Most socialist politicians are very wealthy, yet they portray themselves as the champions of the little guy.  Even the politicians who are multi-millionaires talk about rich people in the third person.

The socialist Democrats say Republicans are the party of the rich, and that was once true, but now the Republicans better represent the middle class, while the socialist Democrats are the political home of the wealthiest and the neediest in America.  Celebrities who are both wealthy and outspoken are (mostly) also Democrats, and the news media can't get enough of them; but they represent a very thin slice of the population.

Tim Walz Wants Us to Feel Sorry For Him Because He Has to 'Pay Bills'.  Failed Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) is trying to gain sympathy after a devastating loss by crying about the struggles of managing bills and responsibilities he faces as the country's "poorest" vice president candidate that Americans face daily.  Walz shed light on how it felt to be the least richest person to run alongside a presidential candidate despite making over $100,000 annually, while most Americans bring in far less than that.

The Editor says...
Walz is like Elmer Fudd with an attitude.

Actors and Singers Make Comedic Political Analysts.  Leading up to the election, some celebrities promised they would leave the United States in the event of another Trump victory.  Barbra Streisand, Cher, Sharon Stone, and Ellen DeGeneres are among them.  Ellen is in Cotswold, but we're still waiting on news from the others. [...] Even though we don't actually care either way if Miley Cyrus leaves the country, the threat to move is usually disingenuous and likely meant to get attention.  And even when it's not, it doesn't really matter at all.  These millionaires can still keep multiple properties across the United States and return whenever they wish.

Net Zero Is Asinine.  Over the past few decades, the UN, the mainstream media, academia, Hollywood, and governments all over the world have peddled similar talking points regarding the existential threat of climate change.  But the facts tell a very different story.  In truth, the world is not on the verge of an environmental collapse.  Weather events like tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, etc. are not becoming more frequent nor deadlier.  Sea rise is not a dangerous threat and all the glaciers have not melted.  Wildfires are not increasing in intensity and neither are heatwaves.  The UN does not want you to be aware of these facts because they directly undercut the core of their alarmist message and therefore undermine the supposed urgency for net zero.  Moreover, the UN is adamantly opposed to developing nations utilizing fossil fuels so that they can become economically competitive while drastically reducing the abject poverty that still exists in far too many countries.  If the continued use of fossil fuels poses no imminent threat to humanity, why is the UN so gung-ho about net zero?  Perhaps the answer is money.  The sheer cost of transitioning the world from fossil fuels to renewable energy and achieving net zero is estimated to cost about $75 trillion, according to Goldman Sachs.

To Move Forward, Democrats Must Oust Obama.  Obama pretends to rise above grievance, but he's reliant upon it like an addict, like the "Revs" Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, though far silkier and smoother.  Remember just weeks ago when Obama was lecturing young black men who weren't enthralled with the presidential candidacy of Kamala Harris.  Bitter and angry, he harangued them on what he could only understand as the sexism of the great unwashed.  It was a rap he had used before.  And it had treated him so well in the past.  It reverberated in the halls of his many mansions.  Perhaps even in that mansion on liberal Martha's Vineyard, the vacation paradise for the immensely wealthy that was off limits to impoverished illegal migrants who'd crossed the border on Democrat invitation.  Yet those young men who he tried to shame didn't live among the elites of Martha's Vineyard or the Gold Coast of Chicago.  And they weren't insulated from the poor economy and pressure from the illegals.  Instead, Obama was revealed by his own mouth to be be a complete and utter phony.

Another scandal rocks Kamala Harris's failed presidential campaign.  A fortnight back, it was learned that Kamala Harris's catastrophic presidential campaign cost $1 billion, and despite the astronomic amount, the campaign was $20 million in debt.  It was also revealed that the Harris campaign splurged large amounts on event management firms, consultants, celebrities, private jets, and building lavish sets for one podcast interview.  The situation with Kamala's campaign is so bad that they are sending donation requests to regular supporters.  While Kamala has been vacationing in a $7 million luxury mansion in Hawaii following her rout, her staff members have been unceremoniously laid off without a proper notice period and severance payment.  The DNC Union was compelled to set up GoFundMe accounts to help the staff financially.  It will be interesting to know who is funding Kamala's luxury vacation.  There is a running theme here of exploiting the working class.

Newsom Buys $9.1 Million Bay Area Mansion in Ritzy Enclave with Shady LLC Formed Two Days Before Purchase.  After flooding his state with millions of illegals, Newsom bought a $9.1 [million] Bay Area mansion in a ritzy enclave so his children can attend an elitist school in Marin County.  The home, which was owned by Daniel Pritzker, cousin of Illinois Democrat governor JB Pritzker, was originally listed for $10 million, but Newsom got a sweetheart deal.  Newsom bought the mansion with MHBD Farms, LLC, an entity that was formed just two days before the purchase.  What's the source of the funds?

Who is more dangerous:  RFK Jr. or Bill Gates?  The media and other Democrats love Bill Gates, who lives in a 60,000-sq.-ft. mansion and flies around the world in private jets, because he is a green pusher.  RFK Jr. wants to get a lot of chemicals out of food to make it more natural, and we are told he is dangerous.  Bill Gates wants to put more chemicals in cows to pretend he can control the climate.  Who is nuts? [...] Gates also thinks the way to block warming is to block the sun.  What a genius.  How will he determine how much to block?  How did he decide what the correct temperature is?

Kamala's billion-dollar campaign.  Kamala Harris's catastrophic campaign for president launched on July 21, 2024, when the Democrats unceremoniously dethroned Joe Biden and installed Harris as their nominee.  The campaign came to a crashing end on Nov. 5, 2024, lasting only 107 days.  In these 107 days, it was reported that the Harris campaign has spent over $1 billion.  You read that correctly: the figure is $1 billion.  The campaign spent roughly $9.3 million per day.  What was the outcome?  Harris lost all the swing states, the Electoral College, and the popular vote.  She won 382 counties, whereas President Trump won six times more — i.e., 2,552 counties. [...] Once the funds were accessible, special interests took over.  They probably knew that Kamala would lose, hence they used the campaign as their expense account and drained it completely.  The vendors that received contracts are likely to be linked to Democrat leaders.  There will be paybacks.  Much like the hypocritical lawmakers who claim to care for Ukraine, all those asking for votes for Kamala, claiming to care for abortion rights, the environment, democracy, etc., were doing so merely for personal enrichment.

Did celebrities have to be paid to endorse Kamala?  Even those of us who were appalled by Kamala Harris's campaign, the ever more embarrassing interviews during which she could not answer the simplest of questions unless they were what she ate for breakfast, did not realize that employing celebrity endorsers cost millions of dollars.  Most of us probably assumed that those who graced her rally stages or interviewed her for television or podcasts did so because they actually supported her.  We were wrong.  Many of them — even Oprah, who is worth three billion dollars — got paid to interview her.  She got one million (h/t Jesse Watters).  Cardi B got $2.5M.  Beyoncé allegedly got even more and did not even sing.  These super-rich star endorsers deny this, of course, and the posts that revealed the payments have been removed.  But it makes sense.  We will likely never know the truth, but the campaign was certainly charged for all the expenses incurred when dealing with spoiled rich folks.  There are travel expenses, hotels, sets, staff, preferred foods and drinks, etc. [...] The point is that it is possible that none of them actually supported her; they were hired to pretend they supported her.

Harris campaign gave Oprah Winfrey $1M, paid other celebs to appear with her in doomed presidential bid.  Vice President Kamala Harris paid Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions $1 million, just one example of millions the campaign spent on various entertainers during the vice president's failed bid for president.  The Harris campaign paid $1 million to Winfrey's company on October 15, according to a report in the Washington Examiner, coming after a star-studded town hall that Winfrey hosted for the vice president in September.  Winfrey also appeared at Harris' final rally in Philadelphia on the eve of Election Day, with the talk show star offering a rare endorsement of a presidential candidate.

Update / Rebuttal:
Oprah Denies Million Dollar Payment By Harris Campaign.  A TMZ reporter confronted Oprah Winfrey about claims she was paid a million dollars to host a town hall for Kamala Harris' failed presidential campaign.  Oprah rejected those claims.  While she may be correct that she did not receive a personal fee, her production company did receive campaign funds from the Harris team.  [Tweets]  Oprah's presence on the campaign trail, as well as that of many other leftist Hollywood stars, had zero impact on the election outcome.

Oprah Winfrey denies report that Harris campaign paid her $1 million.  Oprah Winfrey on Monday shut down a report that Kamala Harris' failed presidential campaign paid her $1 million to stump for the Democrat.  "I was paid nothing — ever," Winfrey told a TMZ reporter who approached her as she walked to her car.  The reporter asked about the claims that the Harris team paid her the massive figure for the star-studded, virtual town hall called "Unite for America" that the talk show star hosted on behalf of the Democratic nominee in September.

How Kamala Harris killed the celebrity endorsement — parading A-listers over policies was always a recipe for disaster.  Kamala Harris' candidacy is dead and so is the Hollywood celebrity endorsement.  She officially killed that too.  She turned her failed presidential effort into a three-month-long variety show with splashy performances, boldface speakers and a carefully rolled-out succession of endorsements from La La Land's most coddled citizens.  Why not?  It worked so well for Hillary Clinton and her "Fight Song" of 2016.  When a majority of the electorate overwhelmingly says the country is moving in the wrong direction and they're being financially crushed by inflation, don't bother with policy.  Offer them a song.  Sung by a rich person.  Preferably a very rich person with a mansion — who can also lecture them on how to vote.

Here are all the Hollywood stars vowing to leave the US over Trump's presidential election win.  After former President Donald Trump's election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, some of the biggest stars in Hollywood have threatened to leave the US.  America Ferrera is reportedly ready to pack her bags after Trump's victory.  The 40-year-old is allegedly looking to start a new life in the UK with her husband, Ryan Piers Williams, and their two children, [...] Sharon Stone echoed her fellow actress's sentiments, stating it's time for her to flee America. [...] Meanwhile, in a 2023 interview with the Guardian, Cher, 78, said she fell ill under Trump's administration. "I almost got an ulcer the last time.  If he gets in, who knows?  This time I will leave [the country]."  "Game of Thrones" vet Sophie Turner also pledged to "get [...] out" of America and move back to her home country of the United Kingdom if Trump were to step into power.  During Trump's first run for the Oval Office in 2016, Raven-Symoné expressed on "The View" that if a Republican won the election, she would leave the country.

The Editor says...
All of Hollywood should halt production of all motion pictures and TV shows until the end of Trump's second term. At the end of four years, we can get a good idea of how many people miss them, and how many DON'T.

Marianne Williamson:  The Democratic Elite Should Resign.  People are feeling hopeless out in America now.  In my opinion, Donald Trump offers false hope.  He'll name a pain, but he will not name a policy that's going to fix it.  But people will take false hope over no hope.  And the Democratic Party offered no hope.  Instead of talking about these things, what the Democratic elite did was this:  They just decided on an agenda.  We weren't even supposed to discuss what an agenda might be.  They suppressed a presidential primary.  They felt, in their smug arrogance, such a sense of entitlement:  They would choose Joe, then they would choose Kamala, and they would suppress any candidate or any conversation about the wider issues that could have provided a compelling alternative — a compelling vision — for the American people.

From 'Clingers' to 'Garbage' — Why the 16 years of Vilification?  Statisticians tell us that the new non-clinging Democratic Party finds its greatest support from those who earn less than $50,000 and those who make considerably more than $100,000.  These are the rich/poor bookends that surround the reformed Republican party in between.  So, in terms of generalized income and earnings, the left is now the party of the well-to-do professional and credential class and the rich, along with the subsidized poor.  The Republicans, by contrast, are increasingly represented by the middle classes.  The Democratic top dogs are most likely to embrace agendas that never garner 51 percent of public support — vast reductions in gas and oil to lessen "climate change," open borders to welcome in the world's needy, the government promotion of a third, transgendered sex, abortion on demand without restrictions, the reifications of various critical (race/legal/penal/modern monetary) "theories," and radical changes in the current system (ending the Senate filibuster, the Electoral College, the nine-justice Supreme Court, the 50-state union, etc.).

Idiot celebrities who sell their souls for Kamala.  As Kamala Harris continues to sink in the polls, she enlists a host of A-lister celebs to campaign for her.  Talk about tone-deaf!  Every one of them is filthy rich, with no connection to the working- and middle-class people who support Trump. [...] They believe in their own perceived magnificence.  But not one of them has to worry about paying his rent, mortgage, or grocery bills.  Not one.  One might think that the billionaires would be smart enough to support Trump, but no — a gang of them are in Kamala's corner, or pretend to be.  Much of their wealth depends on their power to affect if not control the economy.  They do this with money, vast sums of it aced in the right pockets, and they get the legislation they want.  Mark Cuban, Laurene Jobs, Michael Bloomberg, John Pritzker, Sheryl Sandberg Steven Spielberg, Reed Hastings, Bill Gates and his ex Melinda.  Even Jamie Dimon has professed to support Harris.  Every one of these people knows that Harris is almost hilariously but disastrously unqualified.  But she would be their puppet, their tool, their ticket to continued power over the powers that be.

Meet Kamala's Megadonors.  A collection of philanthropists, Silicon Valley titans, and Democratic megadonors are using their fortunes and influence to see Vice President Kamala Harris elected into the White House in November.  Tens of millions of dollars in political donations have been routed to the Harris campaign, its joint fundraising committee, and a super PAC called Future Forward, which is supporting Harris through ad buys, according to a Washington Examiner analysis of Federal Election Commission filings, reprinted here by The Free Press.  Taken together, the donations are a window into how wealthy and well-connected Democrats in finance, Big Tech, Hollywood, and the philanthropy world are going all out to thwart former president Donald Trump's third run for the Oval Office in nine years.

How BLM Blew $90 Million. Plus.  Earlier this month, Tyree Conyers-Page — a.k.a.  Sir Maejor Page — the 35-year-old former leader of the BLM chapter for Greater Atlanta, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for money laundering and wire fraud.  Instead of spending the $450,000 raised from 18,000 donors to "fight for George Floyd," Page splurged on tailored suits, nightclub bar tabs, an evening with a prostitute and, as he texted to a friend, "a big-[...]" mansion in Ohio.  Page is not an outlier.  Take Melina Abdullah, co-director of BLM Grassroots, who media reports accuse of using the organization's money to pay for vacations to Jamaica and her own personal expenses.  Though Abdullah has not been charged with a crime, California's attorney general has threatened to revoke her organization's tax-exempt status if she fails to turn over its delinquent tax filings and late fees by Sunday.  "Abdullah has denied the allegations, but at least $8.7 million in donations is unaccounted for," writes investigative reporter Sean Patrick Cooper in his first piece for The Free Press.  "The answer to where the money went may come soon."

Union boss who threatened to 'cripple' economy lives in luxe 7,000-square-foot mansion.  Harold Daggett — the union boss who has vowed to "cripple" the US economy if ports don't ban automation and raise dockworkers' wages sharply — had a Bentley convertible parked outside his sprawling mansion in New Jersey this week, exclusive photos obtained by The Post reveal.  Photos taken by drone on Tuesday show the British luxury car parked with its top up outside what appears to be a five-car garage that's connected to his 7,136-square-foot, Tudor-style home by a covered skyway.  The hulking, two-story mansion — located on a 10-acre property in Sparta, a leafy enclave 50 miles west of New York City — encircles a spacious backyard patio with an amoeba-shaped pool.

Longshoremen Union Bosses Are Raking In The Cash.  The demand was for a 77% pay increase.  And then the union bosses nixed a 50% pay increase.  In the meantime, we now find out that the union bosses themselves are raking in the cash.  As I wrote yesterday, this strike has brought fourteen ports along the eastern seaboard and the Gulf to a standstill.  We are talking about nearly 50% of the goods imported into the U.S. now parked off the coast with nowhere to go.  We are talking about a nearly $3-5 BILLION hit on our economy PER DAY.  It isn't just the wage increases.  The ILA Union absolutely does NOT want automation of any kind on the docks.

Longshore Union President Who Pledged to "Cripple" the United States, Owns 76-Ft Yacht, Bentley, Is Paid Almost 1 Million Per Year.  Americans have been warned to stock up on food, gas, and necessary items for several weeks.  Many claim massive shortages of items we use every day will occur due to a looming strike by the ILA (International Longshore Association).  On Sept. 27, US Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene warned about the ramifications of a strike in a tweet.  Rep. Greene claims, "It's very important to understand how critical this is given that America is now in a $36 billion dollar food trade deficit for the first time in our nation's history.  Also, the Biden-Harris administration and congressional out-of-control spending have driven inflation so high that many Americans can't afford quality of life.  I think this situation is serious and, depending on whether they strike and how long it lasts, could be a crisis going into the election, holidays, and winter.

Keywords:  Presumptuous, bad taste, tone-deaf, flaunt, oligarchy.
'Border czar' Kamala Harris panned for wearing reported $62K necklace to southern border: 'You look ridiculous'.  The border crisis has been an albatross around Kamala Harris' neck — and now her jewelry is too.  The Democratic presidential nominee was snapped Friday at the southern border in Arizona, trying to look tough on one of her major political weaknesses as she walked near a razor-wire protected fence in the town of Douglas, chatting with an agent from US Border Patrol.  Harris, 59, was wearing dark sunglasses, a brown jacket over a black top and dark colored pants, and sporting what critics claimed was a $62,000 necklace from Tiffany's.  "Dems decided to send Kamala Harris out in a $62,000 Tiffany necklace to reassure the middle class that she and the corpse we just saw wheeze through a debate have their best interests at heart!" one detractor wrote on X.

Alex Soros' dinner date with Tim Walz reveals who'll pull the strings in a Harris White House.  Far-left billionaire George Soros has invested heavily in the narrative that anyone who notes that the web of influence he's spun does in fact exist must be a conspiracy theorist — or worse, an antisemite.  His son Alex Soros, who was handed the keys to the $25 billion kingdom last year, has gone the opposite route:  He practically brags about his sphere of influence on social media, where he posts photos of all the heads of state and influential figures he's cozied up to, including Chuck Schumer, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi — and Kamala Harris.  Surely some of them wish Alex was a bit more private; when Soros met with Harris in June of last year (and posted the evidence to his socials) the tete-a-tete was excluded from Harris' public schedule, implying that she thought that could prevent people from noticing.

Why Did George Soros Buy 200 U.S. Radio Station[s] Right Before the Election?  Billionaire George Soros is known for writing massive checks to Democrat candidates and funding a network of leftist dark money organizations under the disguise of his "Open Society Foundations."  Adding to his resume, he now owns hundreds of U.S. radio stations.  The Federal Communications Commission approved a decision to allow Soros to purchase 200 Audacy radio stations across 40 U.S. markets just weeks before the 2024 election — a move that has never been done before. [...] Under the Federal Communications Act, a radio station license cannot be held by a corporation with more than 25 percent foreign ownership.  Soros acknowledged that the level of foreign ownership of Audacy will exceed that.  However, he still requested that the FCC expedite the approval of the application for ownership and bypass the foreign ownership review, which would allow them to quickly "realize their ownership interests in, and take the reins at, these hundreds of local radio stations across the country," Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said in a letter to the FCC.

Weekends in Palo Alto, Private School, Trips to Jamaica:  A Look at Kamala Harris's 'Middle Class' Childhood.  Vice President Kamala Harris has tried to portray her upbringing as "middle class" and even working class — touting a summer job at McDonald's and claiming to be from Oakland, a blue-collar city with a large black population.  For example, during a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harris said, "I grew up a child of a mother who worked very hard.  She raised me and my sister and she saved up.  And by the time I was a teenager, she was able to buy a home."  [Advertisement]  On September 13, she posted on X, "Let me be clear:  I will always put the middle class and working families first.  I know where I came from."  [Advertisement]  When asked during the presidential debate if Americans were better off than they were four years ago, she responded, "I was raised a middle-class kid."  However, a close look at her childhood shows that Harris and her younger sister grew up with many opportunities that many "middle class" children do not have, such as living abroad, private school education, and growing up in some of the wealthiest locales in the world.  [Advertisement]  But Harris has downplayed her privilege throughout her political career.

"Kamala Demands a Life of Luxury".  "Kamala demands a life of luxury," a former aide revealed.  "She treats the campaign like a personal checking account to fund a lifestyle she aspires to," another aide warned.  "Staff has always worried about Kamala's spending, but she is adamant about using campaign money as she wants," that aide on her former Senate campaign said.  "She wants to live the life of someone in the White House," a strategist described Kamala in 2015, "and she hasn't even won the Senate yet.  Her hanging around the president and first lady", referencing the Obamas, "it's gotten her hooked.  She thinks it's her birthright and it's not."  Kamala was raising and spending massive amounts of campaign cash.  Much of it on herself.  While Kamala falsely claimed that she was raised in "a middle-class household", she was actually the "privileged child of foreign grad students" who traveled the world, and grew up surrounded by wealth.  Her career as a prosecutor failed to satisfy her taste for luxury so she turned to Willie Brown: the first in a series of men who would support her in high style.

Kamala Harris:  The Multi-Millionaire Politician Masquerading As A Champion Of The People.  When Harris first ran for District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003, her net worth was estimated to be a modest $300,000.  Fast forward to her tenure as U.S. Senator, and her net worth had ballooned to an impressive $1.9 million by 2017.  As of 2021, her net worth is estimated to be a staggering $6 million, with her and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, owning multiple high-end properties, including a $5.8 million mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and a $1.7 million condo in San Francisco.  Harris's annual income has also seen a significant boost since becoming vice president.  She now earns a salary of $230,700 per year, along with additional income from book deals and investments, bringing her total annual income to an estimated $400,000.  This stark contrast between Harris's public rhetoric and her personal wealth accumulation is a prime example of the hypocrisy that plagues many professional politicians.  While she campaigns on issues like income inequality and the need for wealth redistribution, her own financial success story belies her commitment to these causes.

Obama Hosting High-Dollar Fundraiser for Harris.  Former President Barack Obama is hosting a high-dollar fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris this Friday in his first campaign event for the Democrat nominee.  Tickets for the event range from $50,000 to $250,000 and coincides with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's lunchtime fundraiser in Los Angeles.  Both Obama and Clinton held fundraising events for President Joe Biden when he was the Democrat nominee earlier this year.  According to NBC News, Obama and Clinton both plan to campaign for Harris in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential election.

The New Gods Among Us.  I've always wondered why some of America's richest people, particularly tech and finance types, lean to the left.  How could someone who has benefited so extraordinarily from the American system support ideas that are anathema to its very existence? [...] While Wall Street may be heavily regulated regarding advertising and fiduciary responsibilities, the actual buying and selling is relatively unregulated when compared to the red tape that blue-collar industries face.  When it comes to higher taxes, this is usually a red herring for America's barons.  Many of America's wealthiest leftists call for higher income taxes, but they don't pay income taxes.  That's because most don't pay themselves much of a taxable salary.  Most of their liquidity comes from stock sales or dividends, which are typically taxed at a lower rate.  Even if capital gains taxes were increased, they'd find opaque tax avoidance schemes that would reduce their taxes to zero or less, options that are rarely available to the average millionaire, never mind the average Joe.

The Political 1%.  The 1% want to use the cloak of democracy to nullify resistance to some of the most heinous and ludicrous proposals, like eating bugs, while they dine on steak; public transportation while they fly around in jets; marginal and occasional electric service, while they make side deals with nuclear power plants for a constant stream of reliable electric service to play AI.  AI is important so they can generate fake supporters for more deadly proposals.  Almost everyone understands the propaganda associated with their ploys, but no major media or even cable network have stepped out to call them on it.

Kamala's Stolen Working-Class Valor.  Harris and her campaign have been bragging about her modest roots and her supposed connection to working-class folks, exemplified by her having toiled at McDonald's while in college, a claim she repeatedly makes in her speeches and that came up countless times at the Democratic National Convention.  But, like so many things about Harris and Walz, this story started to fall apart on closer inspection.  Earlier in the month, Harris' campaign said that "Vice President Harris is the daughter of a working mother and worked at a McDonald's to put herself through college."  An ad produced by a pro-Harris PAC said she'd "worked her way through school at McDonald's."  That's fishy enough.  Even if Harris worked full-time all summer every summer at McDonald's, she'd have earned only a fraction of Howard University's tuition and fees.  (The line about Harris' "working mother" is also a stretch.  Her mom was an eminent cancer researcher, and her dad was a tenured Stanford economist.)  In any event, Harris couldn't keep up this particular fabrication, and later in August at a campaign event said only that she'd "worked at McDonald's to earn spending money."  Still later in the month, the New York Times said she'd worked at a McDonald's in Alameda, California, "for a summer" while going to college in Washington, D.C.

Wealth on display at the DNC convention in Chicago.  [Scroll down]  Michelle Obama, gussied up in about three grand worth of designer clothes and shoes and stepping away from her four mansions and almost 200 million dollars in assets, also played the race and class card, wagging her finger at the rich and saying her parents were "suspicious of folks who took more than they needed."  Ignoring the multi-millions the Obamas set aside for her own children, she talked about the fact that most "will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth."  Translated, this means she's still for reparations and redistribution of wealth — though surely not from her. [...] On the same roster as Mrs. Eat the Rich were Caroline Kennedy's son Jack Schlossberg, due to inherit about $100 million; Governor J B. Pritzker, scion of a family worth over $3.6 billion, Doug Emhoff, worth about $10 million, and Senator Gary Peters, also a multi-millionaire.

Barack and Michelle Are Greedy Grifters Who Hate America.  Barack and Michelle Obama pretend to be evangelists preaching the political gospel of hope and change in a post-racial America.  But in reality, they are nothing but race-baiting con artists who loathe our way of life — using the race card to line their pockets with tens of millions of dollars.  And last night — they exposed their ugly underbellies — Americans who hate America. [...] Michelle told the DNC that her father was always suspicious of folks who took more than they needed.  The lack of self-awareness was something to behold.  They also own an $8 million mansion in Washington, D.C., a million-dollar apartment in New York City, and a house in Chicago.  And their real estate empire also includes an estate in Hawaii.  Just last year Mrs. Obama was invited to deliver a speech on diversity, equity and inclusion.  She was paid nearly $750,000 for the one-hour speech.  How much of that money did she spread around Chicago's South Side?  Before the Obamas moved into the White House, they had a combined income of about $1.6 million.  Today, the Obamas are worth about $70 million.  Anybody want to explain how that happened?

Who's to decide what's needed?  We often use the word "need" a little more than we probably should. [...] The truth is that our needs are much more basic than that.  We need clothing, food, shelter, etc.  And that worries me because Michelle Obama thinks that taking more than we absolutely need is a problem.  To be accurate, she said, "suspicious of people who took more than they need."  I find this fascinating because, well, the Obamas own three homes.  The least amount they paid for a home was $1.65 million, and that was in 2005.  I'm always amazed at how people who spend their lives working in the public sector and for non-profits can amass so much wealth, but apparently, that's just what they need.  Let's understand that most of us are living with far more than we absolutely need to survive.  We also have a lot of things that simply provide comfort, such as smartphones, televisions, computers, and so on. [...] Who decides what one needs?  To what level are we ascribing the term "need" anyway?  Does anyone need $750,000 for an hour-long speech?

Michelle Obama wore nearly $3K pantsuit to DNC while touting her parents were 'suspicious' of the wealthy.  Michelle Obama wore a nearly $3,000 pantsuit to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago while touting to attendees that her parents were "suspicious" of the wealthy.  The former first lady began her DNC speech on Tuesday by saying the last time she was in her hometown of Chicago was to memorialize her mother, the woman "who showed me the meaning of hard work and humility and decency" and "who set my moral compass high and showed me the power of my own voice."  "She and my father didn't aspire to be wealthy.  In fact, they were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed," Obama said.  "They understood that it wasn't enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning.  So my mother volunteered at the local school."

The Editor says...
As I understand it, the Obamas have a mansion in Chicago, 29 acres at Martha's Vineyard, a mansion in Hawaii, and a residence in Washington DC which is probably quite nice, too.  Companies (like Netflix) give them money for apparently doing next to nothing, unless the Obamas are providing some service that is hidden from the public, and what legitimate service would that be?  (Nobody gives a politician millions of dollars without expecting something in return.)  If ever there were "folks who took more than they needed," they are the Obamas themselves.

Deep State Plutocrats Have Nowhere to Hide.  Over the last forty years, middle-class Americans who put their faith in "free markets" have gotten smacked upside the head by corporate interests time and again.  The savings and loan scandal, pension scams, derivatives-juiced market crashes, the housing collapse, the offshoring of good jobs, tech bubbles, predatory lending, reverse mortgages, and countless other corporate schemes have left working-class Americans in dire straits.  All of these various gut punches have produced a kind of "awakening" among "live free or die" Americans: "free markets" are an illusion, and the economic game is rigged.  To be clear, freedom-loving Americans of every generation have known that powerful economic interests manipulate markets and take what is not theirs.  When private bankers conspired with corrupt congressmen to establish the Federal Reserve over Christmas in 1913, many horrified observers predicted how the ascending oligarchy would distort markets, weaken the dollar, and instigate unnecessary economic crashes.

Our Three Silent Mice.  [#2 — Harris]  But stranger still is the month-long vaporization of Vice President and the now de facto Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.  How weird that she sought to hog airtime and attention as vice president (although not via interviews or impromptu remarks), but once she gained an even wider portfolio as the Democratic presidential nominee, she recoiled from interviews and went into hibernation.  In the last month amid the frenzy of the Biden collapse, her coronation, and the selection of her running mate Tim Walz, a mute Harris has made up all the ground Biden lost as the prior nominee.  She is flooded with hundreds of millions of dollars in left-wing tech and Wall Street cash.  All are eager to donate given their money will no longer be wasted on a sore loser but might now earn something in return from a future president.  So, a silent Harris is rising in the polls, once the Biden albatross was cut away and relieved Hollywood/Wall Street/Silicon Valley grandees poured in their riches.

One old guy's perspective on why we are where we are.  [Scroll down]  But as things stand today the democrats are the party of big money and elite luxury positions.  They are the party of the Martha's Vinyard set, the Malibu set, the Zuckerburg and Beezos [sic] set.  The party of hedge fund bundlers and social justice warriors that are not much more than useful idiots to the monied guys and foot soldiers for the party and the children of the professional class.  The SJWs are the moral cover for the monied interests running the party.  Have the democrats done ONE thing in the last 30 yrs that was a real threat to the economic interests of Wall Street or Silicon Valley?  No.  Are they likely to?  No.  Lina Kahn maybe?  But the donors are pushing Harris to get rid of her.  Sure, they will TALK about it, but it is all just gaslighting.  It was not the democratic voters that got Biden to step down, it was the money drying up in a donor revolt.  The party is run by the donors and the donors are not going to countenance any real action that threatens their interests.

With Harris, the Dems Double Down on Elitism.  [Scroll down]  [Kamala Harris] was the daughter of immigrant professionals and grew up near Stanford, one of the sites of postwar America's power concentration.  She rose through San Francisco legal power centers and became California's attorney general.  Today she is married to Doug Emhoff, a former corporate lawyer and the ex-husband of a prominent Hollywood producer; her sister Maya, who attended Stanford Law, is married to the chief legal counsel for Uber who served as an associate attorney general in the Obama Administration and is currently helping the Harris campaign when it comes to "polling and running mates."

Democracy and the Donor Class.  Among recent political events, perhaps the most notable has been the power of a small group of super-rich Americans to exercise outsized political influence.  Recall how President Biden soldiered on, despite sinking poll numbers, pleas from worried down-ballot Democrats to drop out, and the clear evidence of cognitive decline.  Joe remained steadfast, but then overnight, he dropped out.  Why?  The dramatic decline of super-sized donations did the trick.  When major contributors said, "No dough until Joe goes," Biden surrendered to reality.  If there was ever an instance of "money talks" in politics, this is it.

Something's Not Right About the $50 Million Dumped Into Montana's Senate Race.  Nearly $57 million has been dumped into the Montana senate race between far-left Democrat candidate Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy.  The pro-Second Amendment Republican is seen as a threat to the Democratic Party in Montana, which is why big-time progressive donors are pouring funds into the state's senate race.  Tester, who is seeking a fourth term, has raised $6.4 million from May to June and has $11 million in cash on hand.  Sheehy, a newcomer to the political world, raised only $3 million in donations from mid-May to June and has $3.2 million on hand.  He has acquired $13.7 million since announcing his candidacy for the Senate in 2023.

Anointing Harris Completes Divorce Between Dems, Working Class.  The Democrat Party did a lot more this month than just torpedo its own incumbent president and ignore the will of 14 million of its voters.  Both in process and result, the Democrat establishment has sent its only real connection to its past identity to the trashbin.  And in rushing to anoint Joe Biden's replacement rather than trust even a representative-democracy process, they have gone all-in on a radical new identity, based largely on radical identitarianism and hard-Left progressivism — and all-in on elitism.  That shift began during the Obama presidency, which came to power in the wake of an unpopular war and a financial crisis.  However, even then Democrat leadership knew it needed a connection to working-class Americans, and used Joe Biden to bridge that gap.  His 2012 convention speech, largely under-appreciated, hearkened back to those populist impulses and party identity — even as Obama himself shifted the party toward big corporate interests and Academia-driven Leftism.

Democrats Have Put Corrupt Obama AG Eric Holder in Charge of Vetting VP Candidates for Kamala Harris.  Democrats have reportedly put Obama's corrupt attorney general Eric Holder in charge of vetting VP candidates for Kamala Harris.  What could possibly go wrong?  How much do you suppose Democrats are paying Holder's law firm for this service?

The Editor says...
The candidates are supposed to be selected by the rank-and-file voters, not an elite committee.  That's why they call the process "democratic."

Oxford students are mocked for closing their pro-Palestine encampment as students break up for summer holidays.  Oxford University students have been ridiculed after the city's pro-Palestine encampment ended in time for summer getaways to the south of France. [...] Oxford University's summer term ended on June 15, and students will not return for teaching until the start of October.  Though OA4P protests are not entirely made up of students, it describes itself as a 'student-led collective'.  Other acerbic responses to the move to cease the camps read:  'Just in time to head to Mummy and Daddies house in the South of France.  What a stroke of luck that is... [¶]  'Lol you just went home to your daddy's mansion for the summer didn't you?... [¶]  'We really care about this movement unfortunately we've booked a villa in Tuscany for the summer.  Up the revolution!... [¶]  'Revolution postponed!  Summer holidays in Tuscany or the Dordogne beckon...

The Rockefellers created 990 "Climate Change" institutions, foundations, and activist groups.  In the climate change arena, the Rockefellers call the shots.  The whole thing was their idea, they took a silly but interesting theory and amped it up with hundreds and hundreds of million of dollars.  They founded institutions and linked the survival of those institutions to promoting climate change and population reduction.  They adopted one likely politician after another.  The Rockefellers have created 990 Climate Change activist organizations.  They give them directions, financing, and launch them on the world.  The Green Movement was started, financed, organized, and militarized by the Rockefellers.

Mark Cuban Epitomizes The Hypocrisy Of Liberal Billionaires.  The always media-hungry Mark Cuban wants to insert himself into presidential politics.  The billionaire TV show host is now pushing himself as one of President Biden's top cheerleaders.  He's fundraising for Biden and Democrat groups are utilizing his media appearances to gin up donations.  [Advertisement]  He's volunteered to be an attack dog for Biden.  He regularly uses his X account to attack Donald Trump and claim Biden will do wonders for the country if given another term.  Cuban even asserts that he would vote for Biden even if the president was on his deathbed and Trump was the only other option.  That's dedication to the cause.  [Advertisement]  Cuban isn't cozying up to Biden simply out of some deep political conviction.  He may claim that the president is morally superior to his opponent or that he prefers Biden's social policies.  But the real motivation is something far more shallow.  Cuban sees Biden and the Democrats as better for his business interests.

Green Billionaire Funding of 'Climate Emergency' Reporting in Mainstream Media.  A massive global grooming programme aimed at mostly mainstream media involving climate catastrophism and Net Zero promotion is detailed in a recently published report from the green billionaire-funded Internews's Earth Journalism Network (EJN).  The work is a shocking insight into the corruption of independent, investigative journalism.  At one point the report observes "a concerning trend among journalists in some countries still seeking to 'balance' their climate change reporting".  The report shows clearly that the green billionaires are calling most of the shots in promoting stories of Net Zero-inspired climate collapse.  It is noted that they may fund journalists "to cover stories in a particular subject area, determined by funder interests and goals".  Over the last 20 years the tax-efficient billionaire foundations have stepped into the funding gaps left by declining circulation and advertising sales across mainstream media.  It is noted by the EJN that journalists "overwhelmingly agreed" that support from external funding organisations was "essential" to enabling their climate and environmental reporting.

California's billionaire utopia may not be as eco-friendly as advertised.  Silicon Valley billionaires are still aggressively moving forward with their attempt to create a utopian, sustainable "city of yesterday" near San Francisco atop what they describe as "non-prime farmland."  However, an accredited land trust now claims California Forever's East Solano Plan is intentionally misleading local residents about the "detrimental harm" it will cause ecosystems, as well as its potential to "destroy some of the most self-reliant farmland and ranchland" in the state.

President Donald Trump's sacrifices are like no other leader in the history of America.  [Scroll down]  The Clintons were worth $1.3 million before they came to the White House.  Following lucrative book deals and speaking gigs their combined net worths grow by more than 6,000%.  Today, their combined fortune is more than $240 million, and counting.  The Clinton Foundation was used like an expense account by the Clintons, and most of the "donations" were collected during Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. [...] The Obamas entered the White House with $1.3 million.  Upon leaving, they received lucrative book, oratory, movie, and podcast deals which caused their net worth to multiply by almost 24 times, to $70 million.  Experts claim that if the Obamas proceed on this trajectory they will be worth $242.5 million when all is said and done.

Why is Bill Gates breeding millions of mosquitoes?  Bill Gates wants to transform Earth into the kind of hellscape that belongs in Dante.  For example, his fixation with mass-breeding mosquitoes pulses with a scheming mind that surely can't be benevolent.  Wall Street Silver recently connected a supposed looming mosquito-borne pandemic to Gates' overenthusiastic farming of mosquitos.  Here's a video from the Bill Gates YouTube account describing the mosquito factory in Medellín, Colombia, where "scientists work long hours in muggy labs breeding millions and millions of mosquitoes."  [Video clip]

Biden's Incompetence Is Outstripping Voters' Fear Of Trump.  Last week, President Biden said he would withdraw military aid to Israel if it commenced military operations to go into Rafah and go after Hamas.  There were many reactions to this announcement because it seemed to perfectly encapsulate the incoherent Israel policy the Biden administration has been developing since Hamas' brutal attack last October that touched off the war in Gaza.  On one hand, the American people are broadly supportive of Israel and the moral justification for this war.  Lest anyone forget, Hamas is still holding American citizens hostage at this very moment.  On the other, the hard-left grassroots that are an important part of the Democrat Party's coalition are radically pro-Palestinian and eager to engage in street violence domestically to prove the point.  It's also worth noting that the hard-left shock troops aren't just emblematic of the party's activist heart — their efforts to destabilize colleges and worse are being funded by George Soros, the Tides Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and those that hold the purse strings for billions of dollars of funding for Democrats and their lefty causes.

