Campaign Finance FUN! Giuliani's Mob Connections, Murdoch's Support of Hillary, and much much more. (1507 hits)
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Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (View user info) at 2007-06-01 23:58:33 EDT
Campaign finance is a tricky subject, but one thing is clear, you can usually tell a lot about a person and his values by the kinds of people to whom he gives a political contribution. Likewise, you can tell a lot about a candidate by the types of people from whom he attracts large sums of hard money.
Because I am kind of a weird person, I actually think browsing campaign contribution disclosure sites is pretty entertaining and educational. Let me show you what I mean...
There are sites that list pretty much everyone who has given over $200 to a campaign like http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/search_donor.asp This one is nice because it gives you the opportunity to sort by an individual's employer and occupation. But here is one site in particular that focuses on famous people and the candidates they support: http://www.newsmeat.com/
While the site also contains the information from us average Joes, type in the last name of someone famous and see if they appear and who they give their political money to, or you can wait until someone catches your eye on the side-scroller at the top of the page and click their name from there.
Wanna know who Dustin Hoffman gives money to? Wanna know if Sean Penn backs up his mouthy "smarmyness" with hard cash? I'll give you hint: not really. Or how about Bill O'Reilly of Fox News...he's so outspoken, surely he backs up all that political opinionating with his hard-earned dollars. Turns out he doesn't, at least not according to this website.
Perhaps even more interesting are the billionaires. Wanna know who certified billionaires are slipping portions of their megabucks to? Click the "Hall of Fame" tab at the top and check out the "Billionaires" section. Learn about David O'Reilly, the Chairman and CEO of ChevronTexaco. To whom is he donating his oil money? Besides crooks like Tom Delay, who are Las Vegas Casino moguls like Sheldon Adelson supporting? Turns out, he seems to have a special affinity to Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, Arlen Specter, George Bush, and a sleugh of other Republicans, but would you have ever guessed that his very first contribution back in 1984 was to none other than John Forbes Kerry? http://www.newsmeat.com/billionaire_political_donations/Sheldon_Adelson.php
How about Bill Gates? Who did he throw his table scraps to in the '04 election? Think it was a Democrat? Think again. http://www.newsmeat.com/billionaire_political_donations/Bill_Gates.php
What about Warren Buffet? Would you have guessed that this famous penny pincher would have a political affinity for Hillary Clinton?! And that he seems to like giving hard contributions to specific congressional campaigns in other states besides the one in which he lives? I wonder how fair that must feel to the people of Wisconsin, Missouri, or Illinois to know that some billionaire from another state is putting his two cents in their local and state election...
http://www.newsmeat.com/billionaire_political_donations/Warren_Buffett.php
He's not a billionaire, but what about Donald Trump? Just the other day he called Bush an idiot and the Bush Administration a disaster, but he gave money to Bush's campaign in 2004... So who exactly is the real idiot here? It's also noteworthy that, besides Bush (R), over the years, Donald has supported John Kerry (D), Rudy Giuliani (D,R, whatever suits his needs), Hillary Clinton (D), John McCain (R), Joe Biden (D), Joe Lieberman (D, I), George Allen (R) (also took money from Jack Abramoff), Mark Foley (R) (remember his little 'problem'?), Patrick Kennedy (D), Harry Reid (D)(the gambling elite just LOVE this guy), Arlen Specter (R) (sits on a lot of committees and has a lot of clout when it comes to NOT investigating things), Chris Dodd (D), and a shitload of others. So if you're ever asked what these people have in common, besides being sleazeballs, you can now say they have all received money from Donald Trump. http://www.newsmeat.com/billionaire_political_donations/Donald_Trump.php
And what about our old friend Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News Channel, Myspace.com, and others? Did you know that while he predictably contributed to GW Bush in '04 and his pundits fervently spew hatred against the evil democrats that he personally contributed to Hillary Clinton for Senate!? http://www.newsmeat.com/billionaire_political_donations/Rupert_Murdoch.php
Hmmm... I wonder, then, what we might find if we went through the current presidential..."frontrunners"...*cough*...and examined from whom they are receiving their millions in campaign contributions...
