Billionaires Now Own American Politics

[Addison]

Andy Kroll from AlterNet

Billionaires with an axe to grind, now is your time. Not since the days before a bumbling crew of would-be break-in artists set into motion the fabled Watergate scandal, leading to the first far-reaching restrictions on money in American politics, have you been so free to meddle. There is no limit to the amount of money you can give to elect your friends and allies to political office, to defeat those with whom you disagree, to shape or stunt or kill policy, and above all to influence the tone and content of political discussion in this country.

Today, politics is a rich man's game. Look no further than the 2012 elections and that season's biggest donor, 79-year-old casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. He and his wife, Miriam, shocked the political class by first giving $16.5 million in an effort to make Newt Gingrich the Republican presidential nominee. Once Gingrich exited the race, the Adelsons invested more than $30 million in electing Mitt Romney. They donated millions more to support GOP candidates running for the House and Senate, to block a pro-union measure in Michigan, and to bankroll the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other conservative stalwarts (which waged their own campaigns mostly to helpRepublican candidates for Congress). All told, the Adelsons donated $94 million during the 2012 cycle -- nearly four times the previous record set by liberal financier George Soros. And that's only the money we know about. When you add in so-called dark money, one estimate puts their total giving at closer to $150 million.

It was not one of Adelson's better bets. Romney went down in flames; the Republicans failed to retake the Senate and conceded seats in the House; and the majority of candidates backed by Adelson-funded groups lost, too. But Adelson, who oozes chutzpah as only a gambling tycoon worth $26.5 billion could, is undeterred. Politics, he told the Wall Street Journal in his first post-election interview, is like poker: "I don't cry when I lose. There's always a new hand coming up." He said he could double his 2012 giving in future elections. "I'll spend that much and more," he said. "Let's cut any ambiguity."

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http://www.alternet.org/billionaires-now-own-american-politics

[awoke_in_2003]

1. Now?...

They always have.

[grilled onions]

2. One Feels So Defeated With That Single Vote

The mover$ and $hakers toss money around like its confetti. When pure money does not do the trick it's time for their carnival tricks. Shifting votes,shifting districts. In smaller races they may stoop to changing voting places too quickly for many to find their new voting place until it's too late or "accidentally" locking doors, telling gullible voters that they have to vote in "certain" booths or that some booths are not working. If nothing they are very predictable with their games.
But their goals are very real and they will play ugly to win. At the same time the results are very real to us. For many it's a matter of life or death,eating or not eating,having shelter or not,choices of who to marry or pro choice options. Far too much money is in the other camp as well as much of the very vocal "non news" media,hate radio etc. How can we turn the curve into our direction?