Posted on 04/21/2007 1:25:21 PM PDT by shrinkermd
Management Fees Exceed Political Donations From Tennessee Presidential Hopeful's Account
In the five years since Republican Fred Thompson left the Senate, he has maintained his political fund-raising account -- and it has paid more money to his son than it has contributed to help elect Republicans to Congress, records show.
Mr. Thompson, of Tennessee, announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate in 2002. But since then, his political action committee has paid $244,000 in "management/consulting fees" to his son's consulting firm in Nashville, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
During the same period, the Fred D. Thompson PAC donated a total of $225,000 to Republican candidates and party organizations, according to the reports.
...Mrs. Clinton's HILLPAC has paid about $2 million in salaries since 2002, while contributing $2 million to Democratic candidates for office. Mr. Edwards's PAC paid about $1 million in salaries while contributing $200,000 to Democrats when he used it during the 2002 and 2004 elections. Mr. Edwards primarily used his PAC to fund his political career, rather than to contribute to Democratic candidates. Mr. Obama, who only had a PAC for the 2006 election, paid about $500,000 in salaries and donated $770,000 to Democrats.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Would you suggest a way that such information should have been posted? It seems that if Thompson DID contribute to Hillary, that would be important info to share with the forum. If OpenSecrets.org made a mistake (which is evidently the case), then bringing it to the attention of the FR community is also a good thing, IMHO. And FairOpinion did say, "I don't vouch for the accuracy, but I understand the contributions are public record and this is where Open Secrets collects the info." with a link to the source, and also added, "Can someone research and confirm or refute this?"
It seems FairOpinion also asked for it to be pulled after subsequent research showed it to be faulty...?
So...what approach should an honest, conservative FReeper use in such a case, if not what FairOpinion did? (BTW, perhaps you're commenting on FairOpinion's other posts, but I took it as in reference to this thread that you called troll.)
>Why not hire a family member he trusts?<
For the sake of argument, how is that any different than Diane Feinstein awarding her husband’s company contracts, except for degree? Though PAC dollars aren’t tax money, it is taxpayer’s money, not spent according to the taxpayer’s intent.
PING!
That's the best part of your last whiny, self serving post.
>>>>>I know it is “fun” to attack people personally ...
This is not about fun! This is serious stuff. There is very little civility when conservatives take on liberals and liberalism. That is the politics of Free Republic. We FReepers may cut some slack to moderates on occasion, but liberals get no mercy. I think you need to review what JimRob has posted on FR's homepage and his numerous vanity posts in recent months. They cover a multitude of issues that are relevent to conservatives and are critical to understanding why Free Republic exists.
FReepers are suppose to be advancing conservatism and fighting for the Constitution. This is a war against liberalism.
Jim, zotting FairOpinion is like bagging a 12-point buck! You sure you have room on your mantle next to the other stuffed heads over your bearskin rug? :-)
FairOpinion constantly trolls against conservative candidates while pushing the most liberal one he can find. He couldn’t resist joining this shameful smear attacks against a good conservative candidate in his zeal to support his abortionist, gay rights supporting, illegal alien supporting, gun grabbing liberal candidate. No thank you. This is not what FR is all about. If he wants to support liberals while attacking fine conservatives he can do it elsewhere. I heartily recommend DU. He’ll be trolling here no more. Other trolls take heed.
Enquiring minds want to know.
Link, please. :)
Oh, that is so tacky and beneath FR.
Too bad she didn't do this on all the other BS threads she posted. (Yes, she's a girl, you can tell by the way she types).
Regardless of whether or not her error was sincere or deliberate is moot now. I can now enjoy FR without tirelessly refuting her lies.
Okay, if it’s not just based on this thread. I often find myself “keeping our side honest” by challenging knee-jerk conservative reactions, and don’t want that to be misconstrued as trolling. :-)
That is silly. First, you have no idea if the people who gave money actually are taxpayers, maybe they are all poor people who actually get tax credits. But assuming they are, their status as taxpayers is entirely independent of, and meaningless to, their deciding to donate some of their ALREADY-TAXED money to a political action committe.
And then, since the PAC is public, any person giving to the PAC can see exactly how the money is spent. Further, every PAC has administrative expenses, so it would be stupid for a person to not think that part of the "intent" of the PAC was to spend money on a manager.
Considering “Fair” Opinion also started a thread which stated that Thompson’s church had mormon roots, which was completely untrue, and then REFUSED to retract it, causing it to be deleted, I don’t trust him a bit.
FO’s posts were incredibly predictable—pro-Rudy and always trying (futilely) to raise a cloud over Thompson. Good riddance.
Really. Now that is interesting.
>>>>>I can now enjoy FR without tirelessly refuting her lies.
Agreed.
What, the California is free statement?
FO drove FReepers absolutely bat-s--t crazy. How can someone keep spewing the same old garbage after it's been refuted a million times? C'mon Howlin. Even I supported Rudy once and have repented. I was scrapping with Reagan Man, dirtboy, Spiff etc just as much as you are now. If I can sheepishly come to the conclusion and admit I was wrong, and that Rudy is a liberal after all and shouldn't be elected President, then so can others.
Don’t try to justify it; it’s ugly.
Before she was a Rudy shill, she really got on FReeper’s nerves over the Minuteman project and the Arnold/California threads. Big-time liberal shill.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.