Posted on 01/04/2014 6:08:24 PM PST by Navy Patriot
The other day I saw “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” which I thoroughly enjoyed. In it, the wizard Gandalf laments the growth of the “Power of the Shadow” and how the forces of good had been blind to its resurgence. That same week, Organizing for Action (President Obama’s political army) tweeted “On one side: Shadowy groups spending millions to obscure the facts.” I realized there was a connection between the two. OFA is right, the power of shadowy groups grows, and dark money spreads across our body politic. Yet many have been blind to the destructive power these groups and their secretive donors wield, just as the forces of good are blind in The Hobbit.
A cabal of 1 percenters, billionaires who use the levers of power to enact their own agenda, funds much of the “Power of the Shadow.” The wealthy use innocuous sounding front groups, foundations that don’t reveal the source of their funding and pass-through organizations to obscure their plans, hide their power and attempt to fool middle class, working Americans into supporting polices that protect the powerful at the expense of the people.
The billionaire bullies who fund these groups hide their trail, but a few researchers have delved deep into campaign finance reports and IRS filings to report on their machinations. It’s time to reveal their findings and put a spotlight on the inner workings of the elite.
A leading member is San Francisco’s own progressive-liberal billionaire Tom Steyer. Steyer made his money the old-fashioned way, as a hedge fund manager using financial manipulations unavailable to middle class investors....
(Excerpt) Read more at smdailyjournal.com ...
Burying the lead is how you get facts and truth past left wing editors.
A good strong first and second paragraph with reliable class warfare overtones nearly always passes.
WOW, interesting indeed
And depressing. Apparently honesty and integrity are a thing of the past.
You got a point, you can read the first three paragraphs and almost be sure that a left wing whine about the Koch brothers will be next up,
Of course, the point should not be: "There are rich guys on the Left who use the power of Big Government to bully people, dominant certain economic sectors, and make themselves even richer."
And point should not be: "There are rich guys on the Right who use the power of Big Government to bully people, dominant certain economic sectors, and make themselves even richer."
The point is that we have a fascist system in which Big Government plays favorites and supports certain players in Big Business and those players return the favor. It is incestuous. It is unfair. And we are supposed to have Limited Government so that this sort of thing is not a big factor in our lives.
It's not Left or Right. Both major parties are playing the same game. Government solutions are no solutions at all.
Illinois has a Billionaire Bully. He is a DEMOCRAT, best friend of Rahm Emmanuel.
He has instantly become a Republican. Giving money to every Republican organization know to man.
AND the Illinois Tea Party has been bought off too!
They are the number 1 supporter of Bruce ( I am a Republican now) Rauner.
Here is a documentaion of a lot of his money buying off Illinois Conservative groups:
Fact: Rauner made all of his money giving thousands to Democrats in return for earning millions in managing union pension plans. He is a hypocrite on union issues.
Fact: Rauner is openly pro-abortion and cagey on the issue of gay marriage but says he supports same sex civil unions. Rich Miller of Capitol Fax predicts he will support gay marriage after the primary.
Fact: Rauner is Rahm’s best friend and has been his close political ally for decades. Rahm’s staff has made it clear he wants Rauner to win the governor’s office. One thing Rauner will be pushing through is Rahm’s casino.
Fact: Rahm got Rauner’s firm an FCC exemption to allow the SBC deal to go through - earning Rauner’s firm 1/2 billion in six months - using Rahm’s insider connections.
Fact: Rauner gave Democrat Ed Rendell thousands of dollars in his campaign for governor in Pennsylvania and when Rendell was elected, Rauner’s firm received millions in state pension fee business.
Fact: Rauner used his clout to get his daughter into Walter Payton Prep when she didn’t have the test scores she needed.
Fact: Rauner has given $500K to the Illinois Policy Institute. A Roeser employee said that Rauner has given $500K to Roeser. State Board of Election reports say that Rauner gave Roeser $30K just last fall alone.
Fact: Illinois Policy Institute’s Elizabeth Christie is Rauner’s co-finance chair along with Ron Gidwitz - who heavily funded Joe Walsh’s campaign in 2012.
Fact: Joe Walsh just had a town hall with Rauner and now John Tillman is having a joint appearance with Rauner. Walsh’s main radio sponsor - Dick Uihlein was also on Rauner’s advisory committee for governor and his heavily supporting his campaign. Uihlein is Tillman/Proft’s main donor - almost completely responsible for their funding.
Fact: Until last week, Tillman’s associate Bob Costello was the treasurer of Bruce Rauner’s term limits initiative
Fact: Rauner has also given money to for the Good of Illinois and Adam escorted Rauner to a pro-life dinner in Spring.
Fact: Self-proclaimed conservative leaders are selling out and confusing tea party members and not talking about his background and some of them are getting paid to do it.
Fact: Bruce Rauner is worse than a RINO - he’s Rahm Emanuel’s Democrat in the GOP race for governor.
Fact: Tea party conservatives should be very resentful, angry, and betrayed that these so-called “conservative” leaders are being well-paid to help Rahm’s pal Bruce Rauner win the nomination
http://www.chicagonow.com/kelly-truth-squad/2013/04/time-to-question-bruce-rauner-and-his-rahm-republicans/
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/bill-kellys-truth-squad/2013/apr/4/republicans-selling-out-rahms-billionaire-rauner/
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130606/BLOGS02/130609882/#
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130406/ISSUE01/304069983/rauners-love-hate-relationship-with-pension-funds
http://articles.philly.com/2011-01-14/news/27028303_1_political-fund-raiser-ed-rendell-campaign-money
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130424/BLOGS02/130429892/
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/Felsenthal-Files/October-2013/Rahm-Rauner/
http://www.sj-r.com/schoenburg/x450317297/Bernard-Schoenburg-Illinois-Policy-Institute-got-half-million-from-Rauner
http://www.chicagonow.com/kelly-truth-squad/2013/11/former-employee-jack-roeser-also-received-500k-from-bruce-rauner/
http://www.illinoisobserver.net/2013/11/21/campaign-cash-helps-boost-rauner-palatine-gop-endorsement/
Many people on both the left and the right blame their lack of political success on mysterious billionaires who fund the opposing side. They cannot bring themselves to believe that there are simply millions of people who disagree with them on every matter.
Congratulations, as Groucho Marx (not Karl) would say: "You have said the secret word", you win an all expense paid IRS audit.
Yes but we’ve known this for awhile. It’s interesting that the very very ultra rich are on the progressive liberal side. That means there is something in it for them. I’m surprised the rank and file haven’t figured that out yet.
Another plant from the ballerina.
Er, could he also be referring to Soros, the guy who rocked the market conveniently in 2008 and funds Move On, org???
THAT billionaire?
bookmark
Yes, and the Illinois Tea party is going for it Hook Line and sinker.
Such a shame that even the Illinois Tea Party can’t be trusted. They can be bought.
The rank and file in Russia know about Soros, at least.
Ya. The rank and file are fools. The rich string them a long with promises and class warfare... and don’t mention that the rich liberals are the class that they claim to hate. Let me repeat, yes the rank and file are fools.
Gates, Soros and Spielberg come to mind.
A million people would have to put up $1000 each to match the resources of one billionaire ... and do much more!
Bilbo was rich. Tolkien was writing about the evil in all men of power, not just the rich. He was thinking about Nazi Germany, and how neighbors ratted out each other under communism. Pretty prophetic in relation to the tribulation and peace coming to the world with the Return of the Great King who is a warrior King. He wipes out His enemies, the enemies of Israel.
The Shire was England. He was writing about the English.
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