Let's start with Hillary Clinton, since we've already touched upon her (figuratively, thank God).
We've already talked about Murdoch's support, but what about other people at Fox broadcasting companies? Lindsay Gardner, Formerly of Fox Cable Networks, now of Mediatech Capital Partners investment bankers gave to Hillary. So did Thomas E. Rothman, Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment. So did President of Fox Latin American Channels and Managing Director of Fox Channels UK, Hernán López. And while she might give plenty of lip service against the objectification of women, blah blah blah, she gladly accepts Hugh Hefner's money in the primary. Tom Freston, President of Viacom (parent company of CBS, MTV, and half the other channels on your dial) has given generously. 9/11 Commissioner, Jamie Gorelick, has contributed. So has the Chairman of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein. HBO Chairman and CEO, Chris Albrecht, has given money to Hillary Clinton AND Barak Obama AND, just for good measure, John Edwards. She is further helped by having well-known political pundits like Alan Dershowitz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Dershowitz) investing both ideologically and monetarily in her campaign. You might remember Dershowitz as the jackass who advocated a law that would legalize torture as long as warrant was obtained first, or as the jackass who suggested Israel bulldoze Palestinian villages to the ground in retaliation for suspected terrorism there. Either way, he can often be seen on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox saying one stupid thing or another in his role as an apologist for Israel and its network of lobbyists. I could go on and on about Mrs. Clinton's unsavory (at least in my humble opinion) connections, but you can see for yourself here: http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P00003392
or here: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/search_donor.asp
Giuliani has received funds from the following individuals:
Frank J. Fertitta, William J. Bullard, and Richard J Haskins, all of whom are bigshots at FERTITTA ENTERPRISES, a Casino company in Las Vegas, have been among his largest single contributors. Rodney Seth Atimian of Golden Route Operations, another Las Vegas Casino venture, has given thousands. Joel Surnow, Producer of Fox's 24, has given to Giuliani. Brad Grey of Paramount Pictures has given to both Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton. David Zucker of Naked Gun fame, has recently turned to making short political films and ads and and has also given to Giuliani. T Boone Pickens, Texas oilman and financier has given to Giuliani. Charles Schwab has given to Giuliani, as well as Mitt Romney, John McCain, and in 1995, coincidentally enough, Fred Thompson. This goes with past donations by Schwab to former majority leader Tom Delay, current Republican leader John Boehner (who, like Delay, has one of the most untrustworthy facelifts of all time), George Bush, Bob Dole, Joe Lieberman, Chris Dodd, Rick Santorum, Arlen Specter, the usual suspects. James Owens, Caterpillar Chairman and CEO has given to Giuliani. Patrick Oxford of Giuliani's corporate lawfirm, BRACEWELL & GIULIANI L.L.P., has given to his collegue's cause. Peter and William Simon of WILLIAM E. SIMON & SONS investment firm have given. Robert F Agostinelli, member of Council on Foreign Relation (CFR) and investment banker has donated. Real Estate developer, Howard Arnaiz, has given generously. Truman Arnold, Century Bank owner, has given, as have the following: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/search.asp?txtCID=N00009908&name=&employ=&state=%28all%29&zip=%28any+zip%29&submit=OK&amt=a&sort=A
http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P00003251
I could go on and on with this, following the organized crime connections like the Fertitta Family and their connections with Atimian and the Sartinis (http://gaming.nv.gov/documents/pdf/slot_route_ops_full.pdf http://www.fightsport.com/fsport/fightsport/news/2005_02_13_fightsport_archive.html) but I'll let you figure it out for yourselves. You shouldn't need my help to know that our government is run by criminals.
