4um: The friends of Barack Obama

Title: The friends of Barack Obama
Source: [None]
URL Source: http://www.observer.com/node/36953
Published: Feb 26, 2008
Author: NY Observer
Post Date: 2008-02-26 15:08:38 by Jethro Tull
Keywords: None
Views: 1704
Comments: 99

HOW TO READ THIS CHART: This chart lists the top donors to this candidate in the 2008 election cycle. The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organization's PAC, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families. Organization totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.

Goldman Sachs-----------------------------------$474,428
Ubs Ag------------------------------------------$298,180
JP Morgan Chase & Co----------------------------$282,387
Lehman Brothers---------------------------------$274,147
National Amusements Inc-------------------------$265,750
Sidley Austin LLP-------------------------------$251,657
Citigroup Inc-----------------------------------$247,436
University of California------------------------$239,944
Skadden, Arps et al-----------------------------$228,520
Exelon Corp-------------------------------------$226,661
Harvard University------------------------------$225,891
Jones Day---------------------------------------$213,825
Google Inc--------------------------------------$192,808
Time Warner-------------------------------------$190,091
Morgan Stanley----------------------------------$190,026
Citadel Investment Group------------------------$173,950
Kirkland & Ellis--------------------------------$163,126
Latham & Watkins--------------------------------$160,842
WilmerHale LLP----------------------------------$155,788
Jenner & Block----------------------------------$151,447

Note that there is overlap in the figures represented in these columns. Contributors who have given $4,600+ are also included among contributors who have given $2,300, and both categories are included in the column totaling contributors who have given $200+. Similarly, the columns showing percentages overlap, too.

Candidate	No. of $200+ Contributors	% from Donors of $200 or less	No. of $2,300+ Contributors	% from Donors of $2,300+	No. of $4,600 Contributors	% from Donors of $4,600
Obama, Barack	69,628	26%	16,259	43%	1,964	10%
Clinton, Hillary	57,975	12%	19,949	63%	7,411	33%
McCain, John	27,205	22%	6,183	45%	731	9%
Paul, Ron	22,842	54%	1,402	12%	8	0%
Huckabee, Mike	7,045	33%	1,203	32%	18	1%
Keyes, Alan	238	52%	8	10%	0	0%
Gravel, Mike	196	68%	4	3%	0	0%

METHODOLOGY: The numbers on this page are calculated from contributions of more than $200 from individuals, as reported to the Federal Election Commission. PAC dollars are not included.

NOTE: All the numbers on this page are for the 2008 election cycle and based on Federal Election Commission data released electronically on Thursday, January 31, 2008. (Help! The numbers don't add up...")

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.link

In January, Obama pulled ahead of opponent Hillary Clinton in the money race, raising nearly twice her $18.9 million for the month. The two remain in a tight competition for the most raised since the start of 2007 and are nearly tied in the number of delegates they've won from the primary contests. Obama collected more than $1 million a day in January -- largely thanks to small online donors -- bringing his total haul to $138.2 million. Although official February reports won't be available until the end of March, Obama's campaign is already reporting that the presidential hopeful is keeping his record-breaking fundraising pace.

Total Receipts: $138,231,595
Total Spent: $113,291,435
Cash on Hand: $24,940,159
Debts: $1,104,693
Date of last report: January 31, 2008
Totals may include compliance fund receipts

Individual contributions	$137,431,938	99%
PAC contributions	$25	0%
Candidate self-financing	$0	0%
Federal Funds	$0	0%
Other	$799,632	1%

PAC Contribution Breakdown

Business

$3,250

26%

Labor

Ideological/Single Issue

$9,237

74%

another opensecrets.org link

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

There is no doubt in my mind that Obama is a socialistic guy. However, I recently concluded that he is actually more than 'the lesser evil', under the current dire circumstances. He is, in fact, likely to restore SOME of the liberties lost during the long Bush-Clinton-Bush years and he may backtrack on Bush's arrogant abuse of executive power. I couldn't say this much about Hillary and McCain.

To conclude, McCain is evil, Hillary is the lesser evil and Obama is a small, possibly VERY small retreat from the current evil. And these 3 are all we got to work with at this time.

