Lewis Pledges $12 Million To Oust Bush For Presidential Race--IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (RNC Research)

RNC Research ^ | Nov 14, 2003 | Cleveland Plain Dealer

[PhiKapMom]

November 14, 2003

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Lewis Pledges $12 Million To Oust Bush For Presidential Race

From The [Cleveland] Plain Dealer

By Stephen Koff
Plain Dealer Bureau Chief
November 12, 2003

WASHINGTON – Peter B. Lewis, the Cleveland- based insurance billionaire and philanthropist, has pledged more than $12 million to try to oust President Bush from the White House.

… Lewis has been providing money recently to liberal organizations that operate independently of the Democratic Party.

The groups - MoveOn.org and Americans Coming Together …say that Bush misled the nation on the need to attack Iraq and they've criticized him on the economy and other policies. …

In a way, Lewis is in on the ground floor of a political startup - one that demonstrates that for all the talk of campaign finance reform, big money still has a role in politics. …political parties no longer can raise unlimited sums … But outside groups … can accept unlimited sums and advocate positions. …

… this year, he has made contributions of $1,000 to Democrat Eric Fingerhut's U.S. Senate campaign and $1,000 to Howard Dean … Last year, he gave $5,000 to the Ohio Democratic Party and $50,000 to the Democratic National Committee, which came on top of a $25,000 donation to the national committee during the last presidential race.

His money supported two presidential candidates in the last election: Ralph Nader, with $2,000, and George W. Bush - whom he now seeks to unseat - with $1,000. …

Lewis and billionaire George Soros, head of the Soros Fund Management, this week announced they would give $1 for every $2 raised by the Internet activist group MoveOn.org in its $10 million fund drive. Together, they will give $5 million if MoveOn reaches its $10 million goal.

MoveOn started the drive in late October, and so far it has raised $3.7 million - plus another $1 million already given by Lewis and Soros … The money will pay for commercials in Ohio and other states.

…

Lewis also has pledged $10 million to Americans Coming Together …

Americans Coming Together, with support from environmentalists and labor, says it will spend $75 million to elect candidates …

“When it comes to their money and their organization and all the soft money and the 527s and these other groups that they're putting together, we expect to be outspent," said Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Bush-Cheney 2004. …

For Entire Article Please Visit : http://www.cleveland.com/politics/index.ssf?/base/ispol/1068643832310520.xml

[PhiKapMom]

The kind of money we are talking about here is unfathonable IMHO. McCain/Feingold chose to concentrate on people/groups who give to campaigns or run ads that are not even close to the money these people like Soros and Lewis are donating individually. Why didn't they go after the huge money donors that are donating to front organizations for the RATs? The fact that millions can be donated to puppet groups of the Clinton DNC is disgusting especially so when you don't hear a peep out of McCain or Feingold that I have heard or read! Where do they stand on this travesty of getting around their precious CFR or are they happy about this happening?

[RicocheT]

"are they happy about this happening?"

I think you answered your own question.

[sarasota]

I just love watching these people throw their money into black holes. Unless, of course, they are planning to pay millions of people to vote the way they want them to.

[goodnesswins]

I don't know if they are happy, but they are certainly advertising the flaws in McCain/Feingold, aren't they? And, in some ways, this is good....IMHO.

[Portnoy]

Imagine if all these millions of dollars went to something productive. Here in Michigan, many non-profits are hurting, yet all this money is being thrown into what will likely be just nasty attack adds on TV and Radio.

Sad....

12million could really go a long way to helping out worthwhile causes....

[Cicero]

They are throwing around figures like $10 million or $15 million or $25 million--which are certainly huge amounts--but that may only be the tip of the iceberg. There's no accountability for soft money. I think this is only the tip of the iceberg. These people are absolute fanatics, and they are grinding their teeth and spitting bubbles of saliva at the thought of losing even more power in the next election. The labor unions will kick in at least $50 million more, plus millions of foot soldiers to get out the vote. The black churches will all bus their congregations to the polls, and the inner city politicians will rally the dead to vote.

It's a huge struggle we can't afford to lose, because whenever the Democrats get into power they change the rules to favor themselves and perpetuate their control.

The top Democrats are badmouthing Soros & Co., but that won't stop them from taking their money.

[Kewlhand`tek]

a fool and his money.....soon parted........all for naught

[PhiKapMom]

Another huge donor out to defeat President Bush through using front organizations of the Clinton DNC. How many more do they have waiting in the wings to donate milliions?

[Howlin]

They really, really hate him, don't they?

[PhiKapMom]

There is not better advertisement of the failure of McCain/Feingold CFR than this! Personally I think it is GREAT and shows how worthless CFR bill has turned out. The only thing that CFR seemed to be about was to muzzle conservative groups while allowing people like Soros and Lewis to donate millions and millions to front organizations of the Clinton DNC for the express purpose of defeating President Bush .

[Ramcat]

"a fool and his money.....soon parted........all for naught"

Here in SW PA there is a rural county (Fayette)with a history of bare nuckle politics.
This years County Commissioner race featured among others Joe Hardy (Owner of 84 Lumber Co.)

Two Democrats and two Republicans survived the spring primary and the election was to choose the top three vote getters from the four candidates.

The two Democrats and one of the Republicans (Hardy) spent in excess of $100,000 aspiring to a $35,000 per year position. The other Republican candidate spent $8K of her own money.

She won along with Hardy and one of the Democrats.

[MamaLucci]

What has the camera-shy senator from Arizona had to say about these capitalist pigs trampling on the spirit and the letter of the McCain-Feingold campaign reform laws???
(((((((((crickets))))))))

[Ramcat]

They spent in excess of $100K each.

[dead]

But outside groups … can accept unlimited sums and advocate positions. …

As they should be allowed to. It’s a (nominally) free country.

Their ideas, or lack thereof, is their problem.

A couple hundred million can buy a lot of makeup, but they’re still just prettying up a pig.

[MamaLucci]

BTW, the article doesn't say what insurance this guy peddles....
Aptly named "Progressive Insurance" needs to be boycotted, big time.

[ohioWfan]

Amazing.

How dark these people are. How possessed by the gods of power and money that they think they can get whatever they want by throwing it around........and in this case, away.

More prayers for the President and the GOOD that he is doing that makes these people hate him, and another contribution to Bush-Cheney 2004.

[twigs]

Yes. I just don't understand that level of visceral hate. I know that many of us tended toward that with Clinton, but that man was a traitor who was trying to destroy our country. Even so, that really doesn't compare to this. You could give me all the rational reasons (except that we know they are not rational) why this hatred exists and I will never, ever understand it.

[Moby Grape]

Has anyone shown this to John McCain?

[twigs]

Now we know why the president continues to work so hard raising funds for his re-election. He knows...

[Wait4Truth]

The hatred is being fueled by hillary behind the scenes. It has become a world-wide effort now with the clintons, minions like Moore and Blumenthal and Madeline Albright traveling the globe to turn world leaders against President Bush. There will be huge, ugly demonstrations in London against the President when he goes there next week and this, too, is fueled by the clintons and their rich buddies. We are in the struggle of our lives here and even GWB's $200 million will probably be nothing compared to what these anti-American, anti-Bush groups will raise. We need to fight back. We cannot allow President Bush to be defeated - the consequences are frightening and would change the world as we know it. We could also be assured of more attacks on American soil. This is no time for people to sit back and refuse to vote or to vote Third Party. Donate and fight the filth.