Here is a list of Mitt Romney's well known contributors:
Philip Anschutz oil- railroad- sports- real estate- entertainment-mogul
Stephen Bechtel, Jr Bechtel Group co-owner
Pat Boone singer, producer
David Brandon Domino's Pizza ceo
Raymond Gilmartin Merck chairman, CEO 1994-2005
William Harrison JP Morgan Chase chairman, ceo
Richard Kovacevich Wells Fargo chairman, ceo
Robert Kraft New England Patriots owner
Andrew Liveris Dow Chemical ceo
Mark Mays Clear Channel Entertainment ceo
David Neeleman JetBlue founder
John O'Neill Swift Vets and POWs for Truth co-founder; attorney
Steven Reinemund Pepsico chairman, ceo
Kevin Rollins Dell CEO 2004-07
Mitt Romney Governor of Massachussetts 2003-06; Bain Capital founder
Charles Schwab Charles Schwab Inc. chairman, ceo
Brent Scowcroft National Security Advisor 1974-77 and 1989-93
Vin Scully sportscaster
Rick Wagoner GM chairman and ceo
William Weld Governor of Massachusetts 1991-97
Meg Whitman eBay ceo
http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P80003353
Here are John McCain's:
George Bodenheimer ESPN president
Jerry Bruckheimer producer
August Busch, III Anheuser-Busch chairman
John Chambers Cisco ceo
Torie Clarke public relations consultant, pundit
Michael Jordan EDS chairman, ceo
Herbert Kelleher Southwest Airlines chairman, co-founder
Kirk Kerkorian casino mogul
Robert Kraft New England Patriots owner
Alan Lacy Sears chairman, ceo
Peter Magowan San Francisco Giants owner 1993-present
Lorne Michaels producer
Richard Parsons Time Warner chairman, ceo
Steven Reinemund Pepsico chairman, ceo
Jerry Reinsdorf Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls owner
Charles Schwab Charles Schwab Inc. chairman, ceo
Brent Scowcroft National Security Advisor 1974-77 and 1989-93
Ivan Seidenberg Verizon Chairman, CEO
Frederick Smith FedEx chairman, ceo
Roger Staubach NFL hall-of-fame quarterback
G Kennedy Thompson Wachovia chairman, ceo
Edward Whitacre AT&T chairman, ceo
http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P80002801&cycle=2008
Barak Obama seems to have Hollywood enamored, as well as Time Warner President Jeffrey Bewkes:
Chris Albrecht HBO chairman and chief executive 2002-07
Marc Andreessen Internet pioneer
Jennifer Aniston actress
Rosanna Arquette actress
Lawrence Bender producer; political activist
Steven Bochco producer, writer
Zach Braff actor
Steve Brill writer, publisher; Court TV founder
Christie Brinkley model, spokeswoman
James L Brooks producer, director
Jackson Browne musician
Mark Burnett game show producer
Peter Buttenwieser political fundraiser
Kate Capshaw actress
Richard A Clarke former national security expert
Larry David comedian, writer
Laurie David writer, activist
Barry Diller media mogul
Michael Douglas actor, director
Kenneth Feinberg Special Master, Sept 11th Victims Compensation Fund; attorney
Tom Ford fashion designer
Jodie Foster actress
Morgan Freeman actor
David Geffen Dreamworks co-founder, record producer
Jami Gertz actress
Berry Gordy record producer, entrepreneur
Brian Grazer producer
Tom Hanks actor
Dennis Haysbert actor
Christie Hefner Playboy Enterprises chairman, ceo
Ron Howard director, producer, actor
Michael Jordan basketball star
Jeffrey Katzenberg Dreamworks co-founder, producer
Sherry Lansing Paramount Studios chairman, ceo (1992-2004)
Norman Lear television producer
Tobey Maguire actor
Natalie Maines recording artist
Barry Manilow singer/songwriter
Branford Marsalis musician
Greg Mathis TV judge; Michigan superior court judge
Alonzo Mourning NBA star
Eddie Murphy actor, comedian
Craig Newmark craigslist.org founder
Leonard Nimoy actor
Edward Norton actor
Rosie O'Donnell actress, comedian
Adrian Pasdar actor
Penny Pritzker hotel heiress, executive
Jerry Reinsdorf Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls owner
Paul Reiser comedian, actor
Robert Rubin US Treasury Secretary 1995-99
Susan Sarandon actress
Thomas Schlamme producer, director
George Soros financier
Steven Spielberg filmmaker
Ben Stiller actor
Barbra Streisand singer, actor, producer
Christine Taylor actress
Heather Thomas actress, producer
John Wells television producer
Bradley Whitford actor
Gene Wilder actor
Andrew Young civil rights activist, politician, lobbyist
http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P80003338
I won't even bother with John Edwards, it's just too much noise to comprehend.