Michelle Obama's Big Day Out.  Michelle Obama wrote a book. [...] I get the idea of a new author feeling giddy that she has a book on the shelves and maybe even going out to the stores to bask in the moment.  But Obama is hardly a stranger to the spotlight.  She is not an "unknown."  This is her fourth book, not her first. [...] The Obamas are just like us!  They shop at Target!  They are celebrities in their own right, but they still empathize with the masses who are paying way too much for gas and groceries and who have maxed out their credit cards just trying to stay alive. [...] The problem is that none of that is true.  Among their many properties, the Obamas have an opulent home in Martha's Vineyard and continue to rub elbows with the elite.  They haven't the slightest clue or concern about the things that are giving ulcers to the people who shop at Target every day.  They are beyond those things but still expect Americans to back the president and party that have made it impossible to gauge if one's paycheck will outlast the month.  Some critics on X were of the mind that this was a stealth campaign ad.  Others saw it as a blatant attempt to peddle books.

Dark Money Group Backed By Foreign Billionaire Has Dumped $100 Million Into State Ballot Initiatives.  A Swiss billionaire whose personal goal is to "(re)interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics" has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to a left-wing group that is dumping millions into state ballot initiatives, a new report from Americans for Public Trust (APT) revealed.  Hansjörg Wyss, through his Berger Action Fund, has donated $243 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which "uses its war chest ... to support massive get-out-the-vote drives, issue advocacy campaigns bolstering President Biden's agenda, liberal pet projects from abortion to immigration, and attack ads against Republican lawmakers," according to APT.  The group also pours resources into state ballot initiatives — to the tune of $97,593,151 over the past decade, according to the report.  The cash infusions are "often concentrated in battleground presidential states such as Arizona, Michigan, and Ohio or states with competitive U.S. Senate races like Colorado, Missouri, and Nevada."

NPR's queen of the Karens.  Sometimes, a person enters the public spotlight and is such an embodiment of an established stereotype that it seems impossible for him or her to be a real person.  If Tom Wolfe wanted to capture the essence of arrogant, alienated progressivism, he would reject NPR's new CEO, Katherine Maher, as too unbelievably on point.  The daughter of wealthy parents whose wedding was announced in the New York Times, Maher grew up in a wealthy white suburb of New York City before studying at the American University in Cairo, the Institut français du Proche-Orient in Syria, and finally New York University.  She then got internships with the Council on Foreign Relations and Eurasia Group in London and Germany before landing a job in New York City at UNICEF.  She had stops with the National Democratic Institute and the World Bank, among other global nonprofit groups, before rising to become the CEO of Wikimedia in 2019.  It would be impossible to create a resume of a person more disconnected from Americans and more intertwined with the wealthy, urban, globalist elite who run the largest banks, media companies, and nonprofit groups in the United States.  In other words, Maher has the perfect resume to run NPR.

Dark Money Group Funding Hamas Protests.  Of course it is George Soros who is funding the Pro-Hamas protests that shut down major highways yesterday.  It's almost as if the guy enjoys being considered a supervillain even more than he wants to destroy Western culture.  [Advertisement]  [Tweet]  I have never understood Soros' hatred for the West.  After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he was all about "Open Societies," and early on I assumed he would be a good guy despite his rather nasty way of making his money.  Boy, was I wrong.  Admittedly, I caught onto his shtick pretty quickly, but I am still ashamed that I never thought nice things about him.  These days, Soros has his fingers in every poisonous pie, working diligently to destroy all that is good.  He is like Klaus Schwab with a billion or seven dollars.

Also posted under Astroturf.

Down to the Sea in Super Yachts.  Especially in the US since August 15th, 1971, western mega-Elites and Oligarchs have exploited, extorted, and rigged markets, rigged US debt instruments and commodities, to support a supremely corrupt Empire.  It's a corruption and lying that we see in the west at the very highest levels, every single day, day after day.  They are so brazen, the US Department of Justice even calls their kleptocracy the "KleptoCapture Task Force", in spite of us all.  It is not a United States of America... but a United States of rules-based theft.  And it's interesting to compare Russia's business people to the US American ones.  In Russia, they produce something real.  Oil.  Gold.  Silver and palladium.  Agricultural chemicals, and fertilizers, steel and iron.  While in the US, the mega-Elites rule over a kingdom of nothingness.  Amazon.  Google. facebook.  Starbucks.  AI.  It's a fake empire built on falsehood and lies.  And dangerous to us all.

The Optics Go From Bad to Worse at Wax Statue Biden's Tone-Deaf 'Grassroots' NY Fundraiser.  How important is money in an already saturated presidential election?  We are all going to find out, but Joe Biden certainly seems to believe it's the key to his re-election.  On Thursday evening, he appeared at a "grassroots" fundraiser with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, with estimates of $25 million being raised.  [Tweet]  Just how "grassroots" was this thing?  The base-level entry plate was $100,000, while it cost somewhere between $250,000-500,000 to take a picture with the guests of honor.  Truly, Biden is a man of the people.  [Tweet with video clip]  Even moving past how tone-deaf and out of touch this is, Biden's physical appearance is a story unto itself.  He looks like a wax statue with animatronic limbs built in, from the weird "flex" he does at the beginning, to the awkward pointing and the fact that he can't seem to put his arms fully down.  Then, right on cue, Biden gets confused and has to ask Stephen Colbert what he's supposed to do next.

Democracy By Deception.  A recent poll showed who's in charge.  Of those who have a favorable opinion of members of congress, 6% of voters did, but 69% of the elite one percent did.  Of those who had a favorable opinion of journalists, 10% of voters did, but 71% of the elite one percent did.  Of those who had a favorable opinion of professors, 17% of voters did, but 76% of the elite one percent did.  That's not democracy; that's an oligarchy of the global elite whose only purpose is to fool us.  They want to fool us about the border, about the economy, about the strength of the military, about what's going on in the schools.  All of the congress, the press and the professors are their agents in this deception, while they drain our pockets and build sewers around our homes.  None of congress, media or universities mind being hypocrites, that's a badge of honor in their minds.

One more thing to boycott:
Paris Hilton video is new focus of Bud Light-style outrage.  [Scroll down]  After viewing the ad, activist group One Million Moms (OMM) published a story on its website with the title, "Hilton Attempts to Glamorize Sin." [...] One Million Moms writes that it believes Hilton is advocating an agenda with the commercial.  "Hilton is attempting to normalize the LGBTQ lifestyle with its liberal advertising choices," the organization wrote. "The hotel chain is obviously pushing the LGBTQ agenda with this commercial, which depicts individuals, couples, and families, all in obviously gender-confused roles."  The petition states, in part, "Your commercial featuring a homosexual couple and men in drag offends me, and it also offends many other conservative consumers."

Obama Defends Biden After Protesters Disrupt Biden-Obama-Clinton $25 Million 'Grassroots' Fundraiser in New York City.  Activists protesting in support of Hamas — and one against nuclear war with Russia — repeatedly disrupted a $25 million Democrat fundraiser featuring Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City Thursday night.  Through their disruptions, the protesters took control of the event, forcing Biden, Obama and Clinton into an extended discussion about what the protesters wanted them to talk about as the Democrats are facing an internal war of their own this election year between the party's old pro-Israel base and their new pro-Hamas base.

Protesters paying up to $500K a ticket heckle Biden, Obama and Clinton at Radio City.  President Joe Biden's appearance at a $25 million Radio City Music Hall fundraiser with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton descended into chaos as the trio of presidents being interviewed by Stephen Colbert got interrupted by protesters.  A handful of pro-Palestinian protesters shouted down the presidents, with one woman telling Biden 'you have blood on your hands,' as another loud guest warned of a nuclear war with Russia:  'you're out of your [...] minds.'  The event was supposed to be a star-studded evening with major donors, with some tickets costing as much as $500,000.

The Editor says...
A "grassroots" fundraiser doesn't sell $500,000 tickets.

RFK Jr Picks Soros Advocate Nicole Shanahan as His VP Running Mate.  In an apparent move to stir up greater support from the hardline leftists in the progressive movement, RFK Jr has announced 38-year-old Nicole Shanahan as his Vice-Presidential running mate.  The move appears to be an effort to appeal to the Bernie Sanders, ecology-centric, radical leftist, earth-saving environmentalist wing of the Democrat base voter.  Positioning the ticket to carve out a younger voting bloc and stir interest amid the Sanders/AOC crowd.  Shanahan had previously donated $4 million to the SuperPAC supporting Robert Kennedy Jr and given thousands of dollars to the Soros funded progressives in politics and activism circles.  Shanahan was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, one of the wealthiest men in the world; the financial windfall from their divorce funded her ability to contribute heavily to far-left causes.

Wisconsin Voters Have A Chance To Rid Their Elections Of 'Zuckbucks' For Good.  Badger State voters have the opportunity on Tuesday, April 2 to kill the snake of private funding in election administration, which consumed the 2020 elections under cover of Covid thanks in large part to the "generous" donations of Facebook founder and conservative speech silencer Mark Zuckerberg.  Coupled with a meaningless presidential primary and a spate of local elections, two critical questions on the spring election ballot ask voters whether they want the state constitution to ban private funds in elections and stop local election officials from using private funds in administering elections.

Bill Gates Wants to Shut Down West Virginia's Coal Industry.  Bill Gates is working hand-in-hand with West Virginia's political establishment to crush the coal industry.  Last year, he met with a bipartisan group of politicians that included Carol Miller, Joe Manchin, and Jim Justice, to, as Miller put it, "discuss energy investments and best practices to improve our workforces in [West Virginia]."  "Innovation makes West Virginia coal, gas, and carbon capture the backbone of U.S. energy independence that supplies reliable, affordable power to the world," Miller added, talking out of both sides of her mouth as she tried to convince her constituents that inviting in, Bill Gates, one of the world's foremost climate scam artists and an open-borders advocate, will somehow benefit West Virginians.

The Russians Aren't the Only Ones with Oligarchs.  [Scroll down]  At that moment, I realized it is America's oligarchs who are destroying our currency.  It is our oligarchs who want our border, our cities, and our nation to collapse.  It is our oligarchs who installed a senile fool in the Presidency.  It is our oligarchs who control the media.  It is our oligarchs who feted Chairman Xi in San Francisco last year.  It is our oligarchs who likely gave the world COVID as their response to a public that dared to think we could elect people who would actually represent us.  It is our oligarchs who inflicted their "vaccines" on the world.  Can we doubt that it is our oligarchs who are now directing our own government against us?  Indeed, our government has long been a helpless tool in their hands.

Elites' Contempt for Ordinary Americans Exposed in Surveys.  What does America's overclass think of the rest of us?  The short answer is "not much."  They think ordinary people's splurging on natural resources is destroying the planet and needs to be cut back forcefully.  And that the government needs to stamp down on ordinary people enjoying luxuries that, in their view, should be reserved for the top elites.  These are the implications of the results of two surveys of elite people conducted by pollster Scott Rasmussen by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, an organization that supports low tax rates and low government spending.  The surveys covered not large swaths of the population but were confined to the top 1 percent of society.  One survey, the Elite, included only respondents with postgraduate degrees, household incomes above $150,000 and residents in a ZIP code with more than 10,000 people per square mile.  Another, Ivy League graduates, included adults who attended Ivy League or other selective private colleges such as Chicago, Duke, Northwestern, or Stanford.  You probably won't be surprised that the large majority of this Elite feels economically well off.  Nor, if you've kept up with recent changes in party identification, will you be much surprised that 73 percent of these elites identify as Democrats and only 14 percent as Republicans.

You Will Live In Tiny Homes & Drive EVs And Be Happy:  This Is The Future They Have Planned For Us.  In recent years, "van life', "car life" and "tiny homes" have all become extremely hot topics on social media.  Millennials and Generation Z have been particularly eager to try out these "minimalist" lifestyles.  At a time when home prices have risen to absurd levels and the cost of living has become exceedingly oppressive, it can be very tempting to adopt a low cost way of life.  But it is also important to understand that the elite are very much encouraging these trends.  If they could get most of us happily living in tiny homes and electric vehicles, they would be very pleased.  You see, the truth is that the smaller our living spaces are, the less carbon emissions we will produce, and that is precisely what they want.

American Billionaires Bankrolled Activist Crusade Against Natural Gas Hubs Before Biden Signed Off On Approval Pause.  American billionaires bankrolled an activist campaign targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals that influenced the White House's decision to pause new and pending approvals for the projects, according to The Wall Street Journal.  The philanthropic organizations of the Rockefeller family and Democratic megadonor Michael Bloomberg cumulatively provided millions of dollars to activists who pressured Biden administration officials to crack down on LNG export hubs over the past several years, according to the WSJ.  The activists ultimately got their way on Jan. 26, when the White House announced that the administration would pause new project approvals as the Department of Energy (DOE) widens the scope of its reviews to include climate impacts of LNG export terminals alongside considerations like national security and economic benefits.

The Elites Hate Us — But We Outnumber Them.  Elites are individuals who occupy the upper strata in society through either wealth, politics, sports, religion, and/or social status (such as entertainment), and they have been a part of society for millennia.  Because of human nature, elites have usually — though not always — considered themselves to be better than those below them or have simply been indifferent to them. [...] Within the past decade, however, a radical change has come over many elites:  they have declared war on us.  They hate us and they have contempt for us.  And, although they may be occasionally reprimanded socially for doing so, they have been openly voicing their hatred and contempt.  What makes this a serious development is that they are arrogant and in positions of power and have no compunctions to exercising that power against us, particularly since they are operating within the framework of ideologies.  But aside from intending to ram their ideologies down our throats, they simultaneously have hatred and contempt for us.

Fury over Justin Trudeau's £49,000 luxury Jamaican holiday.  Boasting an infinity pool overlooking a private slice of Caribbean paradise, an onsite cook, gardener and butlers, it is the sort of luxury escape most people can only dream of.  So when details emerged this week that Justin Trudeau had spent the Christmas holidays at a sprawling Jamaican retreat for a nine-day stay worth an estimated £49,000 ($63,000), it left a sour taste in the mouths of many Canadians.  When asked by reporters whether the holiday might be viewed badly by Canadians struggling amid a double-pronged cost of living and housing crisis, a visibly frustrated Mr Trudeau said: "Like a lot of Canadian families, we spent the Christmas holidays with friends.  All the rules were followed."  But Mr Trudeau's opponents, and even some of his allies, have seized on the winter getaway as evidence that the Liberal leader, whose party is languishing in the polls, is increasingly out of touch with the electorate.  Sharing a clip of Mr Trudeau's response, Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader, wrote on Twitter: "Like most Canadians, Justin Trudeau got a C$84,000 Christmas vacation for free from his friends.  "It's nice to have a regular guy as Prime Minister."

The World Economic Forum's Marie Antoinettes.  To the great consternation of those who believe it is their noble prerogative to manipulate the public by controlling the narrative, ordinary people are now "much more questioning" about what is reported as truth.  The public's rising discernment troubles the "ruling class."  Perhaps that is why government schools refrain from sharpening students' critical thinking skills these days.  Authoritarianism thrives amid hive-mind ignorance.  So sorry, Davos dictators, we commoners are rapidly waking up to the bitter reality that corporate news spin-doctors are just as culpable for today's civilizational chaos as the malicious central bank money-printers, out-of-control spy agencies, and multinational corporate behemoths that have long worked together to manipulate global events.  We have opened our eyes and see you for the monsters that you really are.

George Soros Has a Plan to Transform This State From Red to Blue.  As part of an overall effort to turn Texas from a Republican stronghold into a blue state, billionaire progressive financier George Soros is pouring oodles of cash into the state's races to bolster support for far-leftist candidates.  The idea is to transform Texas into a Democratic playground, and the strategy could work if the state Republican Party doesn't find an answer to this political offensive.  ["]George Soros is pouring money into local Democratic parties in Texas in a ploy to help Democrats turn the state blue, according to the Texas Tribune.  Soros, working with the Texas Majority PAC, donated six-figure sums to the Democratic parties of Hidalgo, Cameron and Dallas counties, all of which are plurality or majority Hispanic, the Texas Tribune reported.  Soros' spending comes as Democrats have lost ground nationally and in Texas with Latino voters.["]

Al Gore has made $330m with climate alarmism.  Warning the world that it is on the brink of disaster has been lucrative for Al Gore.  His wild prediction at Davos that Earth faces 'rain bombs' and 'boiling oceans' is just his latest in decades of climate alarmism.  At the same time, the former VP has been at the forefront of green technology investment that has seen his wealth balloon to an estimated $330 million.

What the WEF Has in Store For You.  One of the things I keep pointing out about the transnational elite is that, for the most part, they aren't hiding who they are and what they want.  It's not some deep, dark conspiracy.  They are proud of what they are doing.  You can go to the websites of major corporations, universities, our federal government, or most conveniently the World Economic Forum and see what kind of dystopia they have planned for you.  Basically, it boils down to this:  let your betters run your lives, and by the way, we are your betters.  If you find it surprising that people with such an offensive attitude are so open about their intentions, you shouldn't be.  Oligarchs have, for time immemorial, said pretty much the same thing.  Sometimes they say it with a "it's good for you to listen to us" spin, and sometimes it's with the more menacing "you will do what we say if you know what is good for you" spin.  But the message is pretty much the same.

Davos's party secrets:  Caviar, magic mushrooms, champagne and A-list private concerts.  Caviar, magic mushrooms, gold-leaf desserts, A-list selfies, $2,500-per-night hookers and secret dinners are likely to be on the menu as scores of private jets touch down in Switzerland as soon as Sunday to bring the world's elite to the small Alpine resort town of Davos for what's officially known as The World Economic Forum 2024.  More than 3000 masters of the universe are expected to show up for the 54th annual event at the Alpine resort nestled in the snowy Landwasser valley.  The theme this year is "Rebuilding Trust."  "You can almost smell the magic of the place when you're there," a well-connected Davos regular told The [New York] Post.  "Everyone's got an agenda and you never know who you're going to run into when you come out of the restroom.  It could be Bill Gates.

Those Behind the Efforts to Disqualify Trump Have Something in Common.  All over America, party loyalists whose preferred candidate is President Joe Biden are engaging in lawfare to win at the ballot box by any means necessary.  Some of the bad-faith actors spearheading the efforts to defeat former President Donald Trump — the GOP's far-and-away frontrunner — before Election Day even begins are beneficiaries of puppeteering philanthropist George Soros. [...] Maine was the second state to officially declare Trump ineligible.  In Colorado, the state Supreme Court decided on Dec. 19 to enforce Trump's disqualification.  Leading the charge in the Colorado case to ensure Trump's removal is the Orwellian-named Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).  Between FY 2017 and 2021, CREW was given more than $2.8 million in grants by the Foundation to Promote Open Society, which acts as one of Soros's two chief grantmaking vehicles, for "general support" and "support[ing] political advocacy on ethics in government," according to an Open Society Foundations database.

Dem elitist mayor living like royalty mocked for hilariously corrupt antics.  Tiffany Henyard, a progressive Democrat mayor from Illinois, has been living it up on the taxpayers' dime and is being called out for corruption as well as her hilarious antics worthy of "Parks & Rec."  Dolton, Illinois is a small town on the outskirts of Chicago.  Residents there make an average of $24,000 a year, according to Fox News.  Their taxes have been reportedly supporting the extravagant lifestyle of Henyard who was elected in April 2021.  Voters tried to recall her a year ago but a court invalidated the results.  After the recall failed, Henyard showed up at the next board meeting blaring disco music and then dancing on the podium.

The Underground People.  Citing various sources, Stephen Green at PJ Media reports that "a 5,000-square-foot underground lair featuring its own energy and food supplies is under construction." According to Housing.com, also cited by Green, Zuckerberg's $270 million Koolau Ranch project "is designed to function as a self-sufficient space, ready to withstand global catastrophes:  It is packed with security measures, encompassing keypad locks, soundproofing and concealed doors, while an extensive camera network ensures surveillance." [...] Apparently, "a smaller-scale 'bunker' is being built on nearby Maui by none other than Oprah Winfrey."  Mr. Portfolio himself, Bill Gates, who owns at least seven multi-million dollar homes, extensive farmland, hotel chains, and a private island in Belize, is rumored to have bunkers at all his properties.  Billionaire bunkers are in, it seems, to protect the world's oligarchs from an impending apocalypse that they have conspired to bring about.

The 7 Wealthiest Counties Are All Suburbs Of DC And San Francisco.  If you want to drive through the seven wealthiest counties in the United States — when measured by median household income — you will only have to visit two of the nation's metropolitan areas.  And it would be best to start your trip from the Ellipse in front of the White House. [...] The East Coast side of this trip, according to Google Maps, need never take you more than 30 miles from the White House.  Nor need the West Coast side take you more than 30 miles from the San Francisco airport.

We Must Save Ourselves from the Public Health Professionals.  Humans are prone to think themselves important if they seem to have power over the lives of others.  With international public health staff this is reinforced by people they meet, and the media glorifying their work.  The public hears little of the high, often tax-free salaries or the travels and 5-star hotels that boost these egos still further, but instead are fed pictures of (usually brown) children lining up to be saved by people in (usually blue) vests with nice logos.  It all feels good.  The result, inevitably, is an international public health workforce that has a very high opinion of itself.  Possessing values that it considers superior to those of others, it feels justified in imposing its beliefs and values on the populations who are the target of its work.  As their role seems to them more important than bringing up kids in some random village or working at an airport check-in counter, they can feel virtuous when seeking to impose their superior opinions on others.

COP 28 kicks off in another country made rich by oil.  I know this is repetitive, but we currently have climate change gabfest number 28 going on in a country that is wealthy because of oil.  The United Nations, rich elitists, politicians, bureaucrats, and others are gathering to see how quickly they can destroy highly advanced, and prosperous, countries around the world, but especially the United States.  They fly in their private jets, live in multiple mansions, and sail on their private yachts as they lecture us about our carbon footprint.  It is all a massive fraud to control us.  If they can destroy reasonably priced energy that makes economies thrive, they can control everything, and that is their goal.

Everything you hate about climate change virtue signaling in the most absurd story you'll read this year.  In 2019, Michael and Jennifer Monteiro dropped $2.6 million on an oceanfront vacation house in Harwich, Massachusetts.  Good for them!  Michael was just about to sell Buildium, a cutely named software company he had cofounded, for $580 million.  The Monteiros didn't just want a oceanfront second home, though.  They wanted a oceanfront second home they could feel good about.  A oceanfront second home that would tell the world (and themselves) they weren't merely rich people who owned an oceanfront second home, but thoughtful wealthy people who brought an ethos of sustainability wherever they went, even to their oceanfront second home. [...] And how much did all this efficiency cost?  The Times — and the Monteiros — are too modest (too classy!) to give us an exact figure.  But they do drop a hint:  the project cost about $1,200 a square foot.  So, let's see, $1,200/square foot * 6,000 square feet = $7.2 million, give or take.  Not counting the furnishings.

After Pledging $70 Million, Charles Koch Selects Nikki Haley as the Vessel to Remove His Trump Problem.  In the era where they refuse to accept their irrelevance, billionaires and their political money are easy parted.  So goes the game of grift amid the professional political class when contrast against the power of We The People.  It's actually quite funny to watch and doesn't annoy me one bit.  Charles Koch, a man of notorious disposition who loves open borders and multinational trade — which puts him on the outside of the America First movement, had previously pledged to spend $70 million (through his Americans For Prosperity political action committee) to remove President Trump.  Today, Charles Koch selected Nikki Haley over Ron DeSantis to be the vessel for his effort.

It is extremely dangerous when government bureaucrats decide who has to comply with regulations and laws and who doesn't.  America is a great country and it is very important that people are allowed to succeed and get rich.  Many billionaires have achieved wealth honestly and I admire and respect them.  But I do not admire or respect billionaires like:
  ·   Warren Buffet who believes he shouldn't have to be transparent about his stock purchases so he can make more money at the expense of others.
  ·   The Google CEO, George Soros, and his son, who have had so much access and influence in the Obama and Biden White Houses.
  ·   Bill Gates, Buffett, Soros, and others who do everything they can to keep their taxes low while falsely claiming they want to pay more and supporting Democrats who want to raise tax rates.
  ·   Jeff Bezos, Gates, Michael Bloomberg, and others who live in multiple mansions, fly in private jets, and own yachts while supporting the green pushers and telling everyone else they must watch their carbon footprint to pretend they can control the climate. They buy worthless pieces of paper called carbon credits to pretend they care and to fake moving their carbon footprint towards zero.
  ·   Social media billionaires at Google, Facebook, and others who intentionally bury speech from people who disagree with the government agenda, especially on COVID.

Hamas leaders are billionaires, rolling in the dough.  Can someone explain to the rest of us why the leaders of Hamas, the world's evilest terrorist organization which has just murdered 1,400 innocent people, are actual billionaires living their best lives in Qatar? [...] They need to be like Osama bin Laden in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, wearing rags and hiding in some stinking cave, staring at their stashes of child porn, not living large in Vegas-like Qatar. [...] Instead, Hamas is loaded with characters like this guy, Hamas leader Khalid Mishal, who's worth more than $2 billion, living in the lap of luxury, and getting glamour shots in Vanity Fair and this magazine cover satire.  Why [...] is that going on?  The 1,400 torture-murders they planned and executed in Israel, and the 200 hostages they are holding now in their filthy tunnels under Gaza City pretty well puts them in the same category as Mexico's evil cartels.  Burning babies and beheading 10-year-olds is what they do, not what normal people do.  They are the vilest of criminals and need to be completely rubbed out.  Yet nobody in Qatar seems to be upset by this evil ensconced at the heart of their regime, nobody wants them out, they and their billions seem to be as protected as ever.  It's the kind of thing that makes Qatar a state sponsor of terror, but we don't see any action from the Biden administration to make that declaration.

Liberal billionaire commits $500 million to destroying America's coal industry.  [Scroll down]  Enter Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor, and one-time 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.  Recently, Bloomberg announced a $500 million initiative aimed at closing all remaining U.S. coal-fired power plants.  Why would someone commit such resources against an industry that has provided affordable and reliable energy for decades?  The likely culprits:  greed, ego, and political influence.  Bloomberg's contributions aren't solely for environmental causes.  While pinning down his full portfolio is challenging, he's invested in natural gas, renewable energy, and media outlets such as Bloomberg Green, which promote a green-focused narrative.  It seems Bloomberg might view environmentalism not just as a cause but also as a business venture.

Your Tax Dollars Pay For Millionaire Democrats' Swanky D.C. Apartments.  Taxpayers are funding luxury housing accommodations for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and over 200 other members of Congress, many of whom boast net worths over $1 million.  As one of their last actions with their majority, Democrats quietly tucked a provision into internal House rules that grants lawmakers access to an optional $34,000 annual subsidy to pay for their Washington, D.C., housing and meal expenses.  Taxpayers have doled out over $8,700 to pay for the democratic socialist's lodging and meals throughout the first half of 2023, records show.  In total, 113 Democrats and 104 Republicans have taken advantage of the program, raking in a combined $1.4 million from taxpayers during the first half of 2023, House disbursement records reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon show.  Recipients of these funds include at least 17 millionaire Democrats, including Rep. Katie Porter, who reported a net worth of up to $1.8 million in her latest financial disclosure, and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D., Mass.), who boasts a net worth of up to $13.5 million.

Hamas leaders worth staggering $11B revel in luxury — while Gaza's people suffer.  While their people languish in poverty and are treated as human shields, the leaders of Hamas live billionaire lifestyles.  The terror group's three top leaders alone are worth a staggering $11 billion between them and enjoy a life of luxury in the sanctuary of the emirate of Qatar.  The emirate has long welcomed the leaders of the terror group and installed them in its luxury hotels and villas at the same time as hosting a vast American military presence.  Now Republican Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles is co-sponsoring a bill that would strip Qatar of its status as a key US ally, The [New York] Post has learned, unless it kicks out the Hamas leadership.

The Gaza Strip is one of the poorest places on earth, but its leaders bask in huge wealth.  [Tweet with video clip]

Groups behind Israel-bashing protests backing Hamas attacks got $15M-plus from Soros.  Far-left billionaire kingmaker George Soros has funneled more than $15 million since 2016 to groups behind this month's pro-Palestine protests, where demonstrators openly cheered Hamas militants' craven terrorist attacks on Israel.  A [New York] Post examination of Open Society Foundations records shows Soros' grant-making network gave $13.7 million of the money through Tides Center, a deep-pocketed lefty advocacy group that sponsors several nonprofits who've justified Hamas' bloody attacks while claiming Palestinians obsessed with the eradication of the Jewish state are the real victims.

Hamas Big-Wigs Found Living in London, One With a Home Subsidized by UK Taxpayers.  Hamas heavyweight Muhammad Qassem Sawalha, 62, was discovered living in London in a home bankrolled by UK citizens.  Here's the kicker:  he lives in a Jewish neighborhood.  Apparently, living amongst Jews isn't so bad if a huge chunk of your home is paid for with someone else's cheddar.  Sawalha and his wife scored a tasty $136,500 taxpayer-funded kiss when they bought a two-story home in London for $390,000.  The house is paid off.  Sawalha, who is wanted in Israel for being a member of Hamas, skedaddled to London using a cousin's passport in the 1990s and snagged his own British passport in the early 2000s.  A 2004 indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) claims Sawalha engaged in clandestine meetings to discuss "revitalizing" terror attacks in Israel as well as creating a money-laundering scheme to supply funds for activities in Gaza as well as the West Bank.  But wait, there's more.  More terrorists!  Sawalha has a Hamas homie named Zaher Birawi, who lives nearby.  Israel named Birawi as a "senior Hamas operative in Europe."  He is also a trustee of a British charity called "Education Aid for Palestinians."

American Oligarchy:  Meet the Billionaire Mega-Donors Behind the Biden Presidency.  Joe Biden is the quintessential oligarch.  He has empowered America's moneyed elite, and they have empowered him.  Biden's 2020 campaign was the first to raise over $1 billion.  Democrats raised $600 million more in "dark money" than Republicans in 2020. Look for those numbers to explode even higher in 2024.  It is important to understand a key principle in modern Democratic politics: if you're not at the table, you're on the menu.  Today, it's Joe Biden's table, and he's happy to provide the entertainment.  Remember, unlike Joe Biden, all of these oligarchs are good with money.  They aren't giving away tens of millions of dollars out of the goodness of their heart.  They want something in return.  In each and every case, Joe Biden serves a purpose for them — maybe many purposes.

ACLU, George Soros and Planned Parenthood Pour Millions Into Ohio for Issue 1.  Shadowy out-of-state groups are pouring money into the campaign to enshrine a radical new abortion law in Ohio's constitution, but will voters fall for it?  In the wake of Roe v. Wade's defeat in the Supreme Court last year, leftist groups are clamoring to dramatically expand abortion up to the day of birth in red states.  In Ohio, that means pushing Issue 1 — which would establish a right to abort babies long past the point of "fetal viability," the limit established under Roe. [...] The Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has dumped $1.3 million into the race, is the biggest lobbying arm of the world's largest "dark money" network, run by Arabella Advisors.  The Arabella network spends billions of dollars each election cycle — in 2020, twice as much as the RNC and DNC combined — electing Democrats and attacking Republicans.  It's the Left's ultimate secret weapon:  A nexus of groups that quietly pour millions of dollars into campaigns to flip red states blue and shift the country leftward.

Michael Bloomberg's $1 Billion Assault on The Electric Grid.  Climate-related philanthropy in America has been hijacked by a radical agenda that will hurt the affordability, reliability, and resilience of the U.S. electric grid.  More proof of that hijacking came last month when mega-billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced that Bloomberg Philanthropies would give $500 million to the Beyond Carbon campaign.  The goal of the effort is to shutter the bulk of our most important power plants — the ones that burn coal and natural gas and are therefore dispatchable and weather-resilient — and, in Bloomberg's words, replace them with "renewable energy."  The September 20 announcement quotes Bloomberg as saying the $500 million gift marks a "new chapter in the Beyond Carbon campaign, as we move to finish the job.  By working with our partners across the country, we hope to transform the way we power America by moving beyond fossil fuels and replacing them with renewable energy."  The press release goes on to say the goal is to "shut down every last U.S. coal plant," and "slash gas plant capacity in half, and block all new gas plants."

Why are globalist elites trying to eliminate their fellow man?  Who is the biggest funder of anti-people population control programs in the world?  If you answered, "The U.S. government," you would be wrong.  A small group of the world's wealthiest individuals and their foundations collectively fronts more money for the abortion, sterilization, and contraception of the human race than Washington.  These men all have billions on their minds, and not just in their bank accounts.  They believe that overpopulation is the greatest threat to the planet, the single most important issue facing mankind today.  And they put their money where their mouth is where the abortion, sterilization, and contraception of the human race is concerned.  At the top of the list is Warren Buffett, who may be the single largest funder of abortion in human history.  Just this year Buffett gave away a total of some $4.6 billion, a substantial chunk of which will wind up in the coffers of the abortion industry.

Climate Change Lies.  We Americans have become extremely worried in the last two and a half years because we have suffered a dramatic fall in our standard of living and personal safety.  We sense a steep decline in America's national and economic security and are at last beginning to understand how it happened and who was responsible.  Those who are fundamentally destroying the United States are legion, and their names and organizations are at last becoming known.  The organizations include progressive federal and state governments bent on circumventing our Constitutional liberties, a military more concerned about diversity than defending the Republic, a mainstream media in the pocket of special interests like Big Pharma, and billionaire oligarchs like Bill Gates who are only interested in accumulating more wealth, depopulating the planet with lethal vaccines, and indulging their evil fantasies on Epstein's island.  Tools they use to accomplish those goals include global lockdowns, deadly vaccines, money laundering in wars fought in corrupt countries, and the lie that rising temperatures will soon destroy life on our planet.

Biographer: Sam Bankman-Fried Sought to Pay Trump $5 Billion Not to Run for Reelection.  Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced former CEO of FTX, sought to pay former President Donald Trump $5 billion not to run for president again, according to biographer Michael Lewis.  Lewis clarified that he was not sure if the former FTX CEO, who has been indicted for many alleged crimes surrounding the collapse of the FTX digital currency exchange, actually spoke to Trump or Trump's team.

Bill Gates — The Man Behind The Curtain.  To this day, some individuals still see Bill Gates as the philanthropic saviour, the man who gave up millions of dollars to offer protection to the people.  They are mainly those people who choose not to see that a Trojan horse has come stampeding into our lives under the guise of a deadly virus.  They will dismiss as conspiracy theories any talk of a global coup d'état and supranational organisations that have interfered with our governments worldwide, our lives, relationships and health in order to centralize power and establish a planetary dictatorship.  Conversely, there are others that see Bill Gates as a man with a lust for control and power, akin to the man behind the curtain in the fictitious OZ.  He has even been thought of as a would be dictator.

Dianne Feinstein leaves stunning properties to her and billionaire husband's feuding daughters.  Dianne Feinstein was one of the Senate's richest members throughout her trailblazing career — thanks to her billionaire husband.  While others in Congress struggled to make ends meet, sleeping in their offices to save on rent, Feinstein commuted from San Francisco aboard a Gulfstream G650 jet (pre-owned, the aircraft averages $61,815,000), sported expensive jewelry and flitted from one mansion to the next.  Her last disclosure, in May, put her net worth at $69.4 million.

Has Bill Gates bailed out on the climate crisis?  At the New York Post this week, the Blogfather, Glenn Reynolds, poses the question, "Has the air gone out of the climate crisis balloon?" He suggests that it's at least deflating a bit, along with several other panic-inducing liberal themes of the moment.  (I would argue that the "gun violence crisis" is still going full steam ahead on the left, but perhaps that's the exception to the rule.)  He points to a few examples where leftists seem to be losing their endless enthusiasm for screaming about climate change and making demands that everyone must sacrifice everything they hold dear to Save The Planet.  Greta Thunberg doesn't seem to be drawing the same rave reviews that she used to routinely enjoy.  But perhaps more than anyone else, Instapundit points to Bill Gates, who has recently started saying some things that are very unpopular on the left.  And almost nobody from his camp appears to be calling him out over it.  It's just strange.

Michael Bloomberg pumps $500 million into [a] bid to close all US coal plants.  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Wednesday he will pump $500 million into the next phase of his energy transition campaign, aiming to shut down "every last" coal plant in the United States and slash gas-fired capacity in half by 2030.  The $500 million infusion into his decade-long Beyond Carbon initiative aims to "finish the job on coal" by working with state and local organizations to force the closure of the roughly 150 coal plants that have not yet retired, slash current gas generation in half and block the construction of new gas-fired plants.

Of Course Public Offices Are for Sale.  When House speaker Kevin McCarthy finally got around to initiating an impeachment inquiry into Chinese Puppet Joe Biden, he somehow managed to keep a straight face while claiming that America's "public offices are not for sale."  Really?  That must come as a bit of a shock to all the people who regularly purchase them.  Most of our overseas ambassadors hold their prestigious positions not because they are adept diplomats with years of experience under their belts, but rather because they have been longtime supporters of the president and generous party donors.  Cushy cabinet jobs often go to political cronies, competitors cajoled into selling their support, or Mitch McConnell's wife.  The ranks of the federal Judiciary are filled with ideological partisans whose nominations to the bench coincidentally followed years of maxing out campaign contribution limits to lawmakers sitting on powerful committees.  Presidential candidates raise hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars from aristocratic families, corporations, unions, and special interests of every kind — all of whom expect a certain return on their investments.

Mountain of evidence points to George Soros's leverage over the Biden Administration.  Who besides the Chinese Communist Party and Barack Obama are filling the vacuum of power at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.?  One should never overlook one sugar daddy with deep pockets for death-to-America causes who also gets results.  Here's an updated overview of how globalist billionaire George Soros is able to exert control over the installed presidency of Joe Biden and his vice president Kamala Harris. [...]

The Hypocrisy Of The Tech Mavens Who Want To Control You.  [T]here's an entire universe out there of people who are, by every objective measure, exponentially smarter than I am, but who think exactly the opposite of the way I do on practically every single issue. [...] They're animated by and put their money behind things like "Climate Change," "DEI," and open borders.  Most supported the BLM scam, and many of their companies regularly censor conservative speech.  They support things like the Paris Climate Accords, the WHO, and were largely all in on the COVID scam.  Most of all, they support Democrats who push for higher taxes, defunding the police, and more government regulations, particularly on businesses.  This is where the trouble comes in.  These guys are really smart.  They've succeeded in ways few human beings ever have.  They've become rich and powerful beyond belief.  And they all did it in the United States... yet they support policies that are not only antithetical to traditional American values, but they also actively subvert the framework that allowed them to succeed in the first place.

