Who Is Bankrolling the League of American Voters?

by John Stauber — September 25, 2009 - 8:21am
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"Standing in a medical exam room, a neurosurgeon in a white lab coat stares solemnly into the camera and warns that President Obama’s health care plan 'will hurt our seniors' and 'end Medicare as we know it.' ... How this ad came to be produced and distributed provides a case study in modern American political advocacy. It shows how a quickly assembled group with uncertain origins and funding can make a mark on one of the most contentious public policy debates in memory. The group that says it paid for the campaign -- the League of American Voters -- incorporated less than two weeks before the ad was released online. The League’s executive director, its only employee, declined to identify its founders or donors but claims that in less than two months of existence it has built a membership of 16,000 and raised about $1.7 million in donations. ... Interviews and a review of public records show that a wide-ranging group of people coalesced to launch the League or its ad campaign: Dick Morris, a former aide to President Bill Clinton and one of the nation’s more flamboyant political operatives; a one-time West Virginia political candidate ([Bob Adams); a New York City public relations executive with ties to health care groups (Alexandra Preate]; a New York rabbi; a filmmaker best known for an ad questioning the patriotism of Vietnam War veteran and then-Georgia senator Max Cleland (Rick Wilson); and a Florida doctor who once settled a state medical board allegation that he had operated on the wrong site during a spinal procedure."

Main Source: 
Huffington Post, September 24, 2009.

Comments

Thomas Sowell Quotes

Submitted by Dawn Marcia Wilson (not verified) on July 5, 2012 - 4:36pm.

Thomas Sowell Quotes -- Read them and weep Liberals.

• "Since this is an era when many people are concerned about 'fairness' and 'social justice,' what is your 'fair share' of what someone else has worked for?"
• "We seem to be moving steadily in the direction of a society where no one is responsible for what he himself did, but we are all responsible for what somebody else did, either in the present or in the past."
• "One of the consequences of such notions as ‘entitlements’ is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence."
• "Weighing benefits against costs is the way most people make decisions — and the way most businesses make decisions, if they want to stay in business. Only in government is any benefit, however small, considered to be worth any cost, however large."
• “What do you call it when someone steals someone else's money secretly? Theft. What do you call it when someone takes someone else's money openly by force? Robbery. What do you call it when a politician takes someone else's money in taxes and gives it to someone who is more likely to vote for him? Social Justice.

Phone message in Wis

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 4, 2011 - 12:22pm.

Your message to Wisconsin voters is filled with lies. Stop calling or at least call with the truth.

The American citizens fund

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 4, 2010 - 3:09pm.

The American citizens fund the league of American voters. What a novel idea for you Democommies.

Propaganda Alive and Well

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on August 1, 2010 - 1:39pm.

Looks like the right wing propaganda machine is still alive and well. Returning the tax bracket to 'NORMAL' levels is not a tax increase. At a time that we have record deficts we can not afford to continue to give away tax revenue to the rich, whom do not contibute to the demand for products and services. It is the average American that is driving the growth of the economy everytime they go the grocery store, everytime they shop for their families, everytime they eat out at resturants. Wealthy people sit on their money and do not create jobs. Trickle down economics do not work, try trickle up. League of American Voters needs to fess up to who is bankrolling them, otherwise they are trying to manipulate American politics from some closed door, backroom location just as they accuse the Democrats of doing.

Where did the money come from?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 19, 2010 - 12:08pm.

From millions of Americans who like me gave $50 to $100 to stop this change in our Health Care system and putting America deeper in debt.

where did the money come from?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on June 29, 2012 - 2:55pm.

yep. and i intend become one of the contributing millions.

From millions of Americans who like me gave $50 to $100 to stop

Submitted by Gary Moore (not verified) on March 23, 2010 - 2:41pm.

Sadly, that $50 or $100 won't cover even the cost of a band - aid with today's insurance coverage. The good news for you is that you can keep your existing insurance plan. All you have to do is keep bending over and say " can I have more sir " (oh yeah and keep paying those ever increasing insurance premiums). Get a clue!!!!

From millions of Americans who like me gave $50 to $100 to stop

Submitted by Gary Moore (not verified) on March 23, 2010 - 2:37pm.

Sadly, that $50 or $100 won't cover even the cost of a band - aid with today's insurance coverage. The good news for you is that you can keep your existing insurance plan. All you have to do is keep bending over and say " can I have more sir " (oh yeah and keep paying those ever increasing insurance premiums). Get a clue!!!!

Perhaps you think the

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 19, 2010 - 2:17pm.

Perhaps you think the Congressional Budget Office is lying? Do you want to believe a political group's grandstanding, or try to base your philosophy on the best non-partison information available? The best bi-partisan government organization to judge this is the CBO. If you don't trust their forecasts, you have a chip on your shoulder. This bill will save hundreds of billions of dollars in the first ten years, and over a trillion in year 20. To do nothing allows the deficit to be continually hit by our broken system, year after year.

You are part of the problem. You belong to the group on the side of the status quo, which is allowing 45,000 per year die because they don't have insurance. FACT.

This bill, while not perfect, saves lives and HELPS the federal deficit. The bill must pass now, or the chance to reform the health insurance industry will be gone for many years to come. You better wake up. You are not immune from a health catastophy and bankruptcy. Unless you are one of the rich guys that doesn't want the middle class to have a fair chance in life.

CBO

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on February 25, 2011 - 6:05pm.

I agree the CBO is non-partisan but they can only project costs based on what the assumptions they are given. They only missed Medicare by a factor of 17 times so put no faith in the forecast. Health care is complicated and very difficult by its very nature. This bill has a few positive elements but is hardly a money saver and will take us backwards.

There were major elements omitted not the least of which was the assumption that the Dr's were going to see a 21% reduction. Few Drs. would take Medicare if that was the case. It didn't and won't happen. It also assumes the $500 billion in Medicare savings, see above, not possible. If there is fraud, you don't need a 2 thousand page bill crafted by one party behind closed doors to start working on traud, just do it.

The cost will likely be double to triple. As to the 45,000 that die as is, that would be tragic if true, that's a very hard statistic to verify. Nonetheless, one is too many but it is not going to fix that. For all that might be saved, as many or more will get stuck in the system and meet the same fate.

It is crap legislation and we need to start over. No one cares about Obama's "signature" plan. His ego is enough to stomach as is, he is incompetent to be our president. We are rudderless for now and we can all pray we get someone that can right the ship from either party or elsewhere.