limits for fundraising purposes.
Many of these contributors give away far more than the $200,000 requirement. Soros, Gill and insurance magnate Peter Lewis are among the biggest contributors, but 45 percent of the 95 partners gave $300,000 or better in the initial round of grants last October, according to a source familiar with the organization.
Democracy Alliance organizers say they are trying to bring principles of accountability and capital investment that are common in business to the world of political advocacy, where they believe such principles have often been missing.
Wade declined to discuss the donors or the groups they fund. But, in an interview, she described how the groups were chosen. Alliance officials initially reviewed about 600 liberal and Democratic-leaning organizations. Then, about 40 of those groups were invited to apply for an endorsement -- with a requirement that they submit detailed business plans and internal financial information. Those groups were then screened by a panel of alliance staff members, donors and outside experts, including some with expertise in philanthropy rather than politics. So far, according to people familiar with the alliance, 25 groups have received its blessing.
The goal was to invest in groups that could be influential in building what activists call "political infrastructure" -- institutions that can support Democratic causes not simply in the next election but for years to come.
Officials with numerous policy and political groups in Washington said they have reservations about the group's influence. Several declined to talk on the record for fear of alienating a funding source.
But some consider Democracy Alliance's hidden influence troubling, regardless of its ideological orientation. Unlike election campaigns, which must detail contributions and spending, most of the think tanks and not-for-profit groups funded by the alliance are exempt from public disclosure laws."It is a huge problem," said Sheila Krumholz, the acting executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. She noted that for decades "all kinds of Democrats and liberals were complaining that corporations and individuals were carrying on these stealth campaigns to fund right-wing think tanks and advocacy groups. Just as it was then, it is a problem today."
The exclusive donor club includes millionaires such as Susie Tompkins Buell and her husband, Mark Buell, major backers of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), and Chris Gabrieli, an investment banker running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Massachusetts this September.
Bernard L. Schwartz, retired chief executive of Loral Space & Communications Inc. and an alliance donor, said the group offers partners "an array of opportunities that have passed their smell test." This is most helpful, he said, for big donors who lack the time to closely examine their political investment options.
There also are a few "institutional investors" such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that pay a $50,000 annual fee and agree to spend $1 million on alliance-backed efforts.
_____________________________________________________________
You tell me---Republicans synonymous with big business....I don't think so, the times they are a changing!!
Democrats persist & love to label Republicans the cold, supporting big business, out-of-touch with the avg. constituent party!
But I believe the right is more representative of that which many Americans want/support: less govt intervention in our lives, tax cessation, supports for small businesses, strong military, the right to public displays of worship - such as Christmas scenes or prayer @ graduation ceremonies, right to life, campaign contribution reform, social security reform etc..
Which brings me to an article I read in the Washington Post while drinking a Cuban Cooler here in a port town of the Laguana de Chapala just south of Guadalajara, east of Corona(yes that Corona)& west of Margaritaville:
An alliance of nearly a hundred of the nation's wealthiest donors is roiling Democratic political circles, directing more than $50 million in the past nine months to liberal think tanks and advocacy groups in what organizers say is the first installment of a long-term campaign to compete more aggressively against conservatives.
A year after its founding, Democracy Alliance has followed up on its pledge to become a major power in the liberal movement. It has lavished millions on groups that have been willing to submit to its extensive screening process and its demands for secrecy.
The large checks and demanding style wielded by Democracy Alliance organizers in recent months have caused unease among Washington's community of Democratic-linked organizations. The alliance has required organizations that receive its endorsement to sign agreements shielding the identity of donors. Public interest groups said the alliance represents a large source of undisclosed and unaccountable political influence.
Democracy Alliance was formed last year with major backing from billionaires such as financier George Soros and Colorado software entrepreneur Tim Gill. The inspiration, according to founders, was a belief that Democrats became the minority party in part because liberals do not have a well-funded network of policy shops, watchdog groups and training centers for activists equivalent to what has existed for years on the right.
But the alliance's early months have been marked by occasional turmoil, according to several people who are now or have recently been affiliated with the group. Made up of billionaires and millionaires who are accustomed to calling the shots, the group at times has gotten bogged down in disputes about its funding priorities and mission, participants said.
"Like a lot of elite groups, we fly beneath the radar," said Guy Saperstein, an Oakland lawyer and alliance donor. But "we are not so stupid though," he said, to think "we can deny our existence."This article is based on interviews with more than two dozen Democrats who are members of the alliance, recipients of their money or familiar with the group's operations. None would speak on the record about financial details, but all such details were confirmed by multiple sources.
Democracy Alliance works essentially as a cooperative for donors, allowing them to coordinate their giving so that it has more influence.
