Chicago Cubs Owner Joe Ricketts’ Anti-Obama Plot Risks Stadium Growth

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) For two years, Joe Ricketts has been building a political operation seeking to curb government spending that could have reached a crescendo in August with an unexpected, multimillion dollar attack on President Barack Obama.

The admission by a Ricketts’ spokesman yesterday that one proposed advertising campaign focused on the president’s relationship with a Chicago preacher known for racially charged sermons removed the element of surprise, increased scrutiny of his political activity and put at a negotiating disadvantage one of the Ricketts family’s prized possessions -- the Chicago Cubs.

“Not only was this plan merely a proposal -- one of several submitted to the Ending Spending Action Fund by third- party vendors -- but it reflects an approach to politics that Mr. Ricketts rejects, and it was never a plan to be accepted but only a suggestion for a direction to take,” Brian Baker, president of the group, said in a statement issued on Ricketts’ behalf.

The denunciation of the proposal underscores the risks some wealthy donors, freed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010 to spend unlimited amounts of money on politics, are taking as they use their fortunes to drive election outcomes. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-18/cubs-owner-ricketts-anti-obama-plot-risks-stadium-growth.html

[gratuitous]

1. "Only a suggestion for a direction"

I believe many of us remember how Move On got pilloried in 2004 for a couple of entries in their on-line "make your own political ad" promotion in 2004. Oh, it was the end of the United States, for sure! Someone submitted an entry that made a pretty credible case for the Nazi tendencies of the George W. Bush misadministration. The Beltway Insiders rolled out the cushiest fainting couches and the popular media ran for the their finest clutching pearls as the entire coterie indulged a group session of the vapors, aimed squarely at Move On for sponsoring such a contest. How DARE they malign our Commander in Chief! During war time! Mercy!

Of course, Move On was merely putting the contest on, and they promptly removed the offending entries from their website, but the talking chuckleheads have still never quite recovered and Move On remains a by-word for wild-eyed crazed dirty fucking hippies assailing the gates of democracy.

I do not anticipate anything of the sort attending Mr. Ricketts.

[Bluzmann57]

2. Does Ricketts know who the mayor of Chicago is?

A guy by the name of Rahm Emmanuel and like him or hate him, he is a staunch ally of President Obama. And Emmanuel will have the final say on any city funding the Ricketts family may get for Wrigley. So it doesn't seem to be overly intelligent to rip into Obama while seeking city funding for the ball park.

[COLGATE4]

3. Ed reported last night that Rahm is so pissed that

he refuses to speak with any of the Ricketts family. Wanna bet on how this affects their bid for public funds for Wrigley???

[global1]

4. If Ricketts Can Afford To Foot The Bill For An Anti-Obama Campaign -Then He......

doesn't need public funds for Wrigley. He can foot his own Wrigley renovations.

[Bluzmann57]

5. But...but...

How can a zillionaire be expected to actually finance his own damn stadium?
In actuality, I'm not real sure how much day to day the old man is involved in regarding the Cubs. But his family is still incredibly wealthy and can afford to upgrade the ballpark on their own.

[Javaman]

6. I think Ricketts hasn't been out in the sun enough. nt

[Scurrilous]

7. Alas...