Cuppa Tea?
readin’ the auguries
Many wealthy Democratic patrons, who in the past have played major roles financing outside groups to help elect the party’s candidates, are sitting out these crucial midterm elections.
Democratic donors like George Soros and fellow billionaire Peter Lewis, who each gave more than $20 million to Democratic-oriented groups in the 2004 election, appear to be holding back.
“Mr. Soros believes that he can be most effective by funding groups that promote progressive policy outcomes in areas such as health care, the environment and foreign policy,” said an adviser [read: spokesmonkey], Michael Vachon. “So he has opted to fund those activities."
*flipping back through the calendar*
[December 5, 2006] “Most of the people Barack is seeing are either doing it out of respect for anyone who is a United States senator, or out of curiosity, or to leave their options open in case she [HIllary] decides not to run,” said Ken Sherrill, a political scientist at Hunter College. “I can’t imagine his picking up any significant support, but he can establish good will.” [*shakes like wet dawg*]
Mr. Soros, an early supporter, was the host of a fund-raiser during Mr. Obama’s campaign for the Senate in 2004, said Michael Vachon, a senior aide to Mr. Soros. Mr. Obama’s staff asked to use the Soros offices for last night’s meetings since it was near the Midtown hotel where the senator spoke last night at a fund-raiser ...
Mr. Obama met with George Soros, the liberal billionaire philanthropist, then some other donors last night at Mr. Soros’s offices.
Expression of Displeasure?
OR [*smoothes hackles*] Part of Teh Plan?
To Continue:
The donors’ reluctance stems from a variety of factors, including pessimism about the party’s prospects in November but also President Barack Obama’s strong condemnations of this kind of independent activity, both during the 2008 campaign and after he was elected.
Vachon said Soros, who was also a big donor in 2006 and to a lesser extent in 2008, had been more focused on pushing to get the policy outcomes he wants. He gave $5 million each last year to organizations advocating for the health care overhaul and the climate change bill, Vachon said. He also contributed $1.25 million this year to America Votes, an umbrella organization for a variety of liberal-leaning groups, which focuses on the voter mobilization that Soros has supported.
Member organizations of the America Votes coalition include, among others, ACORN and SEIU…
OR just another game of Hide Teh Pea?
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