Oprah Receiving Massive Blowback Over Lahaina Fundraiser Racket.  Oprah has apparently disabled comments on her Instagram posts shortly after the billionaire asked for donations to help victims of the Maui wildfires.  Oprah was joined by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson last week to solicit donations after claiming they both contributed $10 million kickstart the People's Fund of Maui.  [Tweet]  But the duo, who shared a combined net worth of $2.8 billion, were dragged online by users for forking over only 0.2% and 1.9% of their net worth for the fundraiser.

Teachers Union Pres. Who Conflated Private Education With Facism Sends Her Son To Elite Private Catholic School.  Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) president Stacy Davis-Gates sends her son to an elite private Catholic school, despite having voiced her opposition to school choice policies in the past, according to multiple reports.  Davis-Gates reportedly sends her son to the well-regarded De La Salle Institute, nestled on Chicago's south side, according to Wirepoints.  The private Catholic school costs $14,750 in tuition per year, according to their website.

Tragic Maui fire has Oprah's brand up in flames.  Only Oprah Winfrey's problem seems to be one of self immolation by association vice actual flames tickling her toes.  For such a carefully cultivated image after all these decades, old girl's been coming apart at the seams these past few weeks, with jarring, insensitive gazillionaire misstep after misstep.  The things that might have passed unnoticed otherwise have been magnified by the enormous loss of life and property, the scope of the overall devastation, parcity of the emergency and relief response, and miserable performance of elected officials.

Bill Gates is funding a scheme to cut down and bury trees to 'reduce global warming.'.  Kodama Systems, with the injection of $6.6 million in seed funding from Gates' Breakthrough Energy and others, wants to cut down 70 million acres of Western forest over the next decade, according to reports.  [Tweet with video clip]  After cutting the (mostly Californian) trees, Kodama plans on burying them, allegedly to prevent them from "spewing" carbon back into the air.  The coordinators of the project are choosing to reap the salable carbon offsets by burying the biomass in dry & oxygen-free "earthenvaults" instead of using it for conventional means, like timber for housing.

Bill Gates and others behind massive deforestation scheme, for 'global warming,' of course.  As reported by Joshua Philipp, [...] Bill Gates's company Breakthrough Energy Ventures is a main player behind a new deforestation scheme.  Per Philipp, Gates and "other investors" have contributed $6.6 million in a "stealth effort" to a California startup called Kodama Systems, which is offering a "novel" approach to the net zero agenda.  Wondering who those "other investors" might be?  Well, for one, a woman named Jackie Kossman.  Kossman is a partner at Congruent Ventures, a San Francisco-based investment firm, and according to her company bio, she previously worked for In-Q-Tel (the venture capital firm of U.S. government intelligence agencies, notably the CIA).  So what does Kodama Systems have in mind?  Well, the company is launching efforts to deforest about seventy million acres, or around 110,000 square miles of trees, and then bury the biomass, all with the help of the U.S. Forest Service.  (For reference, the entire state of Nevada is also 110,000 square miles.)  Yes, really, they're going to waste the wood instead of turning it into lumber, despite there apparently being a "housing crisis" with not enough homes on the market, and despite sky-high lumber prices, allegedly due to supply and demand and supply chain issues.

GOP Megadonors Are Secretly Courting Two Popular Governors To Challenge Trump.  GOP megadonors are privately courting popular Republican Govs.  Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Brian Kemp of Georgia to challenge former President Donald Trump in 2024, Axios reported Saturday.  As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has struggled to gain traction in the polls against the former president, the Republican contributors are seeking other potential alternatives to jump in last minute, according to Axios.  Though Youngkin and Kemp have both previously ruled out a 2024 bid, several sources told the outlet they're keeping the door open as top donors reach out.  "People are desperate.  They are concerned with what could happen if Trump wins the primaries and they want a viable alternative," a Republican source told Axios.

The Economy's 'Red Death' Will Come for DC, Too.  The rift between Beltway conventional wisdom and the day-to-day reality of ordinary Americans is growing into an unbridgeable crevasse.  While families struggle to afford food, fuel, and essentials for young children, the White House continues to assure Americans that the economy has never been better.  While the Department of Homeland Security insists that America's borders are secure and that illegal immigration is under control, small towns across the country struggle to deal with spiking fentanyl deaths, transnational crime networks, and forced multiculturalism that often drives a wedge within communities.  International trade deals that were negotiated and signed by residents of D.C. have hollowed out once thriving industrial towns and left multiple generations of blue-collar workers poor and adrift.  The "Rust Belt" has never been more corroded, yet Wall Street and Washington seem to be doing better than ever.  It is as if the wealthiest and most influential Americans have holed themselves up inside a luxurious castle, so that they may ignore the devastation afflicting the rest of the country.

They Break Every Family, Every Town, Every Country.  This is the second in an August series about the Head of the Snake, an examination of the cabal that is behind the Great Reset, the Covid and Global Warming hoaxes, and every profit-bonanza war of the last thirty, if not 500 years, but especially Ukraine.  They call themselves by a proliferation of names: the Olympians, the Elect, Bilderbergers, the 300, demi-gods, the Black Nobility, other silly secret names that must not be spoken.  They are secret because their intent is evil.  They practice the occult — foolish and irresponsible — they are "Masons" of the crazy branch, a cult that operates entirely in the dark and entirely for themselves.  They are as power-hungry as Hillary Clinton and far more corrupt than she or Biden or his dreadful son.

'Elites' cannot hide from the consequences of their actions.  [Scroll down]  Together, central banks and global health authorities are the gateway drugs for communism. The party will take care of all your needs.  The World Health Organization will decide whether you can leave your homes.  The climate scientists will tell you how much food you may eat and how much fuel you may use to stay warm.  In every iteration of Marxist hubris, the promise is framed a little differently.  However it is formulated, it always brings tragedy.  Marxist socialism, communism, planned sustainability, new world order, global government — whatever it is called, it remains "rule by the elite."  Any system that refuses to protect individual freedoms and empowers a small coalition of authorities to control everyone else should simply be called "elitism."  The distinction between political parties becomes meaningless when "elites" learn, as Lenin did, that the "best way to control the opposition is to lead it."  Forget Republicans versus Democrats.  The real contest is between regular people and the privilege-hoarding "elites" who maintain a stranglehold over government.

The splooting squirrel: a true picture of climate change alarmists.  By the turn of the 21st century, the American people were already afflicted with climate grievance hustlers.  It would be laughable to hear AOC tell us that the world has only twelve years left if she didn't have so much influence in the world of politics.  It would be beyond hysterically funny to see Greta Thunberg hiding from her prediction in 2018 that the world would end in five years if we didn't stop using fossil fuels — except that this disturbed girl is worshiped all over the world in the church of climate change.  It's worth noting that both these women enjoy very posh lives.  AOC wears designer clothes worth more than I make in a month when she goes to functions where tickets cost more than I make in a year.  She doesn't pay for these things.  She just gets them from people who adore her.  Greta Thunberg travels the world in a luxury yacht because she refuses to fly.  She didn't work to earn the yacht.  It's just supplied to her with a crew.  The crew flies to get to the yacht when Greta gets wanderlust, and they fly home when she's done traveling.  That's a lot of carbon emissions to support Greta's carbon-free traveling, but I digress.

America Must Reclaim What the Left Has Attempted to Destroy.  Today, we think of America's Revolution, founding, and history as a heroic story about the triumph of the human spirit:  the little guy standing up to the bullies, fighting for freedom against oppressors.  But as you know, there are always some people who don't like a David and Goliath story:  the Goliaths. [...] For two centuries, every generation of global elites looked down on American freedom — and ended up looking up at our success.  Now in the 21st century, the so-called "Great Awokening" is just the latest iteration of the empire striking back.  From Washington and Wall Street to Beijing and Brussels, they are coming for our freedom, for our Constitution, for our faith, and, yes, even for our children — all in the name of global order.  They want to take from us our birthright as Americans.  They say they want us to become "citizens of the world."  But in truth, they want us to be subjects of them.

BBC Climate Editor back home... from 1,800-MILE Spain jaunt by plane.  The BBC was accused of hypocrisy after its Climate Editor jetted off to Spain to report on its heatwave — which he blamed on carbon emissions.  The Corporation repeatedly refused to say if Justin Rowlatt, 57, had made the 1,800 mile round trip to Spain by plane.  But our exclusive picture shows the moment he arrived back at his £2.8 million north London home on Thursday afternoon — with Iberia Airlines bag tags attached to his backpack.

Running for President Inc..  Every four years, America holds a presidential election, and every four years a bunch of people with no chance of winning enter the race and raise money.  They do so because they can spend the money they raise pretty much as they want.  It beats working for a living.  The federal government used to match some of the money raised, which was a porch light to these moths.  Obama killed it in 2008 by refusing the money.  He refused because the matching money placed restrictions on his fund-raising.  His opponent, world-class mooch John McCain, took the money because it was there. [...] Obama and McCain actually had a chance to win that year, as did Hillary.  But Governors Bill Richardson and Tom Vilsack, and Senators Evan Bayh and John Edwards had no chance in heck.  Still, they ran, raised money, and spent millions.

Disney Heiress Arrested at Climate Protest Against Private Jets at Hamptons Airport.  Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney and self-described Patriotic Millionaire, was arrested Friday as she joined a climate protest at an airport in the Hamptons.  Fox News reports the left-wing heiress added her voice alongside members of New York Communities for Change, Planet Over Profit, and Sunrise Movement NYC, on the East End of Long Island.

The Brutal Crushing of the Lower 50%.  Last week the WEFers held their summer camp in China.  More to come, they warned us.  More pandemics, more catastrophic global warming, more inflation, hell on wheels, they promise us, Armageddon is coming.  Be very afraid.  The following was a particularly lovely event:  "How to Stay Within Planetary Boundaries - Carrot or Stick?" which focused on whether to incentivize or force compliance with "climate goals".  It was hosted by some joker who edits a magazine called Nature Energy, no doubt funded by the WEF and read by exactly nobody.

Messaging vs. reality: Democrats leave ordinary Americans behind.  A car in front of me recently at a traffic light had a political sticker on its rear bumper that read, "Leave no one behind — vote Democrat."  The message isn't new, and I've seen the sticker before, but I found it freshly notable because it has surely never been more obviously false than it is today.  It expressed the quintessence of the party's message that Democrats are for the masses, the millions of little guys, rather than the big guys who have too much power already.  The Blue party supposedly considers everyone and ensures that all stragglers are given a helping hand.  In one form or another, that's the core of almost any Democratic slogan you read or debating point you hear expressed by their legion of TV pundits.  It is the justification for every item on the Left's agenda — we're making sure no one is stranded, hurt, forgotten, or dismissed.  But the reality is that there is an adamantine vein of contempt in Left-liberal politics for the opinions and concerns of ordinary people, who are regarded as too stupid or selfish to know what is good for them.

The Left's New Sugar Daddy Alex Soros Had 20 Meetings at Joe Biden's White House (So Far).  Alex Soros, the son and heir apparent to billionaire left-wing philanthropist George Soros, had 20 meetings at President Joe Biden's White House with Biden administration officials, according to the latest White House visitor logs.  According to the visitor logs, the younger Soros has visited the Biden White House 15 times, met with officials 20 times, and attended a state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron at which President Biden was in attendance.

Michelle Obama Takes Time From Opulent Greek Isles Vacation to Tweet About Oppression.  Everyone in life faces disadvantages of one form or another.  Almost all children get called an unpleasant name or two in grade school.  Some are oppressed by a drunk, abusive, or absent parent.  Others may be trapped in horrific schools or extreme poverty.  Still others are simply not gifted with high IQs or the ambition to work hard and succeed.  The list of reasons why most people don't go to Ivy League schools and then on to lucrative careers is long, and "oppression" comes in many forms.  If you are the first black White House family, oppression takes the shape of having only two exclusive island waterfront mansions in which to spend your days.  Sometimes, you simply must jet to the Greek isles to vacation with your Hollywood besties at their Aegean private island manse.  People covered the former first family's sad exile these past few weeks: [...]

NY Democrat complains about her student debt after SCOTUS ruling, gets slammed for million dollar home.  Former New York state Democrat Sen. Alessandra Biaggi took to social media Friday to discuss the pricey student loans she had amassed during law school, despite purchasing a $1.14 million home last summer.  "In 2012, I graduated from Fordham Law School with $180,000 is student loan debt," Biaggi wrote in a tweet.  "I've been paying loans for 11 years.  Even paid two of them off completely."  "In 2023, my balance is $206,000," added Biaggi, who represented New York's 34th district during her three-year tenure in the state Senate.  The remarks from Biaggi — who posed an unsuccessful primary challenge to former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., in the 2022 midterm elections — came nearly one year after it was reported that she and her husband had purchased and moved into a $1,137,500 home located in the state's 17th Congressional District, which she had hoped to represent in Congress.

Let them Drink Water: Alcohol Ban at Paris Olympics for All but VIP Elites.  Alcohol consumption at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be restricted to special VIP areas only, a report Tuesday confirmed, meaning the elites can happily quaff Champagne while those in the cheap seats will be forced to look on and sip water.  Thanks to an edict called Elvin's Law which began in 1991, alcohol sales have long been banned to the general public in France's sports stadiums.

Justin Trudeau dropped $61,000 in taxpayer money for a 5-star hotel stay to attend an anti-poverty gala in NYC.  If there is any one indicator that those comprising the political establishment are nothing more than self-interested wannabe celebrities, you'd be hard-pressed to determine whether it is their over-the-top infatuation with big time actors and reality television personalities, or their devotion to the high life, despite their failure to legitimately earn it.  Nearly two months ago, an organization called Global Citizen held a ritzy, star-studded anti-poverty function in New York City, an event at which Canada's Justin Trudeau can be seen next to Hollywood heavyweight Hugh Jackman in an embarrassing display of fanboy-ism; [...]

BlackRock Recruiter Spills Info on Company's World Impact.  James O'Keefe and O'Keefe Media Group on Tuesday dropped their biggest story yet.  OMG released footage of a BlackRock recruiter Serge Varlay spilling the beans on the company's world impact.  BlackRock is one of the largest (manages $20 trillion) and most powerful (and dangerous) asset and investment managers in the world.  Serge Varlay said BlackRock doesn't want to be in the news and they don't want people talking about them.  "It's not who the president is — it's who's controlling the wallet of the president," BlackRock recruiter Serge Varlay told an undercover journalist.  Serge Varlay said all the financial institutions — hedge funds, BlackRock, the banks — buy politicians — and US Senators are the cheapest.  "These guys run the world," Varlay said.

Carpetbagger!
Dem in Congress said the quiet part out loud on MSNBC, that Trump 'needs to be shot'.  Call it a "Freudian slip," where a person accidentally says what she really is thinking.  Stacey Plaskett is a nonvoting member of Congress, a delegate representing the US Virgin Islands in the House of Representatives.  She was born and grew up in New York City, and graduated from the elite and expensive Choate Rosemary Hall prep school in Connecticut before going on the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown and law school at American University.  She says that she and her family frequently visited St. Croix, where her parents are from, in her childhood, and that apparently was good enough for the voters to choose her to represent them in Congress.

Four More Startling and Uncomfortable Ways Today's Leftists Emulate the Nazis.  [#1] Big corporations collaborated with the Nazis and now with big business collaborates with the Democrats.  Far-left concerns such as Ben & Jerry's, Starbucks, Nike, Ford, Kohl's, Pfizer, Gillette, PayPal and most prominently Target are pushing leftist dogma.  They are collaborating with the Democrat party just as many corporations - Volkswagen, Hugo Boss, and IBM collaborated with the National Socialist Workers' (Nazi) Party.  The egregious actions of far-left corporations like Target and many others absolutely destroy one of the authoritarians' big lies about the pro-freedom right.  People imbued with the precepts of individual liberty and limited government supposedly are somehow connected to totalitarian collectivist groups displaying the exact opposite of those values.  Since the pro-freedom right favors economic liberty and free enterprise, we're closely tied to business.  The vague leftist 'logic' is that this means that a government set with public/private partnerships is somehow 'right wing'.  So, keep this in mind whenever leftists bring up this ever-vague assertion that flies in the face of facts.

It Was Always Only About Power With the Left.  Why do so many liberal climate-activist grandees fly on private jets?  Or why do those who profited from Black Lives Matter have a propensity for estate living?  Or why do the community-activist Obamas prefer to live in not one, but three mansions?  The answer is that calls for radical equity, "power for the people," and mandated equality are usually mostly sloganeering for those who enjoy power and the lucre it brings, and their wish is to augment both for themselves.  The result is that the issue du jour of mandated equality often becomes secondary if not irrelevant.  There is neither fear of inconstancy nor hypocrisy, given the central theme that governs a leftist party line is political utility — or the ends of power always more than justify the hypocritical means used to obtain it.

The Soros Activist at the Heart of California's $800 Billion Slave Reparations.  In 2021, the Equal Justice Institute celebrated a settlement with the University of California in which the system agreed to stop using SAT and ACT test scores, objective merit-based metrics, in college admissions, until 2025.  The racialist lawsuit claimed that test scores violate the California Constitution's Equal Protection Clause as "indicators" of race.  The "SAT is a barrier to equal opportunity", Lisa Holder, a counsel with the Equal Opportunity Institute, claimed.  Like a lot of destructive leftist activists, Lisa Holder received a Soros Justice Fellowship from the radical billionaire's Open Society Foundation.  The similarity in the names of the Equal Justice Society and Soros' Open Society Foundation is more than strictly coincidental as Soros was one of the EJS' founding donors.  Beyond drawing six figures in compensation from the Equal Justice Society, Lisa Holder has her own law practice that focuses on racial issues and occasionally draws a check for teaching at UCLA.

American Despotism.  The upper echelons of the ruling class come from wealthy cosmopolitans (as opposed to the rich in rural areas), those in the top .01 percent (about 23,000 individuals, or .007 percent of the population worth over $10 million) who control each fiefdom, limit access to its ranks, and jockey for political influence and benefits.  Almost 25 percent of those in the Forbes 400 derived their wealth from finance, especially hedge funds and private equity, which grows faster than the economy, while 15 percent came from technology companies and 10 percent from food and beverage.  While the Rothschild, Walton, Koch, and Mars families manage and maintain their wealth, a significant number of the Fortune 400, such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jack Dorsey, rose through skills in the technologies that have globalized and enhanced business growth.  But one cannot simply look at profits.  Wealth guarantees political influence but not political power — it is necessary but not sufficient.  The wealthy seek to retain control of their fiefdoms by funding political initiatives, buying off politicians, and developing and maintaining close ties with the decision-makers who craft and enforce the rules they agree to play by.

WEF Lizard Calls For Massive Depopulation Of The Earth, Says Over 80% Needs to Go.  A celebrated member of the globalist World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for a staggering 86 percent reduction in the population of humans, arguing that the goal can be achieved "peacefully."  Dennis Meadows, one of the main authors of the Club of Rome's 1972 pro-depopulation book "The Limits to Growth."  Meadows argues that most of the world's population must be wiped out so that the survivors can "have freedom" and a "high standard of living."  [Video clip]

Dem Megadonor Funding Trump Rape Lawsuit Visited Jeffrey Epstein's 'Pedophile Island'.  A Democratic megadonor who is helping bankroll a rape and defamation lawsuit against former president Donald Trump visited the private Caribbean island of Jeffrey Epstein years after Epstein registered as a sex offender for soliciting underage girls.  LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman visited Epstein's compound in the Virgin Islands in 2014, known as "Pedophile Island" because he allegedly housed young girls there.  Hoffman may have also stayed overnight at Epstein's New York City residence in December 2014, according to the Wall Street Journal.  Those visits came years after it was publicly revealed that Epstein pleaded guilty on charges that he solicited sex from underage girls.  Hoffman has been funding former journalist E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit against Trump since 2020.

The New Robber Barons.  A free country will always have its robber barons.  But not all such barons are equal.  Nor are they all equally bad — or good.  The title was not meant to be a compliment when it was first given to the Rockefellers and Carnegies of the late 19th century.  Curiously, it has not been attached at all to today's Big Tech barons. [...] Today's tech barons — Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and the like — are much more powerful, much more insidious, and much more dangerous than their counterparts of long ago.  They are also just as willing as any Rockefeller to crush their competitors and just as committed as any Carnegie to controlling their workers.  More than that, they are also willing to do the bidding of America's enemies.  Witness Apple's kowtowing to the "request" of the Chinese communist regime that it shut down communication among Hong Kong anti-regime protesters.

Congress' unconstitutional pay scam gets members $34K raises.  Thanks to a backroom deal, House members can now claim automatic reimbursement of $258 a night for lodging expenses and $79 a day for meals in DC — even if they don't spend a dime.  But though House members can pocket up to $34,000 a year in additional tax dollars, it's not a pay raise because politicians are entitled to use false labels for everything they do.  There is a pity party in Washington: You weren't invited, but you'll pay the bill.

Who Runs The World?  If you've been wondering how the world economy has been hijacked and humanity has been kidnapped by a completely bogus narrative, look no further than this video by Dutch creator, Covid Lie.  What she uncovers is that the stock of the world's largest corporations are owned by the same institutional investors.  They all own each other.  This means that "competing" brands, like Coke and Pepsi aren't really competitors, at all, since their stock is owned by exactly the same investment companies, investment funds, insurance companies, banks and in some cases, governments.  This is the case, across all industries.  As she says:  "The smaller investors are owned by larger investors.  Those are owned by even bigger investors.  The visible top of this pyramid shows only two companies whose names we have often seen... They are Vanguard and BlackRock.  The power of these two companies is beyond your imagination.  Not only do they own a large part of the stocks of nearly all big companies but also the stocks of the investors in those companies.  This gives them a complete monopoly.["]

Obama and his friends are a perfect illustration of the modern-day elitist Democrat.  Just yesterday was saw more proof that the mainstream media in the U.S. and beyond are P.R. agencies for the Democrats.  The media gave great prominence to former president Obama, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and rock star Bruce Springsteen making a surprise appearance at a Barcelona restaurant with a last-minute dinner reservation on Thursday.  The BBC carried details about the restaurateur being surprised by the visit and what he served his guests.  There were details about the monument that the Obamas, Spielberg, and Springsteen visited.  [Photo] [...] This is the modern Democrat party.  There is no connection between what they say and what they are.  There is no connection between what they practice and what they practice.  Hypocrisy is their religion.  When Michelle Obama and the Democrats pushes for diversity she know that none of her rich white friends will ever be affected.

What leftist insurrection?  Nothing to see here!  Gallup found that 46% of state government employees identify as Democrat and 24% as Republican, the rest as independent (most likely to conceal partisanship).  Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook and Twitter employees and leadership donate almost exclusively to Democrats.  In the 2022 midterms, Twitter employees donated 99% to Democrats.  The NEA teachers' union in 2020-2021 donated $374 [million] to political — i.e., Democrat — causes, making 32% of its expenditures.  Nine percent of its support went to direct assistance for its members.  It is quite apparent that the left comprises half the electorate, progressive politicians, the federal bureaucracy, the media, and the education system.

Republicans Wide-Open Door to Win in 2024.  Democrats have left the back door off the hinges with working-class, middle-class, and even suburban voters as they have morphed into the party of the front-door rich and elite.  Their policies increasingly reflect this new dynamic and, media tropes aside, Republicans can pounce on this wide-open opportunity with aggressive, disciplined messaging encompassing plenty of strategic punching back.  The media is working overtime to bury this truth about the Democratic Party, but with every election, the Republican Party is becoming the de facto party of the middle class, working class, and working minorities, while the Democratic Party is increasingly the party of wealthy white elites.

Gates funds millions to NGO claiming kids born sexual, 10-year-olds should learn about 'commercial sex work'.  The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donates millions annually to a nongovernmental organization which claims that children are born sexual and should learn about "commercial sex work" under 10 years of age.  The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) — a separate entity from the U.S. nonprofit — wields significant influence on global sex education.  The NGO comprises 120 independent organizations in over 146 countries and has received — including its European network — over $80M from Gates.  Other significant donors included the World Health Organization.  A toolkit released in 2017 showed an insight into how the NGO teaches sex education to children around the globe.

A Billionaire Progressive Has Transformed America — by Destroying It.  He's the biggest donor to the Democratic Party.  He spent millions to elect district attorneys who are freeing felons to wreak havoc in American cities.  Evidence of his influence is everywhere you look, from Ukraine to the U.N.  And his billions back everything from the U.S. media to the climate change agenda.  The 92-year-old's legacy will outlive even his fortune.  So what's motivating George Soros to punish the country that took him in?  [Video clip]

How Walmart Pushed Arkansas Public Schools to Go Woke.  In January 2020, Walmart approached public school administrators in Bentonville, Arkansas, about hosting diversity training sessions for the district.  "We want people to feel welcomed, comfortable, and safe living here" in Northwest Arkansas, Candice Jones, Walmart's head of diversity, emailed district leaders, according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.  To that end, the company was offering to arrange teacher training sessions with a North Carolina-based consultancy known as the Racial Equity Institute, a group "devoted to creating racially equitable organizations and systems."

Leftist Money, Not National Mood, Drove Last Week's Election Wins.  Off-year elections reflect the clout of big-money institutions such as public employee unions, advocacy organizations, and large corporations, with the first-named being the most powerful of all in municipal elections.  Accordingly, Chicagoans elected Brandon Johnson, a candidate to the left of incumbent Lori Lightfoot, a radical progressive whose failures in crime control and education caused her to miss the runoff election held April 4.  Johnson defeated Paul Vallas, a lifelong Democrat and former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and other public school systems.  Johnson, a Cook County commissioner and former teacher and union organizer, received powerful support from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and other progressive organizations.  Johnson "raised some $10.1 million through March 31, and 91% came from unions, more than half from the CTU, according to the Illinois Policy Institute," the Wall Street Journal reports.

How the Left Uses Transgenders.  In our current era of corporate fascism, which draws heavily on the Soviet playbook for tactics and procedures, many parallels are clear.  Consider the Antifa and Black Lives Matter crowd.  They function as the shock troops of the New Age.  Yes, they're shielded from legal consequences of the sundry crimes they commit in the name of anti-racism.  And their leaders and organizers are paid well and housed magnificently (there's good money in radical action, apparently).  But do you think for a minute that once Klaus Schwab and George Soros and Bill Gates and the other world shakers have consolidated their Great Reset, the circle of leadership will include any of those desperate, face-pierced, pink-haired street urchins?  The glass ceiling is even more evident when it comes to transgender activists.

Son of billionaire George Soros has visited the White House 14 times in just over a year.  The son of billionaire philanthropist George Soros made more than a dozen trips to the White House last year as he follows in his father's footsteps as a prolific Democratic networker.  Alexander Soros, 37, frequently posts shots of himself with Democratic politicians including Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Sen. Chuck Schumer — whom he called a 'good friend.'  And recently-updated White House logs reveal he has visited at least 14 times since December 2021.

Who's "They"?  If you think "Republicans" are the solution, then you don't understand the construct of the 'Big Club.'  Political parties were created to present you with:  (1) a controlled outlet for your focus (pro-tip the Big Club "they" control it); and (2) the illusion of choice.  Now there are some differences between the two political parties — between the two wings of the same DC vulture.
  •   The DNC wants power.  The RNC wants money.
  •   The DNC uses money to get power.  The RNC use power to get money.
  •   The ideology of the DNC drives their donor activity.  The ideology of the donors drives the RNC ideology.
This is the essential difference in their business models.  This is also how the system works when you think about 'money' and raw 'ideological power'.

Swiss Billionaire Hansjörg Wyss Becomes Democrat Mega-Donor with Millions Funneled to Left-Wing Groups.  Billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, a Swiss national who lives in Wyoming, has become a "Democrat-aligned mega-donor," according to the Associated Press (AP), thanks to his funneling hundreds of millions of dollars to left-wing groups.  "Newly available tax documents show that his giving through the Berger Action Fund, which describes itself as advocating for 'solutions to some of our world's biggest problems,' swelled in 2021 to $72 million, cementing Wyss' status as a Democratic-aligned megadonor," the AP reports.

America's Geriatric Megalomaniacs.  The root of all nation-destroying evil is the megalomaniacal abuse of power.  In the United States of 2023, no two people personify that more than ninety-two-year-old George Soros and eighty-year-old Joe Biden, who are essentially working in tandem to destroy the United States as founded.  George Soros, despite being someone who saw first-hand the death and destruction wrought by a megalomaniac in World War II, has become one in his single-minded determination to be the man who reshaped the United States into a Marxist/socialist one-party nation and permanently uprooted the Judeo-Christian foundation of American society.  To achieve this end, Soros has deviously attacked the soft underbelly of a constitutional republic, the integrity of the voting process and confidence in an equitable justice system.  He knows that once these two pillars have collapsed, this nation will undergo an unalterable transformation. [...] American sycophants mindlessly regurgitate the assertion that since Soros is Jewish and survived World War II, any criticism is out-of-bounds and tantamount to unbridled antisemitism whenever he is justifiably criticized.

Female California police union exec, 64, is charged with running eight-year, global FENTANYL operation from her gated community.  A San Jose grandmother has allegedly been importing fentanyl from India and other countries into the U.S. and has been using her home as a base for the global drug operation.  Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, is the executive director of the San Jose Police Officers' Association, and was charged with attempting to unlawfully import valeryl fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, federal prosecutors said in a statement Wednesday.  If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison.

Report: George Soros Donates $1 Million to Wisconsin Democrats Ahead of State Supreme Court Election.  George Soros and other out-of-state billionaires have donated millions of dollars to Wisconsin Democrats ahead of the upcoming state Supreme Court election — a race which has "2024 consequences," Fox News reported on Tuesday.  Soros, an infamous left-wing financier, donated $1 million to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on February 22, according to campaign finance records.  Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker donated $1 million on March 14, and Tulsa philanthropists Stacy and Lynn Schusterman made four donations in March totaling $1 million, after previously donating $40,000 to the party.  "Soros and Pritzker's cash accounted for roughly 30 percent of the $6.6 million in individual contributions the Wisconsin Democratic Party raised during that time.  A handful of other major liberal donors — including Karla Jurvetson and Fred Eychaner — added hundreds of thousands of dollars," the outlet reported.

The Dark Money Behind The Gas Bans.  Last Tuesday, Rewiring America announced that it has hired Georgia politician Stacey Abrams to help the group "launch and scale a national awareness campaign and a network of large and small communities working to help Americans go electric." [...] Rewiring America is part of the NGO-industrial-corporate-climate complex that, as I reported here last month, is now spending some $4.5 billion per year to promote anti-industry policies.  While their agendas vary, the anti-industry NGOs are generally trying to mandate increased use of weather-dependent renewables, hinder (or stop) hydrocarbon production, prevent the construction of new hydrocarbon infrastructure, mandate building electrification, and of course, ban the use of natural gas in homes and businesses.  As I explained in January, Rewiring America's mission to electrify everything, ban the use of natural gas in homes and businesses, (and gas stoves), is part of a years-long, lavishly funded campaign that is being bankrolled by some of the world's richest people.  But here's the pernicious part:  the big-money donors backing Rewiring America, and other groups pushing the gas bans, are hiding their identities behind a dark money network of NGOs that are purposely obscuring their funding and the groups they are bankrolling.

France's Emmanuel Macron excoriated after removing luxury watch during TV interview.  Social media users were outraged by a recent clip of French President Emmanuel Macron appearing to hide a luxury wristwatch during an interview, as pension-related protests in France intensify.  Macron appeared to take off his watch under a table during a TF1/France 2 interview.  Twitter users speculated that the president removed his watch to appear less wealthy.  The Élysée Palace made a statement to French newspaper L'Independant dismissing the rumors, saying that Macron wanted to avoid hitting the watch on the table.

Who is Klaus Schwab?  Klaus Schwab is a German economist and engineer who is the founder and executive chairman of WEF.  Schwab is concerned about elected officials who are "too often caught in traditional, linear (and non-disruptive) thinking or too absorbed by immediate concerns to think strategically about the forces of disruption and innovation".  Instead of trusting the open marketplace and the established rules and customs of the Western liberal democratic system, Schwab wants a planned economy based on what is called "public-private partnerships".  In practice, these public-private partnerships resemble fascism, which its initiator, Benito Mussolini, described as the merger between the corporation and the state.  In this spirit of authoritarianism, Schwab works closely with China and has praised China as an optimal model.  In fact, he keeps a bust of Lenin, who imposed communism onto the Soviet Union, in his personal study[.]

Bill Gates Calls for Sovereign Nations to Surrender Health Authority to WHO.  Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is calling on the leaders of sovereign nations to surrender the authorities of their countries to the World Health Organization's (WHO) "global health emergency corps."  Gates argues that the WHO should be viewed as a "fire department for pandemics" that seizes control of nations on a global level during health emergencies.  Speaking in a New York Times op-ed published Sunday, Gates voiced his support for the WHO's Global Pandemic Treaty.  The WHO's treaty will essentially establish an unelected global regime that will override local laws with global protocols if the United Nations agency declares a health emergency.

Black Lives Matter and Related Causes Received Nearly $83 Billion from Corporations.  The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and related causes received an astonishing $82.9 billion from corporations, a new funding database from the Claremont Institute has found.  The Claremont Institute's Center for the American Way of Life explained the necessity of their report in an article published in Newsweek, where the Center asserted that the 2020 BLM movement was about more than just "rioting and destruction."  The Center explained that "The BLM pressure campaigns, harassment, and moral blackmail also amounted to possibly the most lucrative shakedown of corporate America in its history."

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hadn't been paying the help.  [Scroll down]  She's got quite a track record of not paying the help based on her appearance at the Met Gala last year, according to revelations from the congressional ethics investigation on her.  She not only took "gifts" (really big gifts, which started with the $35,000 price of the ticket), but failed to pay in any timely manner the staff who fluffed her up in her famous "Tax the Rich" gown that got her so much fawning publicity. [...] This is an amazingly crummy way of treating tradespeople, who no doubt gave their all to make Ocasio-Cortez look like a million bucks for the other Beautiful People at that Vogue-sponsored gala.  Ocasio-Cortez makes a six-figure congressional salary, so we know she had the means to pay.  She just didn't want to, and had there not been a congressional ethics investigation, she might not have.  Most of these people who went unpaid for months weren't high-paid workers, as Nicole Gelinas wrote in her excellent description of the scandal for the New York Post.

AOC: Tax the Rich, Except For Me.  In socialist countries, the political elites nobly and selflessly refrain from enjoying the fruits of the workers' paradise they create.  Instead of living in soulless apartment blocks, eating stale and unpalatable scraps, and toiling all day at state-owned factories for the sole benefit of the state itself, they luxuriate in magnificent dwellings and feast on lobster and caviar.  The rules are for those who actually believe in the socialist propaganda or who have no choice but to comply.  Those who actually make the rules in the dictatorship of the proletariat don't feel any obligation to live as if they really were proletarians.  It works the same way among socialists in the U.S., as has been made abundantly clear in the congressional ethics investigation of one of the nation's foremost spokespeople for the workers, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Swizzle Stick).

Inside The 'Ideological' Bank Profiting Off Democrat Dollars And Funneling The Money Back To Leftist Causes.  Amalgamated Bank, with just five branches across three cities, would seem an unlikely mover and shaker in the world of Wall Street, let alone Washington, D.C.  Yet last fall, it successfully pressured colossal credit card companies Visa, Mastercard, and American Express to use the financial system to track and report gun purchases.  Amalgamated is "more than a bank," says Michael Watson of the Capital Research Center.  "It's a bank for an ideological movement."  This "ideological" bank holds $7 billion in deposits and manages or maintains custody of some $51 billion.  That pales in comparison to financial institutions such as JP Morgan, with its $2.4 trillion in deposits, or the $8.6 trillion in assets managed by BlackRock.  But Amalgamated's outsize influence owes to its role as cue to the wider corporate world given the major sources of that money — the Democratic Party, progressive activist groups, and major labor unions.

How to Lose in 2024.  Industrial-scale fraud, committed by organized actors, accelerates over time like a drug-resistant bacterium.  If you want to know how America is going to get screwed in 2024, follow the dough.  That is the Zuckerberg dough.  Zuck and pals are spending tens of millions of dollars, not padding voter rolls, not fighting lawsuits, not getting voters out early... they are spending the dough infiltrating and controlling election commissions.  For those who think cleaning the voter rolls and voting early are enough protect 2024, our data proves you are delusional.  The Left is all in controlling election commissions.  Expect Kari Lake's outcome to move from an outlier to a standard outcome in 2024. Election commission fraud, which we coined as sovereign fraud two years ago, has attractive characteristics for the Left.  It always works — because it is invisible.

'Woke' Ben & Jerry's Caught Using Child Labor to Make Ice Cream.  Of course, the brand has never met a left-wing cause it didn't like, including boycotting Israel, championing illegal immigration, and fighting for the environment.  But as I have learned in my time on this earth, the more someone tells you how woke they are, the more they want to keep hidden from you.

Ben & Jerry's Boycotted Israel While Using Child Labor.  In the United States, the leftist brand debuted a new flavor 'Pecan Resist', and bragged that it would "resist the Trump administration's regressive and discriminatory policies" to build a future for "refugees and immigrants".  The ugly truth behind the virtue signaling was that Ben & Jerry's depended on migrant labor to make its overpriced ice cream.  A year before Trump took office, the progressive company faced protests by migrant workers who spoke of having to live in barns without heat during the Vermont winter while milking cows at midnight and being injured by exploding glass milk bottles.  Ben & Jerry's claimed that it supported open borders because of the company's "social mission" and "values".  Those values were measured in the dollar and cents bottom line.  The milk that went into the company's ice cream depended on the cheap labor of those same migrants.  Open borders wasn't an abstraction, it was a steady source of labor to be churned into ice cream.

How Biden's 'Green Energy Economy' is Benefiting Left-Wing Billionaires.  President Joe Biden's taxpayer-funded push to build a "clean energy economy" is benefiting the left's most prominent billionaire megadonors, including Bill Gates and Laurene Powell Jobs, a Washington Free Beacon analysis found.  Biden's Energy Department has in the last two months announced nearly $3 billion in loans to two electric battery companies, Redwood Materials and Ioneer, which are backed by seed funding from Gates, Jobs, and other left-wing billionaires.  Now those billionaires, who have poured millions into the effort to win Democrats power in Washington, are likely set to see a handsome profit from their initial investment.  Ioneer, for example, won a $700 million loan from Biden and saw its stock price increase by 33 percent after the announcement.  Biden's Energy Department is funding Redwood and Ioneer through its Loan Programs Office, which is no stranger to controversy.  Under former president Barack Obama, the office approved a $529 million loan to electric car manufacturer Fisker, which declared bankruptcy in 2013 and was subsequently sold to China.

