Politico reports that billionaire uber-Israel gambling tycoon, Sheldon Adelson plans to give independent PACs acting on behalf of Newt Gingrich $20-million as early as this week. This jibes nicely with the post I wrote a few days ago which predicted precisely this sort of mega donations flowing into the Palestine denier’s campaign. I predicted this based on the huge subsidy Adelson provides for Yisrael HaYom, which Bibi himself credits for bringing him to power and keeping him there. Though Adelson doesn’t own a U.S. newspaper or TV station that can offer that sort of support for Gingrich, for now a huge infusion of unregulated cash offers a great substitute.
It should be noted that Adelson is quite prickly and demanding and that he has been reputed to have funded previous far-right organizations with which he became disenchanted and turned off the spigot. So we’ll have to watch this one to see if the romance with Gingrich maintains its ardor throughout the campaign. Further, if the romance develops I’d expect that this would be only a downpayment from the pro-Israel hawk, as it will be used almost solely to buy ads for the Iowa caucuses. I wouldn’t be surprised to see total gifts in the $100-million range for the entire primary and election campaign (if there is one for Gingrich).
Now, the question is what will the Jewish Republican donors do who support Romney. Will they rise to the occasion and open their pocketbooks or sit back and let Sheldon steal the show? I’m guessing that no one will want to get into a “mine’s bigger than yours” contest with Sheldon as he has one of the biggest wallets when it comes to supporting his hand-picked candidates.
What does $20-million buy? It buys a candidate’s Israel policy for sure. You can be sure that every word out of Newt’s mouth from here on concerning Jews and Israel will be personally pre-approved and scripted by Adelson. As far as the latter is concerned, Newt is the best candidate money can buy. If you think denying Palestine was wild, just wait to see what comes next. Hearing Sheldon Adelson’s views regurgitated by a major American presidential candidate should be a mind-altering experience.
I’m looking for a picture of Newt and Sheldon together. If anyone has or knows of one please let me know. It’s gonna be a long campaign and these guys will no doubt be in the news again, repeatedly. H/t Paul Mutter.
Adelson not giving $20M to Newt superPAC
Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson denied, through a spokesman, a report that he has committed $20 million to a superPAC that supports Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.
“That is not true,” Adelson spokesman Ron Reese told The Washington Examiner. “There’s no truth to any speculation that Mr. Adelson has made a commitment to either contribute or raise this amount of money.”
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/adelson-not-giving-20m-newt-superpac/259211
Politico’s report is confirmed by multiple sources. Sorry if given a choice bet this Politico reporter & a billionaire scumbag making his livelihood fr the miserable addictions of million’s of gamblers, I know who I choose.
True – but the sources in Politico are all anonymous. Don’t they have a mixed track record with such stories?
In terms of photos, there seem to be a bunch of Adelson with Romney, but none with Gingrich.
Maybe try looking up photos at the recent RJC forum – I believe they were both in attendance.
People come here all the time with Israeli media stories based on anonymous sources treating them like halacha l’Moshe mi’Sinai. So when people like a story they trust the sources, when they don’t they cry out the source is anonymous & can’t be trusted. People yell that here all the time about my sources. All I can say is that this story is true. I know it in my bones. And if the reporter has multiple sources it confirms that fact for me.
As Cow Flops First Class, turds of a feather usually occupy the same meadow. (I apologize to wordsmiths of various stripes, but mixing metaphors in the name of decency is surely acceptable in this instance.)
I disagree with your assessment here. You wrote:
“You can be sure that every word out of Newt’s mouth from here on concerning Jews and Israel will be personally pre-approved and scripted by Adelson.”
I think precisely the opposite. That is to say that Aldeson supports Gingrich because Gingrich has already said and consistently is saying what he wants to hear – no scripting needing!
It’s not like Gingrich would be espousing different positions were it not for these donations. Look at Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachmann for example – they both hold even more stridently anti-Palestinian positions than Newt Gingrich without the benefit of Adelson’s millions.
These folks speak their mind on Israel and Jews without anyone needing to tell them what to say or scripting their dialogue for them.
Adelson will throw his money behind those whose positions most closely mirror his own (and who has the best chance to win).
I think these chickens came before that egg, so to speak.
RE: “It’s not like Gingrich would be espousing different positions were it not for these donations.” – Mann
MY COMMENT: What about the $7 million Adelson donated between 2006 and 2010 to American Solutions for Winning the Future, Gingrich’s political group? Might that have influenced Gingrich?
SEE: “Gingrich and Adelson Forge Firm Alliance”, By Josh Nathan-Kazis and Nathan Guttman, The Forward, 12/08/11
GOP Frontrunner Boasts Israel Support and Netanyahu Ties
ENTIRE ARTICLE – http://www.forward.com/articles/147533/?p=all
RE: “It’s not like Gingrich would be espousing different positions were it not for these
donations.” – Mann
SEE: Gingrich comments on Palestinians a “play” for “Jewish” money, former strategist says, by Ali Abunimah, 12/13/11
SOURCE – http://networkedblogs.com/rsUlf
Thanks for that confirmation. Poor Bob doesn’t appear to know how the campaign funding game is played here.
If you think Adelson is the sort of guy who trusts people & lets them go their merry way after sinking tens of millions into their campaign coffers, you simply don’t know the guy. Gingrich has had lots of different positions in the past regarding Israel & the Palestinians, some far too liberal for Adelson. Gingrich’s current views are w/o doubt scripted either by Adelson or for Adelson’s delectation by others. The very idea that Republican candidates’ mouths simply spout pearls of pro-Israel wisdom without any scripting or prompting from Republican Jewish fatcat donors is unbelievably naive.
see this (reported by Haaretz):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/newt-gingrich-palestinians-palestine-yasser-arafat_n_1146132.html
Adelson funded most if not all of Freedom Watch back in 2008. Headed by Ari Fleischer, its goal was to foment war with Iran.
That was one of the charities to which he made huge promises on which he reneged, leaving the group high & dry. I don’t know why he did that. I’m guessing he believed its positions were too liberal for him or not bellicose enough.
Politico has made some updates to the article you’ve linked to after talking directly to Adelson.
He actually went on the record in a phone conversation with Politico saying that the claim is not true (The link is the same as what is in your post above if you want to check out the specifics).
It seems clear that Adelson will donate heavily to whatever Republican gets the eventual nomination.
Do you think it will end up being Gingrich in the end? I get the sense that Romney will end up with the nomination when all is said and done.
Personally, I think (and hope) that Obama should be able to beat either one of them (or any of the others) in the general election.
What that means for Israelis and Palestinians, if anything, is not entirely clear to me.