Just how deep does the rabbit hole go?
Posts tagged contributions
So who wants a Dictator? H.J.Res. 15
14 months ago
Rep. José Serrano [D-NY15]
Image source: Wikipedia
Well, I just found out that I would be wrong with that assumption. It seems Rep. José Serrano [D-NY15] has re-introduced H.J.Res 17 (112th Congress), a bill that died in committee, now as H.J.Res. 15. This House joint resolution calls for “Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.”
According to the web site Govtrack.us Rep. Serrano is described as “a far-left Democrat according to GovTrack’s own analysis of bill sponsorship.”
For those interested in Rep. Serrano’s campaign contributions, below is partial information posted on OpenSecrets.org.
Top 5 Contributors, 2011-2012, Campaign Cmte
| Contributor | Total | Indivs | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Federation of Teachers | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| American Postal Workers Union | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| Deloitte LLP | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| National Assn of Realtors | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| Operating Engineers Union | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| Industry | Total | Indivs | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Sector Unions | $57,500 | $0 | $57,500 |
| Building Trade Unions | $17,500 | $0 | $17,500 |
| Industrial Unions | $13,000 | $0 | $13,000 |
| Real Estate | $11,000 | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| Transportation Unions | $10,500 | $0 | $10,500 |
Information regarding key votes, recent public statements and issue positions can be found at http://votesmart.org, which states on their web site that “José Serrano refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.”
The text of this bill is not yet currently available at the time of this post, but when available can be seen here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hjres15/text
I do not know the intentions of a bill such as H.J.Res 15 by Rep. Serrano, which dictatorship may have nothing to do with, but see the possibility with the elimination of term limits. Give me your thoughts below.
Oppose this bill here… https://www.popvox.com/bills/us/113/hjres15
Dick Morris’ Super PAC Spends $1.7 M on Conservative Website
0Source: http://www.opensecrets.org
By Michelle Merlin
FOX News might be shying away from Dick Morris after he predicted a Romney presidency, but NewsMax, a conservative website for which he is a columnist, should be very happy with him.
Super PAC for America, for which Morris is the “chief strategist,” raised a little over $3 million from small donors in a little over a month, but only spent $1.5 million of that money on independent expenditures opposing Barack Obama.
Recent FEC filings covering Oct. 1 through Nov. 26 show that Super PAC for America disbursed $1.7 million to NewsMax for “fundraising.”
The super PAC had been fairly inactive for most of the year, raising less than $2,000 in the second and third quarters and making no independent expenditures during that time.
Thanks in part, no doubt, to Morris’ platform on FOX News and NewsMax Super PAC for America started pulling in small contributions in droves, raising $2.1 million in contributions of $200 and under — mostly in late October and the first few days of November. The group received 3,446 contributions larger than $200, but none exceeded five digits.
Relying on small donors is an unusual strategy for a super PAC, which has the advantage of accepting limitless contributions.
Complicating the picture are the relationships between the super PAC, Newsmax, Morris and a nonprofit that gave money to Super PAC for America before it was refunded.
In January, the super PAC received a $500,000 contribution from The League of American Voters, a 501(c) group that frequently advertises on NewsMax. The League is sometimes promoted by Morris in his columns, as in this one in 2009, which urged readers to send it money to fight Obama’s health plan. Morris says in the column that he’s “affiliated” with the group but has no financial relationship with it.
(more…)
Is Fedzilla About to Pull Off a $3.5 Trillion Private Pension Heist?
10Source: http://judymorrisreport.blogspot.com
By Judy Morris
The alternate media and blogosphere are buzzing with very disturbing stories about how the government intends to steal/seize private retirement accounts.
A new effort by the Obama administration, Congress, the Treasury Department and labor unions aims to fundamentally alter how Americans plan and save for retirement.
Warnings have been popping up over the last several years about the possibility of re-appropriating the $3.5 Trillion sitting in private retirement and spreading those funds around to Americans who are deemed less fortunate.
This couldn’t possibly happen in America, right? At one time, most Americans also believed heath care mandates that force Americans at the barrel of a gun to surrender portions of their earnings into a universal system for all would never happen. Well, it did.
And now, those who would control and regulate every aspect of our lives are making a new push; one whose efforts will ultimately end in the seizure and redistribution the personal retirement savings of every American who has ever put money into a 401(k) or IRA.
This is no longer in the realm of conspiracy, but rather, public record.
The articles goes on to document what is currently happening, including “A recent hearing sponsored by the Treasury and Labor Departments marked the beginning of the Obama Administration’s effort to nationalize the nation’s pension system and to eliminate private retirement accounts including IRA’s and 401k plans, NSC is warning.”. If this is true, it’s an outright expropriation and theft of all private pensions.
