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NJ: Big Money for Pro-War Group Comes from Casino Mogul
Last month, Freedom's Watch, a conservative group dedicated to urging public support for the Iraq War and the president's surge, began its campaign of TV, radio and Web ads. But the $15 million, five-week blitz was just the beginning to a campaign that's seemingly as open-ended as the Iraq War itself. And that's thanks largely to the financial support of billionaire Sheldon Adelson, reports the National Journal's Peter Stone (not online).
"Sources say that the group has lined up commitments of almost $200 million (from Adelson and others) to finance its operations," he reports, noting that "the group has several A-list donors," but "Adelson by far has the most firepower."
Forbes recently listed Adelson as the sixth richest person in the world, with $26.5 billion in assets. He's made his fortune mainly off of hotel-casinos and owns the Las Vegas Sands company. Stone reports that Adelson doesn't serve on Freedom's Watch's board of directors, but "the group’s chairman is Bill Weidner, president of the Las Vegas Sands."
Also on that board of directors, of course, are Ari Fleischer, and Brad Blakeman, both veterans of the Bush White House (spokesman and scheduler, respectively), who've served as the public faces of the group.
Comments (18)
regular lurker wrote on September 12, 2007 2:09 PM:$200 million dollars would fund the National Endowment for the Arts for one year with some money left over.
$200 million dollars would rebuild shuttered Charity Hospital in New Orleans with some money left over.
$200 million dollars would build a new bridge in Minneapolis to replace the one that collapsed.
But nope. This group wants to spend it on promoting The War to Nowhere.
Aaron G. Stock wrote on September 12, 2007 2:28 PM:Yeah, really, regular lurker....
Is there a way I can get even $20,000 (1/1000th) from Adelson and *not* be required to do or promote anything repugnant?
Sigh. Tainted money.
(To me, even casino fortunes are a bit tainted.)
lysias wrote on September 12, 2007 3:26 PM:Don't forget Mel Semper. He's backing this group too.
Anotherlib wrote on September 12, 2007 3:51 PM:Check out this guy in opensecrets:
169 records found in 0.0938 seconds.
Total for this search: $856,613
Of course, to him that's pocket change.
bob wrote on September 12, 2007 3:54 PM:Someone should ask the anti-gambling GOP leaders, especially from the religious right, what they think of him. Maybe they can run some of the ads from the KY governor's race about the horrors of legalized gambling.
Susan Kitchens wrote on September 12, 2007 3:59 PM:Oh crap. I checked out the Sands properties. Venetian is included. My bro works at a restaurant in the Venetian. Granted, Canaletto is owned by Il Fornaio, not the Venetian. But still.
JEP wrote on September 12, 2007 4:14 PM:Here's another example of the two faces of the Republican hypocri-party.
This guy's no Evangelical, but he seems to represent Republican morallity quite proudly. So which is it, are they the party of Christian morality or the party of pagan urges?
...seems to be a serious disconnect here.
When will the moralists realize they are in married-up to and in bed with the worst sorts of reprobate sinners? How can evangelicals continue to share the same space with gamblers,(Adelson) gays(Foley), and perverts(Craig).
Not to mention bullies (George Allen) and cheats (Tom Delay). The list goes on and on.
Considering what a profane "marriage" this has been for so long, and the craven offspring it has produced (The Bushes) one might wonder if the moralists really aren't as moral as they claim.
Obviously, they are willing to boogie with the Devil in their profane, prejudiced political dance.
JEP wrote on September 12, 2007 4:16 PM:PS The Russians just tested a new, non-nuclear superbomb...
Skipster wrote on September 12, 2007 5:45 PM:Sheldon is also a big partner with the Chinese communists- opening a new 4,000 plus room Venetian in Macau.
Skipster wrote on September 12, 2007 5:45 PM:Sheldon is also a big partner with the Chinese communists- opening a new 4,000 plus room Venetian in Macau.
sniflheim wrote on September 12, 2007 6:17 PM:What's hypocritical about it? They're telling us to double down at home and abroad.
desmoulins wrote on September 12, 2007 7:33 PM:As if you hadn't guessed, Addelson is also rabidly anti-union and the Venetian is the only Strip property that operates without a recognized union.
jeffgee wrote on September 12, 2007 9:06 PM:Sheldon's Sands Macau made its capital investment back in a year. Maybe Bush's double or nothing bet on Iraq appealed to the casiono owner in Adelson.
lespool wrote on September 12, 2007 11:34 PM:Dems should use this info to shut-up Christian crusaders sounding their war cries.
robbymack wrote on September 13, 2007 2:54 AM:................ and guess who happens to be employed at the Venetian? It is unreal how a guy as rabidly as rightwing as he is and promotes so many anti-union causes as Mr Adelson does can treat the people that work at the Venetian so well. I don't know if he is ruining it for other hotel employees that don't enjoy the benefits that we do at the Venetian but it is hard for me to reconcile his political self with the way we're treated. You can imagine the air that was sucked out of my lungs upon learning this fact a few weeks ago.
ecoli wrote on September 13, 2007 8:16 PM:A hyper rich Las Vegas jewboy who no doubt is pimping for Israel.
nelson conceicao costa wrote on October 29, 2007 6:58 AM:yes l`m biggest fan of this man, he just meke everything on is bussines, goes well and well. l´m from angola,from a very poor familie but l have wish to become a sucesseful men not longer...
Pepp wrote on January 21, 2008 12:37 PM:This guys hotel to not vist when in Vegas is the Venetian..........