To become a "partner," as the members are referred to internally, requires a $25,000 entry fee and annual dues of $30,000 to cover alliance operations as well as some of its contributions to start-up liberal groups. Beyond this, partners also agree to spend at least $200,000 annually on organizations that have been endorsed by the alliance. Essentially, the alliance serves as an accreditation agency for political advocacy groups.
This accreditation process is the root of Democracy Alliance's influence. If a group does not receive the alliance's blessing, dozens of the nation's wealthiest political contributors as a practical matter become off-limits for fundraising purposes.
Many of these contributors give away far more than the $200,000 requirement. Soros, Gill and insurance magnate Peter Lewis are among the biggest contributors, but 45 percent of the 95 partners gave $300,000 or better in the initial round of grants last October, according to a source familiar with the organization.
Democracy Alliance organizers say they are trying to bring principles of accountability and capital investment that are common in business to the world of political advocacy, where they believe such principles have often been missing.
Wade declined to discuss the donors or the groups they fund. But, in an interview, she described how the groups were chosen. Alliance officials initially reviewed about 600 liberal and Democratic-leaning organizations. Then, about 40 of those groups were invited to apply for an endorsement -- with a requirement that they submit detailed business plans and internal financial information. Those groups were then screened by a panel of alliance staff members, donors and outside experts, including some with expertise in philanthropy rather than politics. So far, according to people familiar with the alliance, 25 groups have received its blessing.
The goal was to invest in groups that could be influential in building what activists call "political infrastructure" -- institutions that can support Democratic causes not simply in the next election but for years to come.
Officials with numerous policy and political groups in Washington said they have reservations about the group's influence. Several declined to talk on the record for fear of alienating a funding source.
But some consider Democracy Alliance's hidden influence troubling, regardless of its ideological orientation. Unlike election campaigns, which must detail contributions and spending, most of the think tanks and not-for-profit groups funded by the alliance are exempt from public disclosure laws."It is a huge problem," said Sheila Krumholz, the acting executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. She noted that for decades "all kinds of Democrats and liberals were complaining that corporations and individuals were carrying on these stealth campaigns to fund right-wing think tanks and advocacy groups. Just as it was then, it is a problem today."
The exclusive donor club includes millionaires such as Susie Tompkins Buell and her husband, Mark Buell, major backers of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), and Chris Gabrieli, an investment banker running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Massachusetts this September.
Bernard L. Schwartz, retired chief executive of Loral Space & Communications Inc. and an alliance donor, said the group offers partners "an array of opportunities that have passed their smell test." This is most helpful, he said, for big donors who lack the time to closely examine their political investment options.
There also are a few "institutional investors" such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that pay a $50,000 annual fee and agree to spend $1 million on alliance-backed efforts.
_____________________________________________________________
You tell me---Republicans synonymous with big business....I don't think so, the times they are a changing!!
Last edited by vman on September 20th, 2011, 12:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have to say thank you to me ..." for not being stupid enough to go to Penn State."
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Captain Coveman
- Official BleacherCoach
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Is Soros even an American Citizen?
Last edited by Captain Coveman on September 20th, 2011, 12:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Republicans typically associated with....
Yea, interesting character.
In 1956, Soros moved to the United States, where he began to accumulate a large fortune through an international investment fund he founded and managed. Today he is chairman of Soros Fund Management LLC.
Soros has been active as a philanthropist since 1979, when he began providing funds to help black students attend the University of Cape Town in apartheid South Africa. Today he is chairman of the Open Society Institute (OSI) and the founder of a network of philanthropic organizations that are active in more than 50 countries. Based primarily in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union—but also in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the United States—these foundations are dedicated to building and maintaining the infrastructure and institutions of an open society. They work closely with OSI to develop and implement a range of programs focusing on civil society, education, media, public health, and human rights as well as social, legal, and economic reform. In recent years, OSI and the Soros foundations network have spent more than $400 million annually to support projects in these and other focus areas. In 1991, Soros founded Central European University, with its primary campus in Budapest(his birthplace).
He raised $75 million to defeat President Bush in the 2004 Presidential election, and personally donated nearly a third of that amount to anti-Bush groups ( The Shadow Party). Soros gave $5 million to MoveOn.org, the group that has produced political ads likening Bush to Adolf Hitler. He also contributed $10 million to a Democratic Party 2004 get-out-the-vote initiative called America Coming Together, whose directors include representatives from the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, the Service Employees International Union, and the feminist political-action committee Emily's List. He has further pledged $3 million to the Center for American Progress (CAP), a think-tank headed by former Clinton chief-of-staff John Podesta. CAP was formed in an effort to offset the influence of its conservative counterpart, the Heritage Foundation.
He is also a global warming kook!
In 1956, Soros moved to the United States, where he began to accumulate a large fortune through an international investment fund he founded and managed. Today he is chairman of Soros Fund Management LLC.
