Lucille
05-08-2014, 09:07 AM
The Most Influential Man You Haven't Heard Of
http://www.thedailybell.com/editorials/35284/Wendy-McElroy-The-Most-Influential-Man-You-Havent-Heard-Of/
One man has answered the question, "How much does it cost to buy the U.S. Senate?" The price tag and his name came to light as the only plausible explanation for an otherwise inexplicable event.
Two months ago, an even more bizarre spectacle than usual took place on the Senate floor. From the evening of March 10th through to the next morning, about 30 Democratic senators held a 14-hour+ speechathon. The event was billed as an attempt to push America into addressing "climate change." Translation: It was meant to publicize measures that would rectify so-called 'global warming' and protect against environmental 'threats' such as the oil and gas industries.
The spectacle was surreal on several levels:
no environmental legislation was or is pending before either branch of Congress;
the participating Senators had no law or policy to propose;
they freely admitted that no such law could pass the current Congress;
they wasted a day's worth of lights and heat in the name of conservation; and,
they protested the inactivity of a legislative body that they themselves control.
The senior political editor at Townhall, Guy Benson, suggested an inspirational chant the Senators could use at their next speechathon:
What do we want?
– Non-specific action from ourselves!
When do we want it?
– Now!
[...]
The Man Who Bought the Senate
What motivated the Democratic Senators to protest the non-action of a body they control on an issue for which they proposed no remedy? Follow the money. In an article entitled "What the Senate's All-Nighter on Climate Change is Really About," the Washington Post (March 10) explained:
"Environmental groups spent about $20 million on ads and other activities to help Democrats in 2012 and gave about $742,000 directly to candidates during the cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics..."
The environmental dollar will be even more important in the 2014 races. For example, the League of Conservation Voters is actively running ads to promote Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii in a highly contested race. Schatz was a primary organizer of the speechathon.
And, then, there is the one man who bought Congress for a night: the leftwing billionaire businessman and environmentalist Thomas Steyer. He has been called the most influential man in America with whom next to no one is familiar. Steyer reportedly directed more than $11.1 million into two super PACs (political action committees) in order to help Virginia's Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Senator Ed Markey. Steyer contributed $8 million to McAuliffe's campaign for one reason alone; he wished to make an example of the governor's rival, Republican Ken Cuccinelli, who is a notorious skeptic on global warming. And Steyer isn't shy about hitting below the belt. For example, during a pre-election football game between the University of Virginia and Brigham Young University, he hired an airplane to fly a banner reading "Cuccinelli Says Go BYU" over the stadium.
PACs, such as those founded by Steyer and former NYC-mayor Bloomberg, are increasingly defining American politics. A political action committee is an organization that can legally raise an unlimited amount of money from entities such as corporations and individuals; it is not supposed to contribute to or to cooperate directly with a specific party or candidate. The Center for Public Integrity called Steyer's two super PACS "the latest iteration ... [in] the single-issue vanity super PAC – a group backed by a single, wealthy donor focusing on an issue of national importance, such as climate change or gun violence." For 2014, Steyer has announced plans to use his advocacy group, NextGen Political Action, to funnel about $100 million into the campaigns of Democratic congressional candidates.
The Washington Post continued its commentary on Steyer: "He's quickly emerged as a new and much-needed source of campaign money for Democrats eager to find ways to match the rise of conservative donors who are using new super PACs to spend millions of dollars attacking congressional Democrats on the airwaves ... Steyer hosted a recent fundraiser at his San Francisco home that netted the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee $400,000 and where Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and the six other Democratic senators in attendance openly discussed plans for ...[ the] talkathon, according to reports."
In other words, the speechathon was planned at the billionaire's home in Reid's presence. The uber-influencial Reid is the same Democratic Senator who lambasted the billionaire Koch brothers for their donations to Republican causes and campaigns. On March 10, the Business Insider reported Reid as stating, "I'm trying to find a Republican – somebody, anybody – who will raise an objection to two brothers trying to buy America." Apparently, Reid wants only the Senate to be up for sale, and only to a Democratic buyer.
How Much Did it Cost ... Steyer and the Democrats?
So what was the Senate's price tag? Let's see ... the talk-a-thon reportedly lasted 15 hours. With the dangled pledge of $100 million to Democrats, Steyer was able to buy (or rent) the floor of the Senate at a rate of $6 million an hour. I agree with the twitterer who wrote, "Who says Congress is broken?" The fact that someone is willing to pay $6 million an hour for it is a clear free-market sign of its worth. Correction: This has nothing to do with the free market...