I agree. Although it may be unwise to put too much hope or confidence in the Obama campaign, it is all we've got, IMO.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

I'm afraid that most of the working class of America is gone. What we got left is the largely or marginally criminal underclass, the decadent and overweight middle class - also known as 'the consumers' - and the beautiful people. Well... add to that the plumbers, the ethanol farmers and Hillary's favorites: the hairdressers.

I thought Obummers money was coming from the poor inner city blacks, ten dollars at a time. I am just aghast that he would prostitute himself to the moneyed elite.

But he hasn't really. Re-read that info in post #2 and tell me where you see elite.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

Yes, compare Wolf and Soros to the worst of what McCain and Hillary have supporting them.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

Soros to Spend Hundreds of Millions on Politics in Undisclosed, Tax-Deductible Dollars Even under Grassroots Legislation, Says GrassrootsFreedom.com.

MANASSAS, Va., March 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Mark Fitzgibbons and GrassrootsFreedom.com, regarding grassroots legislation currently being considered by Congress as part of lobbying reform:

"George Soros-financed Open Society Institute, a 501(c)(3) 'private operating foundation,' spent nearly $65 million financing mostly left-leaning 501(c)(3)s that engage in lobbying and/or public policy advocacy in just 2005 alone according to its tax return, IRS Form 990 available at Guidestar.com.

"The attached partial list of recipients of this 'largesse' shows the distinct political, lobbying and public policy purposes of these expenditures, including (1) influencing judicial nominations, (2) advocating for gay marriage, looser immigration and social security legislation, (3) taxpayer-financed elections and (4) gaining more ideological control of the news media.

"None of these lobbying and grassroots expenditures would be disclosed under the grassroots legislation written by lobbyists and being considered by Congress, even though the organizations that receive Soros' financing clearly 'influence' the general public and Congress to take action on policy, legislation and judicial nominations. Yet other citizen-supported grassroots causes communicating on the same issues would be required to track their expenditures, report them quarterly to Congress, and would be subject to civil and potential criminal penalties based simply on the exercise of their First Amendment rights, such as the right of citizens to petition the government.

"Also, this shows how billionaire donors get an indirect deduction for the actual lobbying conducted by certain nonprofit organizations, such as many that receive Soros' financing through his tax-exempt foundation.

"Open Society Institute had $859 million in assets, and generated nearly $13 million just in capital gains net income in that one year alone. It reported spending $624,046 just in legal fees. It is one of several foundations whose financing of the political agenda of Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party would not be disclosed under the grassroots legislation.

"Foundation-financed, Washington-based lobbyists are the principal proponents of the unconstitutional grassroots legislation. They have engaged in deception after deception to fool the general public about their real purposes. Those with vested political and financial interests seek to abridge the First Amendment rights of citizens so that Washington insiders can control more of the public debate. To justify their unconstitutional legislation, proponents claim the grassroots legislation would 'disclose' who funds grassroots communications to and between the general public. The legislation is unconstitutional, and the proponents' justifications are false. We prove that at GrassrootsFreedom.com.

"Opponents have shown that the grassroots legislation would regulate and even censor citizen-supported policy communications, but would exempt corporations, labor unions, and large, wealthy entities for grassroots policy communications to 'shareholders, officers, employees and members.'

"We've all heard the term 'limousine liberals.' Proponents of the grassroots legislation now want to create a 'country club' First Amendment, one for wealthy 'Members Only.'"

NOTE TO EDITORS: GrassrootsFreedom.com was created to expose the truth about the grassroots legislation being considered as part of the lobbying reform bill before Congress.

Attachment:

ORGANIZATION: PURPOSE:

ADC Research Institute - to support advocacy and policy work related to the rights of Arab Americans and to provide legal assistance

Alliance for Justice, Inc. - to provide core support for a public education campaign to preserve the judicial filibuster

American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education - to provide support for the work of the Standing Committee on Judicial Independence

American Forum - to renew support for the Working Group on Judicial Integrity

American Institute for Social Justice - to support the Social Security Education Project, a campaign aimed at educating members of the low and moderate income public about the currency debate on the future of Social Security

American Prospect, Inc. - to support an investigative reporting project, including the hiring of a new investigative editor, fees for authors, legal expenses, and other production costs associated with publishing articles

Amnesty International USA, Inc. - to support a one-day strategy session to develop a long-term coordinated and concerted approach for U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice - to support a re-granting program for LGBT organizations in the U.S.

