Grover Norquist's Budget Is Largely Financed by Just Two Billionaire-Backed Nonprofits

[TomCADem]

Source: The Nation

Grover Norquist’s iron grip over much of the Republican Party is somewhat puzzling. Why should Senators and other lawmakers listen to a guy caught laundering money for Jack Abramoff?

But consider Norquist’s tax pledge and political power another way: that he’s just a proxy for the powerful interest groups that finance him. In the nineties, it was big tobacco that used Norquist’s tax pledge as a cover to lobby lawmakers against cigarette taxes (Norquist still uses an e-mail system donated to him by Altria to send out Tea Party action alerts against tobacco taxes). Now, big PhRMA and other industry groups provide grants to Norquist while his foundation endorses other giveaways, like protectionist support against importing cheaper drugs from Canada and the classification of tax subsidies to refineries as “tax cuts” that must not be cut.

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The disclosures show that only two billionaire-backed groups have provided over 66 percent of Norquist’s funding:

* * *

The Center to Protect Patients Rights is the foundation used by the billionaire clique led by the Koch brothers to distribute grants to allied groups. In 2010, wealthy moguls like Steve Bechtel of Bechtel Corporation and Steve Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group met behind closed doors to help lend money to these types of efforts.

Crossroads GPS is the undisclosed group run by Karl Rove. The only known donors are folks like Paul Singer, the “vulture” hedge fund king who benefits enormously from tax strategies like the carried interest loophole. Norquist’s pledge largely benefits billionaires like Singer and Schwarzman, who pay almost nothing in payroll taxes and likely pay a lower rate than their secretaries.


Read more: http://www.thenation.com/blog/171475/analysis-grover-norquists-budget-largely-financed-just-two-billionaire-backed-nonprofits#

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The mainstream media helps perpetuate Grover Norquist's influence by ignoring the fact that he is merely a conduit for corporate money and billionaires like the Koch brothers to control the Republican party. Norquist provides cover for billioniares and corporate interests to threaten Republicans who may even consider straying from anti-tax orthodoxy because Norquist's threats are back by millions in corporate campaign contributions. If you stray, Crossroads GPS will dump millions into a primary challenge.

[toby jo]

1. Alright, this one's going straight to the righties at work tomorrow

I was considering getting them a subscription to The Nation, but they'd have to read it.

Thanks, TomCADem

[TomCADem]

3. Like Norquist - Ralph Reed Uses Corporate Money To Line-Up Religious Support

Like Norquist, Ralph Reed also promotes astroturf efforts under the guides of representing the interests of Evangelical Christians. The problem with all the coverage of Norquist is that it ignores the fact that he himself does not have any real power. Instead, both Norquist and Reed are merely astroturf promoters who provide a thin guise of grassroot support for corporate perogatives.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/05/mega-donors-bankrolling-religious-right_n_1735337.html

Koch Brothers, GOP Mega Donors, Help Bankroll Religious Conservative's 2012 Efforts

A conservative group led by longtime political activist Ralph Reed has budgeted $10 million for a major 2012 election push to turn out the religious right and block a second term for President Barack Obama, a top executive with his organization told the Huffington Post.

The Faith and Freedom Coalition's effort, which will include voter registration drives at NASCAR races in Florida, Virginia and other key swing states, is part of a much broader attempt to reactivate millions of socially conservative voters to not only defeat Obama but help some favorite conservative congressional candidates.

The Pennsylvania-based Let Freedom Ring quietly cobbled together a nonpartisan 2,000-member pastor network to spur voter registration efforts and is planning a multi-million dollar ad drive this fall focused on social, economic and foreign policy issues, according to Colin Hanna, president of the organization.

Propping up this trio of right-leaning organizations are several of the country’s wealthiest conservatives. Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and John Templeton Jr., who runs a family foundation, are offering financial support, as are organization that receive funding from the billionaire Koch brothers, according to two GOP fundraisers familiar with the separate operations of the three groups.

[DonCoquixote]

2. Question

No, I do not want to spread Islamophobia, but I do wonder how arch Zionists like Singer skate around the idea that this guy has been linked to the Islamic brotherhood,and is a practicing Muslim, converted by a Palestinian wife?

http://www.investigativeproject.org/3287/norquist-hit-for-iran-lobby-link
http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=grover_norquist

Now, to the Muslims reading this, I do not slam Norquist for his faith or choice of wives, indeed, if he CAME OUT, it might do wonders for Islam, as people would realize that Muslims are NOT the people that show up in bad action flicks. However, it says a LOT about the billionaires where they will want "Hippies" beatn up, but yet give Grover a pass.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

6. John Fund is Norquest's former room mate.

"According to friend and former roommate John Fund, Norquist's devotion to his political causes is "monk-like" and comparable to that of Ralph Nader."

And Fund harps on the dangers of "voter fraud".

"In 2004, Fund wrote Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy (ISBN 1-59403-061-8), in which he strongly criticizes the American election system, describing it as "befitting an emerging Third World country rather than the world's leading democracy". He has since updated the book.[5] His latest book Who's Counting?: How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote at Risk also addresses the issue of voter fraud in U.S. elections."

These guys aren't interested in democracy. We've no idea what their true goals are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fund

[dmr]

4. Thank you for posting this. I've always wondered

who gave Grover the power to put such great fear in so many people over so many years.

Seriously, that's some massive power & fear.

Personally, I think the 'bravery' those in Congress are now showing against Grover, is pre-approved by those who hold the pocket-book. It could be to make them look more reasonable as they plan to sabotage Obama's efforts.

Who know?

Off to read the article now. Thanks, again.

[donnasgirl]

5. If you want fear

Let the 98% stick together for a change and then you will see real change.STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

[AnotherMcIntosh]

7. "laundering money for Jack Abramoff"? If this is disapproved, why isn't this guy being prosecuted?

[Overseas]

8. K&R. Well said.

[Coyotl]

9. Why are lawmakers listening to the guy laundering money for Jack Abramoff?

Maybe because they, Grover, and Jack all work for the same guys.

[ErikJ]

10. No surprise. The Koch brothers are the rulers of the ultimate Evil Empire.

[freshwest]

11. Awesome find, a game changer, will share.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. k

[tosh]

13. Kick for the morning crew.

[and-justice-for-all]

14. Grover Norquist can piss off...

and Lobbying should be BANNED!