Whitmer Enjoys an Evening Out While 700,000 Michiganders Freeze Without Power.  Leftists have already made it abundantly clear that they don't feel bound to observe the rules they impose upon us.  Remember Nancy Pelosi's hair salon appointment while the salons were closed to other women in 2020 because of the COVID-19 hysteria?  Pelosi's nephew Gavin Newsom was likewise caught dining at a fancy French restaurant in defiance of his own COVID protocols.  And now another star of the contemporary Left, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-FBI Kidnapping Hoax), took Thursday evening off to head in to Detroit, where she caught a performance of the musical "Jagged Little Pill" at the Fisher Theatre.  This would have been an utterly unremarkable incident were it not for the fact that while Whitmer was enjoying her fun-filled evening out, 700,000 Michiganders were without power, smack in the middle of winter.  This, once again, is how the Left governs.

Migrant hotels fatten Manhattan's real estate interests — and crush its small businesses.  Who says Democrats are the party of the little guy?  Turns out that Joe Biden's open borders, which has led to the creation of migrant hotels in central Manhattan, has been a money-spigot for the city's real estate interests — and hammered the city's little-guy small businesses.  And take a wild guess as to which ones kick back campaign donations to Democrats. [...] By importing tens of thousands of indigent foreigners into the U.S., who otherwise would not be here, the Democrats' favorite constituency, the rich, are automatically bolstered, coming at the expense of the small fry.  The migrants amount to perfect pawns through the funnel of city contracts because no expense is spared on migrants by the state and local governments.  That cash goes to local real estate interests at full fare with no bulk discounts given to the city.  All the same, it's draining the city coffers.  But instead of cutting back on services for migrants as the money runs low, New York's Mayor Eric Adams is calling for federal funds to keep the payments to the big guys, and he may eventually get them.  As for the small business owners who rely on the tourist trade, well, tough luck.  The migrants get free meals paid for by the city, in quantities so huge they reportedly waste tons of it daily.  That doesn't matter to the big guys, who get paid up front.

Author Matt Palumbo Reveals Why George Soros is the Most Dangerous Man in America.  Matt Palumbo, author and content manager for the Bongino Report, sat down with The Political Insider's own Brett Smith to discuss his book and explain why he views George Soros as the most dangerous man in America.  Palumbo outlined how Soros's influence on the national stage has been somewhat muted, but it's his influence at a more local level that has been most destructive.  Smith notes that Palumbo, author of the Publishers Weekly best-selling book, The Man Behind the Curtain: Inside the Secret Network of George Soros, has detailed how the left-wing billionaire is a danger to the nation.

Closing In on the Classified Cover-up.  At the center of the Biden document cover-up is the question of who blocked the National Archives and Records Administration from informing the U.S. public about the classified records found in the president's office in early November.  The archives' general counsel told members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability that he couldn't divulge that information, but GOP House leadership concluded that only Attorney General Merrick Garland or Biden himself could have given those orders.  But there's a third powerful name in play, this one from outside of the government:  David Rubenstein.  Co-founder of the Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm the Carlyle Group, Rubenstein is one of the archives' most generous patrons.

World Economic Forum secures a seat on the new Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.  In September of 2017, Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, delivered a lecture on "strengthening collaboration in a fractured world" (what a handy euphemism for global tyranny!) before a group of students and faculty at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. [...] Now, the North American roster for the latest class of Schwab's Young Global Leaders is out, and one individual in particular stood out to me.  He's a Texan Democrat, his name is Colin Allred, and he's sitting on the newly-conceived Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. [...] I find it interesting that of all the committees in the House, Allred found his way onto this one.

The Billionaires Behind The Gas Bans.  The Climate Imperative Foundation is the newest and richest anti-hydrocarbon, anti-natural gas group you've never heard of.  How rich is Climate Imperative?  According to the latest report from Guidestar, the group took in $221 million in its first full year of operation.  (Guidestar calls the income "gross receipts.")  That means that Climate Imperative, which is less than three years old, is already taking in more cash than the Sierra Club, which bills itself as the "nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization."  According to Guidestar, the Sierra Club collected $180 million in its latest reporting year.  Climate Imperative is also taking in more money than the Rocky Mountain Institute which collected about $130 million in its latest reporting year.  I use those groups for comparison because they are pushing anti-gas initiatives across the country.

Report: George Soros Funds Global 'Fact Checking' Empire.  Over the past few years, a cottage industry of "fact checkers" and "misinformation" experts has emerged to advance the left's mission of silencing dissent to its agenda around the world.  Analysis of the funding of these organizations leads back to a familiar figure: left-wing billionaire George Soros.  The New York Post broke down the trail of Soros dollars linking a global network of organizations intent on suppressing and discrediting conservative voices online.

Bill Gates Flies Around Australia on $70 Million Dollar Private Jet Lecturing People About Climate Change.  The Microsoft founder is trying to drum up business for his Breakthrough Energy company by telling investors, "The reason why climate change is worth investing in massively is because it will get worse and worse over time."  The potential for climate catastrophe doesn't appear to be enough for Gates to change his own behavior, however, as he burns around 1,700 liters of fuel per hour while gallivanting around in his $70 m[illion] Gulfstream.  The billionaire spent some time relaxing on Lizard Island (how appropriate) on Queensland's Great Barrier Reef before taking the gas guzzling form of transport to travel to Sydney for a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Maserati Manchin's next grift.  I am a West Virginian.  I am not now nor have I ever been a supporter of Joe Manchin.  Over the decades, I did not vote for him for secretary of state, governor or senator.  But I must salute his unapologetic abuse of campaign finance laws.  He is living large on other people's money.  He owns a yacht and a Maserati, and racked up $1 million in fine-dining bills as he lives the lifestyle of the rich and famous — and he just may run for president next year.  That's where the big money is.  Just ask Democrat Martin O'Malley.  He served two terms as governor of Maryland and then ran for president in 2016.  Scoff all you want but he raised and spent $5,706,888, which placed him between Mike Huckabee and Lindsey Graham in raising money.  Presidential elections are now a multi-billion-dollar industry.  Everybody who runs and loses the election can be a winner when it comes to money because they can spend the money pretty much as they please.

'Maserati Manchin' spent a week in Davos and racked up a $1 million fine dining bill.  The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is gearing up for 2024 and putting conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin in its crosshairs before he's even said whether he'll run for reelection.  In a new ad called 'Maserati Manchin,' the Senate GOP's campaign arm highlights Manchin's luxury vehicle, his $700,000 houseboat, and DailyMail.com's reporting that he has blown over $1 million in campaign donation on fine dining.  The 75-year-old moderate is likely the only one from his party who can hold on to West Virginia's Senate seat, and the ad looks designed to dissuade him from running.

Keywords:  Slush fund, black hole, quixotic, money pit.
Soros And Bezos Back Initiative To Raise $3 Trillion Annually To Fight Climate Change.  Left-wing billionaire George Soros and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are helping a World Economic Forum (WEF) climate financing program that aims to raise $3 trillion annually to help slash emissions and restore "nature loss" by 2050.  The WEF and the Soros-backed Open Society Foundations and Bezos Earth Fund, along with more than 43 other nonprofits, businesses and academic institutions, will become part of the "Giving to Amplify Earth Action" (GAEA) initiative that will fund efforts intended to limit global warming, according to a Tuesday WEF announcement.  GAEA and its partners will finance charitable partnerships between public and private entities while identifying where the $3 trillion in funding is most needed.

America, Behold Your God.  George Soros contributed $128,485,971 to Democrat candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, which no doubt played a considerable role in the outcome.  And it isn't as if we weren't warned.  As far back as 2004, then-Senator Hillary Clinton (D-What [...] Happened to MY Turn) declared: "We need people like George Soros, who is fearless and willing to step up when it counts."  Soros himself then came to the podium and said: "It is the first time that I feel that I need to stand up and do something, really, uh, imp-, uh, and become really engaged, um, in the electoral process in, in this country."  Oh, he's engaged in the electoral process, all right.  That's our problem.  One indication of the difference Soros made was that he gave, according to Politico, "$1 million for the Georgia runoff, which Sen. Raphael Warnock won on Tuesday night, giving Democrats a 51-seat majority in the Senate."  He is also working for the long term.

Liz Warren's Disappearing Act.  [Elizabeth] Warren has made herself famous over the years decrying the supposedly malicious behavior of large financial institutions and creating all manner of investigatory boards to search for wrongdoing.  Her efforts have never actually accomplished anything productive for the average person.  She just gloms a lot of favorable coverage from the liberal media and draws a lot of underserved attention to herself.  Warren has mastered the art of public hand-waving and shrill histrionics, but it amounts to nothing of substance. [...] It's pitifully obvious that Warren and her liberal ilk have absolutely zero clue about any of this.  They don't know what financial challenges real middle-class people face on a daily basis, nor do they care in the slightest.  Her kindred spirit, Bernie Sanders, owns multiple homes, is financially independent, has gotten rich from public money, yet all he does is criticize, regulate, and over-tax the private companies that employ his constituents.  Greenies like John Kerry fly in private jets and rationalize it, while Gavin Newsome dines maskless in pricy French restaurants.

Purchasing government.  These days you are wasting your money if you pour resources into lobbyists.  These days you can directly buy government.  Mark Zuckerberg spent his money in 2020 purchasing the actual mechanism by which which elections are conducted; and while this was expected, I think we can be pretty confident that he was satisfied with the results of his purchase.  "Zuckerbucks" went directly to election officials, and while they didn't directly purchase vote totals, they certainly had an effect on the outcome.

21st Century Robber Barons: the WEF.  In the 1870s, the term "robber baron" was first used to describe an exploitative class of industrialists who utilized their wealth to create monopolies of resources and amass control in the fledgling United States.  The name describes an illegitimate aristocracy of unelected plutocrats. [...] One hundred fifty years later, we face a new global class of robber barons.  Once a year, the world's richest and most influential people meet behind closed doors in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss the future direction of the globe.  Known as the World Economic Forum, they were originally founded in 1971 by German engineer Klaus Schwab.  Look at any major global policy push in recent history, and you'll likely find the fingerprints of the World Economic Forum.  From climate alarmism to ESG investing to our obsession with sustainability and population control or a push for centralized and authoritarian government, we find the handiwork of the World Economic Forum.

The Tyranny of the Minority.  [Scroll down] Expertly manipulating the voters in the upstairs-downstairs coalition, they're actively destroying everything we love and everything we need.  The minority occupying the top position in the upstairs-downstairs coalition are the plutocrats who run America.  A 2017 analysis identified the top 0.01 percent (1 in 10,000 Americans) to have an average annual income of over $30 million.  A 2019 Stanford study found the top 0.1 percent (1 in 1,000 Americans) control a total net worth equal to the entire cumulative net worth of the bottom 90 percent of Americans.  At the pinnacle, however, are America's billionaires, a scant 735 of them at last count.  This is a vanishingly small minority of people, roughly one in every half-million Americans.  But their influence is decisive.  Every year, these billionaires and the corporations they control disburse billions — often getting tax deductions for doing so — to maintain standing armies of activist groups that conduct lawfare, fund civil disobedience, run massive propaganda campaigns, engage in targeted "get-out-the-vote" activities, prop up financially dependent media properties, and produce "expert" studies with paid-for ideas.

Meet Raphael Warnock's Paymasters.  Since early voting commenced in the Georgia runoff between Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker, the corporate media has made much of the former's funding advantage as if this is somehow unusual for an incumbent seeking reelection.  Far more newsworthy are the sources of Warnock's cash.  The Federal Election Commission (FEC) shows that Warnock has received individual contributions totaling $65.2 million, of which 88.8 percent came from out-of-state donors.  Indeed, Warnock raised slightly less money from individual Georgians that did Walker.  Peach State residents contributed $7.3 million to Warnock while donating $7.5 million to Walker.  The senator, however, received $57.8 million from contributors who don't live in the state he ostensibly represents — including $13.4 million from California and $6.9 million from New York.  According to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan research group that tracks political donations, Warnock is the top Senate recipient of contributions from outside his own state.

Language warning!
Four nefariously managed events meant to harm us.  [#3] Wokery, the Marxist campaign to disorder society in order to overthrow existing institutions and replace them with a utopian dictatorship of the intersectionally oppressed — also known as The Revenge of the Losers. [...] It laughs at the idea of redemption.  Its adversaries are never forgiven, only dealt additional punishments for asking.

Is the IRS Letting Sharpton Run His Own Personal Piggybank?  Al Sharpton was BLM before there was a BLM and its grift is closely modeled on his work and that of Jesse Jackson.  Sharpton's habits aren't news to anyone.  The latest developments just reaffirm that the National Action Network is not only Sharpton's political platform, but maintains his lifestyle. [...] New York AG Letitia James, who has illegally targeted Trump and the NRA, would not be likely to investigate.  But Sharpton's habits do raise legal questions.  The National Action Network is a 501(c)(4) and while C4s have more leeway than C3s, they're not supposed to be the personal piggy banks of an executive or a group of them.

John Fetterman Is The New Normal.  Pennsylvania's still-recovering stroke victim and senator-elect, whose parents provided him with his main source of income for a considerable amount of his adult life, is the blueprint for America's future politicians.  Why bother proving your merit as a statesman when the system in which you're entrenched is calibrated to ensure your success? [...] Fetterman and his opponent, longtime daytime TV personality Mehmet Oz, had their one and only debate on Oct. 25 — literally two weeks before Election Day.  Why did it take so long for Fetterman and Oz to share the stage?  He was either hiding the fact that he was still in the early stages of recovering from a stroke and did not have full control of his audio-verbal faculties, as footage from the debate and pre-election interviews clearly indicate, or he was hiding the fact that his policy proposals are utterly insane and would only further exacerbate issues, such as violent crime, his constituents face on a daily basis.  Either way, at the end of the day, he hid important information from the people he wanted to trust him with power.  And it worked because he had access to a mountain of money, with $56,690,623 raised by Fetterman's campaign and $35,091,809 provided by outside groups, and benefited from a state election system that has effectively broken with the American political tradition by implementing a mail-in voting apparatus whose legality is dubious at best and threatens to turn formerly competitive states into post-political strongholds for the Democratic Party.

Al Sharpton still raking it in and lining his pockets.  Today's story is actually a follow-up to a cozy/corrupt news item that we covered way back in December of 2018.  At that time, Reverend Al Sharpton announced that he was "retiring" from his racially divisive organization, the National Action Network.  But as with nearly everything else NAN had been involved with, there was an obvious scam being run because Sharpton charged the network more than half a million dollars to purchase the rights to his life story.  At the time, we speculated that Sharpton, along with his family, would continue to be involved with NAN and milking that cash cow for all it's worth.  And according to a new report this week from the New York Post, that's exactly what he's been doing.  Despite supposedly being retired, Sharpton is being "compensated" by NAN as its president and CEO at more than double the rate he received before his alleged retirement.  He accepted a salary of nearly 350 thousand dollars last year plus bonuses and benefits bringing the total to more than 600 thousand.  And NAN also forked over another 300 thousand for private jets and accommodations so he could attend "important gatherings" around the world.

Covid PsyOps Are Now Being Used for Climate Change.  As the eco-zealot group Just Stop Oil continue to break the law and cause mayhem, perhaps it is time to investigate who is pulling the strings of this and other fake grassroots movements.  Even a cursory glance will make it clear that the people behind it are not everyday members of the public but a group of highly influential American billionaires.

Who funded Dems' super-PACs?.  Shockingly the news breaks right after the midterm elections:  the 2nd largest Democrat mega donor after George Soros turns out to be a total fraud.  Call me cynical, but does it surprise anyone that the news hits just after all that money was spent on campaign ads, and not a day or two before?  Do you think voters might like to know that $40 million of the money spent to influence their choices was stolen?  Sam Bankman-Fried — a billionaire of whom I never heard before today — donated more than $40 million to Democrat candidates and super-PACs, including providing the initial funding for the Protect Our Future PAC.  He was the second largest donor to the 2020 Biden campaign, pouring over $10 million into Biden-related campaign organizations.

Soros Gave $128 Million This Midterm Season to Help Elect Democrats.  Wealthy citizens who've donated heavily to political campaigns this year include supporters of both of the major political parties, although none of the others comes close to billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who has given more than $128 million to help elect Democrats, according to a new tally released by OpenSecrets, a Washington-based research organization.  The recipients of donations aren't limited solely to individual candidates but also include parties, political action committees (PACs), the hybrid PACs known as Carey Committees, and tax-exempt 527 organizations.  Soros, operating under the aegis of Soros Fund Management, leads the pack of donors, with all of his donations going to Democratic candidates and causes.

Pelosi Was Asked About Inflation While She's Wearing A 5k Custom Jacket.  This week on "Face the Nation" with just 15 days to go until Election Day they invited House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday declined to say if she will remain in House leadership following next month's elections when pressed by CBS "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan. [...] "I'm not here to talk about me," Pelosi responded.  "I'm here to talk about the future.  America's working families.  For the children.  It's always about the children."  But when she was questioned on Inflation her answer might have won the midterms for the GOP.  She was wearing her 5k custom-made jacket when she give her opinion on inflation!

Is This the Beginning of the End for George Soros?  It's no secret that billionaire philanthropist and financier George Soros has had a hand in the rise of many major political players.  From his heavy investment in the sheriffs in Arizona to his funding of grassroots activists in Ferguson, Soros's money and influence seem to be nestled in every nook and cranny across the country.  But just in the past month, two judges in two different states have stood up against prominent figures that are heavily funded by Soros: Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and Virginia's Loudoun County commonwealth attorney Buta Biberaj.

As Michigan Braces For Major Abortion Vote, Ford Heir Sics City Government On A Church's Pro-Life Signs.  The heir to the Ford family fortune demanded that a local Catholic church in his Detroit-area suburb strip down a pro-life display established to remember the 64 million lives lost to abortion after the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.  The city buckled and ordered the church to modify its signs by trimming down the size.  In a letter addressed to the Grosse Pointe city manager, which was also sent to the reverend of St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church and the local newspapers, Edsel B. Ford II, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, condemned the memorial as a "blight" on the community.

Study: Support for defunding the police a 'luxury belief' held by white Democrats gripped by 'collective shame'.  A report published last month by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research indicated that even in areas rife with high levels of violent crime, white Democrats are more likely than their nonwhite ideological peers to support defunding the police.  The author attributes white leftists' advocacy for policies that not only adversely impact minority communities but even themselves in part to "unique group-based moral pressures, including collective moral shame and guilt."  Amid the 2020 George Floyd riots, there were repeated calls to defund or abolish the police.  These calls predominantly came from self-identified Democrats.  A 2020 Cooperative Election Survey indicated that over one-third of Democrats (35.4%) wanted their state legislatures to reduce spending on law enforcement.  Even more Democrats (53.6%) expressed support for reducing the number of police on the streets by 10%.  This support was articulated despite skyrocketing rates of violent crime across the United States.

Billionaire Democrat Mike Bloomberg tried to fund Philly election workers in 2020.  Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered to pour millions of dollars into the Philadelphia election office to pay for poll workers and other election-related expenses during the 2020 election, new emails reveal.  The offer from Mr. Bloomberg, a news media and financial services mogul who ranks among the richest men in the world, was arranged through an intermediary — Stanford Law School professor Nathaniel Persily, according to the emails.  At the time, Mr. Persily was co-director of the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project, which worked with local officials to help them carry out the 2020 elections amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.  He asked Philadelphia officials to provide a list of funding they needed to carry out the election.

Dr. Fauci and wife's wealth 'skyrocketed' by $5 million during pandemic: analysis.  Dr. Anthony Fauci and his wife's net worth grew by $5 million during the COVID-19 pandemic as thousands of US residents struggled financially, according to a government spending watchdog group.  The combined wealth of the 81-year-old retiring director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and his bioethicist wife, Christine Grady, soared from $7.5 million in 2019 to $12.6 million at the end of 2021, according to a report from the non-profit OpenTheBooks.  "Despite becoming a figure of controversy, the system has rewarded Dr. Fauci handsomely," the group's CEO, Adam Andrzejewski, told Fox News Digital.  "While Dr. Fauci has been a government bureaucrat for more than 55 years, his household net worth skyrocketed during the pandemic."

Barack Obama's Secret Service SUV [was] parked in [a] handicapped space for two hours while he enjoyed dinner.  Former President Barack Obama's Secret Service SUV was spotted parked in a handicapped spot for two hours as he dined at a swanky West Los Angeles sushi restaurant with his two daughters.  The black SUV stayed in a spot marked for handicap parking as it waited for the Obamas to finish eating at the pricey Hamasaku restaurant, where eight-piece sushi rolls cost $50 and specialty rolls go for more than $20 each.  The former president was pictured in all white as he stepped out of the restaurant alone while being escorted by secret service agents.  His daughters, Malia and Sasha, left separately.

George Soros: The Man Behind The Curtain.  Billionaire George Soros is that rare megalomaniac who not only believes he's a god but revels in behaving like one.  "It's a sort of a disease when you consider yourself some kind of god, the creator of everything, but I feel comfortable about it now since I began to live it out," he once boasted to The Independent.  This god complex, combined with his downright amorality and bizarre ideas about society, makes the 92-year-old extremely dangerous to democracies, especially America.  The warning comes loud and clear in Matt Palumbo's recent book, The Man Behind the Curtain: Inside the Secret Network of George Soros, which documents Soros'sdecades of financial dealings, political operations, and nefarious networks.

Tucker Carlson Notices the Missing Jubilation in Martha's Vineyard as Dozens of Illegal Aliens Arrive.  A strange thing happened.  After lecturing the nation on the virtues of mass migration, the white liberal democrats on Martha's Vineyard did not celebrate the arrival of the non-white immigrants they have been demanding for years.  Fox News host Tucker Carlson noted in his monologue that Martha's Vineyard famous nimby residents, including former President Barack Obama, did not welcome the people of color as one would expect.  Instead of celebrating the new diversity, oddly the residents quickly moved to find alternate off island locations to accept the arriving immigrants.  [Video clip]

Patagonia founder just donated the entire company, worth $3 billion, to fight climate change.  Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, his spouse and two adult children are giving away their ownership in the apparel maker he started some 50 years ago, dedicating all profits from the company to projects and organizations that will protect wild land and biodiversity and fight the climate crisis.  The company is worth about $3 billion, according to the New York Times. [...] The privately held company's stock will now be owned by a climate-focused trust and group of nonprofit organizations, called the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective respectively, the company said in a statement, noting "every dollar that is not reinvested back into Patagonia will be distributed as dividends to protect the planet."

The Editor says...
By all means, if you want to squander your own money on a futile attempt to change the weather, go right ahead — as long as it doesn't impede everyone else's progress.

Wait — here's the rest of the story:
Patagonia owner giving away company for climate change avoids $700M tax hit.  Not everyone was impressed by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard's decision to transfer his ownership of the company to a climate change group.  After Mr. Chouinard received glowing reviews for his philanthropy, led by a New York Times exclusive headlined "Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company to Fight Climate Change," those crunching the numbers pointed out that the move offers considerable tax advantages.  "Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard has described his decision to give away the company as his last-ditch effort to do all he could to protect the planet, however, it's also helping him skirt around $700 million of tax bills.  Funny that!" tweeted Net Zero Watch.

When will Obama have made enough money?  Cantor Fitzgerald LP will pay former President Barack Obama $400,000 to speak at a conference in September, likely the first of many lucrative Wall Street paydays.  Good for him.  Obama doesn't really need the money: He earned over $14 million for his first three books, and bidding for his next deal (a package with Michelle) has run over $60 million.  But he has every right to cash in on his star power and his hard-won expertise.  No doubt he'll wind up giving a good chunk of it to charity (though we'd be majorly surprised if he set up anything resembling the Clinton Foundation).

Fetterman's Prior Remarks About Criminals Are Making Jaws Drop.  The Senate race shouldn't be at all close in Pennsylvania if people just take a look a John Fetterman and his radical ideas.  But some of his prior remarks on crime are now getting a lot more attention now that he's running for the Senate.  While styling himself as a working-class everyman, Fetterman lived off his well-off parents into his late forties.  Most people can't live off their wealthy parents, most of us have to earn a living.  Perhaps that's why Fetterman has such an affection for far-left politics because he hasn't had to live in the real world for most of his life with real-world responsibilities.

Barack Obama Hosting Martha's Vineyard Fundraiser for Eric Holder's Army of Election Workers.  Former President Barack Obama will host a fundraiser for his former Attorney General Eric Holder's redistricting committee on August 30th, in a major step forward for Democrats in the midterms.  The fundraiser for Holder's National Democratic Redistricting Committee will feature a dinner and a discussion about democracy, supporting legal efforts to help Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections, according to Politico's Playbook.  The event will take place at Martha's Vineyard.

The Worst and the Stupidest?  Elites have always been ambiguous about the muscular classes who replace their tires, paint their homes, and cook their food.  And the masses who tend to them likewise have been ambivalent about those who hire them:  appreciative of the work and pay, but also either a bit envious of those with seemingly unlimited resources or turned off by perceived superciliousness arising from their status and affluence.  Yet the divide has grown far wider in the 21st century.  Globalization fueled the separation in a number of ways.  One, outsourcing and offshoring eroded the rust-belt interior, while enriching the two coasts.  The former lost good-paying jobs, while the latter found new markets in investment, tech, insurance, law, media, academia, entertainment, sports, and the arts making them billions rather than mere millions.  So, the problem was one of both geography and class.  Half the country looked to Asia and Europe for profits and indeed cultural "diversity," while the other half stuck with tradition, values, and custom — as they became poorer.

Rashida Tlaib Kept up to $100,000 in Rental Income During Pandemic While Calling for Rent Cancellation.  Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) kept up to $100,000 in rental income during the coronavirus pandemic despite calling on Congress to cancel rent, according to her most recent financial disclosures.  Tlaib's financial disclosure report, released Thursday [8/11/2022], showed she received anywhere from $15,001 to $50,000 in rental income in 2021, Fox News reported.  Tlaib received this rental income from a Detroit property she owns.  Her rental income from 2021 is on top of the $15,001 to $50,000 she already reported for 2020, bringing her total rental income throughout the pandemic to anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000.  However, while the Michigan congresswoman was collecting a steady flow of rent checks, she was at the forefront of a progressive movement in Congress to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the pandemic.

Eco-minded descendants of billionaire oil barons are PAYING hundreds of activists $25,000-a-year to protest around the world.  Three American oil scions have been bankrolling mobs of eco-zealots who have terrorized the world by slashing tires, blocking traffic and attacking firms.  Aileen Getty, Rebecca Rockefeller Lambert and Peter Gill Case, who are heirs to their families' huge fortunes, are paying the salaries for thugs through their non-profits in an apparent bid to offset their relatives' legacies.  Getty, whose grandfather created Getty Oil, has so far splashed out $1million through her California-based Climate Emergency Fund.

How the newest megadonor wants to change Washington.  One of the biggest donors in Democratic politics this year isn't sure if he really wants to be a Democratic megadonor — at least not on the party's terms.  But then, part of life as Sam Bankman-Fried is about embracing paradoxes.  The 30-year-old, who has amassed an estimated $20billion fortune over the last four years through cryptocurrency, drives a hybrid Toyota Corolla.  A monk-like aesthetic extends from his clothes — he showed up to chat in a wrinkled T-shirt and beat-up New Balance sneakers — to his personal life.  He shares a penthouse with about 10 roommates and cooks for himself.  He still uses his parents' Netflix account.

Everything Is Worse and You Are Just Supposed to Take It.  You are asking for too much, you terrible person.  You want cheap gas and a functioning supply chain, air conditioning and not to eat bugs.  But most of all, you expect the elite to actually do its job, and for that, you are terrible.  And racist.  Bums litter our streets figuratively and — in ghastly form — literally.  Criminals run rampant unmolested by the gendarmes, who have been told — expressly and impliedly — to let the crooks be.  Our economy is sensational, groovy, glorious — except for the inflation and the hollowing out of your 401K.  Try to buy a house instead of renting — just try.  The globalist elite has failed in doing what we want, but it seems to be doing what it wants.  It is gathering power and payoffs unto itself, and that is precisely the goal.

George Soros contributes $1 million to Beto O'Rourke's Texas gubernatorial campaign.  Progressive mega-donor George Soros contributed $1 million to Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beto O'Rourke's staggering fundraising haul last month.  O'Rourke, who's challenging two-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in November's election, last week announced that he hauled in $27.6 million in fundraising from late February through June, topping Abbott by $2.7 million and shattering the existing record for fundraising in Texas.  O'Rourke's campaign finance report was posted online on Tuesday and indicates that Soros contributed $1 million — issued on June 23 — to the Democratic gubernatorial nominee's campaign.

Republican Tim Michels pours nearly $8 million into self-funded run for Wisconsin governor.  Republican candidate for governor Tim Michels has spent nearly $7.7 million since entering the race three months ago — an aggressive strategy that has pushed him to the top of the Republican primary in recent state polling.  Michels, a multimillionaire who co-owns the state's largest construction company, has donated $7.9 million of his own money to his campaign since April — accounting for nearly all of the money the campaign raised as of July, according to Michels' first campaign finance report.

Biden's wealthy and clueless White House.  How does President Joe Biden, with pride, call oppressive gasoline prices "an incredible transition?" The same way his millionaire energy secretary tells hard-pressed Americans to solve their financial problems by buying a $60,000 electric car.  This White House is inhabited by revolving door careerists who got rich through decades of moving into a plum federal job, then out to a law firm/PR/lobbyist/consultant — and then back in again to burnish the resume.  It's called losing touch with middle America and everyday hardships.

Our New Antoinettes.  Americans, almost uniquely among modern nations, mostly do not envy, much less despise the rich.  But there is a certain sort of privilege that they do not like: the sanctimonious and hypercritical rich whose rhetoric is at odds with their own lifestyles and the methods by which they inherited or made vast sums.  And they especially are turned off by those who exude open disdain for the clinger/deplorable/dregs class — to paraphrase the Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden nomenclature.

'The View' hosts face backlash for $14K a night luxury Bahamas getaway.  The rambunctious hosts of "The View" have had their share of controversy and scandals in the past year — and what better way to unwind from all the drama than with a $14,000-per-night luxury vacation?  Celebrating 25 years of the show, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and recurring guest Ana Navarro are currently staying at Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas, with alum Sherri Shepherd even dropping in.  The women have been recording their show from their luxury stay.  The resort is made up of three hotels:  Rosewood, Grand Hyatt and SLS.  According to The Sun, the Rosewood is the most expensive hotel of the three with the oceanside six-bedroom villa setting customers back $14,358 a night.

The Biden White House caters to the rich just as Obama's did.  BlackRock has $10 Trillion under management and holds great power with Biden's Whitehouse.  They are a big pusher of the green agenda.  The green agenda is destroying America with rampant inflation, especially the poor, middle class, and small businessesm but BlackRock has done great. [...] After Biden and Michelle got out of the White House, they got a huge kickback from Netflix despite having no product or experience.  I wonder why Netflix is having financial trouble today?  Most of the media has never [cared] about the Clinton, Obama, or Biden corruption, which is massive.  There is more evidence every day about the connections of Joe to Hunters' kickbacks from China, Russia, and Ukraine, yet the media is virtually silent.  It is no wonder that there is so much corruption and such deep economic problems throughout the country when the media has been complicit in infecting the public with the pandemic of the Biden Administration.  We learn new information everyday about the sewer of despicable and corrupt behavior of Joe and Hunter and it's as if almost all of the media has buried their heads in the sand so the public doesn't see it.  Can anyone imagine the interest if Trump had wired thousands of dollars to Don, Jr. or Eric so they could support their Russian hooker habit?

Barack and Michelle Obamas' Amazon Audible deal is worth $20 million.  Barack and Michelle Obama's multiyear deal with Amazon's podcast platform Audible is worth at least $20 million, experts have claimed.  The couple will have to contribute two shows and appear in up to eight episodes each, the industry insiders said.  The move will give the former first lady the scope to make less personal appearances than what was wanted under their former partnership with Spotify, the sources said.  Audible said the pair plan to use their new platform to 'tell stories that elevate diverse voices and and experiences'.

The Editor says...
With the exception of a few tabloid-reading middle-aged women, nobody cares what the Obamas do from now on; so a lucrative deal like this leads to some questions:  Is this lucrative deal a payback for services already rendered, or (more likely) an investment in the upcoming Michelle Obama administration?  If you think Joe Biden is Obama's puppet, wait til you see Michelle in the Oval Office./p>

Queens DA Melinda Katz uses security detail 'as her personal car service': sources.  Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz used members of her taxpayer-funded security detail to help her move to her new million-dollar digs — potentially running afoul of ethics rules, The [New York] Post has learned.  The borough's top prosecutor was spotted wearing her gold DA's badge on her hip last week as she carried four boxes of belongings to a black Ford Expedition parked outside the Forest Hills house where she's been temporarily living since selling her former childhood home for $1.05 million in February.  She then climbed into the official vehicle and was driven about 1.2 miles by a pair of plainclothes NYPD cops to her new three-bedroom, 2-1/2 bathroom Colonial-style house, which city records show she bought late last month for $1.1 million.  The trip was one of four that The Post saw Katz, 56, and her detail make between her old and new homes Tuesday morning.

The Selfish Californian.  We hear plenty of reasons for the perfect storm that imploded California.  One-party, progressive government, of course.  Decades of unchecked illegal immigration, without doubt.  Years of mass flight out of state of the productive middle classes, certainly.  But perhaps the most important, but overlooked, reason has been the infusion of trillions of dollars of mostly tech capital into the state.  Unimaginable sums of market capital warped politics and led to a top-down, feudal society, run by progressive elites who are shielded from the ramifications of their own toxic ideologies.  More specifically, the common denominator was the emergence in California of a selfish, monied, left-wing political class.  In concrete terms, it cared little for others but masked that unconcern with abstract leftism, emulating medieval penance and indulgences to assuage guilt over its enjoyment of sheltered and very good lives.

Jill Biden Brags at Hollywood Fundraiser:  After Trump, People Come to Me Saying 'I Feel Like I Can Breathe'.  First Lady Jill Biden reportedly trashed former President Donald Trump at a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser on Friday [6/10/2022], bragging that since Trump left office, people have come up to her saying "I feel like I can breathe."  The Bidens attended a Los Angeles fundraiser thrown by Democratic mega-donor Haim Saban and his wife, Cheryl.  The event was intended to raise money for Democratic National Committee's Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, with tickets starting at $1,000 per person and going as high as a whopping $36,500.

The Editor says...
Random people don't just walk up to DOCTOR Jill Biden and give her their opinions.  Jill Biden's anecdotes are about as believable as Joe's.

Report: Soros Prosecutors Run Half of America's Largest Jurisdictions.  George Soros spent more than $40 million in the past decade to elect scores of liberal prosecutors in half of America's largest jurisdictions, many of which are now roiled by crime.  The Democratic megadonor has backed 75 so-called justice reform prosecutors through direct contributions, PACs, and other third-party entities, the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund revealed in a June report.  Though many had little prosecutorial experience when elected, they represent 72 million Americans in some of the nation's most populous municipalities.  Ten Soros prosecutors, including Philadelphia district attorney Larry Krasner (D.) and Los Angeles district attorney George Gascon (D.), received $13 million in just the last four years, going on to win races where they had vastly outraised their competition — sometimes by as much as 90 percent.  In each race, Soros was the single greatest donor to the campaign.

Democrat senator says it doesn't matter — to her — how high gas prices are.  If you want to know just how ignorant, aloof, and removed your rulers are from the everyday life you lead, look no farther than Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). [p...] Talk about tone-deaf!  Does she know who her constituents are?  Does she care?  The poor gal had to wait "a long time" to "finally" get her expensive new electric vehicle (and drive it to her brownstone in a tony Georgetown neighborhood... or to wherever she lives in the Capital City).  But when she did [...], it "didn't matter" to her how expensive gasoline had become.  She added, "And so I'm looking forward to the opportunity for us to move to vehicles that aren't going to be dependent on the whims of the oil companies and the international markets."  The "opportunity" for us to move to expensive vehicles whose batteries cost around $10,000 and that may take hours to recharge?  Vehicles that aren't "dependent on the whims of the oil companies and the international markets"?  You can't be more ignorant or disingenuous than that.

Let them buy Teslas:  Electric car owner Stabenow says gas prices don't matter.  Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said it "doesn't matter" how high gas prices go because she drives an electric vehicle, sparking backlash as gas prices in the United States climb to record highs with no short-term relief in sight.  Stabenow's remarks came during a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday to discuss Biden's budget for the upcoming fiscal year.  When the subject turned to record-high fuel costs in the U.S., Stabenow chimed in:  "I do have to say, just on the issue of gas prices, after waiting for a long time to have enough chips in this country to finally get my electric vehicle, I got it and drove it from Michigan to here this last weekend and went by every single gas station, and it didn't matter how high it was," the Michigan Democrat said.

Neither the price of electricity nor the price of gas matters to her, because she makes $174,000 a year.
Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow brags that it doesn't 'matter' to her how high gas prices are because she drives an electric vehicle.  Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said that record-high gas prices 'don't matter' to her because she has an electric vehicle as she urged Americans to by eco-friendly vehicles and decrease reliability on greedy oil companies.  Her comments came on the day the average price per gallon of gas in the U.S. reached a new high of $4.92.  In Michigan the average sits higher at $5.17 per gallon, according to AAA's tracker.  'On the issue of gas prices — after waiting for a long time to have enough chips in this country to finally get my electric vehicle — I got it and drove it from Michigan to here this last weekend and went by every gas station and it didn't matter how high it was,' the Michigan senator said.

Suspicious technology group to spend $80 million 'improving' election operations across America.  A controversial organization once funded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has launched an $80 million initiative ostensibly to "improve" operations of local elections, but which critics suspect has a far more nefarious purpose.  The National Pulse reports that the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) has announced the so-called U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, a "nonpartisan collaborative that is bringing together election officials, designers, technologists, and other experts to help local election departments improve operations, develop a set of shared standards and values, and obtain access to best-in-class resources to run successful elections."

'Tax the Rich'? North Carolina Dem Stashes More Than $1 Mil in Cayman Islands Fund.  As Democrats call on the rich to "pay their fair share" in taxes, North Carolina congresswoman Kathy Manning (D.) has more than $1 million stashed in a Cayman Islands-based fund.  One of the wealthiest members of Congress, Manning and her husband hold more than $1 million in Seven Bridges Multi-Strategy Fund Ltd., her financial disclosure shows.  The private fund is located in the Cayman Islands, a notorious tax haven for America's elite, according to SEC filings.  Manning in 2020 earned up to $100,000 from the fund, which feeds into another investment fund that holds roughly $350 million from 144 investors.  An investor must put up at least $1 million to join.

Over $50 for a burrito?  World's elite splash the cash on snacks at Davos.  Hungry attendees at this year's World Economic Forum may have found some of the food a little hard to stomach, with some eye-popping prices in some locations.  Just a stone's throw away from the main Davos Congress Center, the fancy Steigenberger Grandhotel Belvedere was charging punters 49 Swiss francs ($51) for a burrito on its "snacks" menu.  It was accompanied by a small bowl of guacamole and salsa.  For comparison, a burrito in Taco Bell can cost as little as $2.  A portion of French fries was also on offer at the Belvedere for 21.50 Swiss francs ($22.41).

