Free Republic

Alex Spanos, one of the nation's foremost Republican benefactors, has contributed $20,000 to Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown's gubernatorial campaign – two years after Brown immersed himself in land-use policies in Spanos' hometown. Brown opposed Spanos in a dispute in 2008 that caused the developer to alter plans for a massive subdivision in Stockton. Through a settlement, Brown's office continues to monitor environmental policies affecting Spanos and other developers in that city. The donation from Spanos, an owner of the San Diego Chargers, remains unusual. He has given millions of dollars to Republican causes, and he was a top fundraiser...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is dispatching his newly appointed chief of staff to woo wealthy Republican donors for his reelection effort, injecting his most influential policy advisor into the job of collecting money for his campaign. (snip) Campaign finance experts and legislative Democrats questioned why Kennedy — the lead negotiator on major decisions in the Schwarzenegger administration — would be allowed to attend private meetings with donors when many have business before the administration. Paul S. Ryan, associate legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, D.C., said allowing donors access to Kennedy creates "the appearance of corruption in California....

Introduction by Alex SpanosI am delighted to be here this evening because I just love Rush Limbaugh. (Cheers and applause) I love his courage. I love his principles. And most of all, I love that his heart is as big as his compassion and generosity. I have seen Rush give of his time and resources to help others many times over. My friends, he is truly one of a kind. Rush Limbaugh's influence on American politics is unrivaled by any other person in the media world. (Applause) Although he holds no elected office, he commands the attention of millions of...

Stockton businessman Alex Spanos is among the top donors to a political group recently formed by backers of President Bush that has amassed a treasure chest of $35 million. The group plans a barrage of commercials criticizing Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry, even though the president this week denounced such outside organizations for running negative campaign ads. The Progress for America Voter Fund was launched in May after the Federal Election Commission refused to shut down a crop of well-funded liberal organizations that were going after the president. Those groups, known as 527s, had formed quickly and begun raising large...