You must understand that these are only listing the donations of individuals, but most of the money a candidate receives, besides that which comes from their party's general fund, comes from Political Action Committees. This is how companies like Time Warner and Fox Cable News get around the troublesome laws that supposedly prevent companies from making campaign contributions. Take Time Warner's PAC, for instance (http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.asp?strID=C00339291&Cycle=2006)... During the 2006 election cycle, they successfully funneled money to Tom Delay, Mark Foley, and Dennis Hastert while simultaneously giving large amounts to Hillary Clinton, Edward Kennedy, and Nancy Pelosi without so much as a batted eye! It might be stating the obvious to say that one explanation for this might be that while the information is open to the public, it's not something that's going to be readily known since they are the ones in charge of disseminating the information to the public in the first place. Sure it's out there on the internet, but who's got time for all that, right?
Speaking of Tim Warner and the media using PACs to donate to campaigns, there are two websites you might want to look into for further jaw-dropping research.
The first is http://www.newsmeat.com/media_political_donations/. This site shows you the most prominent media moguls and personalities and their personal campaign contributions. You'll notice with some of these people that a large portion of their contributions go to PACs. This is an attempt to hide their direct association with any of the candidates they might be reporting on later, but it's easy enough to get past this hurdle with this website: http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/index.asp. This site allows you to search for the PAC to which the media moguls have given money and view the recipients of that money, thus bypassing their little buffer.
Happy research! I hope this has been as informative to you reading it as it was for me writing it.
Oh, I almost forgot...this makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside: http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P80000748&cycle=2008
User Reviews
Submitted by FilthyAssistant (user info) at 2007-06-04 03:04:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2007-06-02 23:47:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This was interesting and informative. Still, I wonder how much time you spent on it when your wife is there waiting for you to make her a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-03 21:52:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Opinions? You have a very skewed view of what differentiates fact from opinion.
Submitted by ilikesteak (user info) at 2007-06-03 16:54:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
WHY THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS AND OPINIONS WITH ME. AGAIN.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2007-06-03 02:45:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Is there a site where we can make donations to help Ron Paul write in-your-face blurbs?
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2007-06-03 00:39:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 13:21:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Indoninja, I was just waiting for someone to try and make that point. How did I guess it would be you?
Here's Ron Paul rebutting you personally: http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/topic.php?id=20
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So you have no response to Ron Paul being against every type of campaign finance reform he has come across.
You refer me to a link that also has no response, just a bunch of canned answers.
Like you, to any real queation canned, or copied answers.
When is the last time you read a real book. A real book you didn't agree with.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2007-06-03 00:30:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 13:27:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
And by the way, I wasn't saying in this post that PACs should be abolished, I was saying that they need to be watched over and reported on, which is EXACTLY what I'm doing. So for those of you like Indo, looking for some way in which I've contradicted myself, consider that first.
And, furthermore, I don't have "real money to give" at this time, meaning beyond the $200 necessary to get reported on. I have given what I can afford at the moment, but those others who I've encouraged to give have given more. My mother has givven over $200, so she shoulod be on that list. The fact that she isn't yet tells me that the list isn't completely up to date, which makes sense since Ron Paul's figures are the same as they were before the second debate, which I know is wrong
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At this time. Is at this time before you go to the bar and drink ($$$) for a few hours shout to people how great Ron Paul is then go home and touch the oversoul with the help of drugs ($$$). Glad to see you are so involved in the finances of your mother, I hope her 2 hundred contribution doesn't cut into her support of you being a loser who can barely scrape car insurance.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2007-06-03 00:23:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 13:27:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
And by the way, I wasn't saying in this post that PACs should be abolished, I was saying that they need to be watched over and reported on, which is EXACTLY what I'm doing. So for those of you like Indo, looking for some way in which I've contradicted myself, consider that first.