Meet The Billionaires' Club Pumping Critical Race Theory Into Your Child's Classroom.  A decade ago, when an Obama-era initiative called "Common Core" convinced 41 states to give up control of their education standards, it was infamously the result of a massive influence campaign by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Now, with America's K-12 landscape being turned upside down by "equity" initiatives that divide children by ethnicity and devalue rigorous academics, the culprit is much the same:  Gates and other philanthropic foundations.  That's a takeaway from the two years I spent poring through educational and financial records for my new book, "Race to the Bottom:  Uncovering the Secret Forces Destroying American Public Education."  These philanthropic foundations are perhaps the most powerful and least understood force in American politics — and a key node in moving critical race theory from academic papers to society.  Pick any radical racial initiative in your child's school, and it is likely to tie back to the Ford, Kellogg, Gates, Annie E. Casey, MacArthur, or Surdna foundations.

BLM says capitalism is bad, but then gorges on its luxuries.  In 1848, Marx and Engels birthed the toxic philosophy of communism.  Among other things, they detailed their hatred for capitalism; the necessity to dissolve the family unit, as it perpetuated the bourgeois; and the toxic tenet of "the end justifies the means." [...] Now, it's no secret that the organization known as "Black Lives Matter" is an ideologically Marxist entity.  Co-founder Patrisse Cullors openly said, "The first thing, I think, is that we actually do have an ideological frame.  Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers. ... We are trained Marxists.  We are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories." [...] Yet, as it turns out, when it comes down to it, Cullors and the Black Lives Matter organization are truly the exploitative class against which they claim to stand.  According to an article published last year by The New York Post, Cullors purchased four luxury homes for $3.2 million in the U.S. alone — she and the woman she lives with were also seen looking for homes at a highly exclusive Bahamas resort, home to Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake.

Swiss-born billionaire, mega-donor to Democratic causes, is 'not a US citizen or resident', lawsuit claims.  A Swiss-born billionaire who funneled hundreds of millions to left-leaning US groups may have violated bans against political donations by foreign nationals, according to a lawsuit.  Hansjorg Wyss, who has an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion and in lives in Wyoming, has become a major donor to liberal groups in recent years, but remains tight-lipped about his citizenship status.  Foreign nationals who don't hold US green cards are barred from making direct donations to candidates for office or political action committees, but they are are allowed to contribute to advocacy groups that seek to sway public policy.

Hey Liberals:  Let's Talk about Biden's Lies.  [Scroll down]  Right now, the liberal "lived experience" is that the planet is going to die unless we convert to renewable energy.  I was down at the waterfront in Newport, Rhode Island, on Saturday and they had a placard all about trash skimming in the harbor, that included this message: ["]BE RESPONSIBLE  A healthy ocean is critical to our planet and our economy.  Do your part to protect it!["]  Now, if I were an ordinary educated liberal, I would know that the statement is true.  But as an engineer who had experience in water pollution control back in the day, I know that we've already done about 97.2 percent of what we need to do to keep water pollution down to a dull roar.  It is, for instance, a staggering human achievement that we have modern cities like Newport where you can look into the water in the harbor right by the Newport Marriott and see right to the bottom.  Guess what, liberals:  been there, done that.  Water pollution in the United States is not threatening the planet or the economy!  We went to work on it 50 years ago, and did a pretty good job fixing the problem.

Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos Invested in Lab-Produced Breast Milk to Prevent Effects of 'Climate Change'.  An article published by Daily Mail on June 19, 2020, revealed that Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and other billionaires invested in a new startup company to produce artificial breast milk from cultured human mammary epithelial.  According to the article, U.S. firm BIOMILQ has received $3.5 million from an investment fund that is co-founded by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Mark Zuckerberg to 'prevent climate change due to gases created in formula manufacturing.' [...] Netizens find this news timely, considering the recent news of the baby formula shortage.  Candace Owens tweeted, "Doesn't Bill Gates just have the best luck?  Just like with the COVID vaccine — he makes an investment, and then suddenly there is a pandemic or shortage and everyone must line up for his product.  Of course he's invested in lab produced breast milk!"

Bernie Sanders is snapped flying First Class to make speech about [the] working class.  Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was snapped ditching his socialist principals to fly first class to campaign for a woke Democrat state representative candidate.  Sanders was spotted on an American Airlines flight to Pittsburgh Friday to stump for State Representative Summer Lee, running for an open seat in Pennsylvania's 18th District.  Sanders, wearing a mask, appears to head for the front of the plane in the photos obtained by Fox News from a fellow first class traveler.

The slimy hand of Soros emerges in abortion protest outrages.  Over the weekend, we were treated to outrageous demonstrations of incivility and outright illegality with specters like this:  [Tweets]  Crazed abortion protestors illegally descended upon the homes of several Supreme Court justices in a bid to influence their upcoming ruling on Roe v. Wade, a ruling so badly reasoned back in 1973 that even liberal but principled Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had misgivings about its legal grounding.  According to Fox News, their descent, led by a badly named group called "Ruth Sent Us" was in violation of 18 USC 1503, which "prohibits 'endeavors to influence, intimidate or impede... officers of [the] court'."  Similarly, the equally vile disruption of the sacred Catholic mass, by crazed maniacs lobbying with banners and foul shouting to kill children, was also illegal.

Official Co-Leading Biden Disinfo Board Worked for George Soros.  A member of President Joe Biden's Orwellian Disinformation Governance Board has close ties to liberal billionaire activist George Soros.  Disinformation Governance Board leader Jennifer Daskal has at least three connections to Soros.  Daskal previously served as an Open Society Institute fellow "working on issues related to privacy and law enforcement access to data across borders."  Daskal also worked as senior counterterrorism counsel for the anti-Semitic Human Rights Watch.  HRW received at least $32,106,746 from Soros between 2000 and 2014 alone.  Daskal was also founding editor of the Just Security blog.  Soros' Open Society Foundations gave $675,000 to Just Security between 2017 and 2019.  Daskal's involvement with the censorship board fits right in with the Soros agenda.  Soros has been involved in funding a litany of so-called fact-checking operations, making the revelation of Daskal's Soros-tie par for the course.

Soros floods cash into Arkansas prosecutor race.  A political group funded exclusively by liberal financier George Soros has dumped over $100,000 in support of a former public defender running to become a prosecuting attorney in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Soros is the only contributor to the Arkansas Justice and Public Safety PAC, which was founded in mid-April around the same time the financier donated $321,000 to the group.  The PAC has since spent about $100,000 on research, polling, and consulting work, and in late April, the group purchased $40,000 worth of television advertisements in support of Alicia Walton's bid to serve as prosecuting attorney in Pulaski and Perry counties, the Arkansas Times reported.

George Soros, Clinton and Obama staffers and European governments are behind anti-Musk campaign to force big corporations to boycott Twitter.  Some of the most high-profile liberal figures have joined together to encourage advertisers to boycott Twitter if Elon Musk brings in his promised policy of unfettered 'free speech.'  Twenty six NGOs and advocacy groups signed a letter expressing concern about the world's richest man's plan.  Musk himself responded to the letter asking who funded them:  the answer being an assortment of 'dark money groups' like George Soros's Open Society Foundation; NGOs founded by former Clinton and Obama administration staffers; wealthy Democrat donors and their family foundations; labor unions; and the governments of European nations.

Democrats Are Now The Party Of The Elite And Super Rich.  Conservative historian and scholar Victor Davis Hanson recently appeared on the Tucker Carlson show and offered his impressions of today's Democratic party.  According to Hanson, Democrats have become the party of the elite and super rich.  It's quite a difference from the Democrats of years ago that claimed to be the party of the working man.

What Were Black Lives Matter Leaders Doing With a $6 Million House?  Black Lives Matter began as a hashtag marking the death of Trayvon Martin and the failure to find justice after his killing.  In the years since, Black Lives Matter has grown into a movement with international recognition and power.  It's always important to remember that Black Lives Matter is a movement but also a political ideology and a complex web of organizations.  The movement has inspired millions to protest police violence.  The ideology has influenced American politics for the last decade, and the organizations have pushed for social justice and policy.  Now, one of those core groups, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, is the subject of a recent report about its finances, specifically its purchase of a $6 million home in Malibu, California, under the guidance of the group's former leader, Patrisse Cullors, ostensibly as both a safe house and as a space to film social media videos.

Blacks complain about Biden's open borders, and Democrats' foundations silence them.  [Scroll down]  There's no thinking, no debate, no exchange of ideas that's going on in the left.  The left takes its talking points from the "program officers" of far-left money behemoths such as George Soros's Open Society Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Omidyar Foundation, or a few Silicon Valley-ish others.  That's why all of a sudden, borders must be open, gay marriage is no longer open to debate, transgender indoctination is de rigeur, and greenie nonsense and critical race theory permeate all fields of public policy no matter how tenuous the connection.  Anyone, including anyone on the left, who might just prefer a more nuanced interpretation of the proclamation or be concerned about cost-benefit analysis, is dubbed an instant bigot and all the foundation cash upon which the little magazine, or the university endowment, or the activist organization is dependent, is swiftly cut off.  That keeps them in line, and the "program officers" in firm control.

How Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Rigged the 2020 Election to Defeat Trump.  Mark Zuckerberg is best known for creating and leading Facebook, a company that's made him one of the wealthiest men in the world.  With an estimated worth of $80 billion, he poured hundreds of millions of his fortune into the 2020 election.  Here's the thing:  You probably had no idea at the time Zuckerberg was influencing the outcome of the most contentious presidential election in our lifetime.  That's because we didn't learn the true extent of Zuckerberg's financial contributions until the voting already took place.  Now, thanks to a new 40-minute documentary film from Citizens United Productions, we know what he did and how to prevent it from happening again.

Millionaire Heiress Abigail Disney Trashes U.S. in Documentary.  Abigail Disney inherited her fortune from her famous family, which built an empire on selling the public an idealized version of Main Street, USA.  Now the left-wing heiress is trashing the same ideal in a new documentary in which she calls the American Dream a "nightmare" for most people.  The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales, which premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival, examines the pay gap of Disney employees — focusing on wage earners, or "cast members," at Disneyland, some of whom say they are unable to afford sufficient food on their pay.

Mark Zuckerberg says he won't be so naked about it anymore.  Mark Zuckerberg, whose $419 million "Zuckerbucks" vote-rigging operation played a significant part in swinging the election to Joe Biden in 2020, now says he's a changed man. [...] Don't believe it.  Don't believe it for even one second.  Zuckerberg's mother-of-all-sleazeball political operations, which was described as "bribery" by Wisconsin state special counsel last month, directed cash to two non-government organizations run by veteran Soros and Obama operatives, to help city officials supposedly improve the election experience for voters under the rubric of increasing "inclusiveness" and improving democracy.

While Americans Suffer Their Economy, Detached Pelosi Orders Catered Luncheon and Dancers for Her Entertainment.  It is important for us to accept the reality of our current situation.  As millions of American citizens are suffering the economic damage from rising inflation, gas prices, and the working class are trying to figure out just how to make ends meet, it becomes critical to know how our political leadership is responding.  This video is an unfortunate representation of the state of our union.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds court, hosting a catered luncheon and calling for dancers to perform for her and the congressional delegation.  [Video clip]

AOC plays victim card with student loans while living large.  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has often spotlighted her own student loans since entering Congress, personalizing a hot-button issue to decry a system that saddles millions of people with debt coming out of school.  However, unlike most Americans struggling to pay off student loans, Ocasio-Cortez, 32, has spent her money lavishly and appears to be in a position to pay off her full debt at any time, according to a review of her student loan history.  As of 2020, Ocasio-Cortez owed between $15,001 and $50,000 in federal student loans, according to her most recent personal financial disclosure report, which was filed in August 2021.  That debt was incurred from August 2007 to May 2011.  Student loans are often paid off under a 10-year plan.  In December, however, Ocasio-Cortez said she had "over $17,000" in student loan debt.

Bribery, he says.  What are the chances that Mark Zuckerberg is going to be arrested?  I'm guessing zero.
Zuckerbucks declared 'bribery' by special counsel in Wisconsin.  Is the needle finally moving?  Seems the election takeover by Mark Zuckerberg's minions in Wisconsin has now been declared "bribery" by Wisconsin's special counsel, who was appointed to investigate the state's 2020 election. [...] Can you imagine what that must have been like for those officials affected — to see well heeled Zuckerbuck leftists from out of state waltz in and take over local election efforts, arbitrarily changing rules, redoing forms to manipulate results, telling elected officials to [stand down] because they were in charge here?  It would have been like a coup or terrorist attack, a clearly illegal takeover by outside dirtbags who otherwise belonged in jail.  That was hardly all.  The report focuses on the unequal treatment of voting districts, with urban districts getting virtually all the cash and the rest of the state getting nothing.

How South Carolina Took Millions in California Cash to Boost Vote-By-Mail.  South Carolina was not a swing state in November 2020.  Yet, millions of dollars from at least three private entities flowed into the state.  Plenty of reporting has been done on how Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, through the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), flooded county election offices in battlegrounds with cash to subsidize election processes preferred by the outside group.  But in the Palmetto State, counties and even the state government had hands out for more than ZuckBucks — eventually totaling $6.5 million in grants available to be spent as late as Summer 2021.  South Carolina demonstrates how the desire to directly influence election administration by funding preferred election processes is a long-term programmatic goal for left-wing nonprofits.  And unless the practice is banned by legislation, it will continue.

Bill Gates funnels $1 million to push 'math is racist' narrative.  With a $1 million check from the Gates Foundation, leading universities and local governments are building an effort to bring "anti-racism" efforts to mathematics.  A Pathway to Equitable Instruction exists to address "barriers to math equity" by offering "guidance and resources for educators to use now as they plan their curriculum, while also offering opportunities for ongoing self-reflection as they seek to develop an anti-racist math practice."

Bill Gates Writes a Giant Check to Choke the Capitalism and Racism of Objective Math.  Is two plus two five?  It could be... unless you're racist.  That idea is being bandied about, amid a social justice analysis of mathematics.  Oddly, such a campaign is being supported by none other than Bill Gates.

Durham scandal:  The sheer dishonesty of the media is astounding.  For more than six years, the media have set out to destroy President Trump with lies.  Now, I see a report that Trump is profiting like no other president by getting paid for appearances. [...] It's as if the journalists have never heard of the Clintons or the Obamas.  The Clintons have sold their soul since Bill left office in 2001.  Massive funds were paid to them for speaking fees or were donated to the Clinton slush-fund Foundation in return for political favors, including uranium for Russia. [...] President Obama gave Netflix and other big internet users a massive financial benefit with Net Neutrality, and after Obama was out of office, despite having no expertise or products, got a $50 million contract from Netflix.  The contract comes a year after the Obamas inked a joint book deal with Penguin Random House valued in excess of $65 million.

Kellogg Foundation Bankrolls $500 Monthly Income for Illegal Aliens.  The left-wing W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which effectively controls the Kellogg Company, is bankrolling a pilot program that will provide hundreds of illegal aliens living in the United States with a guaranteed basic income.  A coalition of activist organizations has teamed up to institute the pilot program across 13 counties in New Mexico where 330 illegal alien households will receive monthly payments of $500 for the next year.

The Left's Moneybag.  George Soros has financed immigrant caravans, abortion on demand, legalization of drugs, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, and most recently, district attorney races in many American cities with radical pro-criminal candidates.  But most of all, he is 100 percent into ending Trump and Trumpism — and, with that, any semblance of American greatness.  A "dark money" group that received millions from Soros' advocacy network was the source of a seven-figure ad blitz urging vulnerable Republicans in swing districts to support the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.  Soros then dumped tons of cash into purple states, much of it disguised, to ensure Trump's defeat or the rigging of the 2020 election.  Last week his PAC announced a huge $125 million donation to Democratic candidates before this year's November midterm elections.  It was dubbed "a long-term investment."  In the battle royale between patriots and globalists, between Trump and his myriad of adversaries, one person stands out as the dominant player — against Trump and patriots, everywhere, anywhere, and always.

Dr. Evil gets out his checkbook.  George Soros is back, and he's gotten out his checkbook. [...] Those moneybags will go to elect the craziest, most compromised, most surreal-talking leftists, including legislators, secretaries of state, and presumably district attorneys, three types of officials he's been funding for the past few election cycles, as well as Black Lives Matter-type activists.  But in the Sorosian style, which means the opposite of what it says, the whole donation is couched in the language of saving "democracy" and promoting non-partisanship.  It may be a tax dodge, for one, but it's also how Joe Biden, who gets a lot of Soros cash at least indirectly talks.  Wonder why. [...] ouring cash into races sometimes succeeds, but only if the public is unaware of what is going on, and even more important, it doesn't have a name attached.  That puts Soros in a bad position on both fronts.

Anger over BLM's purchase of $8.1 million Toronto mansion grows as group's finances scrutinized.  Canadian Black Lives Matter activists are furious over the group's recent $8.1 million cash purchase of a mansion in downtown Toronto that once served as the headquarters of the Communist Party of Canada.  The U.S. charity that serves as the face of the BLM movement provided the bulk of the funding for the purchase of the 10,000-square-foot property in July.  The purchase flew largely under the radar at the time, but anger has now reached a boiling point amid other revelations about BLM's management and its finances.  "For BLM Canada to take money from BLM Global Network [Foundation] for a building without consulting the community was unethical," Canadian BLM activists Sarah Jama and Sahra Soudi said in a recent statement.  "For BLM Canada to refuse to answer questions from young Black organizers goes against the spirit of movement-building."

Zuckerberg's 'Report for America' Is a Media Take Over Dressed Up as Philanthropy.  "First, let's stipulate to an undeniable truth of history," writes talk host, Steve Deace in a series of Twitter messages about the media, "whoever has control over the flow of information in any society ultimately has control."  And it's why Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies want to have a bigger stake in local news.  During the last couple of days, PJ Media has highlighted an effort by the Facebook (now Meta) founder and other moneyed interests and foundations to save local newspapers and local news sources.  Their idea has been to spend millions of dollars to embed reporters, in a program called Report for America (RFA), in America's newspapers and public radio stations.  Their stated objective is to tell "under-covered" stories in those cities, hamlets, and burgs out of the goodness of their hearts.  RFA reporters, called "corps members," in the paramilitary parlance the Left so often labels its foot soldiers, will tell these stories which have been circumscribed for them by the publications and the RFA.

Big Left-Wing 'Dark Money' Groups Fund Schumer's Secretive Anti-Filibuster Ally.  Fix Our Senate, the obscure outfit leading a coalition of 70 liberal advocacy groups backing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) anti-filibuster drive, is a left-wing "dark-money pop-up," according to a political nonprofit finance expert.  "Fix Our Senate may present itself as a standalone, grassroots activist group, but it's actually a front for the Sixteen Thirty Fund, itself part of a $1.7 billion left-wing 'dark- money pop-up' empire run by the shadowy consulting firm Arabella Advisors," said Capital Research Center (CRC) senior investigative researcher Hayden Ludwig.  "We call these fronts 'pop-ups' because they're websites which pop into existence, run attack campaigns, and disappear in an instant and almost never reveal their connection to Arabella or its nonprofits," Ludwig told The Epoch Times on Jan. 4.  The CRC is a conservative nonpartisan foundation that specializes in tracking trends among the most influential charities, nonprofits, and special-interest groups affecting the public policy process in the nation's capital.

Race Racket!  Nikole Hannah-Jones Speaks at Colleges for $25,000 a Pop.  Ibram X. Kendi and Robin diAngelo aren't the only ones who can cash in on trashing "white fragility." After filing Freedom of Information Act requests, Corey Walker at Campus Reform reports Nikole Hannah-Jones is making $25,000 a pop to speak at colleges.  Nikole Hannah-Jones spoke at the University of Michigan in January 2020 for a fee of $16,000.  According to the documents from the Lavin agency, Jones participated in a conversation about the 1619 Project with invited students, gave a Keynote address with a Q&A, and had dinner at the Wallace House with a cohort of invited fellows.  A year later, after all the post-George Floyd rioting and tumult, Hannah-Jones commanded even higher speaking fees from universities.  Documents from the APB speakers bureau acquired from Georgia Tech show that Hannah-Jones was paid $25,000 to speak at the 2021 MLK Day Celebration Lecture in January.  For that event, Jones gave a 40-minute moderated conversation followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session.

Nancy Pelosi's millionaire husband Paul purchased millions in Alphabet, Disney and Salesforce stocks.  Just as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed back on the idea that lawmakers should not be able to make individual stock trades while in office, her husband Paul bought shares in Google's parent company Alphabet, Disney and Salesforce worth millions.  'We're a free market economy,' Pelosi told reporters during a news conference on Dec. 15.  'They [lawmakers] should be able to participate in that.'  Two days later, Paul Pelosi bought stock in Alphabet worth between $500,001 and $1 million.  He also bought shares in Disney worth between $100,001 and $250,000.

Race Huckster Ibram X. Kendi Gets Paid $207 Per Minute for University Lecture.  The leading intellectual light behind the Critical Race Theory that has already severely damaged racial harmony in the United States and is corroding American society itself, Ibram X. Kendi, has discovered the fundamental truth of our absurd age: the quickest path to elite status and highly lucrative remuneration is to be oppressed, victimized, and marginalized.  Kendi has mastered the art of parlaying his alleged oppression into big bucks, fawning coverage from the establishment media, and respect and influence in the academic world.  Many others have done this, but none with the breathtaking audacity and extraordinary success of Ibram X. Kendi.

Bill Gates' Obsession With Abortion, Contraception & Population Control Started With His Father.  Bill Gates has an obsession with funding abortion, contraception and population control projects in developing nations.  However, not many are aware that it was his father who inspired him to carry out the depopulation agenda.  In 2003, Bill Moyers, an American journalist, asked Bill Gates a question.  Moyers wanted to know why he was so interested in reproductive issues?  Gates considered.  "But did you come to reproductive issues as an intellectual, philosophical pursuit?" Moyers insisted.  "Or was there something that happened?  Was there a revelation?"  "When I was growing up, my parents were always involved in various volunteer things," Gates responded.  "My dad was head of Planned Parenthood.  And it was very controversial to be involved with that.  And so it's fascinating."  Excellent.  If you've lived under a rock for the past few decades, Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion providers in the world.  The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation preserves the legacy of Bill Gates' father.

The Wisconsin Purchase.  What happened in 2020 involved a highly coordinated and privately funded "shadow campaign" for Joe Biden that took place within the formal structure of the election system itself.  Through the injection of over $419 million of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's money, laundered through the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) and the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR), the professional left presided over a targeted, historically unprecedented takeover of government election offices by nominally nonpartisan, but demonstrably ideological, nonprofit organizations and activists in key areas of swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.  Our research shows that CTCL spending in Wisconsin generated enough votes for Joe Biden to secure him an Electoral College win there in 2020.  We estimate that CTCL spending in Wisconsin purchased Joe Biden an additional 65,222 votes, without which Donald Trump would have won the state by 44,540 votes.  Although CTCL and CEIR are chartered as non-partisan 501(c)(3) corporations, our research shows that the $419.5 million of CTCL and CEIR spending that took place in 2020 was highly partisan in its distribution, and highly partisan in its effects.

How much more powerful are the media than you?  America is 100% top-down.  Zero percent bottom-up.  In North Carolina, in the last senatorial race between Cal Cunningham and Thom Tillis, over 250 million dollars was spent.  The people of North Carolina have no representation.  Two hundred fifty million dollars does.  The people of North Carolina are being played for fools and are voiceless and powerless.

IRS Filing Confirms:  Zuckerberg Grantee Spent $332 Million for 'Local Election Administration' in 2020.  A compliance document filed with the Internal Revenue Service by the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) confirms the nonprofit spent $332 million in "grants and other assistance to domestic organizations and domestic governments" in the 2020 election to "increase civic participation by modernizing engagement between local gov[ernment] and the people they serve."  As Breitbart News reported in October 2020, "Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday that he and his wife have donated an additional $100 million to a 'safe elections' project run by the non-profit Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL), bringing their total contributions to that project to $350 million since September 1."

IRS Filings Confirm Left-Wing Zuck Bucks Recipient Funneled Millions Into Manipulating 2020 Election For Biden.  Internal Revenue Service disclosure filings from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a left-wing election takeover organization, confirm that the nonprofit used millions of dollars from Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to manipulate the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden.  According to reporting from the Capital Research Center, CTCL used tens of millions of funds funneled from Zuckerberg's community foundations, other leftist "dark money empires," and even federal dollars designated for personal protective equipment, to monetarily urge secretaries of state to adopt sloppy election practices such as mass mail-in balloting and unmonitored dropboxes in the name of protecting voters against COVID-19.  CTCL claims that the complete modification of safe election practices in cities across the United States resulted in "the most secure election in U.S. history," but reporting from multiple sources including The Federalist's Mollie Hemingway, who wrote "Rigged:  How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections," suggests the opposite.

How George Soros funded progressive 'legal arsonist' DAs behind US crime surge.  For the last several years, billionaire philanthropist George Soros has been quietly financing a revolution in criminal justice reform, doling out tens of millions of dollars to progressive candidates in district attorney races throughout the country amid movements to abolish bail and defund the police.  Working with an activist attorney, Soros, 91, mainly funnels cash through a complicated web of federal and state political action committees as well as non-profits from coast to coast, public records show.  Last year, the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a nonprofit in Soros' orbit, gave $3 million to the Community Resource Hub for Safety and Accountability, according to a recent report.  The group provides resources to "local advocates and organizations working to address the harm of policing in the US."

Sen. Richard Blumenthal 'excited and proud' to help Communist Party USA celebrate its 102nd anniversary.  The alliance of mainstream Democrats with communism is becoming obvious.  I am so old that I can remember when embracing the Communist Party was a political death sentence. [...] Senator Blumenthal's second term in the U.S. Senate ends in 2023, meaning he must stand for re-election next year in a year expected to be very difficult for Democrats.  Of course, Connecticut is so Democrat-friendly that he received 63% of the vote when he ran for re-election in 2016, so maybe he has nothing to fear.  He'll be 76 years old next year and is estimated to be worth well over $100 million thanks to his father's Wall Street career as a commodities trader.  (I wonder how the CPUSA regards the legitimacy of such wealth!  It's a good thing he didn't live in Cambodia under communist Pol Pot.)

Media ignoring the utter weirdness of Biden's Nantucket stay at a billionaire's estate.  Normally, when going to stay at a friend's house, etiquette requires bringing a gift — say, flowers, some wine, or something to eat.  But what about the strange circumstances Joe and Dr. Jill Biden face while staying at the Nantucket estate of multi-billionaire hedge fund founder David Rubenstein?  It's a really, really long (since Tuesday night) weekend stay, so one might wonder if Benjamin Franklin's famous aphorism, that guests, like fish, start to smell after 3 days, comes into play.  But nope, not a chance.  You see, while "visiting" their "friend's" estate, Joe and Dr. Jill are not going to see the Rubensteins at all.  They've cleared out.  Traveling overseas, doncha know.  I very much doubt that they had booked a non-refundable airfare when Joe's staff called up and asked about "visiting" over Thanksgiving weekend.  They no doubt have at least one private jet at their disposal.  So, they cleared out of their estate to make room for Mr. and Dr. POTUS.  How thoughtful!

Joe Biden is spending Thanksgiving at private-equity billionaire's home.  President Biden and first lady Jill Biden said they will spend Thanksgiving at the Nantucket home of a private-equity billionaire.  In a statement to reporters, the White House said, "The First Family will stay at the home of their friend, David Rubenstein, as they have done previously."  The buyout tycoon's Nantucket spread spans 13 acres and is worth a reported $20 million.  Rubenstein, who is worth $4.6 billion, according to a Forbes estimate, co-founded private-equity behemoth The Carlyle Group.  The Washington-based firm, which boasts $293 billion in assets, is known for its leveraged buyouts and investments that have included Dunkin', Oriental Trading and Hertz.

Three Foreign Billionaires Finance the Dem Dark Money Machine.  A Swiss human experimenter, a Hungarian Nazi collaborator, and an Iranian tech tycoon walk into Washington D.C.  What do you call them?  The absentee owners of the Democrat Party.  It's not a joke.  Unfortunately it's grimly serious.  Politico recently reported that the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the leading dark money machine of the Left, had pumped $410 million into Dem 2020 efforts to defeat Trump and Republicans.  The Sixteen Thirty Fund had raised a record $390 million that year and half the money came from just 4 donors.  While the names of the donors are secret, the article did note the names of three major known STF backers:  Pierre Omidyar, Hansjörg Wyss, and George Soros.  Aside from their support for leftist causes, the three billionaires have another thing in common.  Hansjörg Wyss, the richest man in Switzerland, may not even be a United States citizen.  The article notes that his $135 million in STF dark money donations were "earmarked for non-electoral purposes".

Bezos gives $100 million to Obama Foundation, nonprofit's largest single gift.  Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to former President Barack Obama's private foundation, the nonprofit's biggest single gift to date, the Chicago-based foundation announced Monday [11/22/2021].  Mr. Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, made the donation in honor of the late Rep. John Lewis.  The plaza where the Obama Presidential Center is located will be renamed for the civil rights activist.  "Freedom fighters deserve a special place in the pantheon of heroes, and I can't think of a more fitting person to honor with this gift than John Lewis, a great American leader and a man of extraordinary decency and courage," Mr. Bezos said in a statement released by the Obama Foundation.  "I'm thrilled to support President and Mrs. Obama and their foundation in its mission to train and inspire tomorrow's leaders."  Mr. Bezos' fortune has been estimated at $210 billion.

The Editor says...
As I see it, this is a down payment on the influence Mr. Bezos hopes to buy in the upcoming Michelle Obama administration.  At this point, it just looks like a charitable donation.  Clever.  Mr. Bezos must know something, because $100 million is a lot of money, even for him.

Why The Left Always Projects.  [Scroll down]  Take for example, the worn-out charge of "privilege," as in the phrase "check your privilege."  This trope originates exclusively from the Left.  Purportedly, it signifies a rigged system in which white males have gained, unfairly and undeservedly, "privilege" to exercise cultural, economic, political, and social control over the "other" — occasionally defined as women, more often "people of color," and most frequently African Americans.  How odd, given that by any indicator the political Left is the party of wealth and privilege.  The wealthiest ZIP codes are found in blue states such as California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.  Twenty-six of the 27 wealthiest congressional districts, gauged by per capita incomes, are represented by liberal Democrats.  Registered Democrats on average have higher incomes than their Republican counterparts.  Democratic presidential candidates have vastly outspent Republicans over the last 20 years.  Note that the old liberal saw about "dark money" has steadily disappeared from the left-wing lexicon (nothing is darker than Mark Zuckerberg's infusions of cash to warp particular voting precincts).

Bill Gates Spent $18 Million Pushing Population Control on Africa.  One of the world's richest men spends considerable amounts of money pushing population control on women in Africa.  Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, donated $18 million to family planning programs through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), All Africa reports.  Their foundation made the announcement during an international family planning conference in Rwanda.  The Gates Foundation has a long history of pushing birth control on some of the world's poorest countries while their people cry for clean water, food and basic health care.  Though the Gates family says the money does not go toward abortions, it gives money to some of the largest abortion companies in the world, including the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International.

8 big problems with Biden's 'Build Back Better' bill.  [#4] The House bill would hike the cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction from $10,000 all the way to $72,500.  This $500 billion tax cut (relative to keeping the $10,000 cap) would provide 84 percent of its benefits to the top-earning 10 percent of households (saving as much as $19,000 each), while the typical median-earning family would save just $20.  And Democrats say Republicans are the party of the rich!  The result is that — even with other new tax hikes — many wealthy families could see a net tax cut in this bill.  No, capping SALT is not about forcing blue states to subsidize red states.  States don't pay taxes, individuals do.

Getty Wedding Guest List Shows Exactly Who California's Political Elite Are Listening To.  If you were lucky, you might've seen billionaire oil heiress Ivy Love Getty strut up San Fransisco City Hall's red carpet-lined steps in her couture wedding gown last weekend.  Or, you might've witnessed police contain hundreds of homeless onlookers, making sure none of them ruined Getty's picture-perfect frame.  For the Saturday nuptials, Getty paid the San Francisco County Sheriff's Office a hefty $42,314 — which presumably helped cover the cost of keeping homeless populations out of the way and clearing the tents, trash, human feces, and heroine [sic] needles lining the streets — all so she and celebrity photographer Tobias Engel could have their fairytale wedding, complete with plenty of California elites.  A maskless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi officiated the ceremony.  Pelosi has been one of California's staunchest advocates for mask-wearing policies, such as those mandating the facial restraints for children age 5-17 in schools.  But when you're at a lavish billionaire wedding, rules don't apply.  Especially if you're the one making them.

Bezos Receives Bipartisan Criticism For Climate Change Hypocrisy.  Jeff Bezos, one of the chief beneficiaries of pandemic lockdowns and supporter of Hilary Clinton's 2016 Presidential bid, has been under fire this past week or so for being one of the most stunningly hypocritical human beings in recorded human history, which is quite an achievement [...] According to Daily Mail, Bezos is receiving tremendous criticism for being egregiously out of touch and hypocritical by both the left and the right for flying to the Cop26 being held in Glasgow, Scotland in his $65 million private jet.  Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, called Bezos a "hypocrite" whilst former Republican Congressional candidate for Florida's 24th District Lavern Spicer lambasted the founder of Amazon, saying that "While you're busy at home turning off lights and keeping your thermostat down, Jeff Bezos's $65m Gulf Stream just lead a parade of 400 private jets into COP26" as part of a barrage from the grassroots against the hypocrisy of the globalist elite that is flouted ever more brazenly with each passing year.

Nancy Pelosi slammed as hypocrite for attending Ivy Getty's wedding maskless.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been branded a hypocrite for attending the lavish wedding of billionaire oil heiress Ivy Getty over the weekend without a mask — while children in California are being made to wear them in the state's schools.  Pelosi (D-Calif.), who officiated the ceremony at San Francisco City Hall, faced backlash on social media after photos of her mingling with other maskless wedding guests were published by Vogue on Tuesday [11/9/2021].  Critics immediately lashed out and questioned why it was mandatory for children to wear masks in California schools, but not for guests at the billionaire wedding of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty's great-granddaughter and Tobias Alexander Engel.  "Why does @SpeakerPelosi insist on children wearing masks when she's in more danger due to her age?  Seems like she's not concerned, why are you?" one person tweeted.

It Looks Like Gavin Newsom's Been Located — at an Ostentatious Getty Wedding.  As our Jennifer O'Connell reported earlier today, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-French Laundry) hasn't been seen in public since October 27, the day he received his COVID-19 vaccine booster.  Newsom was scheduled to fly to Glasgow to attend the COP26 climate change conference two days later, but his trip was abruptly canceled.  Initially some speculated that perhaps he realized how silly it was to fly across the globe to speak at a climate change conference when he could simply participate virtually.  Then, Newsom's office claimed he was attending to "unspecified family issues" and his office wouldn't elaborate when asked by the press.

Kamala Harris pumps rich, left-wing donors in France before Macron meeting.  Vice President Kamala Harris will have one foot stateside as she arrives in Paris for a week of face-to-face meetings with European leaders, delivering prerecorded remarks at the George Soros-backed Democracy Alliance annual donor summit, according to a White House official, for an audience of prominent liberal megadonors. [...] In the United States, Democrats have moved further to the left, aided by the Democracy Alliance's vast, deep-pocketed network.  Co-founded by billionaire George Soros and the late Progressive Insurance chairman, Peter Lewis, the Democracy Alliance has advised Democratic donors to invest in groups that obscure their funding from the public.  One of those groups, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, has directed tens of millions of dollars to causes at the state and federal levels, including a slew of successful ballot measures, spending $141 million during the 2018 midterm election year, nearly doubling the $79 million it spent in 2017.  Midterm elections aren't the only time the organization spends big.  The Sixteen Thirty Fund spent more than $137 million in 2019, the last year for which public data are available online.

Where's Gavin Newsom been?  At Getty heiress's wedding.  The Twitter-sphere, The Daily Mail, and even The Sacramento Bee were looking everywhere for Gavin Newsom on Monday after the California governor canceled events and ducked out of sight for a few days.  Did he have COVID or a reaction to his recent booster shot?  Nope.  Newsom was at the Ivy Getty wedding on Saturday at City Hall, a guest and two media outlets say.  Getty is a billionaire oil heiress and great-granddaughter of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty.  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi officiated the 500-person wedding under the grand rotunda of the closed City Hall.

Jeff Bezos's £48m Gulf Stream leads parade of 400 private jets into COP26.  Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' £48million Gulf Stream has led a 400-strong parade of private jets into COP26 including Prince Albert of Monaco, scores of royals and dozens of 'green' CEOs — as an extraordinary traffic jam forced empty planes to fly 30 miles to find space to park.  Some environmental activists at the COP26 climate conference will be urging others to cut down on air travel and eat less meat, but little has been said about the billionaires flying in on their own planes on routes already served by commercial airlines.  Meanwhile, as the super-rich were whisked away into waiting limos, hundreds of less fortunate delegates were left unable to get to Glasgow after brutal storms crippled rail links, forcing travellers to sleep on the floor of Euston station in London.

Will Governments Survive the Coming Peasant Revolt?  Why has the world been turned on its head these last few years?  Why does it seem as if everything true is labeled false and everything false is labeled true? [...] What do you mean, uncontrolled illegal immigration is tearing communities apart and destroying the common bonds of shared culture?  That's racist!  Multiculturalism and diversity are our strengths!  If a population influx happens to cause social friction while putting deflationary pressure on low-paying wages and mitigating the actuarial insolvency of the welfare system, that's purely coincidental.  Believe me, wealthy elites worry about the plight of the weary immigrant more than they care about their own happiness.  That's why the doors to their gated communities, country clubs, and private schools are always open to those in need.

Leftist Shadow Governments Control A Lot More Than Our Elections.  Many Americans are awakening to the fact that we seem to have no local control of a lot of local things:  public schools, our terms of employment, local governments, local elections.  That last one popped again recently with the release of my colleague Mollie Hemingway's deeply reported 2020 election investigation book, "Rigged."  That book, and some great corroborating independent reporting, show that 2020 election chaos was part of an effective and well-funded plan to help Democrats win by rigging the playing field.  One key strategy deployed to that end has become default on the left yet still often goes unremarked and unchallenged.  It's called "advocacy philanthropy."  In the 2020 election, Facebook zillionaire Mark Zuckerberg used this strategy to deploy nearly half a billion dollars to help Democrat activists infiltrate local government election apparatuses, literally paying for election equipment and the salaries of partisans who counted ballots.  This kind of tax-exempt political interference is now standard practice for the world's far-left ultra-rich, and it's affecting a whole lot more than elections.  It's constructed essentially a shadow government that pits elected officials against their voters on behalf of moneyed interests.