Charting the Cozy Connections between JP Morgan and the Senate Banking Committee
011 months ago
Source: http://www.propublica.org
By Cora Currier
ProPublica, June 13, 2012
Jamie Dimon, chairman of the board, president and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. testifies before a US Senate Banking Committee full committee hearing on June 13, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/GettyImages)
This morning, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, faced a Senate hearing over more than $2 billion in bank losses caused by risky hedges that blew up. Dimon said that the hedges—investments meant to protect the bank—had grown into “complex and hard-to manage risks.” The losses “let a lot of people down, and we are sorry for it.”
Many lawmakers are holding up the losses as evidence of the need for stronger financial regulation. The chairman of the Senate banking committee, Tim Johnson, D-S.D., in his opening remarks, asked for “a full accounting” of JP Morgan’s losses.
But through campaign contributions and well-connected staff, JP Morgan appears to have already taken its own accounting of the Banking committee. Here’s a picture of connections between the company and the committee:
Lost Rights what rights have we lost in America
012 months ago
Published on May 17, 2012 by mattgeb84
Click on this link to sign up for tom woods liberty classroom.com http://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=664
lost rights the blog is just a brief overview of some of the rights we have lost in America
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[CIM]
The time is NOW to take back our personal liberties and freedoms!
Ron Paul 2012: Restore America Now
http://www.ronpaul2012.com
Please visit Ron Paul’s official campaign site by following the link below and donate today!
Romney’s top contributor: Goldman Sachs, Ron Paul’s: US Army
01 year ago
Source: http://milwaukeestory.com
By Andy Booker
Democrats are shocked to see President Obama treat Wall Street’s top banks with respect and kindness. In order to predict his kindness (Obama’s justice department has failed to prosecute the crimes that helped lead to the financial crisis of 2008) towards the top financial institutions it didn’t take a crystal ball, all it took was a list of his top donors which included Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Citigroup. Applying this same logic to the GOP primary election Romney is the candidate that will likely be buddy-buddy with Wall Street. Mitt Romney’s top ten is made up of Goldman Sachs, followed by Credit Suisse (Switzerland), Morgan Stanley, Barclays (UK), Bank of America and JP Morgan. In contrast Romney’s co-frontrunner in Iowa, Ron Paul, has a top three donor list made up of the US Army, US Navy and US Airforce.
Obviously Goldman Sachs and company donate heavily to Romney not because they like his stance on the social issues but because he will continue the rigged game of crony capitalism. The revolving door from Wall Street (particularly from Goldman Sachs) to the White House will remain open and Goldman and company will maintain not only their rigged game but their influence.
The active duty military that make up Ron Paul’s top donor list are attempting to send a signal to the American people that Ron Paul’s foreign policy is the right choice.
So yes Romney and Paul are in a race to get the nomination from the same party but they could not be more polar opposites when it comes to their intentions for the Presidency.
Perhaps this is why Romney has not yet attacked Ron Paul directly. Attacking Ron Paul opens Romney up to a direct debate with Ron Paul on the issues. Such a debate would draw a clear distinction between Romney and Paul on the issues that a majority of the electorate, particularly the issue of support for TARP and future bank bailouts.
In October Milwaukee Story published this article that broke down Romney’s pledge to continue US interventionist/first-strike foreign policy. That foreign policy white paper was an additional signal to Wall Street that Romney was a safe bet as an establishment candidate and could be trusted to pull from Washington and Wall Street establishments to fill his cabinet posts.
It is critical to understand that even though Goldman Sachs tops Romney’s donor list does not mean they are lining up all of their resources behind Romney alone. Goldman has also donated heavily to Obama’s reelection campaign. And while this may signal a subtle divide in the Goldman ranks, a more likely scenario is that Goldman is simply hedging their bets and lending their Wall Street credibility to each candidate that they believe will allow the crony capitalism necessary for them to continue their winning ways.
CIM Comment]
Now more than every we need the Champion of the Constitution!
Please visit Ron Paul’s official campaign site by following the link below and donate today!
Military Donations: A visual aid.
01 year ago
in Ron Paul, ronpaul2012
Source: http://www.dailypaul.com
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what does this picture say to you?
Donate now at www.RonPaul2012.com
Murdoch’s influence extends to U.S., global politics
01 year ago
Source: http://sunlightfoundation.com
You may wish to note that The biggest all-time recipient of contributions from News Corp is President Obama!
The phone hacking scandal currently plaguing News Corp owner Rupert Murdoch, began in London, and because of rumors that his employees hacked the phone messages of 9/11 victims as well, the scandal has made it’s way to the U.S.—where the media mogul has far-reaching political interests and is a considered a major political contributor.
In the weeks since it was reported that employees of News Corp’s tabloid operation, News of the World, may have hacked phone messages belonging to a 13-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered, Murdoch has closed NOTW, he and his son James have appeared before Parliament, one of Murdoch’s key employees resigned and was then arrested and the Federal Bureau of Investigations has started an investigation into charges that his employees also hacked the phones of victims of the 9/11 terror attacks.
