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My Enemy’s Money

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American democracy is uglier than necessary. We don’t have to talk so nasty about our opponents. Or their money.

The usual snipe about this process is that funders of “our side” (whichever side that happens to be) are Good and True and Selfless, while funders of the other side are Evil and Dishonest and Selfish.

So, Democrats decry — and often seek to regulate — the spending of wealthy conservatives and “major corporate lobbyists”; Republicans decry — and, perhaps less often, seek to limit — the spending of unions and billionaires such as George Soros.

Because organizations like MoveOn have been funded by Soros, they are said to be somehow less “legitimate.”

When it was discovered that the Koch brothers of Koch Industries had funded various “Tea Party” organizations to the tune of (it is said) many millions, Obama-hurrahing pundits and activists decried this, charging that it proved that there was no “grassroots” element to the movement. “Astroturf!” they cried.

All nonsense.

Now, Democrats from Obama on down claim that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is using foreign money for ads. But Democrats haven’t produced a shred of evidence. It’s simply a wild accusation.

Look: It’s not tainted money when the other side gets it and you don’t. Or vice versa. Besides, rich people should be as free as less rich folks to give to their causes.

And perhaps we’d see less money pouring into politics from billionaires were campaign contributions for the rest of us less limited.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

8 replies on “My Enemy’s Money”

Millions of dollars came in for Obama from anonymous donors. Many used one-time credit cards. Much of it was illegal.
Next they’ll be accusing Republicans of the kind of voter fraud ACORN has perfected.
It’s tough to campaign when your opponent is totally unencumbered by the truth.

Bill G, millions may have been donated to Obama by millions of people like me who are on a limited income.There was nothing illegal about that.

I belong to groups like “MoveOn” because that’s the only way that I can help to make a difference. We have to have a way to combat the Republican money machine.

What I found to be most reprehensible was a comment supposedly made by a White House type, that they wanted the names of donors so they could pressure them into stopping their financial assistance to Republicans. Basically, I would normally not put any credibility in such a comment, since it was not attributable to any specific person. However, based on what happened when the list of donors who donated to the effort to stop California Prop 8, I have a nagging feeling keeping the names confidential is the best move.
The attacks on those Prop 8 donors were off the wall. There were actual documented death threats. There were protests outside homes & even the schools their children attend(ed).
Foreign donations are already against the law. That is why one of the Justice’s was upset during the State of the Union speech when Obama wrongly told the public foreign corporations would now be able to donate without discovery.
The Chamber will eventually release these names. Whether in tax format or another it will come out. But while the issue is hot & tempers at at high heat, releasing those names would be tantamount to participating in a crime.
Democrats & Obama have accepted large & small contributions from all sorts, foreign & domestic. One of the Obama people, during the campaign, told a reporter they wanted only small donations so they would not be required to release donors names. Thats when many multiple small donations started to come in. Many from the same source! Hmmmmm?

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