Soros has been active as a philanthropist since 1979, when he began providing funds to help black students attend the University of Cape Town in apartheid South Africa. Today he is chairman of the Open Society Institute (OSI) and the founder of a network of philanthropic organizations that are active in more than 50 countries. Based primarily in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union—but also in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the United States—these foundations are dedicated to building and maintaining the infrastructure and institutions of an open society. They work closely with OSI to develop and implement a range of programs focusing on civil society, education, media, public health, and human rights as well as social, legal, and economic reform. In recent years, OSI and the Soros foundations network have spent more than $400 million annually to support projects in these and other focus areas. In 1991, Soros founded Central European University, with its primary campus in Budapest(his birthplace).
He raised $75 million to defeat President Bush in the 2004 Presidential election, and personally donated nearly a third of that amount to anti-Bush groups ( The Shadow Party). Soros gave $5 million to MoveOn.org, the group that has produced political ads likening Bush to Adolf Hitler. He also contributed $10 million to a Democratic Party 2004 get-out-the-vote initiative called America Coming Together, whose directors include representatives from the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club, the Service Employees International Union, and the feminist political-action committee Emily's List. He has further pledged $3 million to the Center for American Progress (CAP), a think-tank headed by former Clinton chief-of-staff John Podesta. CAP was formed in an effort to offset the influence of its conservative counterpart, the Heritage Foundation.
He is also a global warming kook!
Last edited by vman on September 20th, 2011, 12:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have to say thank you to me ..." for not being stupid enough to go to Penn State."
Re: Republicans typically associated with....
You know this Soros is concerning:
He harbors eerie delusion of being a New Age Messiah.
Soros' philanthropy funds abortion, atheism, drug legalization, gay marriage, globalization and other radical causes.
Although a Jew, has shown such disdain for Israel and Jewish groups.
The Russians raided and closed down Soros’ Moscow offices with armed paramilitary units.
He has established a Soros Cult: the new semi-secret establishment he has built to take over many East European countries.
He says he will force "regime change" in the U.S. if he has to, and blames President Bush's alleged failings on his Christianity.
Soros strives to realize his vision of a world without God.
He made billions from undermining Britain's economy and he may attempt doing the same thing to America.
He harbors eerie delusion of being a New Age Messiah.
Soros' philanthropy funds abortion, atheism, drug legalization, gay marriage, globalization and other radical causes.
Although a Jew, has shown such disdain for Israel and Jewish groups.
The Russians raided and closed down Soros’ Moscow offices with armed paramilitary units.
He has established a Soros Cult: the new semi-secret establishment he has built to take over many East European countries.
He says he will force "regime change" in the U.S. if he has to, and blames President Bush's alleged failings on his Christianity.
Soros strives to realize his vision of a world without God.
He made billions from undermining Britain's economy and he may attempt doing the same thing to America.
Last edited by vman on September 20th, 2011, 12:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have to say thank you to me ..." for not being stupid enough to go to Penn State."
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The Ancient Enemy
- Official BleacherCoach
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- Joined: October 30th, 2004, 2:47 pm
Re: Republicans typically associated with....
You say those things like they're evil.abortion, atheism, drug legalization, gay marriage, globalization and other radical causes.
Watch me open this can of worms, and then never respond in this thread again:
ABORTION: You cant trust her with a decision, you cant trust her with a baby. Lessen adoption laws if you want her to keep the kid. Then go adopt it. "Oh, I cant handle it". Hey, neither can she. Just think... if anti-abortion peepz stepped up and took on that adversity, a child would not be MURDERED. Oooooh what an evil word!!!! How dare I!!!
ATHEISM: Two quotes by 2 great men: Voltaire had this to say: "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." Ludacris says, "Crybabies go ooooohhhhhhhhhh."
DRUG LEGALIZATION: Why spend all this money on a fictional drug war? It's a big farce. You kill one leader, someone else takes over, and knows where the former made his mistakes. How do criminals still escape maximum security prisons? Same concept. Why not just legalize everything? Why is it the governments responsibility if you lose your job because you're a coke head? Personal responsibility is key, class!
GAY MARRIAGE: Why can't YOUR beliefs stay YOUR beliefs? Subjecting people to morals you claim are in the Bible is not a separation of church and state! Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too. Pushing your beliefs on others is wrong, havent you seen the US's foreign policy? Double yoy!!!
GLOBALIZATION: There are both benefits and flaws to this.
Here's another Voltaire quote for the weak of heart to digust: "If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated."
"I can and will be hard anytime with or without my boyz!!!" - Hollywood
"Their jerseys make me want to run through the desert and tackle a terrorist." - nLions1
"Their jerseys make me want to run through the desert and tackle a terrorist." - nLions1