Better World Fund - to support "The People Speak" 2004 campaign

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence - to provide general support

Brookings Institution - to provide general support

Campaign Legal Center Inc. - to support public education efforts to reform the presidential campaign finance system

CASA of Maryland, Inc. - to assist day and temporary laborers from Baltimore's growing Latino community through community law, advocacy and organizing activities

Cause Communications - to support research, printing, outreach and distribution of a free publication designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of presentations made by representatives of nonprofits and foundations across the United States

Center for American Progress - to support a public education campaign by Campus Progress

Center for Constitutional Rights Inc. - to provide funding for the Civil Liberties Defense and Education Project

Center for Investigative Reporting, Inc. - to support the Courting Influence investigative journalism project

Center for New Community - to provide support for "Building Democratic and Open Society: Countering the Anti-Immigrant Movement in the United States"

Center for Political Accountability - to support a monitoring and accountability project on the role of business in funding the drive to ideologically reshape the judiciary

Center for Public Interest Research Inc. - to support the Student Empowerment Training's State Student Association Organizing Project

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - to support research and analysis of the proposals to privatize social security

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington DC, Inc. - to provide general support

Committee for Economic Development - to support its project on judicial selection reform and judicial independence

Committee to Protect Journalists, Inc. - to provide general support

Communications Consortium Media Center - to support communications assistance and advice related to judicial nominations issues

Community Rights Counsel - to support projects on judicial nominations, judicial ethics, and federalism

Consumer Federation of America - to support Mark Cooper's research and analysis on media ownership rules

Consumers Union of United States, Inc. - to support efforts to offer grassroots organizations and the public in-depth technical expertise and research on media consolidation and community Internet

Drug Policy Alliance - to support the Drug Policy Alliance Advocates Grants Program

Economic Policy Institute - to support research and dissemination on the current debate and the future of Social Security

Equal Justice Society - to support the Judicial Nominations Project, which coordinates the Californians for Fair and Independent Judges coalition

Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues Inc. - to support a technical assistance project that explores opportunities to support and promote faith-based organizing and institutions that are affirming and inclusive of LGBT people, and to retain a consultant to recommend potential funding strategies

Generation Engage - to support network-building activities in Virginia

Global Action Project, Inc. - to publish and market the Youth Media Handbook

Grassroots Leadership Inc - to provide general support

Human Rights Campaign Foundation - to support the Federal Judiciary Public Education Project

Human Rights First - to provide continued support to promote human rights and civil liberties in the United States post 9/11

Human Rights Watch, Inc. - to galvanize public attention to human rights abuses committed within the United States, principally in the field of criminal justice - to support the U.S. Program's criminal justice work, including research and advocacy on sentencing policies, prison conditions, and barriers to reentry, including excessive and arbitrary punishment for sex offenses

Illinois Campaign for Political Reform - to provide renewal support for the Illinois Judicial Reform Project

Immigration Equality - to provide general support

Institute for America's Future Inc. - to support an education campaign on Social Security

Institute for Womens Policy Research - to support a public education and outreach campaign to keep women's concerns at the center of the Social Security debate

Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law - to support an organizing campaign around the federal judiciary in collaboration with the American Association of People with Disabilities

Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. - to support "Judging Discrimination: A Campaign to Support an Independent Judiciary"

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law - to support the printing and dissemination of the report of hearing on diversity and state judicial selection methods

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, Inc. - to provide support for the emergency campaign to preserve the filibuster

League of Women Voters Education Fund - to support a project to promote judicial independence and defend constitutional democracy in the United States

Let's Breakthrough, Inc. - to hire a fundraising consultant to identify new sources of support, develop proposals, and help build internal capacity to ensure ongoing funding for programming

Make the Road by Walking Inc. - to hire Community Resource Exchange to carry out a capacity-building project to help with fundraising in order to support organizational expansion