George Soros Drops $1M To Stop City of Austin Hiring Police to Combat Rising Crime.  America-hating billionaire George Soros is stepping up his efforts to personally increase the violent crime rate in America's cities.  Not content to just sponsor pro-crime DA's who release and/or fail to prosecute criminals, Soros is now pouring money into defund the police efforts.  As cities, some of them on the down low, have been refunding police they previously defunded or are increasing hiring due to police forces being decimated by low morale fueled by lack of local support, ridiculous pro-crime policies, and various WuFlu-related mandates, Soros is busily shelling out money to keep crime up, criminals on the streets, and fewer police to keep communities safe.

Team Biden is out of touch with the misery its policies inflict.  President Joe Biden's chief of staff brushes off record-high inflation and the supply-chain crisis helping fuel it as "high class problems."  It's a stunning admission of indifference from a well-connected multimillionaire — but just the latest example of this administration's cluelessness about Americans' suffering from its failures.  "This," Ron Klain emphasized Wednesday [10/13/2021] in quote-tweeting Harvard economist Jason Furman, who wrote, "Most of the economic problems we're facing (inflation, supply chains, etc.) are high class problems.  We wouldn't have had them if the unemployment rate was still 10 percent.  We would instead have had a much worse problem."  Fine:  The rising cost of everything from groceries to diapers to cars is no problem for Klain, who's worth between $4.4 million and $12.2 million.

Watters probes Pelosi's wealth explosion, says she and husband seem to 'always know what the right investment is'.  As of 2020, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and her husband, real estate developer Paul Pelosi, had accumulated a combined $315,000,000 in wealth, and according to an investigation by Fox News host Jesse Watters, something about this doesn't seem right.  During a segment Saturday on Fox News' "Watters' World," he dug deep into her and her husband's past and discovered nuggets of information suggesting corruption may be afoot.  He started by noting that sometime after Pelosi's husband opened the real estate and venture capital investment and consulting firm Financial Leasing Services, Inc., he used his newly made "connections" to push her into politics, "helping her get elected to Congress in 1987."  Following her election to office, their wealth exploded. [...] The most recent wealth explosion occurred after she became House speaker again in 2018.  "That year, her financial disclosure report revealed a net worth of over 114 million.  Then in 2019, Pelosi's assets totaled up to a whopping 271 million.  And in 2020, those numbers went up even more to as high as 315 million bucks.  Quite a lot of crumbs," Watters said.  He then asked the question on everyone's mind:  "Where's the money coming from?"

Democrat Manchin looks down on protesters from his $700K yacht and tells them 'we're going to make the rich pay'.  Protesters and political activists rowed towards US Sen. Joe Manchin's yacht this week, demanding to know why the senator refuses to support President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill.  In a video capturing the exchange, Manchin, aboard his $700,000 house boat named Almost Heaven, assured the kayakers that Democrats were working to pass a reasonable bill.  West Virginians waived signs saying 'don't sink out healthcare, and shouted at the Senator while he was aboard the vessel, which was moored on the Potomac River in Washington DC.

The Masking of the Servant Class:  Ugly COVID Images From the Met Gala Are Now Commonplace.  Last month, a delightful event was hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for wealthy Democratic donors in Napa — the same wine region of choice for Gov. Newsom's notorious dinner party — at which the cheapest tickets were $100 each and a "chair" designation was available for $29,000.  Video of the outdoor festivities showed an overwhelmingly white crowd of rich Democratic donors sitting maskless virtually on top of one another — not an iota of social distancing to be found — as Pelosi imparted her deep wisdom about public policy.  Pelosi's donor gala took place as millions face eviction, ongoing joblessness, and ever-emerging mandates of various types.  It was also held just five days after the liberal county government of Los Angeles, in the name of Delta, imposed a countywide mask requirement for "major outdoor events."  In nearby San Francisco, where Pelosi's mansion is found, the liberal-run city government has maintained a more restrictive outdoor mask policy than the CDC: [...]

'Tax The Rich' AOC Wore $450 Earrings, $600 Shoes To Met Gala:  Report.  Rep. Alexandria-Cortez may have worn a dress emblazoned "Tax the Rich" to Monday's Met Gala, but she was also wearing earrings reputedly valued at $450 and shoes reportedly valued at roughly $614.  The "Tax the Rich" dress designed by Aurora James was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Daily Mail noted, adding that the 14-karat designer Mejuri jewelry gold hoop earrings were listed as worth $450 and the open-toed red shoes from James' Brother Vellies fashion line were valued at roughly $614.  Ocasio-Cortez also carried a James purse that also featured the "Tax the Rich" mantra.

Woman of the people:  The cost of AOC's Met Gala shoes could have fed an American family for a month.  New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made her fashion debut this week in a dazzling appearance at the annual Met Gala, wowing attendees of the $30,000-per-ticket event with a stunning gown that called for the government to "tax the rich."  [Tweet]  Though the self-declared socialist has taken a lot of heat for wearing the bespoke Brother Vellies dress to the event, little attention has been paid to her shoe ensemble, which, according to Vogue, consisted of "a pair of red shoes from Brother Vellies, with long laces and bright flowers along the heel."  [Photo]  Those really pop!  Judging from Brother Vellies's website, the company's line of ribbon-adorned high-heeled shoes hover around $615.  Assuming that the representative's footwear for the evening did not rise above that baseline, that mean's Ocasio-Cortez's shoes for the Met event cost significantly more than the low end of an American husband and wife's average monthly food budget, according to the USDA.

AOC Just Bought Herself More Trouble With Her Attendance at Met Gala and 'Tax the Rich' Dress.  We reported earlier on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wearing a designer dress that said "Tax the Rich" at the Met Gala, where a ticket to attend costs at least $30,000.  She was called out for her hypocrisy by people like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Donald Trump, Jr. because she and the other guests flouted the masks required for the indoor event, while the "help" all had to be masked, and because she was partying with the rich who she was attacking.  [Tweets]  If there is any clearer picture of hypocrisy, I don't know what it would be as we watch the socialist, trying to make a point attacking the rich, while partying with them, going to an elite event and being waited on.

The full Versailles:  Met Gala ruling class pour on the hypocrisy — led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  In the decrepit, doddering Joe Biden era, the odor of decay, decadence, and borrowed glory from the entitled ruling class is the order of the day based on what was seen at last night's Met Gala, "the party of the year" according to the New York Times.  Nobody embodied that better than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wore a custom-designed white evening gown graffitied with 'Tax the Rich' in red spray paint on the back of it, just perfect for an event brimming with the superrich.  She knows they like that 'beat me, beat me' vibe and blathered to a credulous press about being there to show 'what it means to be working-class women of color at the Met.'  Maybe she could have consulted the dark-skinned women at the sidelines, forced to wear masks as she was not about that one.

AOC is slammed as a hypocrite for donning a custom Aurora James dress to the Met Gala where tickets cost $30,000 each.  Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez has been slammed for attending the ultra exclusive, elitist Met Gala on Monday night [9/13/2021] in a dress with the words 'tax the rich' plastered on them [sic], in what she claims was a political statement but what others say is yet another example of her tone-deaf hypocrisy.  The 31-year-old socialist firebrand attended the event with her boyfriend Riley Roberts after getting ready at The Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side.  She claims she went for free to the event, where tables can cost upwards of $200,000, and that it was her responsibility to do so as an elected official.

The Editor says...
Nothing is free, especially in New York.  Somebody paid for AOC's admission to the event.  Who was it?

Here's the answer:
Museum comped AOC, her boyfriend, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, his wife and son tickets together worth up to $175K for their Met Gala appearance.  The Office of Congressional Ethics was asked by a conservative group to launch an investigation of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for accepting free tickets to Monday's Met Gala, where she wore a custom gown that said 'Tax the Rich.'  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attended the the ultra-elitist, $35,000-a-head Met Gala as guests of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, DailyMail.com can confirm.  In an ethics complaint, Thomas Jones, founder of the American Accountability Foundation, said he believes Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, broke House rules by accepting 'an impermissible gift' of free tickets to attend the annual gala.

Did AOC Break the Law with Her Met Gala Stunt?  As Matt covered earlier, socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made an appearance at the Met Gala in New York City Monday night [9/13/2021].  She wore a white dress with large red letters on the back reading, "Tax The Rich."  [Tweet]  A ticket to the Met Gala costs $30,000.  A table nabs $275,000.  So, how did she get in?  Here's her explanation.  [Tweet]  But there are questions about the legality of her attendance, especially when it comes to election laws, donations and what she may owe to the IRS if her ticket was a gift.  [Tweet]

Nancy Pelosi Hosts "Super Spreader" Event In Napa For Maskless Old White Liberals.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) was seen without her mask over the weekend at a Democrat Party fundraiser event full of unmasked attendees.  The event was hosted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in Napa, California, where Pelosi was seen delivering remarks unmasked.  The event was exclusively for old white liberals at a super spreader event while their ethnic, masked staff wait on them hand and foot.

With Infamous "Wine Cave" Donor Help, Pelosi Greases the Palms of 9 Democrats and the West Coast Elites.  Kathryn Walt Hall is one of those blue-blooded, monied elites who own politicians through their largesse.  Walt Hall and her husband Craig Hall were the infamous "wine cave" purveyors behind the 2020 Primary election brouhaha with then-Presidential candidates Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Liawatha). The couple hosted Mayor Pete for a $1,000 a glass fundraiser for his campaign, and Sen. Fauxcahontas called him on it. [...] This couple, through their shell corporation the Hall Financial Group, Inc., has given billions of dollars to Democrats since the 1980s, to make sure they have a controlling interest in who will be the next President, Governor, Senators, and Congressmen.  This last cycle, to the tune of $50,000, they contributed to Dementia Joe's Biden Victory Fund.  The couple has also hosted our Governor Hair Gel for a few events, and other Democrat candidates and office holders who they considered malleable and influential (remember Tom Daschle?)

Another Famous "Socialist" Just Purchased a Million Dollar Home and His Defense Is Incredibly Weak.  If you've never heard of Hasan Piker, he's the nephew of The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur who's made a name for himself as a political Twitch streamer. [...] Piker is, like most young first-world leftists, a socialist.  As original a concept as this is, what's even more common about him is that Piker's popularity has made him wealthy with no small help from the innovation made possible by the capitalist system.  This led to Piker doing exactly what young wealthy socialists do; he purchased a very expensive home.  Earlier this week, it was reported that Piker purchased a home in West Hollywood worth $2.74 million in the Beverly Grove neighborhood.  Like other champaign socialists, this multi-million dollar home fits right in with his for-the-people, eat-the-rich preaching.

DC Is Ensuring Only Billionaires Can Get a Loan — in the Name of 'Helping the Little Guy'.  Welcome to DC.  Where Big Government policies always end up helping Big Businesses — and hurting the rest of us.  Because, of course, only Big Businesses can afford the direct and indirect costs of Big Government — while they crush the rest of us.  And, of course, Big Businesses are the ones bribing Big Government for ever-more-preferential policies — which screw the rest of us.  Sometimes DCs denizens are nakedly obvious about helping their rich, crony benefactors.  But far more often, Big Businesses' elected officials obfuscate their cronyism.  Dressing up ever-more Big Business assistance in "Help the Little Guy" verbiage.  Ohio Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown is excellent at it.

Zuckerberg-Funded Group Gave $11.8 Million to Democrat Consulting Firms for 'Nonpartisan Voter Education' in Michigan.  The Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) gave $12 million in September 2020 to a Michigan nonprofit, which then funneled the money to two Democrat consulting firms for the purpose of "nonpartisan voter education efforts."  The Michigan Star first reported on the tax form filed in May 2021 by the Michigan nonprofit, the Michigan Center for Election Law and Administration (MCELA), which revealed the MCELA directed 99 percent of the $12 million it received from CEIR to two Democrat-aligned consulting companies.

Atlantic Magazine Owner Publishes Unvaccinated Should Not Fly, Owns Two Private Jets.  Atlantic magazine billionaire owner and widow of Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs, who also owns two private jets, published an article Tuesday [8/3/2021] encouraging the Biden administration to mandate the unvaccinated be on a no fly list.  While her publication issued an article pushing for "a no-fly list for unvaccinated adults" as "an obvious step that the federal government should take" due to TSA PreCheck, which "divide[s] passengers into categories according to how much of a threat the government thinks they pose," Jobs has the ability to skirt commercial airport security and restrictions for which her magazine is advocating.

Valerie Jarrett Asks For Donations To Obama Library Ahead Of His Martha's Vineyard Birthday Bash.  Former Obama staffer Valerie Jarrett is asking Americans to donate money to Obama's presidential library, just days before he is about to hold a celebrity filled birthday bash at his mansion on Martha's Vineyard.  Jarrett has a lot of nerve to make such a request.  Oprah Winfrey is expected to be at the party.  Maybe she could cough up the needed cash.

Gates Foundation Is Longtime Partner Of Chinese Communist Group Which Funded Military-Linked Coronavirus Research At Wuhan Lab.  The National Natural Science Foundation of China, which has extensive ties to China's military and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, has partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on scientific research for over five years.  The unearthed ties between the Gates Foundation and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) follow a National Pulse exposé revealing how the Chinese scientific organization funded People's Liberation Army (PLA) research and bat coronavirus studies at the Wuhan lab.  Beyond describing itself as a state-owned scientific group that is "guided by President Xi Jinping's Socialist thoughts," the NSFC has inked "strategic cooperative agreements" with the Chinese Communist Party's Central Military Commission.  In October 2015, however, the Gates Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with the NSFC to "jointly support research projects and bilateral workshops."  Together, the Gates Foundation and NSFC would "co-fund awards of up to US$1M and 4 years for collaborations between Chinese and international investigators."

Activist Shaun King lives lavishly in lakefront New Jersey home.  Shaun King has built his image on being a champion of the poor and disenfranchised, but the controversial civil rights activist lives like a one-percenter in a sprawling lakefront home, records show.  King, 41, moved earlier this year from a luxury two-bedroom apartment in downtown Brooklyn, to the five-bedroom, 3,000 square foot North Brunswick, NJ, property, with "a lakefront backyard" and gourmet kitchen, according to public records.  The property, surrounded by lush, tall trees, was purchased by King's wife, Rai-Tonicia King, a Ph.D. candidate and educator, in November 2020 for $842,000, public records show.  King has been dogged for years by allegations of shady dealings in his charitable efforts in movements he has founded — including a lack of transparency in money he has raised for several criminal justice initiatives he has backed.

BLM activist Shaun King moves into luxury five-bedroom lakefront home.  Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King, who claims he advocates for the poor and disenfranchised communities, has been living large in a luxury five-bedroom, 3,000 square foot New Jersey lakefront home.  King, who famously got upset when someone vandalized a George Floyd statue, but wanted statues of Jesus to be torn down, apparently moved away from his place in downtown Brooklyn earlier in 2021.  According to the New York Post, "the property, surrounded by lush, tall trees, was purchased by King's wife, Rai-Tonicia King, a Ph.D. candidate and educator, in November 2020 for $842,000."  The house, located on property in North Brunswick, New Jersey, purportedly boasts of five bedrooms and 3,000 square feet of living space.

Obama defies CDC guidance by inviting 500 people to his celebrity-studded 60th birthday party at his $12m mansion on Martha's Vineyard.  Former President Barack Obama has come under fire for his plans to host nearly 500 people at his Martha's Vineyard mansion for his 60th birthday, despite a nationwide rise in COVID cases.  The former president is set to turn 60 on August 4, and is said to be planning a large soiree at his 7,000-square-foot mansion in the Edgarton section of Martha's Vineyard next weekend.  An official familiar with the plans told Axios that there are now 475 confirmed guests for the party — including Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg — with more than 200 staff members.

The Dissident California Right Is the Future.  The Left, no longer the party of the common man, the little man, or the forgotten man, is now a party entirely for the made man.  Those already among the rich and powerful are automatically accepted, and the Left graciously allows plebs to join and minister unto them, so long as they attend the proper institutions, perform the proper induction ceremonies, and devote their lives to the bureaucracy or mechanism of the state.  The lowest rung of the leftist coalition is composed of the sainted hordes, which — as is obvious to every Californian not currently making money or gaining influence by servicing the Left's one-percenters — is defined roughly as any group of disadvantaged people likely to vote for leftists.  Much of the time the sainted hordes are synonymous with immigrants, but not always.  The Left is very meticulous in its support for the lowly.  Only those likely to be made useful in further empowering the made Left are welcome.  Cubans, Eastern Europeans, and those who (like the California Right) might properly be called "dissidents" are wise to the game and are, therefore, unwelcome.

Barack Obama is planning star-studded party at his $11.75 million Martha's Vineyard mansion to celebrate his 60th birthday.  Barack Obama plans to ring in his 60th birthday hosting a party at his Martha's Vineyard mansion with a star-studded guest list who've all been COVID tested.  It has been reported that big names such as Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney have already scored an invite to join the former president.  The party will take place at Obama's his $11.75 million 30-acre oceanside getaway on the exclusive Massachusetts island as he hits the big birthday on August 4.

Oprah sells Orcas Island waterfront sanctuary for $14M.  Oprah Winfrey has sold her 43-acre waterfront estate known as Madroneagle on Orcas Island's Catspaw Lane for $14 million, the Business Journal has learned.  Sources familiar with the deal say it is the highest price ever paid for an Orcas Island property.  Winfrey, who bought the property in 2018 without personally visiting it, paid $8.3 million at the time.  The property first went on the market two years earlier at $12 million but failed to sell at that price.  The Catspaw Lane property is a gated island sanctuary that includes a 10,251-square-foot main mansion, essentially gutted by Winfrey in a remodel.  The property includes several other houses, a half-mile of waterfront and beach, a greenhouse, a huge shop and a mother-in-law apartment.

The Left's Contempt for the Masses.  [Joe] Biden has amassed and spent millions on the backs of ordinary Americans.  According to a Forbes estimate, Biden was spending $2,000 a day on personal expenses during the four years he was out of office — not exactly an Average Joe budget.  And Biden's declared net worth of $8 million does not accord with reports of payments from foreign governments, money that may be held the names of family members.  Other Democrats live like royalty as well.  Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her husband have a reported net worth of over $1 billion.  Nancy Pelosi's net worth (with her husband) is $115 million, while the richest U.S. senator is Democrat Mark Warner ($214 million).  The Clintons, who claimed to have left the White House "without a nickel," now have a net worth of $120 million.  All of these Democrats claim to be working for "the poor," but the poor don't get rich under their rule — they do.  And none of these rich leftists has made large charitable contributions to benefit American working people directly.

The secret that Biden, Obama, Hillary won't say aloud about today's Democratic Party.  How often during the last year of wokeness have middle- and lower-class Americans listened to multimillionaires of all races and genders lecture them on their various pathologies and oppressions?  University presidents with million-dollar salaries virtue-signal on the cheap their own sort of "unearned white privilege."  Meghan Markle and the Obamas, from their plush estates, indict Americans for their biases.  Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors Brignac decries the oppressive victimization she and others have suffered — from one of her four recently acquired homes.  Do we need another performance-art sermon on America's innate unfairness from billionaire entertainers such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z or Oprah Winfrey, or from multimillionaire Delta or Coca-Cola CEOs?

The ESG Threat.  Once upon a time, lefty sorts could put their money where their mouth was by "socially responsible investing." [...] But these days, that's simply not enough for the Big Sisters of Social Justice Warriorhood.  Why make something voluntary when they can force it down your throat?  Hence the push for Environmental Social Governance (ESG), a backdoor way to impose far-left values on corporations without having to deal with shareholders at all.

Mitt Romney sells $23.5M home after years of backlash from neighbors.  The notorious San Diego home of Mitt Romney, which made headlines in 2012 for having planned an installation of a car elevator, is now in escrow for $23.5 million.  The move comes after years of enduring backlash from neighbors for tearing down and demolishing the initial oceanfront structure and building a new, bigger home.  Anthony Ciani, a La Jolla, California, architect and former neighbor of Romney at the time, told The [New York] Post that his issue was mostly concerning public use of the beach.  "Not all of the neighbors had issues with the Romneys' project," Ciani said, "but others, including me, disputed their claim to own the sandy beach west of the historic property line which could interfere with the historical public use of the beach, and because that uses that additional area of land to build a larger house than would otherwise comply with the development regulations."

You can be Joe Biden's neighbor for $2.4 million.  During his 2020 campaign, now-President Joe Biden was compared to children's television figure Mister Rogers — and now you can really be Joe and Jill Biden's neighbor.  A property next to Biden's custom-built three-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom Wilmington, Delaware, home was listed Monday for $2.39 million, according to Realtor.com.  Biden, who also owns a Delaware beach house but spent this past holiday weekend at the White House, purchased his Wilmington plot for $350,000 in 1998.  The property, including the 6,850-square-foot mansion, is now estimated to be worth at least $2 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Jeff Bezos retires with 739,489 times the median American's wealth.  When Jeff Bezos steps down Monday as Amazon's CEO at age 57, he will carry with him an estimated $197 billion — a staggering fortune that is 739,489 times the median net worth of an American at age 65.  That median net worth is $266,400, Business Insider reported, citing data from the Federal Reserve.  Amazon announced in February that Bezos would step down this year and assume the mantle of executive chairman of the e-commerce giant's board.

White House salary report reveals Psaki, Tanden, Klain and others earn top dollar.  Who are the highest-paid people in President Biden's White House?  That question was answered on Thursday [7/1/2021] with the release of an annual report with staffers' salaries, which max out at $180,000.  Twenty-two White House employees make the maximum yearly salary.  That list includes White House press secretary Jen Psaki, chief of staff Ron Klain and Neera Tanden, who is now senior adviser to the president after her nomination for Office of Management and Budget director was withdrawn.

Stacey Abrams now owns two homes totaling $1.4M after starting 2018 campaign in massive debt.  Former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams now owns two homes in Georgia collectively worth $1.4 million despite having been hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt before her unsuccessful run against Gov. Brian Kemp.  The former candidate was catapulted into the national spotlight during her slugfest 2018 run against Kemp that saw her claim victory for months after the fact.  Since her electoral failure, though, Abrams has made a series of property purchases in DeKalb County that have been scrubbed from the county tax assessor's website, according to records obtained by Fox News.

Big Salaries at Conservation Group Created by Congress Raise Eyebrows.  While working to restore wildlife and plant habitats, a federally chartered conservation foundation pays lavish salaries to officers at the expense of environmental initiatives that are central to its mission, policy analysts and former employees say.  Compensation figures in Form 990 tax records prepared for the IRS ought to raise questions about the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's internal financial practices and the potential impact on conservation programs, a former employee told The Daily Signal in a phone interview.  Top officials, including Jeff Trandahl, the foundation's executive director and CEO, receive annual compensation packages that appear to be "out of proportion" with those at other nonprofit conservation groups, said Alex Echols, who was the foundation's deputy policy director from 1995 to 2000.  Trandahl received $1.29 million in annual compensation in 2018 alone, according to the most recent available Form 990 tax records.

BET billionaire Robert Johnson calls for $14T in reparations — and wants a check too.  America's first black billionaire, Robert Johnson, is pushing hard for the government to pay $14 trillion in reparations — and he wants his check just like everyone else.  "Reparations would require the entire country to ... admit that the result of slavery has been 200 years of systemic racism," the Black Entertainment Television (BET) founder told Vice.  "And for that reason, black folks have been denied $13-15 trillion of wealth and therefore we as a country now must atone by paying black people of all stripes — the rich ones, the poor ones, and the middle — out of our pocket," Johnson told the outlet.  Johnson, who owns several homes and heads an asset management firm, insists that means money for himself and other rich and famous black Americans, naming Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Biden's $118 million cabinet:  Net worth of secretaries revealed.  President Joe Biden's cabinet members have managed to build back their portfolios — with the average member of his team amassing $7 million in wealth, for a total haul of $118 million.  The hefty total in fact represents a considerable drop-off from the Donald Trump years, when the president's cabinet contained several multi-millionaires, with a combined worth of $6.2 billion.  Two cabinet members are worth considerably more than the president himself, who comes in at about $8 million.

Soros quietly drops $200,000 backing another far-left prosecutor in Virginia.  Liberal billionaire George Soros continues his push for his preferred left-wing prosecutors across the country, this time quietly racking up a guaranteed victory with $200,000 spent in Norfolk, Virginia.  Soros's cash infusion, which has slipped under the radar, includes $157,000 from his Justice & Public Safety PAC and $41,500 from his Democracy PAC to Ramin Fatehi, a state and federal prosecutor who won a three-way Democratic primary on June 8.  He is now the only candidate on the ballot for the November general election for Norfolk's commonwealth's attorney.  Fatehi is the latest in a string of prosecutor candidates Soros has backed to reshape the Virginia criminal justice system.  In 2019, Soros provided a significant cash infusion to three winning progressive candidates, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti in Arlington County (nearly $1 million from Soros); Buta Biberaj in Loudon County ($850,000 from Soros); and Steve Descano in Fairfax County ($600,000 from Soros).  Soros also pushed $5,000 to Jim Hingeley in Albemarle County.  However, unlike the other areas, most of that race's funds did not come from Soros, but rather Sonjia Smith, a Democratic megadonor in Virginia politics.

Why Are They Woke?  There are lots of reasons why wokeism spread like wildfire once America lost its collective mind during the pandemic, quarantine, self-induced recession, and rioting of 2020.  Wokeism was never really about racism, sexism, or other -isms.  Instead, for some, it illustrated a psychological pathology of projection:  fobbing one's own concrete prejudices onto others in order to alleviate or mask them.  So should we laugh or cry that Black Lives Matter's self-described Marxist co-founder turns out to be a corporate grifter?  Patrisse Cullors has accumulated several upscale homes and is under investigation by the IRS for allegations of the misuse of funds from one of her foundations.  Is it the case that the more Cullors professes Marxist ideology and damns toxic whiteness, so all the more she feels at home living in a $1.4 million Topanga Canyon home, in an almost exclusively ritzy white neighborhood?

California' Marin County is seeing the return of the NIMBYs.  In November 2020, over 80% of Marin County, California residents voted for Joe Biden.  This was to be expected.  In 2018, 64% of Marin's residents voted for Gavin Newsom.  Only 12% voted for John Cox, the Republican candidate.  Another 8% of votes went to yet another Democrat.  Now that Marinites have gotten their solid Democrat governance, though, they're not happy with one of the main Democrat goals:  turning expensive suburbs into densely populated urban areas. [...] Marin County is one of the wealthiest areas in America, coming in at number 13 according to a 2016 American Community Survey.  In 2016, the median Marin household income was $103,845.  Marin might be doing even better now because it weathered the COVID lockdowns very well.  This is probably because Marin's wealth comes, in significant part, from people who can make deals sitting at their computers.

How Zuckerberg Money Could Have Led to Biden Victory in Texas.  Texas lawmakers passed a law restricting use of private money for election administration almost two months after research showed that at least $36 million in grants financed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had the potential to alter the state's political landscape dramatically.  Though prompted by the Zuckerberg grants, the new Texas law likely will prevent a flood of private money from multiple sources to pay for running future elections, the sponsor of the measure told The Daily Signal.  "Unless we get it stopped, I think we would have seen money coming in from many sources," state Rep. Phil King, a Republican, said in a phone interview.  "Uncontrolled, dark money of this nature is just very, very ripe for corruption."  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed the bill into law June 12.

Kamala hosted a nice dinner for female senators and the woke mob ate her alive for hanging out with "rich white women" and "being served by Black servants".  The Woke Monster comes for all, and it's coming for Kamala Harris sooner rather than later.  On Tuesday night, the VP held a bipartisan dinner for female senators, which aside from the general political grandstanding, seemed like a nice gesture.  CNN wasted no time offering Kamala glowing praise, quickly fangirling with thinly-veiled enthusiasm:  [Tweet]  Outside the praise from the mainstream media and white suburban moms, the faithful devotees of Wokeism had serious problems with the event:  [Tweet]

Jane Fonda Encourages Anti-Pipeline Activists in Minnesota to Mess with Critical US Infrastructure.  The 83-year-old Communist and traitor encouraged activists to "raise a ruckus" and create a headache for the Canadian oil company, Enbridge.  "Biden has taken a very clear and very beautiful position on the climate crisis," Hanoi Jane said.  "But we are really facing a potential catastrophe and the science is very clear — it's not enough to do something good here like shutdown Keystone XL, shut down drilling on the Arctic national refuge and then allow Line 3 to go through." "We can't do this in bits and pieces," she added.

Here's How Wealthy Some Of America's Most Prominent Socialists Are.  Some of America's highest-profile advocates for socialism live quite luxurious lifestyles compared to average, working-class Americans.  The average income for individual Americans is $35,977; for a household, it's $68,703. [...] Jane Fonda has been a prominent hard-left activist for decades.  She infamously earned the nickname "Hanoi Jane" after touring North Vietnam during the Vietnam war and posing for a picture on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun.  Fonda, who once said she hoped her daughter would grow up in an "unpolluted, Marxist, socialist country," has appeared in films grossing hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of her career and has produced a number of high-selling workout videos.  Her net worth is reportedly in the tens of millions of dollars.

The Richest Homeless in the World.  Last year, Davon Brown, a former fashion model turned homeless activist, conned his way into an LA Ritz-Carlton luxury suite alongside Jed Parriot, the son of a producer on Grey's Anatomy.  It was May Day, Brown was wearing a blazer and sunglasses.  The former fashion model and son of a wealthy producer were there to 'occupy' a luxury suite for the homeless.  And demand that the city take over hotel rooms and hand them out to the population of junkie vagrants.  Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti held a press conference and assured Brown that he would get him a room.  When the son of the Grey's Anatomy producer was asked how to spell his name, he sneered, "Parriott, like Marriott — which has 900 empty rooms."  Jed, a Democratic Socialists of America activist, appears to live in a $1.3 million home in Silver Lake owned by a trust controlled by his parents:  a prolific TV producer and a TV actress.  The trust also appears to own at least one other home, with 4 bedrooms, in the city.

How Zuckerberg Millions Paid for Progressives to Work With 2020 Vote Officials Nationwide.  In the months leading up to November's election, voting officials in major cities and counties worked with a progressive group funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and its allies to create ballots, strategically target voters and develop "cure" letters in situations where mail-in ballots were in danger of being tossed out.  The Center for Tech and Civic Life, or CTCL, provided millions of dollars in private funding for the elections that came from a $350 million donation from Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.  The CTCL gave "COVID-19 response" grants of varying amounts to 2,500 municipalities in 49 states.  In exchange for the money, elections divisions agreed to conduct their elections according to conditions set out by the CTCL, which is led by former members of the New Organizing Institute, a training center for progressive groups and Democratic campaigns.

'Breaking the News' Reveals:  Amazon's Black Lives Matter Donation Tied to Convicted Terrorist.  Last summer, Amazon announced a $10 million donation for "organizations supporting justice and equity," including a donation directly to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.  At the time, BLM Global Network was sponsored by Thousand Currents, a non-profit whose vice-chairman is Susan Rosenberg, a convicted left-wing terrorist.  It's a major oversight for Amazon, the self-anointed arbiter of domestic terrorism.

Mark Zuckerberg Should Never Be Allowed To Touch U.S. Elections Again.  After decades of whining about the evils of privatization, the same set of leftists who once cried "eat the rich" and "abolish billionaires" in 2020 embraced a billionaire's efforts to partially privatize American elections.  Anyone paying attention to election integrity efforts following serious questions some legislators raised after the 2020 general already know his name.  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg poured a shocking $350 million into a nonprofit called the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL), massively inflating the organization's revenues from only $1.4 million in 2018.  The "Zuck bucks" were then distributed as CTCL grants to hundreds of county and city elections officials in 47 states and the District of Columbia.  CTCL, which has a highly partisan history, claims its grants were strictly for COVID-19 exigencies and denies any partisan pattern to their distribution.  The data suggest otherwise.

Smart People Say Dumb Things:  Bill Gates Edition.  Bill Gates has written a book:  How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.  Unfortunately, the book is a disaster.  He doesn't get past the introduction before making mistakes that negate the rest of the book.  He claims Carbon Dioxide emissions must be reduced to zero to avoid a climate disaster.  Assuming that CO2 can even cause a climate disaster, about half the CO2 emitted every year is reabsorbed by the Earth — by the oceans and by plants.  Thus, you don't need zero, a fifty percent reduction would stop the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere.  It is vastly more difficult to cut out all emissions compared to cutting them in half.  Gates claims we have to deploy solar and wind faster and smarter.  I wrote a book about wind and solar with the title:  Dumb Energy.  There is no smart deployment of wind and solar.  They are very dumb and very, very expensive.  It is routine for solar to cost five times more than electricity from natural gas.  Heavy solar deployment makes it even more expensive due to the use of auxiliary batteries.  Gates says we need to create and roll out breakthrough technologies.  That's called the pie in the sky.

Soros kicked in $2M to elect Maricopa County sheriff now stonewalling election audit.  More than four years before Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone used his law enforcement credibility to resist subpoenas in the Arizona Senate audit of the county's general election, he was running for the office he now holds.  Crucial to the Democrat's victory over incumbent Republican Joe Arpaio:  $2 million from progressive megadonor George Soros.  It was the largest single donation Soros made in a local race in the 2016 election cycle, according to a Politico report at the time.  Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, kicked in another $250,000 to the pro-Penzone effort.

Woke Foundations Use Dollars Acquired Through Capitalism to Undermine Free Market Principles.  Recently, the Ford Foundation announced plans to provide $1 billion in funding toward social justice programs, an extension of the $1 billion it handed out in 2015.  The resulting press coverage, including a profile of its president on "60 Minutes," was effusive.  Ford is not alone in its philanthropic wokeism.  Many other large foundations have followed suit.  The Mellon Foundation, one of the largest funders of the arts and humanities, is now prioritizing social justice in all its grant-making.  The Rockefeller Foundation too is committing $1 billion over the next three years to "catalyze a more inclusive, green recovery from COVID."

Biden's War on Single-Family Homeowners.  If you saved your money and bought a house in the suburbs, your investment and lifestyle are under attack.  President Joe Biden is pushing to end single-family zoning.  The biggest item in Biden's infrastructure bill, now being negotiated with Congress, is $213 billion he claims will to increase affordable housing.  Biden wants to put the federal government in charge of zoning and distribute apartment buildings throughout single-family home neighborhoods.  That $213 billion is nearly twice the spending on roads and bridges.  It will change towns everywhere and torpedo the American dream of a house with a patch of lawn.  Biden's plan should be called "hypocrisy housing."  Its backers are hypocrites.  Biden himself owns a four-acre lakefront home in upscale Greenville, Delaware, where there is absolutely no public housing, affordable housing or rentals that accept housing vouchers.  And don't expect any to be built next door to the Bidens.

Is Bill Gates really who you want in charge of the world?  Bill Gates has been prominent during the COVID panic.  He has all sorts of ideas about controlling people's lives and "solving" climate change.  However, now that his wife is leaving him, the floodgates are opening.  The Bill Gates we're seeing isn't the amiable, slightly weird genius.  Instead, he's "sexual predator adjacent" — a man who befriended Jeffrey Epstein and had a questionable relationship with the Clinton Foundation.  For many people, Bill Gates was the genius behind the Microsoft empire.  For others, he was a mediocre programmer who had a nose for spotting other people's talent and, like a mob boss, pressuring them into handing their valuable products over to him.

Jill Biden's Valentino bag has hand-painted portraits of her dogs.  First Lady Jill Biden stepped off Air Force One on Thursday [5/13/2021] toting a one-of-a-kind accessory:  a custom Valentino Rockstud purse featuring hand-painted portraits of the Bidens' German Shepherds, Major and Champ.  She reportedly carried the personalized purse en route to a vaccination center in Charleston, West Virginia, pairing it with a light pink blazer and pearls.  The First Lady, 69, also toted it during a trip to Colorado Springs earlier this month. [...] Those looking to get their paws on a purse like hers can order it for $2,200 on Valentino's website or in select Valentino boutiques.  The style is available in a range of colors; simply upload several photos of your pet, and illustrator Riccardo Cusimano will create a portrait.

The Treason Party's Swiss Banker.  The Nazis had a Swiss banker and so do the Democrats.  During President Trump's first year in office, Indivisible, which the New York Times had described as a left-wing version of the Tea Party, launched a smear campaign falsely accusing President Trump of being subject to Russian foreign financial influence.  "Is Trump colluding with Russia?" the leftist group insinuated.  "Until we see Trump's tax returns, we cannot be certain that foreign governments don't have leverage over Trump."  Indivisible repeated this slander a few years later when it held a "Nobody is Above the Law Day", and demanded "full and total transparency" from Trump even while refusing to name its backers.  The leftist group was pushing the same big Russiagate lie that had originated in the Steele dossier assembled by the Hillary Clinton campaign and was taken up by the Mueller investigation.  It was part of a coordinated campaign to slander President Trump as a Russian agent.  At the same time, Indivisible was being funded by Hansjörg Wyss: the richest man in Switzerland.  When Indivisible was asked where its money was coming from it refused to be transparent, invoking "privacy" concerns.  The privacy was that of its billionaire foreign donor.

Tuning Out Wokeism.  If wokeness should continue and "win," by now we all know where it will end up.  After all, this is not a prairie-fire, peasants-with-pitchforks, spontaneous bottom-up revolution.  The woke Left seeks a top-down erasure of America, engineered by the likes of LeBron James from his $40 million estate talking revolution to Oprah at her $90 million castle, as Mark Zuckerberg throws in $500 million here, and his colleagues $400 million there, and as the top executives of Coke, Target, and Delta Airlines believe their $17 million-a-year salaries make them experts on the crimes of non-diversity, exclusion, and inequity.  Anytime revolutionaries at the outset of their enterprises seek exemption from the consequences of their own ideology, we know their plans will end badly for everyone else.

Who funds the riotous American Left & why?  Why do giant corporations and billionaires fund Black Lives Matter and Antifa, both avowed socialist groups?  And why do the leftists accept their aid?  They both want a kind of socialism, but only one of them could get their way.  If you're at all familiar with the corporate and billionaire funding sources behind Black Lives Matter and Antifa and the socialist commitments of these groups and their leaders, you've probably wondered why the 'capitalist class' would support a movement whose doctrine is apparently antithetical to their own interests.  Aren't these funders capitalists after all, and don't capitalists naturally oppose socialism?  And why do American leftists dance like marionettes attached to strings pulled by globalist billionaires?  Don't they understand that they're actually serving the masters they claim to oppose?

Swiss Billionaire Gave Millions to Eric Holder's Partisan Gerrymandering Group.  A liberal Swiss billionaire known for meddling in U.S. elections has funneled millions of dollars to former attorney general Eric Holder's effort to redraw electoral maps in favor of Democrats, newly obtained documents reveal.  The Berger Action Fund, the advocacy arm of Swiss megadonor Hansjörg Wyss's Wyss Foundation, passed $3 million to the National Redistricting Action Fund (NRAF) between 2018 and 2020.  The NRAF is the 501(c)(4) lobbying arm of Holder's National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a self-described "centralized hub for executing a comprehensive redistricting strategy" to give Democrats an edge in congressional races.  Holder, who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, launched the group in 2017 with the goal of electing Democratic majorities in state legislatures in order to control the 2021-2022 redistricting process.