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That is what you are doing? You are watching over and reporting on them?
Glad you are here.
Without you I would be a blind and lost lamb. I need someone with the smarts and freetime to regurgitate everything they see off prisonplanet, and tell me it is the truth.
Cause I don't have time to read conspiracy blogs myself, and much less read real news, or god forbid a book.
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2007-06-03 00:10:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Surely you can donate $200 to get your name on that list
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2007-06-02 23:47:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This was interesting and informative. Still, I wonder how much time you spent on it when your wife is there waiting for you.
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2007-06-02 23:13:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 Solid Information...
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 14:08:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I already told you about Tom Freston, President of Viacom (parent company of CBS, MTV, and half the other channels on your dial) giving to Hillary Clinton's campaign, but I missed this one:
Haim Saban (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haim_Saban) has given to Hillary Clinton AND George W. Bush and is the founder of Sabian Entertainment, which distributed many of the cartoons we grew up on as children. He owns Kirch Media Group, a German media company, which owns a 50% stake in The Discovery Channel. He has had major dealings with Disney and Murdoch's News Corp. and has had stake in Fox Family Channel, ABC Family Channel, which airs the often controversial "700 Club", and Fox Kids Network.
So if someone asks you for 1 degree separation of Hillary Clinton and Pat Robertson, there ya go.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 13:27:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
And by the way, I wasn't saying in this post that PACs should be abolished, I was saying that they need to be watched over and reported on, which is EXACTLY what I'm doing. So for those of you like Indo, looking for some way in which I've contradicted myself, consider that first.
And, furthermore, I don't have "real money to give" at this time, meaning beyond the $200 necessary to get reported on. I have given what I can afford at the moment, but those others who I've encouraged to give have given more. My mother has givven over $200, so she shoulod be on that list. The fact that she isn't yet tells me that the list isn't completely up to date, which makes sense since Ron Paul's figures are the same as they were before the second debate, which I know is wrong.
That should answer your accusations, Indo.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 13:21:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Indoninja, I was just waiting for someone to try and make that point. How did I guess it would be you?
Here's Ron Paul rebutting you personally: http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/topic.php?id=20
Submitted by gravitas (user info) at 2007-06-02 12:28:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
the billionaires campaign contribution site was interesting...
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2007-06-02 11:45:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
needs more drama
Submitted by FilthyAssistant (user info) at 2007-06-02 11:33:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Sinistral (user info) at 2007-06-02 11:26:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
So what about contributions to Ron Paul? That's not a backhanded comment, I actually am interested.
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Click the last link in the post.
http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P80000748&cycle=2008
Submitted by Sinistral (user info) at 2007-06-02 11:26:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
So what about contributions to Ron Paul? That's not a backhanded comment, I actually am interested.
On another note, is anybody here suprised that a guy with a name like Giuliani has mob connections? I mean come on, being an Italian in the beginning to middle of the 20th century (his father) pretty much automatically makes one a mobster. That being said, I think having the mob run the country would put an interesting spin on foreign policy. At the very least, the State of the Union address would be entertaining.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-02 10:52:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hey, if you've got the time, go check out my latest piece of fiction.
It's a rewrite YOU inspired. I think you'll grin at my derranged point of view.
"NWO: Requiem For The Empire" - http://www.ubersite.com/m/108888
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2007-06-02 10:08:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2007-06-02 23:15:53 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
What do you suggest gets done here? As much as I detest gross amounts of money given to campaigns the alternative is that only the rich will be able to run.
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As opposed to only who the rich want to run?
Submitted by Despina (user info) at 2007-06-02 09:40:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
lol who caers?
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2007-06-02 09:15:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Ron Paul on campaign finance reform.
Voted NO on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions. (Feb 2002)
Voted NO on banning soft money and issue ads. (Sep 1999)
Looks like your hero is fine with this type of contribution, and it also looks like you don't care enough to invest any real money.
http://www.newsmeat.com/campaign_contributions_to_politicians/donor_list.php?candidate_id=P80000748&cycle=2008&li=L
What do you suggest gets done here? As much as I detest gross amounts of money given to campaigns the alternative is that only the rich will be able to run.
