Posted on 09/13/2011 7:13:11 PM PDT by Rational Thought
Reporting from Washington— The biggest political donor to Texas Gov. Rick Perry during his 11-year tenure has not been one of the state's oil barons or cattle ranchers, but a Washington-based organization into which Perry helped funnel millions of dollars.
The Republican Governors Assn. — which Perry chaired twice — gave him $4 million in the last five years, making it the largest single source of the $102.8 million he has raised since 2001.
The organization's donations came as Perry helped infuse the governors' group with millions of dollars from some of his major political patrons. Out of the $217 million the RGA raised between January 2006 and June 2011, $68.7 million came from 139 donors who have also given to Perry, according to a new report being released Tuesday morning by the watchdog group Texans for Public Justice.
Nearly a third of those contributors were wealthy Texans who form the backbone of Perry's finance operation — many of whom were not active donors to the RGA until 2006, when the Texas governor took on a bigger role at the organization.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Jesse Unruh
And the problem is?? This is how politics works...ALWAYS has...
Wait...I thought Merck was Perry’s largest contributor???
Permanent Political Class, anyone?
The RGA raised $217 million in 5 years. It’s job is to elect republican governors. During that 5 years, it gave Rick Perry $4 million. $4 million is less than 1/50th of the total the RGA. Perry is governor of 1 of the 50 states, the 2nd largest state, and yet he got less than 1/50th of the money they spent to elect republican governors.
Sounds like if anything he got less than the share you’d expect. Especially since he ran it twice and managed to hook up a good number of those donations.
Nice to see the liberals attacking our candidates for getting money from an official republican political organization. Hope our own side don’t fall into this trap.
Republican governors often make good presidents.
Dittos!
As I’ve said before...
We have to get 0 OUT. Perry isn’t the purist but
like I said, WE NEED TO GET 0 OUT.
No, but they donated a bunch of dough to the RGA.
There’s nothing wrong with the RGA donating $4m to Perry at all. However, don’t try and sell me that the ‘establishment is scared of him’ line of crap, when the establishment is his biggest donor.
BTW, I mean that in general, not to accuse you of saying that the establishment is scared.
The Republican association raised $31 Million for political activity in just three months of 2010 (July to September).
The contributors included an additional $250,000 from Rupert Murdoch’s News America Inc., bringing its total contribution for the year to $1.25 million; $3.5 million from Bob Perry, the Texas builder who was a major financier of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, for a year-to-date total of $4 million; $1 million from Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino mogul and longtime conservative donor; and $1 million from Paul Singer, the hedge fund manager, who has now contributed $2 million to the group this year.
In addition, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce donated $1 million, bringing its total to $5.4 million. A number of corporations also wrote sizable checks, including Cisco Systems, for $35,000; Microsoft, for $100,000; and Motorola, for $50,000. (These companies also contributed to the Democratic Governors Association.)
So, Merck's 355k contribution is a pittance in terms of even amounts contributed to the RGA by the MI Chamber of Commerce. Nice try though - keep digging.
I really wish DeMint would get in the race.
See reply 13. In terms of comparison, Merck's contributions are a pittance.
Yeah, he’s the only senator I’d toss my ‘no senators’ rule for. :)
The direct contributions, the meetings, contributions through the RGA, the incestuous relationship between Merck and various Perry Chiefs of Staff...
At some point, all of these ‘pittances’ will add up to something more than a pittance. Better that time be now than after we’re stuck with him as the nominee.
Me too. Seriously, DeMint is the real deal, everything we need wrapped up into one guy. I’m sure the really hardshell supporters of a few other candidates on here would pitch a fit, but frankly, we need to consolidate behind a solid, all-around conservative, and none of the others - Palin, Perry, Cain, etc. - have it all consistently.
Until they do, it is all mere conjecture. Wishing something to be present doesn’t make it so.
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