More...
http://www.thedailybell.com/editorials/35284/Wendy-McElroy-The-Most-Influential-Man-You-Havent-Heard-Of/
One man has answered the question, "How much does it cost to buy the U.S. Senate?" The price tag and his name came to light as the only plausible explanation for an otherwise inexplicable event.
Two months ago, an even more bizarre spectacle than usual took place on the Senate floor. From the evening of March 10th through to the next morning, about 30 Democratic senators held a 14-hour+ speechathon. The event was billed as an attempt to push America into addressing "climate change." Translation: It was meant to publicize measures that would rectify so-called 'global warming' and protect against environmental 'threats' such as the oil and gas industries.
The spectacle was surreal on several levels:
no environmental legislation was or is pending before either branch of Congress;
the participating Senators had no law or policy to propose;
they freely admitted that no such law could pass the current Congress;
they wasted a day's worth of lights and heat in the name of conservation; and,
they protested the inactivity of a legislative body that they themselves control.
The senior political editor at Townhall, Guy Benson, suggested an inspirational chant the Senators could use at their next speechathon:
What do we want?
– Non-specific action from ourselves!
When do we want it?
– Now!
[...]
The Man Who Bought the Senate
What motivated the Democratic Senators to protest the non-action of a body they control on an issue for which they proposed no remedy? Follow the money. In an article entitled "What the Senate's All-Nighter on Climate Change is Really About," the Washington Post (March 10) explained:
"Environmental groups spent about $20 million on ads and other activities to help Democrats in 2012 and gave about $742,000 directly to candidates during the cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics..."
The environmental dollar will be even more important in the 2014 races. For example, the League of Conservation Voters is actively running ads to promote Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii in a highly contested race. Schatz was a primary organizer of the speechathon.
And, then, there is the one man who bought Congress for a night: the leftwing billionaire businessman and environmentalist Thomas Steyer. He has been called the most influential man in America with whom next to no one is familiar. Steyer reportedly directed more than $11.1 million into two super PACs (political action committees) in order to help Virginia's Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Senator Ed Markey. Steyer contributed $8 million to McAuliffe's campaign for one reason alone; he wished to make an example of the governor's rival, Republican Ken Cuccinelli, who is a notorious skeptic on global warming. And Steyer isn't shy about hitting below the belt. For example, during a pre-election football game between the University of Virginia and Brigham Young University, he hired an airplane to fly a banner reading "Cuccinelli Says Go BYU" over the stadium.
PACs, such as those founded by Steyer and former NYC-mayor Bloomberg, are increasingly defining American politics. A political action committee is an organization that can legally raise an unlimited amount of money from entities such as corporations and individuals; it is not supposed to contribute to or to cooperate directly with a specific party or candidate. The Center for Public Integrity called Steyer's two super PACS "the latest iteration ... [in] the single-issue vanity super PAC – a group backed by a single, wealthy donor focusing on an issue of national importance, such as climate change or gun violence." For 2014, Steyer has announced plans to use his advocacy group, NextGen Political Action, to funnel about $100 million into the campaigns of Democratic congressional candidates.
The Washington Post continued its commentary on Steyer: "He's quickly emerged as a new and much-needed source of campaign money for Democrats eager to find ways to match the rise of conservative donors who are using new super PACs to spend millions of dollars attacking congressional Democrats on the airwaves ... Steyer hosted a recent fundraiser at his San Francisco home that netted the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee $400,000 and where Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and the six other Democratic senators in attendance openly discussed plans for ...[ the] talkathon, according to reports."
In other words, the speechathon was planned at the billionaire's home in Reid's presence. The uber-influencial Reid is the same Democratic Senator who lambasted the billionaire Koch brothers for their donations to Republican causes and campaigns. On March 10, the Business Insider reported Reid as stating, "I'm trying to find a Republican – somebody, anybody – who will raise an objection to two brothers trying to buy America." Apparently, Reid wants only the Senate to be up for sale, and only to a Democratic buyer.
How Much Did it Cost ... Steyer and the Democrats?
So what was the Senate's price tag? Let's see ... the talk-a-thon reportedly lasted 15 hours. With the dangled pledge of $100 million to Democrats, Steyer was able to buy (or rent) the floor of the Senate at a rate of $6 million an hour. I agree with the twitterer who wrote, "Who says Congress is broken?" The fact that someone is willing to pay $6 million an hour for it is a clear free-market sign of its worth. Correction: This has nothing to do with the free market...
More...