Posted on 01/12/2005 9:45:10 AM PST by gidget7
A group of billionaire philanthropists are to donate tens of millions more dollars to develop progressive political ideas in the US in an effort to counter the conservative ascendancy.
George Soros, who made his fortune in the hedge fund industry; Herb and Marion Sandler, the California couple who own a multi-billion-dollar savings and loan business; and Peter Lewis, the chairman of an Ohio insurance company, donated more than $63m (£34m) in the 2004 election cycle to organisations seeking to defeat George W. Bush.
At a meeting in San Francisco last month, the left-leaning billionaires agreed to commit an even larger sum over a longer period to building institutions to foster progressive ideas and people.
Far from being disillusioned by the defeat of John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, the billionaires have resolved to invest further in the intellectual future of the left, one person involved said.
Their commitment to provide new money comes amid criticism of the efforts of high-profile donors such as the Hungarian-born Mr Soros to sway US politics as well as doubts about the effectiveness of record funding in helping the Democratic cause in 2004.
The details of the San Francisco meeting are closely held. Mr Soros and his son Jonathan, the Sandlers and Mr Lewis asked aides to leave the room as they discussed the planned financial commitment.
But the still-evolving plan, according to one person involved, is “joint investment to build intellectual infrastructure”.
The intention is to provide the left with organisations in Washington that can match the heft of the rightwing think-tanks such as Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. At a state level, the aim is to build what one person called a “deeper progressive bench”.
The sums involved are the subject of speculation: one person said he had heard a commitment to spend more than $100m over 15 years, another said at least $25m over five years. Several people said their understanding was that the billionaires had decided to spend more, rather than less, than they did in 2004.
Mr Soros donated $27m, the Sandlers $13m and Mr Lewis $23m to so-called 527 groups privately-funded political organisations during the 2004 campaign, according to PoliticalMoneyLine, the campaign finance tracking service.
Stephen Bing, a film producer and heir to a real estate fortune who donated $13m, is also expected to be involved in the investment in progressive infrastructure.
Andrew Stern, who is president of the Service Employees International Union, has been working to include organised labour in the initiative.
Leftwing policy experts have already got wind of the new funds. One former aide to Mr Kerry said there had been talks with the Center for American Progress about making permanent the network of foreign policy experts established by Democrats in the 2004 campaign. He said he had been told: “Money is not a problem.”
Soros, Sperling and Lewis.
I'm sure glad McCain got all that soft money out of politics. I don't know where we'd be without him!
[/sarcasm off]
Granted the leaders in Ukraine and Belarus were not perfect... far from it... but, what gives soros and his left-wing buddies the right to influence countries in which they do NOT reside.
And, further.... THEY HATE PRESIDENT BUSH just like they hated the leaders of Ukraine and Belarus.
I think if Soros is your enemy, you cannot be ALL bad. Because soros must be a shill for the devil if he worked against George Bush's re-election and likes/wants hillery clinton and billy boy to be in power.
Although not mentioned, Lewis (Apollo Group (University of Phoenix) is probably not far away.
I was with Geico for years...Allstate was cheaper. Check it out...(and I have NOTHING to do financially with Allstate).
Acutally, he doesn't bet on their being smart, he bets on their being dumb and allowing him to manipulate them after he gets them in power. He knows that he can not manipulate Bush & Co.
Wasn't Engels of Marx and Engels fame... a very rich British businessman who supported Marx's Communist activities?
It's such a pathetic irony that a group of rich prviliged individuals, would try to oppress hard working middle Americans into "progressive thinking".
I read in a tabloid while sitting in my lark-cart in line at the checkout( shame on me) that Jonathan Soros is gay or bi.
Moral of the story
If you're a rich lefty trying to indoctrinate people, you're a charitable "philanthropists".
And if your a rich conservative, you're an evil lobbyist trying to buy the vote....
Geico is no better since it is owned by Warren Buffet.
Go with AAA or Century.
Or state Farm.
Brillant observation. I think you are on to something there.
That would be someone like Ken Lay.
Oh, I don't know. The Conservative billionaires do real work with their money, but don't hold news conferences.
charitable "philanthropists".
Oxi Moron if i ever heard one. Philanderer/Philanthropist
A very wealty and priviledged man, obsessed with pervert sex willing to take over countries for his financial gain, hates conservative Christians..... why, that sounds like CALIGULA of the old Roman empire.
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