Wealthy Liberals Give Heavily in Bid to Oust Bush

Los Angeles Times ^ | February 3, 2004 | Lisa Getter

[Mo1]

WASHINGTON — Faced with a new ban on unlimited donations to political parties, some of America's wealthiest liberals have given large sums to help finance independent organizations that want to defeat President Bush in November, according to records released by the IRS on Monday.

Major contributors to the groups include philanthropist George Soros, who gave $5 million, and Cleveland-based insurance billionaire Peter Lewis, who donated $3 million. Hollywood producer Steven Bing gave $2 million, and Rob Glaser, chief executive of RealNetworks, a software maker, gave $745,000.

But the groups, known as 527s for the section of the tax code that applies to them, have raised nowhere near the hundreds of millions their organizers predicted, the reports show. Such predictions had led to speculation that the groups would take advantage of loopholes in campaign finance law to become a shadow Democratic money machine.

"There have been a lot of exaggerated numbers floating around about how much … groups related to Democrats would raise and spend in the 2004 election," said Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a campaign-finance watchdog group in Washington. "The two biggest groups … announced plans to spend a total of $190 million to defeat President Bush. What these reports show is that to date, they have raised just 8% of that $190 million."

[mikeb704]

COSTCO owners are anti Bush? Could you tell me where I could find more on that?

Please see: Costco chairman, CEO give $95,000 each to defeat Bush

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[Doctor Raoul]

Just goes to show that Democrats have NO interest in TRUE campaign reform.

Before the law was even passed, there were articles out there about how they planned ways AROUND the new law.

[Doctor Raoul]

Just goes to show that Democrats have NO interest in TRUE campaign reform.

Before the law was even passed, there were articles out there about how they planned ways AROUND the new law.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Please FReepmail me if you want on/off this ping list.

[Psycho_Bunny]

"A FOOL and their MONEY are soon parted."

"...what I want to know is how they got together in the first place."

[OldFriend]

I emailed Progressive and got the same spin as I got from the boss at COSTCO. It's private money, not company money. I asked, where did the private money come from if not from the profits of the company.....

They don't like the questions or the publicity. TOO BAD!

[OldFriend]

I assure you, I make phone calls and let them know we KNOW!

[Mo1]

Looks like they got a lot more money to spend: America Coming Together

[Katya]

I've already sent my bitch letter to costco...not that they'll care.

[DollyCali]

George & Martha can share a cell in the spirit of PC

[ryanjb2]

I make $6.10 an hour at my job. I will be donating something to Bush, even though I think he should improve his Conservative record. Its either him or Kerry, and I really want to p!ss off A.N.S.W.E.R.

[MJY1288]

George Soros will go broke trying to polish that turd john Kerry

[Mo1]

Good!

[NYCVirago]

The group also collected $900,000 from Houston investor Linda Pritzker; $345,000 from Agnes Varis, a New York chemical company owner; $100,000 from Julie Packard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium; and $95,000 from Laurie David, wife of HBO star Larry David.

Where is that aquarium woman getting the money to fund this? Is she taking food out of the mouths of baby fish to fund this campaign?

[HungarianGypsy]

So is there a list of Wealthy Conservatives donating their money to help Bush? That way we know who to give MORE business to in appreciation.

[Mo1]

Where is that aquarium woman getting the money to fund this?

From what I can tell Pachard is loaded

Julie E. Packard

[NYCVirago]

Good find. Looks like she gives to all the left-wing groups. Too bad she can't lower the price to the aquarium (it's $20 a ticket, which is pretty steep) instead of using her money to fund libs.