Obamas share intimate dinner with A-listers Hanks, Springsteen and Spielberg.  Former President Obama and wife Michelle partied into the wee hours Monday [5/3/2021] with a few A-list pals — Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw and Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa.  The powerhouse pairs gathered at the Hanks' $26 million Pacific Palisades manse in California around 7 p.m.  Sunday — and kept the party going till well after midnight, according to Splash News.  But despite the long night, the well-heeled guests appeared no worse for the wear afterward.

Seattle's socialist councilmembers collectively [are] worth over $3.5 million.  Socialists on the Seattle City Council have taken advantage of our capitalist system, getting wealthy off the low-income voters they claim to fight for.  In fact, Socialists Kshama Sawant and Tammy Morales are collectively worth over $3.5 million.  In Washington state, they're both one-percenters: the very people they regularly demonize.  Councilmembers must submit financial disclosure forms every year.  It allows the public to see any potential conflicts of interest.  But it has the added bonus of highlighting how many get wealthy off their socialist grift.  It turns out, the only way socialism works, apparently, is selling your brand to kids who live at their parent's homes, while convincing them to give you more power.

Diamond Life:  BLM founder dropped $26,000 at luxury Malibu resort, Daily Caller reports.  Looks like it's not just mansions for smooth operator Patrisse Cullors, who co-founded Black Lives Matter.  She's also into stretches at luxury resorts, with some very curious accounting. [...] Some of it yes, was for conference space, so some kind of meeting may have happened.  But a lot of it was not, and it was done in a three-month window in 2019. Self-described "trained Marxist" Cullors elsewhere has dropped a cool $3.2 million on four houses and mansions, at least two of them in the Los Angeles area.  She couldn't hold these off-the-record "meetings" in one of those places?  Sounds a little funny.

BLM Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors in Hot Water Again Over Lavish Spending.  BLM Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors is under scrutiny again for lavish spending.  The self-proclaimed Marxist previously came under fire for buying multiple houses totaling over $3 million in value.  Her defense for how a Marxist could justify that kind of capitalist indulgence fell short.  Now, it's been revealed that one of Cullors "reform" organizations dropped $26,000 for "meetings" at a Malibu, CA resort. [...] There are legal and moral issues at play here.  The group is apparently some kind of political fundraising arm, therefore they are subject to some campaign finance laws.  What exactly those are, I can't offer any insight into.  There's no chance any prosecutor would touch this with a ten-foot pole anyway.  It's too small potatoes when compared to the possible backlash.

Democrats are the party of the wealthy, IRS data shows.  Democrats are the party of the wealthy, a flip from decades ago when it was the party of the poor and middle class.  Democrats represented 65% of taxpayers with a household income of $500,000 or more in 2020, according to IRS data, while 74% of taxpayers in Republican districts have household incomes of less than $100,000.  In 1993, the dynamic was reversed, with the typical Republican congressional district showing it was 14% wealthier than its Democratic counterpart.  In 2020, data shows those Republican districts were now 13% poorer.

The disabled couldn't access public transit hub for a month thanks to the Oscars.  Not surprised that woke Hollywood and Los Angeles couldn't care less about real people, including real people of color.

Coca-Cola's Craven Cockwomble Capitulates.  Just this month, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey decided that he, a British subject, would unilaterally take a stand in the name of the iconic American company he runs and inveigh headlong against Georgia's newly passed voter integrity law.  Quincey is an engineer and a marketing guy.  A guest in this country.  When did he suddenly acquire such enormous political acumen on American domestic politics?  Save for his green card and his King's English, Quincey is not that far removed from those tattooed MS-13 punks who slip across the southern border to exploit the economics of America.  A person loyal to the Queen had the gall to use the outstanding reputation of his very American company to bash [...] his host country's and host state's proper legislative process.

Coca-Cola to conservatives:  Never mind, let's be friends.  After Georgia's election reform law was signed, Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola came under pressure from black CEOs to come out against the new law.  So, they did.  Others caved to the pressure, like Home Depot, but Coke and Delta were the most public about their opposition.  The CEOs gave cable television interviews and used social media to get their messages of woke opposition out.  Amazon and Google are two of the big companies that signed the two-page ad in Wednesday's newspapers.  Others include General Motors, Netflix, Starbucks, BlackRock, Target, Facebook, Bank of America, MasterCard, and United Airlines.  United Airlines made headlines last week for announcing a new quota system to be implemented in hiring pilots to increase diversity.  The letter is an exercise in virtue-signaling where none is needed.  The Georgia bill, for example, has been criticized yet those doing so do not point to any specifics.  Blanket statements are for dramatic effect, not for productive discussion.

Delta Airlines CEO, others prove that the woke revolution is not a grassroots movement.  Ed Bastian made $17 million in 2019 as chief executive officer of Delta Airlines, Georgia's largest employer.  Bastian just blasted Georgia's new voting law.  He thinks it is racist to require the same sort of ID to vote that Delta requires for its passengers to check in.  Yet most Americans believe voting is a more sacred act than flying Delta and, moreover, may have noticed that Delta has partnerships with systemically racist China.  Also, a recent Associated Press poll showed that 72 percent of Americans favor requiring photo ID to vote.  The most privileged CEOs of corporate America — those who sell us everything from soft drinks and sneakers to professional sports and social media — now jabber to America about its racism, sexism and other assorted sins.

How corporations conspire with Democrats to hoard power at the public's expense.  Georgians adopted voter-integrity measures supported by a large majority of Americans, that are in the mainstream of state regulation and in fact are less stringent than the rules in Delaware, President Joe Biden's home state, and New York.  By more than a 2-1 margin, Americans think such rules are not unfair or discriminatory.  Nonetheless, these measures have produced an unprecedented effort by large corporations to interfere in the workings of a democratic government.  Major League Baseball moved its All-Star Game out of (majority-black) Atlanta to (majority-white) Denver in protest.  Coca-Cola's president weighed in against the changes.  And in a statement organized by Kenneth Chenault, former chief executive of American Express, and Kenneth Frazier, the chief executive of Merck, hundreds of CEOs voiced opposition.

Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Cashes in on 'Systemic Racism'.  Patrisse Cullors is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter.  About her background, she said in 2015: "The first thing, I think, is that we actually do have an ideological frame.  Myself and Alicia [Garza, BLM co-founder,] in particular are trained organizers."  Cullors also said:  "We are trained Marxists.  We are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories.  And I think that what we really tried to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many black folk."  Cullors, the self-described "trained Marxist," appears to be doing quite well for herself.  Last year, she signed a major Hollywood production deal.  Variety

Report: Black Lives Matter co-founder made $20K a month as jail reform group chairwoman.  It turns out the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation made upwards of $20,000 a month while she served as the chairwoman of a Los Angeles based jail reform group back in 2019, according to campaign finance records.  This happens to be the same individual that has come under a bit of scrutiny for the recent acquisition of a $1.4 million home purchased in Los Angeles back in March.  Pitrisse Cullors has managed to acquire quite the large sum of money through her efforts that have essentially been enabled via co-founding the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.  Records show that Cullors managed to rake in upwards of $20,000 a month while serving as the chairwoman of the group known as Reform LA Jails back in 2019.  This sum of money was acquired through Cullors' consulting firm, known as Janaya and Patrisse Consulting.

BLM Sent Legal Threats To NY Activist Who Called For Audit Of Cofounder's $3.2 Million Home-Buying Spree.  The national Black Lives Matter (BLM) organization sent legal threats to a prominent New York BLM activist for using the Black Lives Matter name, according to both parties.  BLM Global Network Foundation, cofounded by Patrisse Cullors, sent cease-and-desist letters to BLM Greater New York leader Hank Newsome claiming Newsome's group is illegally uses the Black Lives Matter name, according to The Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF). Newsome earlier this week called for an independent investigation into Cullors' finances after she reportedly spent millions on new properties.  BLM Greater New York is unaffiliated with the national BLM group and is illegally operating under the BLM name, the foundation argued in its letters to Newsome.

While spending millions on luxury homes, BLM co-founder told college students that capitalism is 'more tragic' than COVID-19.  Black Lives Matter co-founder and self-described Marxist Patrisse Cullors — who has accumulated over $3 million in luxury real estate in recent years — told college students just last summer that "capitalism" is "more tragic" than COVID-19.  In March, Cullors purchased a $1.4 million home in Topanga Canyon, California — a town near Malibu in which less than 2 percent of the population is African-American.  The property features "soaring ceilings, skylights and plenty of windows," as well as a guesthouse.  According to the New York Post, Cullors also purchased a $415,000 home outside of Atlanta last year.  In 2016, she purchased a three-bedroom home in Inglewood for $510,000, and in 2018, she acquired a four-bedroom home in South Los Angeles for $590,000.  The values of the latter two properties have appreciated to $800,000 and $720,000, respectively.  She has also reportedly eyed homes in Nassau priced between $5 million and $20 million.

BLM Co-Founder Breaks Silence on Criticism About Real Estate Binge.  I've been writing a lot about Patrisse Khan-Cullors, the self-described trained Marxist leader of Black Lives Matter over the past week, after the news came out that she'd just dropped a bundle on a mini-compound in Topanga Canyon, California.  She secured the property, which has two houses on it, for $1.4 million through a corporate entity which she controls.  It's also in an area that is only about 1.4 percent black.  Then the information also came out that she had three other high-end homes — two in Los Angeles and one in Georgia with an indoor swimming pool, an airplane hangar, and access to a landing strip.  The homes added up to $3.2 million according to the report.  She allegedly was also was looking into securing a home in the Bahamas at a resort where the homes ranged in price from $5 million to $20 million.  Not exactly living up to her Marxist creed.  Or perhaps we should say, she really is, since most Marxist leaders preach a lot but then aggregate all the trappings of wealth to themselves.

BLM says stories about co-founder's new multi-million dollar home are fueled by 'white supremacy'.  Black Lives Matter put out a statement on Tuesday [4/13/2021] in reaction to the revelations that co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors purchased a multi-million dollar home, and questions as to whether BLM was the source of the funding that enabled that real estate buy.  The statement claims that the source of the revelations about the home buy, which were first reported in Dirt, are from conservatives who seek to do Khan-Cullors and her mission harm.  Many conservatives, including Candace Owens and Jason Whitlock, were simply horrified that an avowed Marxist would be indulging in capitalistic luxuries.  The statement reads that:  "Patrisse Cullors is the Executive Director of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF).  She serves in this role in a volunteer capacity and does not receive a salary or benefits.  Patrisse has received a total of $120,000 since the organization's inception in 2013, for duties such as serving as spokesperson and engaging in political education work.  Patrisse did not receive any compensation after 2019.["]

The Editor says...
Black Lives Matter wants you to know that the organization's co-founder "does not receive a salary or benefits."  Okay, then just out of curiosity, where did she get the money to buy a $1.4 million house?  Keep reading...

Marxist BLM leader reportedly raked in big bucks from jail reform initiative.  Patrisse Khan-Cullors, the self-described Marxist leader of Black Lives Matter, raked in upwards of $20,000 a month as the chairwoman of a jail reform initiative, according to reports on Wednesday [4/14/2021].  Reform LA Jails paid Cullors' consulting firm, Janaya and Patrisse Consulting, a total of $191,000 in 2019, according to campaign finance data cited by Fox News and The Daily Caller.  Cullors, who is listed as "principal officer" and "business owner" on the payments, started the firm with her spouse and BLM co-founder Janaya Khan.  The reports came as the 37-year-old activist faced criticism over a real estate spending spree — in which she snagged four high-end homes for $3.2 million in the US alone.

Report: Marxist Black Lives Matter Co-founder Bought Four Homes since 2016.  Patrisse Khan-Cullors, one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement and a "trained Marxist," is reported to have bought four homes over the past several years, as her activist profile grew and protests raged around the country.  Last week, real estate website Dirt.com reported that the "37-year-old social justice visionary" Khan-Cullors had bought a $1.4 million compound in Topanga, a remote Los Angeles neighborhood nestled deep in the Santa Monica mountains. [...] However, it turns out that Khan-Cullors also owns a house in the predominantly black neighborhood of Inglewood — among several other homes.  The New York Post reported Saturday [4/10/2021] that she bought a $510,000 home there in 2016, which is worth about $800,000 today.  She also bought a $590,000 home in South Los Angeles that is worth $720,000 today, and bought a ranch in rural Georgia for $415,000 last year, "featuring a private airplane hangar with a studio apartment above it."

Black Lives Matter activists want investigation of leader after real-estate binge.  If there's one thing that unites activists the political left and the political right, it's ... grift.  From ultra-nationalists to Marxists, eventually someone figures out how to use organizing to get rich.  This time around it's the turn of Black Lives Matter activists, who are shocked, shocked to find their founder and leader Patrisse Khan-Cullors buying up high-end real estate with seven-figure price tags. [...] If you go around calling yourself a socialist, you probably shouldn't keep snapping up personal property in the form of real estate.  (One could ask Bernie Sanders about that, too.)  Socialists oppose personal property, especially in the form of real estate, and especially when the wealthy collect more of it than they can use at any one time.  Investments in real estate are usually the hallmark of capitalists, and occasionally grifters as well.

Head of NYC BLM chapter calls for probe into organization's co-founder.  The head of New York City's Black Lives Matter chapter is calling for an independent investigation into the organization's finances after it was revealed a co-founder snapped up a $1.4 million home in a ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood.  Patrisse Cullors, 37, who is a co-founder of BLM and self-professed 'trained Marxist', recently purchased a plush property in Topanga Canyon complete with a separate guest house and an expansive back yard.  In Topanga Canyon, 88 percent of residents are white and just 1.8 percent are black, according to the census.

Woke CEOs Gather to Fight Against Election Integrity Laws.  Roughly 100 of America's top corporate leaders and CEOs gathered both in-person and virtually on Saturday [4/10/2021] to strategize ways to combat new election integrity laws like Georgia's H.B. 531. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale University management professor who helped organize the meeting, framed it as a response to threats of reprisals after Georgia-based companies like Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, and Aflac Insurance condemned the Georgia bill.  He called election integrity measures "anti-undemocratic."

100+ Corporate Leaders Meet To Plot Opposition To Election Security Measures:  Report.  More than 100 corporate leaders met this weekend to plot their opposition to voter integrity laws across the United States following false statements made by far-left activists and top politicians like Democrat President Joe Biden.  CBS News reported that leaders from American Airlines, United Airlines, Levi Strauss & Co., Walmart, ViacomCBS, Ariel Investments, LinkedIn, Twitter, AMC Theaters, and "others" were invited to the leftist event.  Kenneth Chenault, the former chief executive of American Express Co., and Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck & Co., reportedly urged others to join their pressure campaign by signing onto a statement that could be released as soon as this week.

Twitter does not want you to know that the co-founder of BLM just bought a $1.4 million house in an exclusive lily-white neighborhood.  Social media censorship is escalating and ever more blatant.  Unfettered knowledge is dangerous to the phony narratives that progressives wish to brainwash the public into accepting, and with social media, the blockade imposed by mainstream media potentially can be breached by people posting otherwise obscure media sources to their social media accounts.  The latest prominent victim is Jason Whitlock, originally a sportswriter but now a social critic who brings insightful commentary on many issues, including race.  (For the record, Whitlock is Black, a fact that seems to make a difference to most people on the left.)  Yesterday [4/9/2021], Jason Whitlock posted a link to a story about Patrice Cullors and her apparent spouse Janaya Khan (who self-identifies as "black, queer, and gender-nonconforming") buying a $1.4-million compound in the Topanga Canyon area of Greater Los Angeles. [...] When Jason Whitlock noted the purchase on his widely followed Twitter account, Jack Dorsey's minions decided this was too much information.

BLM's Lady of the Canyon.  The co-founder of Black Lives Matter has found a personal solution for the big black crime wave that she has done so much to instigate. [...] Topanga is not terribly welcoming to outsiders.  Back before GPS, the locals would frequently tear down the road sign pointing to the trailhead of the Topanga Canyon State Park.  But it's perhaps the safest non-gated community in Los Angeles County for staying far, far away from black crime.  Topanga was only 1.4% black in the 2010 Census and 84.5% non-Hispanic white, which is very white for L.A. County.  Of course, Black Lives Matter has gotten thousands of incremental blacks murdered by other blacks, but Ms. Khan-Cullors' black life matters enough to stay secluded from other blacks.

Marxist BLM Co-Founder Buys 1.4M Mansion In Predominantly White Neighborhood.  The Black Lives Matter movement is not only anti-police, anti-white, anti-capitalist but also proudly neo-Marxist.  Patrisse Cullors is an American artist and activist.  Cullors is an advocate for prison abolition in Los Angeles and a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement.  She also identifies as a queer activist.  That's what the mainstream media and the Wikipedia page will tell you but what was a huge secret since the BLM movement was founded now is out.

Bill Gates, George Soros Team Up To Form Organization to Combat 'Disinformation'.  The American ruling class is now trying to fight what they are calling "misinformation" and "disinformation" on social media.  A report from NewsBusters reveals that the Aspen Institute Commission on Information is being funded by left-wing billionaires Bill Gates and George Soros, among others, to "fight 'mis- and disinformation.'" [...] It's clear that the ruling class wants to prevent Donald Trump from being the leading face of the Republican Party.  One could also argue that they want to prevent the rise of another Donald Trump.

Inside Biden White House's ties to dark money group seeking to pack Supreme Court.  President Biden's White House has close ties to a left-wing dark money group that seeks to expand the Supreme Court.  Both White House press secretary Jen Psaki and Paige Herwig, Biden's point person on judicial nominations, previously worked for Demand Justice, which is part of a massive dark money network, the Sixteen Thirty Fund.  Demand Justice is open about seeking to overhaul the federal court system to advance progressive goals.

Wealthy and Woke.  Ed Bastian makes $17 million a year as chief executive officer of Delta Airlines, Georgia's largest employer.  Bastian just blasted Georgia's new voting law.  He thinks it is racist to require the same sort of ID to vote that Delta requires for its passengers to check-in.  Yet most Americans believe voting is a more sacred act than flying Delta and, moreover, may have noticed that Delta has all sorts of partnerships with a systemically racist China.  So polls show Americans approve of voter IDs.  Bastian fears the woke mob more than the majority of Georgia residents who support the law.  Apparently, his theory is that the greater numbers of average folks won't threaten his multimillion-dollar perch as much as fewer but more powerful left-wing elites.  The most privileged CEOs of corporate America — those who sell us everything from soft drinks and sneakers, to professional sports and social media — now jabber to America about its racism, sexism, and assorted sins. [...] Bastian is paid about $65,000 for each working day of the year.  In a sane world, he might seem a ridiculous voice of the oppressed.

Boycott boomerang:  Genius Dems start to realize Georgia boycott will cost them votes in the Peach State.  Democrats thought they had a brilliant plan to force Georgia to permit widespread voting fraud by getting their woke pals in corporate America to bully the state into repealing its brand-new voting integrity law that mandates voter ID and other commonsense measures.  Two Atlanta-based corporate giants, Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines, denounced Georgia's new voting integrity bill, and Major League Baseball announced it was moving the All-Star Game away from Atlanta.  Oops!  Guess who gets hurt in the estimated $100 million impact from the loss of the MLB showcase.  That would be the little guys who work at hotels and restaurants, who are vendors at the game, and who work in other service industries.  The local Dem pols realized this quickly.

The Commonalities Between the Rise of the Nazis and the Tactics of the American Left Cannot be Ignored.  [Scroll down]  The American left and the Democrat party hierarchy, true to socialist ideology, has long blamed the evil one percent or greedy billionaires for income and economic inequality in order to foment class envy and resentment.  But the similarity does not end there.  In an extraordinary juxtaposition the Nazis were able to vilify the wealthy and the industrialists while the subjects of their vitriol voluntarily financed the Nazi Party and its political campaigns.  Hitler assured the German corporate titans that, despite their rhetoric, the Nazis would leave them alone and award them lucrative contracts if they supported the Party through massive financial support and favorable newspaper coverage.  Greed overcame good sense, and they did so.  These gullible cowards were ultimately responsible for unleashing the Nazis on an unsuspecting planet.  The American left has established a similar rapport with the corporate establishment, in particular the tech titans, by tacitly letting them know that the Democrat party will leave them alone if they financially support the party.

Election 'Safety' Grants May Have Swung Arizona to Biden, Report Finds.  Money from the founder of Facebook touted as being for safe elections during the pandemic may have affected the outcome of the presidential race in Arizona by driving up Democrat turnout, according to a government watchdog report.  The grant from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan focused more on "voter education" than personal protective equipment to guard against COVID-19, the report says.  The Zuckerbergs gave a total of $350 million to the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a left-leaning technology group, that in turn issued grants to 2,500 election offices in 49 states.  The spending included $5 million for Arizona, according to preliminary data by the Foundation for Government Accountability, the watchdog group.

How Did Susan Rice Make As Much As $149 Million?  Democrats fight for the people.  And by the people, they mean the oppressed and downtrodden working classes of the swamp.  Themselves. [...] It goes without saying that no one is inviting Susan Rice to speak because of her deep insights into how to get ahead by using your political connections.  No more than they were paying Hillary millions because they wanted to listen to her shriek from a teleprompter.  And the speaking tour has died down, for the same reason that Rice kept cashing in.  Companies invest in people who are going to be power players in the government.  Everyone knows it.

Obama-era officials return to White House worth millions.  As several Obama-era officials return to the White House under President Joe Biden, their reunion comes with fuller pockets and deeper ties to corporate interests, new financial disclosure reports show.  According to ABC News' analysis of the most recent disclosure reports, many of Biden's top White House officials, including Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, and coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, have substantially multiplied their wealth over the past few years.  Rice, who is among the wealthiest members of the Biden White House team, dramatically increased her wealth since her previous White House job during the Obama administration, reporting between $36 million and $149 million in various assets in her new disclosure filing released Saturday morning [3/20/2021].  That's nearly three to four times the amount she reported back in 2009, when she joined the Obama administration as the ambassador to the United Nations.

Vanita Gupta Says She Backs $15 'Livable Wage.' Her Family Business Pays Mexicans $1.30 an Hour.  President Joe Biden's nominee for a top Justice Department post is a longtime advocate for raising the minimum wage to $15, but she owns up to $1 million in stock in a company chaired by her father that pays its Mexican workforce as little as $1.30 an hour.  Vanita Gupta — whose net worth of between $42 and $187 million makes her the Biden administration's wealthiest nominee — owns at least $500,000 in Aptiv PLC, an international auto parts manufacturer chaired by her father.  In contrast with Gupta's advocacy for a $15 an hour minimum wage, the company pays some of its Mexican employees hourly rates as low as $1.30, according to active job listings reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. One job posted on Indeed.com, for example, offers a line operator role at a Zacatecas plant that pays the U.S. dollar equivalent of $260 a month for a 50-hour per week job.  In her nonprofit work and her personal social media, Gupta has repeatedly expressed support for both the $15 per hour minimum wage and a so-called livable wage.

Trump supporters need to play hardball.  I am sorely tempted to play hardball with the rich.  After what they did to conservatives in America, I want to make them pay.  I am tempted to say soak the rich and tax [...] them.  None of these companies showed even an ounce of gratitude for President Donald John Trump's 2017 corporate tax cut.  They worked to elect Chairman Xiden.  We must exact a price for their disloyalty.  Politics must be played to win.  Turncoats must be punished.  Savagely.  Corporate America has abandoned the American people.  We must return the favor.  But how?  Supporting a tax increase strikes against what I stand for.  But there is a part of me that says go for it.

The DNC's Virtual Convention Was Really Coming From Martha's Vineyard.  So much for the "We're All In This Together" in both senses of the phrase.  Forget statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico.  If the Democrats were more honest, they would demand statehood for D.C. and Martha's Vineyard, per this anecdote from a WaPo review of 'Lucky:  How Joe Biden Barely won the Presidency'.  ["]Planners of the Democratic Party's virtual convention thought about featuring a national map that would highlight the locations of various speakers, thus countering the notion that the party was a club for coastal elites — only to can the idea when they realized multiple speakers would be broadcasting from Martha's Vineyard.["]  It's awkward when you keep talking about how you represent the working class and the oppressed proletariat of Georgia and Pennsylvania while broadcasting from Martha's Vineyard.  So, no map for you.  But, back to, "We're all in this together", the 'Vineyard' had a special status during the pandemic.  ["]The ultra-rich are hoping to escape the coronavirus pandemic by fleeing to summer homes on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, drawing fury from locals who fear they will decimate supplies and bring the infection with them.["]

America's elections must never be for sale.  Wealthy individuals and corporations, including Google and Arnold Schwarzeneggar [sic], gave money to election officials all over the country during the last election cycle.  None, however, came close to donating as much money as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who spent over $400 million on public elections through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.  That's roughly the same amount of money that the federal government appropriated to help state and local election officials cope with the additional expenses incurred because of COVID.  The overwhelming majority of Zuckerberg's money went to an organization founded and run by leftist activists called the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL).  Especially early in the cycle, when it made the biggest impact, CTCL distributed the lion's share of the Zuckerberg money to urban areas in the key swing states that ultimately decided the 2020 presidential election, such as Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Detroit.

The Dangers of Climate Change Activists.  What is it about people who are successful in one field and believe that gives them credence to serve as an expert in a totally unrelated field?  Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and reportedly the fourth-richest person on the planet, now self-identifies as a climate expert, and not only an expert, but a fervent disciple of the latest religion for the non-religious, which would be "climate change."  In a new book, "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster," Gates takes the rhetoric to a new and hysterical level when he claims the battle against changing climate is "an all-out effort, like a world war, but it's us against greenhouse gases."  As all statists do, he urges "regulation to force people to eat synthetic meat."  Gates invests in a synthetic meat company called Beyond Burgers.  Anyone else see a potential conflict of interest?  He's not alone.  Al Gore, the original "Chicken Little" of climate panic, has lobbied for climate policies that limit meat while his firm invests $200 million in meat substitutes.

Bill Gates, Climate Warrior, and Super Emitter.  During the pandemic, Bill Gates's personal fortune has increased by an impressive $20 billion, but even these gains pale in comparison to his soaring political influence — as the news media has widely trumpeted his leadership on Covid-19, praising his charitable donations or extolling him as a "visionary" who predicted the outbreak.  It's a highly questionable narrative, one that ignores widespread controversy over the way Gates made his fortune and how he chooses to spend it, but which nonetheless has delivered a windfall of political capital for our philanthropist in chief — which he is now spending down. [...] Given Gates's track record of success inserting himself into other policy debates — everything from US education to global health — it seems likely he will continue to take up oxygen in the climate discourse going forward.  If so, he proceeds from a precarious position, not just because of his thin credentials, untested solutions, and stunning financial conflicts of interest, but because his undemocratic assertion of power — no one appointed or elected him as the world's new climate czar — comes at precisely the time when democratic institutions have become essential to solving climate change.

The Editor says...
The climate will always change, very gradually.  It is not something that can be (or needs to be) solved.

California's Multibillionaires Intend to Conquer the World.  As the oldest man ever to be elected U.S. president begins his administration, his immediate blizzard of executive actions suggests the energy of someone much younger.  The reason for this is obvious.  Joe Biden is not running the country.  He is a president in name only.  The edicts coming out of the Oval Office, along with the imminent legislative initiatives, are produced by the American equivalent of a Soviet politburo, with the political and financial power behind this politburo coming from California.  The political actors occupying key roles include Kamala Harris, whose role as the tie-breaker in the U.S. Senate makes her the most powerful vice president in recent memory, and Nancy Pelosi, who presides over the U.S. House of Representatives — both San Francisco Democrats.  These two politicians are only the most visible Californians in a group that includes cabinet secretaries, administrative appointees, and what is by far the largest state Democratic congressional caucus.  More significant is the fact that Californians also provide the financial power behind the Biden politburo, as well as the cultural power that propels the Democratic narrative.

Hunter Biden moves family to $5.4 million canal-front home in Venice.  Hunter Biden has moved his family to a stylish $5.4 million canal-front home in Venice, California, DailyMail.com can reveal.  The president's son moved into the three-story property with wife Melissa and their 10-month-old son Beau toward the end of last year and the family is now under 24-hour Secret Service protection.  It's believed the father of five, who turned 51 on Thursday, is paying $25,000 a month to rent the posh property owned by Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman.  Hunter has some fresh cash to help pay for the pricey rental.  On Thursday it was revealed he has written a memoir titled Beautiful Things, that will be published April 6.  The advance for the book is said to be as much as $2 million.

Biden Breaks Fundraising Records For "Uniquely Corrupting" Donations, But...  Bad news, Republicans — Democrats figured out The Secret of Citizens United.  At least that seems to be the outrage over this report about Joe Biden's record-breaking advantage in "dark money," amplified by Fox News today from a Bloomberg report over the weekend.  Fox's Megan Henney leans heavily into the hypocrisy angle of a political party taking money through channels it opposes. [...] There's nothing hypocritical about playing by the same rules as your opponent, albeit there might be something hypocritical about denouncing the mechanism at the same time you're leveraging it.  Especially if you keep griping about it being "uniquely corrupting."

The Lincoln Project Sets a New Standard for Shameless Grift.  It's difficult to put into words what is so distasteful about The Lincoln Project.  Not that the words don't come to mind; they do, almost too readily.  But seeing them all put down, next to each other — it starts to feel a little cruel.  The obvious starting point is last week's revelation that Lincoln Project co-founder John Weaver allegedly offered young men jobs in exchange for sex.  Those reports were enough to elicit criticism even from the left-wing press, which had previously fawned over the Lincoln Project for months.  But the truth is that this was only the lowest act in a long string of lows for the group: the shameless grift, the questionable political strategy, and of course, the disgusting attacks on Trump supporters.  Taken together, it's almost pitiable to behold.  Not that they're in need of too much pity.  They have, after all, raised more than $87 million in their short existence, much of which has gone to their board members or their board members' firms.

Biden 2020 Run [was] Backed By $145 Million In 'Dark Money'.  President Biden's campaign received a record-breaking amount of anonymous donations to outside groups backing him, which means the public "will never have a full accounting of who helped him win the White House," according to Bloomberg.  In total, $145 million in so-called dark money donations, "a type of fundraising Democrats have decried for years," backed the Biden campaign — and combined with his $1.5 billion record-breaking haul.  Of note, Biden's campaign called for banning certain types of nonprofits from spending money to influence elections, and that any organization spending over $10,000 to benefit a candidate register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and disclose its donors.  They didn't specifically call on their own supporters to do so, however.

Biden Raked in More 'Dark Money' Than Any Candidate in History, Dwarfing Trump's Donations.  Sometimes, I almost feel like "The hypocrisy of the Left knows no bounds" should be permanently affixed as the opening sentence of my articles if not the headline.  The 2020 presidential election was and remains a quintessential case in point.  As is the case with every presidential election, the "pure as the driven snow" Democrat Party — this time with addled old Joe in tow — incessantly hyperventilated — lied — about the untold vast amounts of "special interest" money flowing into Donald Trump's evil coffers.  Just one problem.  While Biden and his handlers continually bragged about his campaign's small-dollar donations — as a "moral" contrast to Trump's "corrupt" "special interest" donations, of course — it appears that again they were either lying, clueless, or both.

Report: Joe Biden Rode Record-Breaking 'Dark Money' Donations Into The White House.  President Joe Biden rode a record-breaking $145 million in "dark money" donations into the White House, Bloomberg News reported Saturday [1/23/2021].  "Dark money" is donations from anonymous donors to outside groups backing a given candidate.  Biden's $145 million is the all-time record for a candidate challenging an incumbent president, according to Bloomberg.  Former President Donald Trump received $28 million from such donations.  Many Democrats have called for an end to dark money donations as it is difficult for the public to discover where the donations are coming from.  The pro-Biden outside spending group Priorities USA defended their donations in a statement to Bloomberg.

New York Times feels the wrath of angry libs after story on Biden wearing a 'luxury' watch.  Reporters for left-wing publications and other liberal critics tore into The New York Times after the paper published a story focusing on an expensive Rolex watch worn by President Joe Biden.  Reporter Alex Williams, in a story headlined, "Is That a Rolex on Biden's Wrist?" claimed that the president is "breaking from prevailing presidential tradition" by wearing a brand of watch often associated with luxury.  "At his inauguration, Mr. Biden laid his hand on the family Bible wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust watch with a blue dial, a model that retails for more than $7,000 and is a far cry from the Everyman timepieces that every president not named Trump has worn conspicuously in recent decades," wrote Williams.

Busting the Myth of Conservative 'Dark Money'.  Here's a popular myth:  Rich people are all conservative, so conservatives have more money to affect politics than liberals, because the left, which cares about the poor, doesn't have the same kind of resources.  A new report from the Capital Research Center, where I work, busts this myth and showcases the disparity between "dark money" giving on the left and the right following the Supreme Court's consequential Citizens United v. FEC decision in 2010.  Spoiler alert:  According to the report's data, liberals beat conservatives in philanthropic giving that supports public policy fights by almost 4 to 1, despite the constant, histrionic rhetoric about dark money corruption on the right.

Anderson Cooper clarifies he's not too 'fancy' for Olive Garden after backlash, likes their artichoke dip.  CNN's Anderson Cooper on Friday [1/8/2021] clarified a seemingly elitist remark he made earlier this week, suggesting the U.S. Capitol rioters were the type of people who might patronize Olive Garden.  Many perceived it as condescending to both Trump supporters and the popular restaurant chain.  "Look at them, they're high-fiving each other for this deplorable display of completely unpatriotic, completely against law-and-order, completely unconstitutional behavior.  It's stunning," Cooper said on his show "AC360."  "And they're going to go back, you know, to the Olive Garden and to the Holiday Inn they're staying at, and the Garden Marriott and they're going to have some drinks and they're going to talk about the great day they had in Washington."  The host Friday claimed his words were misinterpreted.

CNN's Anderson Vanderbilt Cooper Mocks Olive Garden, Holiday Inn as Deplorable Hot Spots.  CNN star Anderson Cooper, the son of the famous and uber-wealthy fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt, can't help it sometimes if his white-haired privilege gets the best of him.  On Wednesday, in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol rioting in the Jake Tapper hour, Cooper made an obvious conclusion that rioting at the Capitol was deplorable, and then added that the Deplorables then went to the Olive Garden to celebrate.  [Video clip]

2020 taught us one good thing:  Celebrities are meaningless.  [Scroll down]  The list goes on:  Madonna whining that COVID was "the great equalizer" from her rose-petaled bathtub.  David Geffen's superyacht selfie.  Ellen DeGeneres broadcasting from her gorgeous estate, a wall of greenery behind her floor-to-ceiling windows, complaining that quarantine was "like being in jail."  Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas' staged and incessant paparazzi walks during lockdown.  Arnold Schwarzenegger posting videos from his hot tub, puffing on a cigar or from his kitchen with his mini-ponies.  Harry and Meghan's logorrheic online videos.  Chrissy Teigen and countless Kardashians engaging in luxury travel, still, now, as numbers spike and ICUs verge on overflow.

Zuckerberg's Election.  [Thread reader]  Funded by $350 Million from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, activist organizations created a two-tiered election system that treated voters differently depending on whether they lived in Democrat or Republican strongholds.  Mark Zuckerberg was invited into the counting room, and the American people were kicked out.  Zuckerberg-CTCL funds allowed these Democrat strongholds to spend roughly $47 per voter, compared to $4 to $7 per voter in traditionally Republican areas of the state.  In Michigan, $5,939,235 was awarded to jurisdictions where Clinton won & $402,878 where Trump won.  In Pennsylvania, $13,063,828 for Clinton and $692,742 for Trump.  CTCL hidden COVID-19 grant agenda was to increase the votes for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.  Zuckerberg money & money from other "leftist" organizations totaled $500M, while the Federal Government only appropriated $400M for the 2020 election.  This effectively created a "two-tiered election system" and a "shadow government" running our elections.

Ossoff, Warnock bankrolled by donors in New York and California.  The record-shattering fundraising hauls made by Georgia Democratic Senate hopefuls Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are being driven by out-of-state donors in liberal cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, campaign filings show.  As Democrats try to claw back control of the Senate in enormously consequential run-off races on Jan. 5, Ossoff, an investigative journalist, and Warnock, a senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, each raised a stunning $100 million in the last two months, becoming the best-funded Senate candidates in history.  But 95 percent of that money is coming from outside of the Peach State, records show.

Bill Gates' Savior Complex Spirals Out of Control, Funds Sun-Dimming Plan To Save the Human Race.  Bill Gates is now best known as a philanthropist, not the guy who started Microsoft or was the avatar for everyone's annoyance with Windows 95.  He's also known for wanting to save us from ourselves.  Now, apparently, he wants to save us from the sun.  Gates, for those of you who don't follow these things, has been big on both vaccination and pandemic prevention.  Fair enough.  That certainly means his moment has arrived.  However, he's about as much of a lockdown guy as you can get — which is just fine if you're a billionaire who can afford to hide away as if this were Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death," but the real-world consequences for the rest of us can be, ahem, problematic.

Dark Money Behemoth That Hosts BLM Foundation Received $16 Million in Government Grants.  The dark money network that houses the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation received nearly $16 million in taxpayer-funded grants last year, financial filings reveal.  The Tides Center, a California-based nonprofit incubator, reported the government grants on its 2019 tax forms.  It operates by acting as a fiscal sponsor to several left-wing nonprofits, including the BLM Global Network Foundation, which has advocated for abolishing the nuclear family and defunding the police.  This arrangement lets the nonprofits avoid disclosing their financial activity, and thus makes it difficult to know where the taxpayer-funded cash ultimately ends up.  The center's 2019 windfall adds to the $170 million it has received in government grants since 2001 — grants that have drawn criticism from nonprofit watchdogs.  Scott Walter, president of the Capital Research Center, has called Tides as "liberal and politically active as they come" and questioned whether American tax dollars should be awarded to groups housed at such networks.

I Served 8 Months for a Campaign Contribution.  Will Zuckerberg Get Punished for His $500M?  [Video clip]

Report: Mark Zuckerberg's $419 Million Non Profit Contributions 'Improperly Influenced 2020 Presidential Election'.  A report released by the Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society at a press conference on Wednesday alleged Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife made $419.5 million in contributions to non-profit organizations during the 2020 election cycle — $350 million to the "Safe Elections" Project of the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) and another $69.5 million to the Center for Election Innovation and Research — that, "improperly influence[d] the 2020 presidential election on behalf of one particular candidate and party."

