George
Soros, the liberal billionaire investor who has
largely laid low during the 2012 elections,
announced $1.5 million in pledged donations Thursday
to a trio of super PACs backing President Obama and
congressional Democrats, PAC officials said.
Soros, who became nationally
prominent in 2004 when he spent more than $20
million on independent groups supporting Sen. John
Kerry (D-Mass.), will give $1 million to Priorities
USA Action — which is supporting Obama — and
$500,000 to Majority PAC and House Majority PAC,
which are running ads on behalf of Democratic
candidates for Congress.
The move could signal a softening of
resistance by Soros and other wealthy liberals to
contributing to super PACs and other independent
groups that can accept unlimited donations. Soros
had previously given $1
million to the American Bridge opposition research
group and smaller checks to other groups, but had
suggested he was unlikely to get involved more
directly.
Even with more than $2.5 million in
total donations, however, Soros’s financial
commitment pales in comparison with conservative
donors such as casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who
has said he will give up to $100 million to groups
supporting Mitt Romney and other Republicans this
year.
Other top Republican donors include
Houston homebuilder Bob Perry ($16 million) and
Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons ($15.75 million). The
top Democratic giver on record so far is
New York hedge fund manager Jim Simons, who has
given a combined $4 million to the same super PACs
to which Soros just agreed to contribute.
Soros’s new gifts were announced at a
Thursday lunch sponsored by a group of liberal
donors called the Democracy Alliance, according
to the New York Times,which first
reported the pledge. The event was headlined by
former president Bill Clinton and attended by other
prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).
Soros’s gift follows
the announcement by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel earlier
this month that he was leaving his official perch at
the Obama campaign to help raise money for
Priorities USA Action.
Democrats have been worried for
months about Republican success in raising funds
from wealthy conservatives, who have poured hundreds
of millions of dollars into a network of groups
aimed at toppling Obama. Many wealthy liberals, by
contrast, have sat on the sidelines, in part because
they say they are discomfited by the influence of
big money in politics.
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Comments
bethg1841
6:07 AM PDT
This coverage is laughable and true to form for The Post. The tone is considerably different when covering the left's favorite billionaire. The message: "This generous man was forced to donate to counter conservative donations. And, here's a list of those rich 1% conservatives". No such list of the rich 1% liberals donating to the left when The Post runs their hit coverage on conservative donors. How about the $1 million that he's already donated to the MediaMatters/MoveOn.org smear (media)campaign this year? I'm sure that there are other "generous" donations that haven't been made public.
Soros and his many activist organizations throughout the world don't volunteer/donate their time and money because they are "generous". Toppling governments and their economies and pushing the progressive agenda is just another work day.