Management Assistance Group - to provide support to advance technical assistance efforts to leading national advocacy organizations and disseminate best practices within the non-profit sector

Maryland Association of Non-Profit Organizations, Inc. - to support the Advocacy Leaders Program

Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, Inc. - to support the creation of a policy/advocacy position

Migration Policy Institute - to provide continued support for policy research and analysis, task force group and consensus building and dissemination of recommendations on comprehensive immigration reform

National Center for Fair and Open Testing, Inc. - to hire two development consultants to help develop a long-term, diversified fundraising plan

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy - to build organizational capacity that will allow the implementation of a comprehensive development plan

National Democratic Institute for Internal Affairs - to provide general support

National Institute on Money in State Politics - to support comprehensive research on campaign finance patterns in state judicial election campaigns

National Partnership for Women & Families, Inc. - to support a high-profile communications and outreach strategy to ensure that women's voices are heard in the debate around Social Security - to support the Supreme Court and Federal Judicial Initiative

National Women's Law Center - to support its Reproductive Rights and Health Program - to provide renewed support for the Tax Policy Analysis and Communication Project in the Grantee's role as co-chair of the Fair Taxes for All coalition - to provide support for a project on Federal Courts and Administration of Justice

New America Foundation - to support a senior fellowship on political reform and domestic policy in 2005

New World Foundation - to support the Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program to provide sabbaticals and technical assistance opportunities to long-time activists of color working on progressive social justice issues

Pacific News Service - to provide a one-year seed grant to establish a New America Media presence in Washington, DC

Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts - to provide renewal support for a public education and organizing campaign in support of ment selection reforms in Pennsylvania

People for the American Way Foundation - to provide support for an emergency campaign to protect the filibuster - to provide $350,000 in core support for the judicial nominations project and to provide $150,000 in support for the media/communications campaign to protect the filibuster - to provide support to identify, engage, and empower young progressive leaders and activists as part of the Young People For (YP4) Initiative

Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. - to support Public Policy, Litigation and Law Program - to support an organizing campaign around the federal judiciary

Progressive Legislative Analysis Network - to provide general support

Progressive Populist Education Fund - to recruit, train and mentor diverse, new leaders to launch lifelong careers in political action

Proteus Fund Inc. - to provide funding for the Civil Marriage Collaboration Fund - to support the Voter Engagement Evaluation Project

Public Action Foundation - to provide renewal support for the Illinois Justice at Stake Campaign, A statewide public education and reform campaign

Public Campaign - to provide general support

Public Knowledge - to support advocacy and education promoting the growth of open access publishing

Rock the Vote Education Fund - to support a public education campaign to educate and galvanize the youth constituency in the fight to protect social security

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy - to support an ACS 'teach-in' project on the importance of judicial appointments

The Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights - to identify and advocate for changes to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania policies which create and perpetuate health disparities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals

The Center for Reproductive Rights, Inc. - to support the domestic program

The Reproductive Health Technologies Project, Inc. - to support public education and outreach surrounding the resignation of Dr. Susan Wood as Director of the FDA's Office of Women's Health

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York - to support the second year of the second round of the Soros Reproductive Rights and Health Fellowship at the Heilbrunn Center for Population and Family Health

Transgender Law Center - to use direct legal services, education, community organizing, and policy and media advocacy to improve the ability of the transgender community to express diverse gender identities in a discrimination-free environment - to provide technical assistance and capacity building in individual donor fundraising, website development and Spanish-language website content

To reason, indeed, he was not in the habit of attending. His mode of arguing, if it is to be so called, was one not uncommon among dull and stubborn persons, who are accustomed to be surrounded by their inferiors. He asserted a proposition; and, as often as wiser people ventured respectfully to show that it was erroneous, he asserted it again, in exactly the same words, and conceived that, by doing so, he at once disposed of all objections. - Macaulay, "History of England," Vol. 1, Chapter 6, on James II.

I was threatened with beach expulsion and prosecution once for going in the water too deep (up to my waist) and had 2 speeding convictions. I spent 3 days in jail (Newark, NJ) on phony charges that were later dropped. I also had my citizenship revoked by some totalitarian state. I was also citizen-arrested and pulled 'by the ear' to the principal's office for spitting on a dignitary black limo at the age of 7 or 8. While in the military I spent 5 days in the hole for going AWOL on a weekend (girlfriend came to see me and they would not let me out) and another 15 days for refusing to obey an officer's order.

