Soros, Lewis Push Campaign Law Limits to Counter Bush

Bloomberg.com ^ | 10/28/03 | Bloomberg.com

[NYC Republican]

Peter Lewis found Karl Rove's strategy for getting President George W. Bush re-elected so compelling that the billionaire businessman decided to donate $10 million -- to try to defeat Bush.

Lewis, chairman of auto insurer Progressive Corp., read in the May 12 New Yorker magazine that Rove, Bush's top political adviser, planned to pursue such traditional Democrats as Jewish voters and non-white businessmen and to limit trial lawyers' clout as donors to the party, among other tactics.

[NYC Republican]

These limousine liberals are absolutely dangerous!

[Thebaddog]

Lewis' company makes their money selling high risk auto insurance to teenagers who can't get insured anywhere else. And if you dig around, I think that he's a big player in the NORML group touting legalized marijuana.

[michaelt]

I thought there was a reason why I didn't like Progressive, besides their stupid commercials and ugly company vehicles with their logo plastered all over the side.

[Dan from Michigan]

Soros is the most evil SOB in the world today.

[zencat]

Has anyone heard if any wealthy conservatives will be doing anything to counteract this?

[sirshackleton]

I read several months (years?) ago that Lewis is a big admirer of Mao, so much so that he has a big portrait of Mao in his office.

As for 527s, it seems MoveOn has found this to be a an attractive tool and has started one of their own, toting in an email something to the effect of "Donate as much as you want...the skies the limit!"

[SolutionsOnly]

I dont' see how it matters. Re-election is Bush's to lose.
And given the administration's ineptitude at getting the message out (by always playing defense), he just might.

[yoe]

"That designation prohibits them from coordinating activities with the Democratic or Republican parties, yet it allows them to collect unregulated, unlimited ``soft money'' donations. The groups can sidestep a law enacted a year ago, the so-called McCain-Feingold legislation, that bans such money from going to national party-linked organizations.

Thank you John McCain. And we can thank both McCain and Lieberman again for trying to slip in the back door with a new bill that would enable the Kyoto accord; it was defeated in 1997 with a U.S. Senate vote of 95-0 but for some weird reason, the little rooster of AZ and his liberal friend Joe Lieberman are trying like heck to bring it back! Russia's Putin gave it what some term, Coup-de-Kyoto - why do John and Joe keep bagging dead horses at the expense of the American people? It can't all be about votes, can it....? The boys call their new tact “Climate Stewardship Act.”

Didn’t they hear about Russia and what will they have us do, stop breathing? Without CO2 we won’t need soft money...Joe, you and John have a lot of ‘splaining to do..............

[keithtoo]

Soros might be a financial genius, but he is a socio/political dunce.

[gridlock]

One less auto insurance company to consider when it comes time to price new policies...

[mallardx]

I have had 2 problems with Progressive, both instances because one of their insured hit my cars. On the first one, they tried to return my car with the wrong year front end on it (it was a '68 deville convertible, the put a '67 front end on it), and gave it back to me unpainted with the bolts from the front clip rubbing against my tires (the body shop's fault), but still they tried to pay me off for an unrepaired car and $900, I fought and got an extra $2000. Next they sent my Toyota to be repaired, the body shop put a $30 muffler and other aftermarket parts on my car, three years later the welded on exhaust is shot, rusted through, and they will not reimburse me for shoddy work done. A replacement exhaust will cost me $550.

I am livid with Progressive - now they are aligned with this guy, helping the ENEMIES of the United States? (Dems!)

[NYC Republican]

Has anyone heard if any wealthy conservatives will be doing anything to counteract this?

How sad is it when a couple of ultra-rich folks can have this much of an impact on our election process? Look at the likes of Cantwell, Corzine, Bloomberg of late. Rich folks who have no business being in politics, spend up the wazoo to BUY influence and power. What a sad statement.

[jern]

Why couldn't FR do this?

[michaelt]

My Dad hates Allstate for a reason similar to yours.

[arasina]

Huh? RICH liberals and Dims? Tell me it isn't so! ;o)

[RippleFire]

bump

[Redbob]

Anybody here get their car insurance from Progressive?

If so, you're helping to finance this!

[Bob J]

Good question and it's been discussed.

America Coming Together is working along the same lines as People for the American Way and MoveOn.org. Raising cash outside the domains of the DNC and GOP and basically spending it on efforts to support them...sideskipping the CFR law.

Putting together such an organization requires a lot of cash (got 20 mil?) and some big names to parade out front in the dog and pony show. As important as we believe FR is, it is not in a position to do either of these at this point.

First, none of it will happen under Jim and FR, it would have to be done under another organization such as the FRN. When the FRN was set up, operations like this were kept in mind. But, I doubt we could raise the kind of money to compete, here on the Forum. Jim raises about 250k/yr to keep the Forum operating, and at times that looks like a struggle.

Actually, I'm surprised something similar hasn't already been done among big name and big money conservatives. Having been around politics for a few years now, it is my impression that conservatives fight amongst themselves too much and protect their turfs a little too closely.

An FR or FRN based effort of this sort may come to pass, and as I said it has been discussed, but I wouldn't look for it for another 3-5 years.

[NYC Republican]

TO ALL FReepers...

Please don't do business with PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE!!!

[jern]

Thanks for the reply...