It’s been reported that Murdoch has close, and sometimes inappropriate, relationships with conservative politicians in the U.K. It’s also commonly believed that he has close ties to what we consider conservative politicians here in the U.S. as well, but campaign finance records suggest he has ties to both sides of the aisle. According to the Sunlight Foundation’s Influence Explorer, News Corp’spolitical givings are actually split pretty evenly between Democrats (51 percent) and Republicans (49 percent).The biggest all-time recipient of contributions from News Corp is President Obama. It should be noted that the totals for News Corp’s contributions also include money from employees of the organization and their family members. Obama being listed as the company’s top recipient might surprise some people because of its highly publicized involvement with his political rivals, like Sarah Palin who was the vice presidential candidate in 2008 and reportedly still under contract with Murdoch-owned Fox News as a paid commentator.
It’s also been reported that Fox News also has contracts with Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, all having run for president either in the past or currently, to appear on the network as commentators. It’s said that these contracts prohibit these three and Sarah Palin from appearing on other networks.
News Corp has made contributions to the Republican Senatorial Leadership Council annually since 2007, with the exception of 2008. Last year, Murdoch’s soft money contribution to the Republican Governor’s Association made news because of its large amount: $1 million. That donation, while commonly known to be true and not denied by Murdoch, can’t be found in IRS or Federal Election Commission records.
News America Holdings, also known as Fox Political Action Commitee, is News Corp’s PAC. The PAC’s top recipients for the 2009-2010 election cycle were Democrats Nancy Pelosi from California, Howard Berman from California and Chuck Schumer from New York.
Murdoch and his media companies also take advantage of their powerful position by lobbying Congress on policy issues that affect the business they do. Since 1997, News Corp has spent $8.2 million lobbying highly debated issues such as net neutrality and privacy.
Murdoch’s multiple businesses have also had their share of government revolvers, with a total of 5 five people having worked for the government and News Corp at some point, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Only one of those people is currently working for Murdoch — Paul Jackson– and he is listed as a lobbyist for the corporation.
Part of News Corp’s corporate profile is the book publisher Harper Collins, who in 1994 offered Newt Gingrich a $4 million book advance. Gingrich declined, reportedly because of political pressure. News Corp also owns the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post in addition to a number magazines and community news papers. And as the current phone hacking scandal suggests, Rupert Murdoch is a very powerful media force around the world in addition to the UK and Australia. That power seems be threatened now and Murdoch has displayed that by his withdrawal of a bid to take complete control of BSkyB, a major satellite broadcasting corporation based in London. There have also been reports that Murdoch’s control over News Corp might be taken away.
With operations that large and that successful it’s no wonder that rich people like John Kerry, the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, would have investments in Murdoch empire. Kerry’s investments in News Corp are listed at somewhere between $600,000 and $1.25 million, according to CRP.
See below for a list Murdoch’s top recipients.
527 contributions according to the IRS (and one according to news reports):
- Rupert Murdoch gave $2,000 to David Woods for Congress in 2008.
- News Corp has given to the RSLC in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011
- News america holdings, inc. gave $1500 to the RGA in 2003
- The NY Times reported that Murdoch gave the RGA $1 million
News Corp top recipients since 1989, according to Influence Explorer:
- Barack Obama ($368,669)
- Hillary Clinton ($298,525)
- John Kerry ($157,901)
News Corp top recipients in 2009-2010 according to Influence Explorer:
- Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) ($58,900)
- Henry Waxman (28,900)
- Howard L Berman ($19,350)
News America holdings (PAC) top recipients since 1999 according to Influence Explorer:
- Edward J Markey ($28,500)
- Howard Berman ($24,000)
- F. James Sesenbrenner Jr. ($22,500)
News America Holdings (PAC), also known as Fox Political Action Committee, top recipients in 2009-2010 according to Influence Explorer:
- Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) ($10,000)
- Howard L Berman(D-Ohio) ($10,000)
- Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ($10,000)
Rupert Murdoch’s personal contributions according to Influence Explorer:
- The top recipient in 2009-2010 was John Kasich and Mary Taylor from Ohio. ($10,000)
- He’s given $1,032,801since 1989. the top recipient was Pete Wilson. ($200,000)
Politicians identified as investors in News Corp according to the Center for Responsive Politics:
- John Kerry (D-Mass)
- Michael McCaul ((R-Texas)
- Ted Kaufam (D-Del)
Romney’s $10 million day? I think not!
01 year ago
There seems to have been some misreporting in the main stream media, shocking I know! It appears Mitt Romney’s $10 million day was another farce in the ongoing daily waging of political spin.
Want a little confirmation, try the Federal Election Commission, who links to this report for Romney’s contributions by day.
http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2011/Q2/C00431171/A_DATE_C00431171.html
does this look like $10 million to you?
This is a work in progess, a self learning tool and fun little project. Please excuse the slow development as it seems the needed proper time is always lacking. It is my hope that the combination of content and links to other sources of information in this simple blog may help awaken a few of the sleeping masses and encourage and inspire others to initiate their own research, ultimately for each person to be a light to help awaken others. Opinions expressed belong to me, myself and I. Also, a big thank you to all that take the time to visit, it is appreciated :)
