Who is funding the Super PACs

[basil]

Wow, Romney has raised $30+ million.

98% of all PAC money comes from donations of $50,000 or greater. Looks like the 1% is controling the political speech.

It's wierd that politicians desperately seek amounts of $10 million, but then make decisions that impact how $100 billion is spent. Having the US pay $100 million to fund campaigns is cheap compared to taking money out of politics.

This info is a few weeks old. The $10 million Gingrich received from a single donor isn't included.

Who?s Financing the ?Super PACs? - Graphic - NYTimes.com

[cayo 2]

Thanks Basil good info. In perusing that lookin' for weasels one the thing that jumped out was the " show 162 more " for Romney. It seems the breakdown of who is supporting who is roughly as follows;

Romney; Hedge funds and Venture Capital firms

Perry; Energy /big oil and Texas cronies

Santorum : Religious extremist groups

Paul;Divergent interests drawn to libertarian ideas.


Gingrich; Nebulous figures in the cult of Newt



Obama ; Hollywood and Unions


Some things that stood out; Trial lawyers and there support for Obama was pretty low considering the repubs crusade for ' Tort Reform ' is really an effort to weaken them and their support of dems. One of the Kochs for Romney. Mc Kinsey and Company ,a notorious CIA front group for Obama. There is a great quote from one of their former[?] execs at the back of John Perkins ' Confessions of an Economic Hitman ' about how the IDB gives the vast majority of its lending portfolio to companies like Halliburton and Bechtel in what is touted as foreign aid. Check that book if you have it is right below an even better quote from Joseph Stiglitz about two pages from the back.
Good on Ron Paul,while i despise libertarian economics ,he's okay on other stuff and his donors are doing what you are supposed to do ,vote your principles. Unfortunately doing the right thing in our system is often not pragmatic. The system sucks when being principled works against you,as ours often does.

[basil]

Here's a summary:

Big G.O.P. Donors Showing Thirst to Oust Obama in November

Close to 60 corporations and wealthy individuals gave checks of $100,000 or more to a “super PAC” supporting Mitt Romney in the months leading up to the Iowa caucuses, according to documents released on Tuesday, underwriting a $17 million blitz of advertising that has swamped his Republican rivals in the early primary states.

The filings to the Federal Election Commission, the first detailed look at a crucial source of support for Mr. Romney, showed his ability to win substantial backing from a small number of his party’s most influential and wealthy patrons, each contributing to the super PAC far more than the $2,500 check each could legally write to his campaign.
All told, the group, Restore Our Future, raised about $18 million from just 200 donors in the second half of 2011.

Millions of dollars came from financial industry executives, including Mr. Romney’s former colleagues at Bain Capital, who contributed a total of $750,000; senior executives at Goldman Sachs, who contributed $385,000; and some of the most prominent and politically active Republicans in the hedge fund world, three of whom gave $1 million each: Robert Mercer of Renaissance Technologies; Paul Singer of Elliott Management, and Julian Robertson of Tiger Management.

Harlan Crow, the Texas construction magnate, gave $300,000 personally and through his company. William Koch, whose brothers Charles and David are among the country’s most prominent backers of conservative causes, gave $1 million personally or through Oxbow Carbon, the energy company he founded. Members of the Walton family, founders of the Walmart chain, gave over $200,000, while Bob Perry chipped in $500,000 in early December.

[cayo 2]

Basil,

It will be interesting to see how much Goldman Sachs will donate to Obama.They have a long history with both sides Bob Rubin in Clinton's cabinet,Henry Paulson in W'S, Geithner in Obamas,etc. They keep turning up in my readings about the Great Depression.They are implicated in suckering Greece into taking on unsustainable debt [ see Matt Taibbi's Rolling Stone article] The corporate death penalty should be imposed on this long time crooked corp. .You can put Halliburton and Blackwater or whatever they call themselves now on the chopping block too.

GS Will probably give Romney about triple unless they think Obama is going to win.

[jbolson]

The 1% is funding the super PACs, who else?

[jbolson]

Here is a good read that names some names.

Money Throws Democracy Overboard | Common Dreams

[mr. compassionate]

Originally Posted by jbolson

Here is a good read that names some names.

Money Throws Democracy Overboard | Common Dreams

Funny, none of your jerk offs calling this guy out for using left wing sites to support his premise! This article clearly is slanted in one direction and makes no comments of George Soros or unions funding pacs. I guess this is ok in treehugger land.

[cayo 2]

Nice try to equate unions that lobby for millions of working class people's basic rights to fair pay,benefits meeting modern standards ,and for safe and humane work conditions, to pacs and special interest groups that serve to leverage further advantages for the advantaged.

I don't like hedge funds. But at least Soros uses some of the proceeds to support populist causes and accuracy in media. The hedge fund managers supporting Romney want more tax cuts for themselves, fewer rules for guys such as themselves, and to destroy workers' right to organize.

[basil]

Didn't we conclude that union political donations amount to $1-$5 per union member?

[dirtbagkayaker]

Originally Posted by jbolson

The 1% is funding the super PACs, who else?

Just for those who don't know who the 1% is, that would be Steven Cobert