Submitted by Monty_Python (user info) at 2007-06-02 06:59:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2007-06-02 02:25:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I go to ETS for my US election coverage.
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2007-06-02 06:23:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Turns out he doesn't, at least not according to this website.
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See, that sort of clarification is all Im asking for.
Submitted by Realpolitik (user info) at 2007-06-02 03:31:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well done ETS, you really did your homework. Just a few things to say:
1) Jon Kyl for U.S. Senate, he is definately one of the nicest people you can meet.
2)"or as the jackass who suggested Israel bulldoze Palestinian villages to the ground in retaliation for suspected terrorism there." Dershowitz book THE CASE FOR ISRAEL is both brilliantly written and worth reading
3)PACs are awesome ways to legally launder money
4)Often times people and PACs contribute to both Candites in the same race to make sure that they are in favor with whoever wins
5) I am a political nerd and an uber-republican
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2007-06-02 02:25:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I go to ETS for my US election coverage.
Submitted by hedonistic_indulgence (user info) at 2007-06-02 01:20:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
tl;dr
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-06-02 01:20:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Plus2 (user info) at 2007-06-02 01:19:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very interesting.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 00:39:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Giuliani Time documentary goes more into Giuliani's mob ties, including his father, a bag man and mob strong arm: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-974000144404962882
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2007-06-02 00:30:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Let's take a look at what Media Mayhem has reported on Frank Fertitta Jr. and Station's Casino:
Sam Maceo, a relative of Frank Fertitta Jr., helped Moe Dalitz get a Nevada for the Desert Inn, Vegas' first casino.
Maceo headed Galveston crime family from the 1930s to 1950s, which was under the control of New Orleans mob boss Carlos Marcello.
Dalitz was a partner with Las Vegas developer and gambler Irwin Molasky, the cousin of Allan and Mark Molasky of St. Louis. The St. Louis Molasky family were involved in illegal gambling and pornography operations from the 1930s to 1970s.
Frank Fertitta Jr. was mentioned as being involved in the Mafia skim of Vegas casinos in the 1970s. The evidence came in the form of phone taps carried out by the FBI's Operation Strawman, and were presented in a 1985 mob trial in Kansas City.
The top federal prosecutor in the Kansas City trial was David Helfrey. By 2000, Helfrey had went into private practice and represented Station's Casino in St. Louis, after a scandal broke involving Station's efforts to buy the influence of the Missouri Gaming Commission chairman.
The Riverfront Times delayed reporting on the scandal. When the RFT finally did report on the issue, it ommitted any information that tied Fertitta to organized crime even though editors and reporters at the newspaper were well aware of the connections.
During the year that the RFT sat on the story, Station's continued buying full-page ads in the paper.
Now he and his close associates are giving money to none other Rudolph Giuliani in his bid for president. What's wrong with this picture, people? Anyone?
How about Rupert Murdoch funding Hillary Clinton? Doesn't anyone see a pattern here with what I've been telling you about American politics, particularly the whole "Republican v. Democrat" thing being as total scam? Look at how many times in this post I told you about either an individual or a PAC funding someone from both parties with supposed OPPOSITE political views at the same time. I say "supposed opposite views" because when you look at their voting records more closely and see what they've actually accomplished with their votes, they are almost exactly the same every time.
Submitted by FilthyAssistant (user info) at 2007-06-02 00:27:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You forgot to mention that Nicky was a rat because Sonny Black says he was a rat.
Submitted by mockidol (user info) at 2007-06-02 00:22:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
P.S. If Willy Wonka supports Obama then I do to.
Submitted by mockidol (user info) at 2007-06-02 00:19:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This was the first political post of yours that didn't piss me off.
For once i felt you properly addressed both sides and there was a noticible lack of crazy.
Enjoy a rare +2.
Bitch.
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2007-06-02 00:05:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm so happy you are fired up again. Good to see you back to doin' what you do.