It is a different crowd than the current monsters. I can't get a clear reading on Soros, but he appears more a socialist than a NeoCon.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

Well, a "socialist" who has made a lot of money in the free markets. I suspect what he believes in is regulated capitalism.

Matter of fact, I think that's what I believe in too. Especially after our recent experience with unregulated capitalism.

Ari, don't go there with Soros. Even a blind pig pulls up an acorn once in a while. There are very few people on this planet as meddlingly wicked as he is.

Soros is certainly no neocon. As his piece On Israel, America and Aipac from a year ago makes clear, he considers himself a nonpractising Jew who wants to see Israel survive but who very much dislikes the way AIPAC has shut down discussion on Israel and Palestine.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

Quite a rap sheet you have there. Bet you will be a candidate for the NWO rehabilitation program next year.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

He's meddled in our freedom thru his Open Society Foundation and their endless legislative assaults on our borders, our guns and the desire to make certain speech criminal.

One of the Asian countries was brought nearly to its knees by Soros and financial buzzards.

So he is open border and supports gun control. I can believe that. But what is it about free speech that he dislikes?

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

"(FORTUNE Magazine) – Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was on vacation during the speculative attack on Southeast Asia's currencies in mid-July, returned to Kuala Lumpur in a combative mood. Mahathir remains certain he has identified what caused the currency assault, which wiped 15% off the value of the Malaysian ringgit in the past two months: namely, George Soros, American billionaire hedge-fund manager.

Mahathir, who vociferously objects to the merest hint of Western meddling in Asian affairs, believes Soros' aim is to punish Malaysia for its support of Myanmar, or, specifically, its ruling junta, the State Law and Order Council (SLORC). Soros' Open Society Institute opposes the antidemocratic activities of SLORC but has repeatedly denied that this has influenced Soros' investment decisions. "There is absolutely no connection between the Open Society Institute's Burma Project and the currency trading conducted by Soros Fund Management," Soros declared in an official statement.

Even so, Soros was irked that in late July, Mahathir and the other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations formally ushered Myanmar into ASEAN. Here follow excerpts from an exclusive interview FORTUNE's Neel Chowdhury had with Mahathir in Kuala Lumpur:"

Many Thais blame Soros and other speculators for the crash of the Thai baht in 1997.

Soros has denied responsibility, saying his Quantam Groups of Funds had not sold baht during or just before the crisis, but had instead bought baht and Malaysian ringgit when those currencies began to fall.

Some Internet postings said Soros should not be solely blamed for attacks on the baht that triggered the crisis. They said Thai leaders and central bank authorities at the time were also at fault.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar
Several human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science have reported on human rights abuses by the military government.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

With all due respect robin, you need new glasses. Soros has been around a long time, known financial scavenger.

But what exactly has he done that is so evil? Is financial scavenging by definition evil? And remember who we are comparing him to, the advisers for McCain and Hillary.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

McCain may not be pro gun control but he is real happy with the unPatriot Act, wiretapping Americans and the war in Iraq.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

The FReeple dilemma of the lesser of two evils is best left in FReepertown. As we both know it's been a dreadfully unsuccessful strategy as our nation has continued it's leftward lurch for the entire course of both of our lifetimes.

Somethings that are offered as solutions are really electronic scams dressed up as (s)elections. Ample proof supports this conclusion. IMO, Nothing less than a total rejection of the two National party candidates, or a useless, but principled vote for a qualified 3rd party candidate, is rational.

Life is full of compromises, my vote has never been exactly what I wanted, it never will be.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

Two wings of the same bird. Vote all you want, the flight plan doesn't change.

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.

To vote for a gun grabbing, open border acolyte isn't compromise, IMO, it's more a total capitulation to our enemies.

But it will be settled on one of the two in Nov anyway. Do you really see no difference between McCain and Obama?

'He will make Cheney look like Gandhi.'
U.S. conservative pundit Pat Buchanan, imagining presidential hopeful John McCain in the White House.