Money From Facebook's Zuckerberg Used to Undermine Election, Violate Law:  Report.  Hundreds of millions of dollars from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg were used to violate election laws, according to a new report.  The Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society, a national constitutional litigation organization, released the 39-page report, alleging that Zuckerberg's $500 million given to election officials was used to treat voters unequally and to improperly influence the election for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.  The bulk of the funds went to the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), a nonprofit started by former managers and staff at the New Organizing Institute, a progressive nonprofit.  According to the report, the nonprofit earlier this year "began sending agents into states to recruit certain Democrat strongholds to prepare grants requesting monies from" it.  For example, the center gave $100,000 to Cory Mason, the mayor of Racine, Wisconsin, to recruit four other cities to develop a plan and request a larger grant from it.  Those five cities submitted such a plan in June and received $6.3 million to implement it.

Gleeful Bill Gates:  Keep Restaurants and Bars Closed for Six Months, Allow Slow Return to New Normal Activity in 2022.  The technocrats of modern globalism have a way of carrying inappropriate gleefulness as they laugh, smile and pontificate their detachment from life under their control.  Thus the ever present smirk, smile and laughter from Bill Gates as he describes how workers on Main Street USA must accept their economic destruction as part of their larger responsibility to the global community.  [Video clip]

Dem Dark Money Network Rakes in $715 Million to Bankroll Liberal Causes.  Anonymous donors pumped an eye-popping $715 million into a massive dark money network used to bankroll liberal efforts across the country, new tax forms reveal.  The cash went to funds managed by Arabella Advisors, a D.C.-based consulting firm, in 2019.  Once donors send the cash to the funds, it is then transferred to dozens of left-wing initiatives that fall under their auspices, as well as to outside groups.  The Arabella network consists of four funds:  the Sixteen Thirty Fund, New Venture Fund, Windward Fund, and Hopewell Fund.  Each Arabella-managed fund provides its tax and legal status to the groups that sit beneath them.  Under this setup, known as fiscal sponsorship, the sponsored groups are not standalone nonprofits and do not have to file tax forms to the IRS, effectively obscuring information such as financials, board members, and other important details.

What Is Mark Zuckerberg's Election Money Doing In Georgia?  Imagine if a billionaire of conservative or libertarian leanings — Charles Koch, say — had given $350 million to a nonprofit run by Republican operatives who previously worked at a "dark money" outfit tied to Karl Rove where they trained digital activists and campaign workers.  Then imagine this nonprofit group re-granted the millions of dollars to local election officials to "help" them carry out the 2020 election — buying drop boxes for ballots, hiring temporary staff, conducting "voter education," and the like.  Finally, imagine that in 2020, a state that usually voted for the other party in presidential elections narrowly flipped to the donor's preferred party, and counties receiving "help" were disproportionately ones that helped the Republican win the state, with many counties shifting dramatically from their historical patterns in a red-ward direction.  Even supposing there were perfectly ethical and legal reasons for all this, because of the appearance of election influence from private parties with deep pockets, it would be front-page news.

Report: Nancy Pelosi to Lead High-Priced Fundraiser for Democrats Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will fundraise [sic] Monday [12/7/2020] for Georgia Senate Democrat candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.  Former Baltimore County Executive Ted Venetoulis said Monday that Pelosi will headline a fundraiser Monday [12/7/2020] at 7:30 p.m. ET for the pivotal Georgia Senate runoffs. [...] The flyer for the fundraiser has suggested giving starting at $500 and up to $15,6000. [sic]  Venetoulis added that the Democrats' fundraising would boost the candidates' ground game in Georgia.

The Editor says...
[#1] Please show me the dictionary — and by that I mean a dusty old book with a bunch of words and definitions — which includes the word fundraise.  [#2] If the runoff election is rigged as flagrantly as the November presidential election, what is the purpose of fundraising?  If the Socialist Democrats have rigged the election, the only purpose for a generous donation would be to purchase influence.  Democrats and Republicans really like grassroots activists, until the moment they find out that you don't really have a lot of money in the bank or influence in your neighborhood.

AOC Is Selling Anti-Rich Sweatshirts That Only Rich People Can Afford.  The funny thing about socialists is that they hate the rich but rely on them for everything.  The money has to come from somewhere and since the poor don't have it, socialists have to steal it from those who do.  In the same way, New York Democrat Party sweetheart Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez needs you rich people to use your capitalist tendencies to purchase a shirt to support her socialist ones.

Austin Mayor Tells Residents To Stay Home... From His Condo In Mexico.  Austin Mayor Steve Adler is concerned for the health and safety of his constituents.  So much so that he repeatedly warns Austinites about the dangers of resuming normal activities.  Adler has been a staunch advocate of COVID restrictions, begging people before Thanksgiving to stay home to save lives.  The Austin Health Authority even issued a statement saying "it's important that we drive the (COVID-19) numbers down in advance of Thanksgiving."  Adler agreed, and just ahead of Thanksgiving he posted a video to his Facebook page once again encouraging Austinites to stay home, avoid travel and forgo Thanksgiving with family in the name of safety.  He suggested that Austin may have to close again if people did not comply.  What he did not disclose is that he sent the message from his family timeshare in Cabo San Lucas.

Will CA Liberals Wake Up Now?  SF Mayor London Breed Also Caught at French Laundry.  Monday [11/30/2020] we learned that LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who represents the ritzy areas of Malibu and Santa Monica, went out to eat "al fresco" just hours after voting to uphold "Dr." Barbara Ferrer's unscientific, draconian order shutting down all restaurants in the county for the next three weeks.  We also learned that San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo attended a family Thanksgiving dinner where five separate households were represented, despite the "guidance" from Gov. Newsom that no more than three households gather for the holiday. [...] And now we know that Gavin Newsom wasn't the only San Francisco politician to go to a birthday party at the French Laundry last month.  Just two days after Newsom's infamous soiree, San Francisco Mayor London Breed attended the 60th birthday party of socialite Goretti Lo Lui at the exclusive restaurant — in the very same private dining room Newsom's party occupied.

Schumer-Aligned Dark Money Outfit Funnels Record $40 Million to Advocacy Groups.  A dark money organization aligned with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) funneled a record $40 million to liberal advocacy groups for voter engagement efforts, new filings show.  Majority Forward, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that is affiliated with Schumer's Senate Majority PAC, sent the grants to more than a dozen left-wing groups, several of which are active in Georgia's pivotal runoff elections.  The new tax forms show that Majority Forward experienced a financial windfall heading into the 2020 elections.  The group raised $76 million from anonymous donors between June 1, 2018, and May 31, 2019.  It then flooded 16 liberal advocacy groups with funds for voter registration efforts.  The largest grants include $14.8 million to America Votes, $10.1 million to the Black Progressive Action Coalition, and $3.5 million to the League of Conservation Voters.

2020 was a reminder that money can't buy elections.  One of the most undercommented on features of the 2016 election was the fact that Hillary Clinton outspent President Trump 2-to-1.  She lost a squeaker.  In 2020, little changed.  Joe Biden outspent Trump by nearly 2-to-1.  Although he won, his margin of victory in the states that he needed for the required electoral votes was smaller.  For all of his financial dominance, the favored candidate won by the skin of his teeth.  Earlier this year, Tom Steyer spent hundreds of millions of dollars to go nowhere in the Democratic presidential primary.  Michael Bloomberg put an exclamation mark on that folly with his futile presidential candidacy.  It turns out that you can spend a billion dollars and get nowhere in an election.

The Greatest Electoral Heist in American History.  Under the pretext of assisting election officials conduct "safe and secure" elections in the age of COVID, [Mark] Zuckerberg donated $400 million — as much money as Congress appropriated for the same general purpose — to nonprofit organizations founded and run by left-wing activists.  The primary recipient was the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), which received the staggering sum of $350 million.  Prior to Zuckerberg's donations, CTCL's annual operating expenses averaged less than $1 million per year.  How was Zuckerberg even aware of such a small-potatoes operation, and why did he entrust it with 7/8 of the money he was pouring into this election cycle, despite the fact that it had no prior experience handling such a massive amount of money? [...] All of this sounds like the stuff of fiction — the sort of thing one would expect from a cinematic thriller or a spy novel.  Sadly, it's the reality that our country is faced with after years of placidity in the face of increasingly aggressive intervention into our electoral process on the part of Big Tech oligarchs and activists with deep pockets and shallow motivations.

Analysis Busts Pelosi Sneaking $350 Million For 50 Richest Zip Codes Into COVID Relief Bill.  Oh, but they claim they are for the little guy, right?  Look, both parties are being used against the people, and this is just another example of the corruption in DC.  The HEROES Act is nothing more than the former COVID stimulus bill:  unconstitutional wealth redistribution.

Nancy Pelosi Snuck $350M for 50 Richest Zip Codes into COVID Relief Bill, Analysis Reveals.  At some point, when the election chaos is finally settled, Congress will likely turn to passing another COVID-19 stimulus/relief bill.  (Despite the last one being plagued by rampant fraud and dysfunction).  One starting point for negotiations will be the "HEROES Act," a $2.2 trillion bill the House passed in October on a party-line vote by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats.  One of the most significant aspects of the HEROES Act is that it allocates nearly $700 billion in federal money for state, local, and tribal governments.  Proponents say this gives localities the funds they need to pay emergency responders and fund programs necessary to protect their communities.  Critics point out that much of this money is used to "bail out" blue states that were already mismanaging their budgets and running up large unfunded pension programs before the pandemic.

Gavin Newsom's apology for flouting his mask and social distancing regs make him the most obvious liar since Joe Isuzu.  I am enjoying the squirming of Nancy Pelosi's nephew, California Governor Gavin Newsom, now that he has been exposed as completely disregarding the COVID guidelines he is trying to force 40 million Californians to follow.  The very same man who told us that when dining out we should put a mask on in-between bites, that we should have no more than 10 people (from no more than 3 households) at our outdoor Thanksgiving celebrations was spotted and photographed violating all of his strictures on the rest of us.  Even worse, the party was held at The French Laundry, one of the fanciest and most famous restaurants in the world.  And it was a 50th birthday party for one of his old friends, who just happens to be a lobbyist.  Also in attendance:  The CEO and chief lobbyist of the California Medical Association, who like Newsom obviously don't believe the mask and social distancing regulations are genuinely important.  You've probably seen the utterly phony "apology" he made to Californians at a press conference.  But take a good look at his smiles as he lies like a Persian rug.  He seems to think that the rubes, who are expected to give up their family gatherings at Thanksgiving, are so dumb that they will buy it.

Rules For Us and Rules For Them.  Of all the quotable lines in George Orwell's Animal Farm, few resonate as much as this one:  "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." [...] That quotation has been referred to often in recent days after Gov. Gavin Newsom — fresh off of issuing a new set of edicts admonishing Californians to dine alone at home and curtail their Thanksgiving celebrations — was caught dining with his wife and 10 other friends at a birthday party for a prominent lobbyist at the French Laundry in Yountville.  It's bad enough for the governor to seemingly violate his own edicts, but to do so in Napa Valley, at one of the nation's toniest restaurants, certainly gave off the wrong vibe.

Don't [Bring California's Problems To] The Rest Of America.  California's political class is widely regarded as among the most corrupt, irresponsible, hypocritical, hard left and incompetent of any comparable group of state politicians in the country, which is saying a lot.  The troubles have been on full display this week.  A week after imposing sweeping new restaurant closures across much of the state and telling Californians not to gather in groups for Thanksgiving, California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted on Monday that he attended a birthday party for an old friend at an ultra-swank Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry.  Never mind that the party for his buddy, himself a lobbyist, also included a bunch of medical industry lobbyists.  The photos show not only more people in attendance than allowed under state guidelines, neither the governor nor his wife were wearing masks.

Bloomberg Spent $100M in 3 Key States That Trump Still Won.  Billionaire Mike Bloomberg reportedly poured over $100 million into an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to support 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the key swing states of Florida, Ohio and Texas.  Bloomberg had hoped to use his millions to sway the election in Biden's favor, according to Fox Business.  "Our singular goal was electing Joe Biden," senior Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson told Fox News.

Michael Bloomberg Might be the Biggest Loser of 2020.  Remember when former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a presidential candidate?  It already seems like a million years ago.  As you may know, after dropping out, Bloomberg decided to pump millions upon millions of dollars into the election.  He might as well have just set it on fire.

Donald Trump:  Biden's Donors Were Wall Street Bankers; Mine Were Policemen, Farmers, Everyday Citizens.  President Trump touted his support among America's working- and middle-class citizens in the 2020 presidential election, noting that Democrat Joe Biden was backed majorly by Wall Street.  During a press conference on the state of the uncalled presidential race, Trump noted that while Biden got big backing from all the nation's largest banks, his candidacy was supported by a working-class coalition.

Bloomberg Spent More Than $100 Million In Florida, Ohio, and Texas To Stop Trump.  He Failed.  The biggest loser in all of 2020 won't be whichever presidential candidate fails to win the Electoral College.  No, the biggest loser in 2020 has already been determined to be former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  In the weeks leading up to the election, Bloomberg announced that he would be spending $100 million to ensure Florida voted for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.  As The Daily Wire previously reported, Bloomberg said in mid-September that the buy was due to tightening polls in the Sunshine State.

The Police Defunding Foundation Behind Kamala Harris.  [Scroll down]  When Maya Harris, Kamala's sister and a close advisor, was chosen to head the ACLU of Northern California, [Quinn] Delaney made the announcement as the chair of its board of directors.  The head of the Akonadi Foundation, Lateefah Simon, is a close friend of Kamala's.  The two women have campaigned for each other and Kamala has been described as Lateefah's mentor.  Delaney and Jordan don't just donate to candidates:  they finance radical leftist causes.  Proposition 16, the push to legalize racial discrimination using affirmative action in California, was financed by millions of dollars from them.  But their biggest vehicle was the Akonadi Foundation named after an African goddess.  Fueled by critical race theory, the Akonadi Foundation declared that it was out to stop "structural racism" which it defined as the "privileges associated with whiteness".  Quinn Delaney is white.  Her son, TMG Fresh, enjoys a privilege that not only includes two mansions, but also blonde cornrows, and rapping, "let me give you some advice, it might just save your life" and "that's called cappin where I'm from".  Where he's from is a suburban mansion in the Bay Area where they call that appropriation.  But the Akonadi Foundation has poured millions into pro-crime projects, critical race theory agitprop, and radical Marxist groups interlinked with the racist Black Lives Matter movement.  Akonadi boss Lateefah Simon is not only closely connected to Kamala, but she also serves as an advisor to Governor Newsom.  And Newsom appointed her to a task force on "police reform".  Simon, who also serves as BART's board president, pushed a move to defund the police by shifting money from officers on the transit system to "unarmed ambassadors".  When her attacks on police officers were criticised, she falsely accused a board director of racism.

Billionaire Bloomberg funding last-minute Biden Texas spending spree.  Billionaire financier Michael Bloomberg is spending millions in Texas and Ohio to fund a last-minute spree meant to bolster Democratic candidate Joe Biden's chances in those closely contested states.  The New York Times reports that Bloomberg is directing millions towards late television advertising in two traditionally red states that appear to be shifting away from President Donald Trump in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.

Former Goldman Sachs Chief Pours $100K into Joe Biden's Campaign.  A former Goldman Sachs president made a huge, last-minute donation to Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden's campaign against President Trump.  Harvey Schwartz, former president of Goldman Sachs, donated about $100,000 to the Biden Action Fund in October, according to Federal Election Commission data.

Biden's most revealing gaffe yet.  Joe Biden has a well-deserved reputation as a gaffe machine, but an offhand comment yesterday in Pennsylvania while addressing a parking lot with a few cars in it, tells us exactly what we need to know about him at this precise moment. [...] A chump is someone to exploit with con games.  And because Democrats always accuse Republicans of doing the nefarious activities that they, the Democrats, are doing, it is Biden's voters who are treated as the chumps.  That's always been true because Biden's pose is as "Scranton Joe," the working class guy, while he acts to exploit those very people.

Facebook's Zuckerberg Put $250 Million to Help Turn Out Democrats in Philadelphia.  Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg donated $250 million to a group dedicated to turning out tens of thousands of new Democrat voters in Philadelphia.  According to a report at Just The News, Zuckerberg donated his millions to a group that is working to quadruple the number of voting places in heavily Democrat areas of Philly to massively grow the Democrat vote in the city.

Tired, Hungry, and Poor:  Everything Antifa Is Not.  [Scroll down]  Here is a brief cross-section of the "tired, hungry, poor, and huddling" foot soldiery of the radical Left:
  •   Clara Kraebber, who attends the prestigious Rice University, was arrested for felony rioting in New York City. [...] Kraebber's mother is an architect and her father a professor, and they own a $1.8 million apartment on the Upper East Side.  They also own a mansion in Connecticut.
  •   Frank Fuhrmeister, who studied fine arts and photography at Florida State College, was arrested for felony rioting in New York. [...]
  •   Elliot Rucka of Portland was arrested for felony rioting in New York City.  His parents are accomplished comic book writers who have worked for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, ABC, and Netflix.
  •   Colinford Mattis and Urooj Rahman, both attorneys, were arrested for firebombing a police car.  Mattis attended the private St.  Andrews Boarding school before attending Princeton University and then the New York University School of Law. [...]
  •   Loewy Malkovich, a software engineer who grew up in southern France and then Cambridge, Massachusetts, was arrested while rioting in Portland. [...]
  •   Linwood Kaine, who attended the elite private Carleton College in Minnesota and majored in cinema and media studies, was arrested for rioting and resisting police in Minneapolis.

The Unapologetic Bias of the American Left.  [Scroll down]  Liberal writers used to warn us of "dark money," as in the anti-Trump Koch family donations to libertarian causes.  Now there is no such thing as money being "dark."  The Left is proud that most of the Fortune 400's top-20 multibillionaires are generous progressive-giving leftists, and that George Soros and Michael Bloomberg promise to infuse tens of millions of dollars not just to fortify leftist candidates, but to massage the rules of voting itself by reexamining voter eligibilities and methods of voting to enhance progressive agendas.

The virus is all they've got and they're clinging to it.  [Scroll down]  Now with just a few weeks until the election, the Biden family's corruption is coming into full view, despite social media's rapacious attempts to squelch the news of Hunter's career as an influence peddler.  How has all this ill-gotten wealth escaped the notice of the IRS?  The same way the many millions of the Clintons' ill-gotten wealth was overlooked by the IRS.  Outside of D.C., little people go to prison for a fraction of the crimes committed by the Bidens and the Clintons.  That is how the world works these days.  Powerful crooks like the Clintons, the Bidens, the Feinsteins, Pelosis, et al, operate on a plane reserved for the likes of their ilk.

Adelson shells out $75 million to pump up pro-Trump super PAC in final stretch.  Casino magnate and Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam contributed $75 million last month to a super PAC backing President Trump's re-election bid as the race for the White House entered its closing weeks.  The massive contributions by the Adelsons — confirmed in filings to the Federal Election Commission — helped pump up Preserve America, a super PAC formed at the end of August to help the president, who's been vastly outspent by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the ad wars the past two months.

Soros Triples Election Spending, Pouring $70 Million Into 2020 Efforts.  Liberal billionaire George Soros has funneled nearly $70 million into the 2020 elections, tripling his previous record, new filings show.  The Democracy PAC, a super PAC created by Soros to fund left-wing groups working to defeat Republicans, has poured $68.5 million into electoral efforts this cycle, according to the Federal Election Commission.  That sum is $46 million more than Soros's previous high of $22 million, which came during the last presidential cycle.  The billionaire has amplified his election spending as deep-pocketed donors attempt to oust Trump from office and flip control of the Senate to Democrats.  Soros's cash is part of a spending blitz that has primarily benefited Joe Biden.  So far this cycle, outside spending has exceeded $1 billion and is on track to shatter previous records.

President Trump Has Put Some Very Stupid Rich People on Notice.  The most prominent public figure people think of when it comes to wealthy people funding international Leftist revolutionary causes is billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist, George Soros.  Over the course of his life Soros is rumored to have given away as much as $30 billion of his money, something that might look strange for a miser.  He is said to be currently "only" worth $8 billion.  Since he gives away such a large amount of the money he's made over his life it's clear Soros is far from a miser.  For Soros it's about playing the game to make the money, not the money itself.  Once you understand that you have an easier time seeing what he's doing. [...] What Soros has been doing is [...] betting heavily on a steep decline of the US Dollar by a certain date.  How much he's bet and what the expiration date is only he knows.

Schumer Pours Huge Funds Into Michigan To Save Democratic Senate Seat, Defeat John James, Report Says.  The GOP, with 53 votes in the Senate, is more vulnerable to a takeover by the Democrats as there are 23 seats currently held by Republicans and only 12 by Democrats that will be decided in November.  Thus a GOP win for a seat currently held by a Democrat would be a huge boost to the GOP's chances of retaining the Senate.  Thus Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is pouring $5.4 million in one week, reportedly the most that Schumer's Senate Majority PAC is spending in any race, to support incumbent Michigan Senator Gary Peters in his race against GOP candidate John James.

Wealthy Biden: 'I Don't Own Any Stock.  The People I Grew Up With Didn't Own Any Stock.'  Democrat Joe Biden and his wife earned almost a million dollars — $985,233 in adjusted gross income — in 2019 alone, but never mind that.  He's portraying himself as working-class Joe on the stump, making a rich vs. poor pitch.

Man Raised Nearly Half-A-Million For Black Lives Matter But Spent The Money On Himself.  He called himself Sir Maejor Page but his real name was Tyree Conyers-Page.  He started to make a name for himself as an Atlanta-area activists in 2015 and founded an organization called Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta.  For most of the past several years his efforts to promote the organization weren't terribly successful, but that all changed after the killing of George Floyd and the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks.  This summer BLM of Greater Atlanta benefited from a huge influx of donations totaling nearly half-a-million dollars.

Left-Wing 'Dark Money' — Ignored By The Press — Could Tip Several Elections.  News broke recently of shadowy, left-wing nonprofit network Arabella Advisors' plans to "carpet bomb" the 2020 election, per a new report detailing the $635 million in revenues the network boasted in 2018.  But the presidential race isn't the only focus of this merry band of barely visible left-wing funders.  State races are also on the menu as part of Arabella's plans to deploy "dark money" spending leftists once defined and then decried.  From Wisconsin to North Carolina — and several states in between — Arabella's network of some 340 pop-up nonprofits have been busy working to influence state elections even as one of the main nonprofits under the network's umbrella, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, has given $27 million to pro-Biden affiliated PACs in an effort to boost the Democrats' chances in the national contest.

Rep. Matt Gaetz Calls for Election Bribery Probe Against Mike Bloomberg for Paying Florida Felons' Fines for Biden Votes.  As reported earlier former New York City Mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg raised $16 million to pay off the fines for 32,000 black and Hispanic Florida voters so they can vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 election.  Basketball icon Lebron James is also looking to pay convicted felons' fines so they can vote for Joe Biden.  Legal analyst J. Christian Adams argued that Michael Bloomberg is breaking federal and likely Florida state law by buying votes from felons.

Michael Bloomberg, felon?  The Democrats' Daddy Warbucks is back and once again using his money to try to buy an election.  Michael Bloomberg is among a group of rich people hanging around Florida and offering free fine payoffs to released felons in a more-than-implied exchange for their votes for Democrats.  Bloomberg isn't playing non-partisan in this, a frequent dodge of leftists, he's shoveling $100 million of his own cash to make sure Florida votes for Democrats, and this is part of his game.  That would be the same Michael Bloomberg who was last seen blowing a billion on his own presidential campaign and then stiffing his campaign workers, by promising to employ through the election, and then dumping them and leaving them out on their ears when he left the race.  Money for cons, see, but not the help.  It's otherwise known as bribery, the exchange of votes for something of value, and it's explicitly forbidden under Florida law.

Florida attorney general calls for investigation into Michael Bloomberg.  Florida's attorney general asked state and federal law enforcement on Wednesday to investigate possible election law violations after billionaire and former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg helped raise more than $16 million for Florida felons to pay their debts so they can vote in the presidential election.  Attorney General Ashley Moody sent letters to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI saying that further investigation is warranted.  Governor Ron DeSantis and House Rep. Matt Gaetz had asked Moody to review allegations that Bloomberg and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition had violated the law by offering incentives for voting.

Did Bloomberg Commit A Crime In Paying Off The Debts Of Black and Hispanic Former Felons To Allow Them To Vote?  Billionaire Mike Bloomberg has pledged to pour $100 million dollars in Florida alone to elect Joe Biden as part of his earlier pledge to pump hundreds of millions into the election.  The role of billionaires like Bloomberg and Sheldon Adelson in pouring hundreds of millions into the election for each side remains controversial, though many past critics of such windfall campaign financing are now demanding more support.  Bloomberg however is now under fire for pledging to pay off the debts of Black and Hispanic former felons to allow them to vote.  The Washington Post reported that the funding of only Black and Hispanic former felons was due in part to the fact that they are more likely to vote for Biden.

Bloomberg raises millions to help Florida felons vote.  Just days after after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won a court victory to keep felons from voting until they've paid off fines, restitution and court fees, billionaire Mike Bloomberg has stepped in to help them pay off the debts.  The former Democratic presidential candidate has helped raise more than $20 million so that felons who completed their prison sentences can vote in the presidential election.  Bloomberg also has pledged $100 million to help Joe Biden win Florida.

Matt Gaetz Calls On Florida AG To Investigate Mike Bloomberg "For Potentially Engaging In Bribery And Vote Buying".  Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has called on the state's Attorney General to investigate Bloomberg for "Potentially Engaging In Bribery And Vote Buying."  [Video clip] [...] [Earlier,] Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who has committed at least $100 million in Florida towards electing Joe Biden, has raised another $16 million to pay the court fines and fees of nearly 32,000 Black and Hispanic felons so that they can vote in the November election.

Mike Bloomberg Is Likely Breaking Federal Law by Paying off Felon Debts for Democrat Votes.  As reported earlier former New York City Mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg raised $16 million to pay off the fines for 32,000 black and Hispanic Florida voters so they can vote for Joe Biden in the 2020 election.  Basketball icon Lebron James is also looking to pay convicted felons' fines so they can vote for Joe Biden.  But tonight legal analyst J. Christian Adams argued that Michael Bloomberg is breaking federal and likely Florida state law by buying votes from felons.  And J. Christian Adams also argued that Bloomberg is putting the felons in legal and financial jeopardy by paying off their debts for votes.

Heiresses on the Barricades.  Whatever Clara Kraebbe may do with the rest of her life, the 20-year-old Rice University student won't outdo the publicity she's received since her recent arrest by the NYPD for felony vandalism.  Reading in the New York Post about young Clara, who lives with her father, a child psychiatrist, and her mother, an architect, in a $1.8 million Upper East Side luxury condo and a pre-Revolutionary War Connecticut mansion, I asked myself:  Whom does this girl remind me of?  And then it came to me.  Of course:  she's a modern-day Jane Fonda.  While Clara is a Manhattan princess, Jane was Hollywood royalty, daughter of one of the great actors of the movies' golden age.  While Jane was a poster girl for the hordes of well-off kids who protested the Vietnam War and looked down their noses at "hardhats," Clara is the face of BLM/Antifa rioters who sneer at cops and other inferiors.

The Billionaire Backers of the 'Insurrection'.  As I reported last week, a cabal of Democrats and NeverTrump Republicans are plotting a post-election civil war of sorts to make sure Joe Biden assumes the presidency even if Donald Trump legitimately wins.  "It's insurrection," President Trump said on Fox News last week when asked about the widely-circulated plan.  "We'll put them down very quickly if they do that."  Let's hope.  A document released last month by the Transition Integrity Project, a headfake name to give the depraved group the appearance of decency, is a shocking battle plan that would plunge the country into more chaos.  The same agitators on the Left and NeverTrump Right who've stoked nonstop political upheaval over the past four years will exploit our current instability to throw the election to the Democrats.  But this is more than the far-fetched hallucinations of political outcasts.  The mayhem they've been war-gaming will be heavily funded by a number of Trump-hating billionaires, and those people have no intention of losing out on their investment.

The Second Civil War is Here!  [Scroll down]  Democrats in cities do their best to keep their constituents poor and uneducated, even though they promise to make life better.  It's all one big lie.  Remember, Democrats are the party of big government.  Actions speak louder than words.  If Democrats cared about their citizens, they would dissolve every government program.  (The same goes for Republicans.)  Let's look at the programs Democrats encourage.  Notice that they all discourage personal responsibility.
  •   Public schools.  Private schools always perform better.  Have you noticed the declining education scores of kids over the last 30 years?  If Democrats cared they would eliminate public schools, or at least endorse school vouchers.
  •   Free abortions.  Encouraging women to kill their children is pure evil.
  •   Minimum wage.  A minimum wage is a job-killer.  Democrats tirelessly support this myth of a better life.
  •   Public transportation.  Would you rather take a bus or an Uber?  The more public services, the higher your taxes.
  •   Higher taxes.  Wasting your money on programs to "help" the poor actually perpetuates poor people in being poor.
  •   Public housing.  Would anyone really want to live in squalor?
The above list is just a smattering of a lengthy and never-ending scroll of public programs the Democrats dream up to "help" the poor.  The Democrats have had over a hundred years of public policies and programs to help the poor.  Strangely, the number of poor and uneducated people in America is larger than ever.  So is the number of Democrat voters.  Why is that?

Retailer Lululemon Mocked For Urging Customers To 'Resist Capitalism' While Selling $120 Leggings.  Luxury "athleisure" brand Lululemon is under fire for suggesting customers and social media followers "resist capitalism," participating in a workshop given by one of the brand's top Instagram influencers.  The Canadian brand, popular among higher-income American women, mostly sells workout wear and comfortable, yet stylish, clothing items, regularly priced between around $38 (for a basic workout tank top) and $500 for a styled parka.  Their best-selling items, though, are likely their leggings, which retail between $88 and $300, depending on style, fabric, and quality.  The average price for a pair of Lululemon leggings is around $128 — a difficult point for a company pressing for its own customers to "unveil historical erasure and resist capitalism," according to an Instagram post on its official account from one of its key affiliates.  The brand itself is worth a reported $40 billion and rising as Americans increasingly turn to comfortable daily clothing amidst pandemic-related lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.

Who is Buying District Attorneys?  Long time cable TV show host Bill O'Reilly says, "Of all the people in my entire 46-year career, George Soros, in my opinion, has harmed America more than any other human being on the planet." George Soros is now 90 years old.  For the last several decades, within the bounds of an odd decorum, he has done all he can to destroy America and her allies.  "More than [Osama] bin Laden.  More than ISIS," O'Reilly says, Soros, "has subverted our traditional system of justice, he has supported the worst Bolshevik elements you could support."  It's long been known that George Soros influences governments and impacts economies around the world, whether it's fomenting riots to undermine national sovereignty or sinking a nation's currency to enrich himself.

Michael Bloomberg pledges $100 million to help Biden in Florida.  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Sunday that he is making a $100 million investment to help Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Florida.  The state is considered a key battleground state, with CBS News Battleground Tracker showing Biden with a slight edge over Mr. Trump in Florida and the state is deemed a toss-up.  The multi-million-dollar injection of cash from Bloomberg, who was among the Democrats who vied for the party's presidential nomination, will be spent through Democratic groups, including Bloomberg's Independence USA, and used to turnout voters for Biden in the Sunshine State.

Vatican Coup?  George Soros Funds Jesuit NGOs with $1.7 Million.  Three Jesuit charities close to Pope Francis have received more than $1.7 million in recent years from George Soros' Open Society Foundations, reveals veteran Vatican journalist Marco Tosatti.  The Jesuit Refugee Service received $176,452 from Soros in 2018 to "support migrant rights" in Latin America.  The Spanish Jesuit Migrant Service received $75,000 since its founding in 2016 and $151,125 in 2018.  Jesuit Worldwide Learning USA received $890,000 in 2016 and another $410,000 in 2018, the only Catholic NGO to list Open Society as one of its "partners" on its website, Tosatti writes.  In total, George Soros' donations to Jesuit foundations totaled $1,702,577 over the past four years.  The funding is particularly controversial due to Open Society's aggressive support of abortion, gay marriage, drug liberalization and Islamization of the West.  Over the past four years, the Soros Foundation has donated nearly $12 million to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and its US political arm, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Inside the privileged lives of protesters busted for rioting in Manhattan.  The so-called revolutionaries who were busted for rioting at a New Afrikan Black Panther Party rally took a break from their yacht club lives and modeling careers to be a part of the mayhem.  The seven "comrades" — including wealthy Upper East Sider Clara Kraebber — had their mugshots tweeted out by the NYPD early Wednesday, days after their arrests for smashing storefront windows in the Flatiron District.  They were cuffed during a protest organized by the Panthers and the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement groups condemning the death of Daniel Prude, who was killed while in custody of the Rochester Police Department in March.  Aside from Kraebber, the redhead daughter of an architect and a child psychiatrist with a second home in Connecticut, five of the others arrested appear to also come from privileged backgrounds — leading one police source to call their actions "the height of hypocrisy."

Biden's Billionaires.  [Scroll down]  I was reminded of that observation after reading an article describing the 131 billionaires who are pouring millions into the coffers of the Democrat party and Joe Biden's campaign in their mindless obsession to defeat President Trump in November.  Among the prominent names are Jeff Skoll, a founder of eBay who has contributed $4.5 million; Laurene Powell Jobs of Apple and owner of The Atlantic magazine has donated $1.2 million, and Josh Bekenstein, Chairman of Bain Capital (co-founded by Mitt Romney), $5 million. [...] The tech billionaires, not content to simply cough up untold millions in direct political contributions, are also funding massive voter drives, promoting mail-in balloting, creating divisive partisan news sites, aiding and designing the Democrat party's digital campaigns and unabashedly censoring the social media accounts of the Trump campaign and innumerable conservatives.

How many of the rioting 'protesters' come from super-rich families?  As the definitely non-peaceful rioters continue their destructive, violent force in this most bizarre year, the know-it-all, know-nothing, life-insulated narcissist young adult offspring game-playing pouters of wealthy parents emerge — surprise! — unscathed.  The past few days provided some interesting examples.  Clara Kraebber, 20 years old, the school-smart, life-dumb, over-educated, under-knowledgeable daughter of wealthy, highly accomplished parents, recently profiled on this blog for her protest demonstration temper tantrum for over six years, is currently confined in her family's second mansion — complete with four fireplaces to complement the ecologically correct heating system — in an upscale Connecticut suburb, awaiting the next step for damages caused in a riot in which she participated.  Elsewhere, some of her peers are also suffering similar fates.  Elliot Rucka, 20, nabbed in the same riot (I repeat, not "peaceful protest"!) as Kraebber "that caused at least $100,000 in damages, authorities said," is also the offspring of prominent parents.

Spoiled White Portland Protesters Harass Black Woman In SUV In The Name Of Racial Justice.  The brave and stunning Portland protesters were back out on the streets late Sunday night, marching through the traditionally black part of town, where they proudly surrounded a black woman in an SUV trying to get through.  These heroic white saviors spent the better part of two minutes shouting obscenities at her, refusing to let her through, ordering her to back up and go the other way, and possibly even used a racist slur.  "Move, get out of the way," she asks of the protesters.  One screeching brat can be heard shrieking repeatedly in the background [...]

"Stumptown" Creator's Son Arrested in NYC BLM Riot.  Another privileged young revolutionary was arrested at the latest social justice riot in NYC, Elliot Rucka.  Rucka was arrested in NYC on rioting and other charges in the spree Friday that damaged and vandalized banks, Starbucks, and Duane-Reades from Foley Square up to 24th Street, the NY Post reported.  Ironically, Elliot Rucka, the 20-year-old son of a successful comic book writer, is from the capital of social justice violent riots, Portland.  This young, idealistic window smashing crusader's father, Greg Rucka, is a New York Times best-selling author.

Wealthy NYC woman busted in BLM rampage.  One of the Black Lives Matter protesters now facing felony rioting and misdemeanor graffiti charges — after a window-smashing free-for-all in Manhattan — is a wealthy Upper East Sider whose mother is an architect and whose father is a child psychiatrist.  Clara Kraebber, 20, is one of eight people arrested Friday night [9/4/2020] after a roiling, three-hour rampage that police say caused at least $100,000 in damage from Foley Square up to 24th Street.  "Every city, every town, burn the precinct to the ground!" the group chanted as it moved up Lafayette Street while busting the plate glass facades of banks, Starbucks and Duane-Reades.  The protest was organized by groups calling themselves the "New Afrikan Black Panther Party" and the "Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement." [...] She is now facing a maximum of four years prison on her top charge of first-degree riot.

20-year-old college student from wealthy elite family facing possible 4-year prison term for violent BLM rampage in Manhattan.  [Scroll down]  Young Ms. Kraebber is no dummy.  She is a student at Rice University, one of the most selective schools (a mere 9% of applicants were admitted in 2019) in the country and is a graduate of Hunter College High School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, whose students score in the top one-quarter of one percent of students based on test scores.  Her parents are members of the nation's academic elite — her father is a psychiatrist on the faculty of Columbia University, while her mother is the principal of an architectural firm bearing her name whose clients include Columbia and NYU. Her family lives in the Upper East Side in an apartment for which they paid $1.8 million 4 years ago, and also boasts a house in Connecticut with 4 fireplaces.  On Friday [9/4/2020], young Clara was arrested for participating in a 3-hour rampage that did an estimated $100,000 in damage, smashing store windows and doing other damage to lower Manhattan.

Tom Donohue and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Announce Support for Far-Left Democrats in 2020.  [F]or well over a decade we have tried to share the truth behind the financial mechanisms that run Washington DC; and the primary machine has always been a completely corrupt, deceptive and anti-American U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  Against the entirety of the conservative media; and against the entirety of every organized group that ever attended CPAC; this website has attempted to educate people about the genuinely fraudulent purposes of the U.S. CoC and their President Tom Donohue.  I have written hundreds of articles over the years outlining "there are trillions at stake" and the elements of importance behind that statement.  Every single mainstream conservative voice has denied the truth; and likely most of them are probably on the CoC payroll.  Every former administration took massive payments from the CoC and allowed the Chamber to write trade agreements language for decades.  The CoC business model was to take payments from Wall Street multinationals and then write the agreements to their benefit.

Trump Takes $0 Salary, Reportedly Lost $300 Million This Year; Biden Made Millions After Leaving Office.  Supporters of President Donald Trump contended during the Republican National Convention this week the former businessman and reality television star has truly been seeking to serve the American people since taking office.  It has come at a financial cost to him.  Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden, now the Democratic Party's nominee for president, took in $15.6 million in his first two years after leaving office, according to The Wall Street Journal.

From DNC Irony to Parody.  [T]he Democratic Party is now that of the upper- and upper-middle-class and the very rich.  The Obamas are worth well over $100 million.  The Clintons are worth perhaps as much or more.  Elizabeth Warren wrote a book that included advice about profiting from house flipping.  Joe Biden became a multimillionaire while a senator.  When one is rich and privileged with government largess and an array of subordinates, and one is professedly equalitarian, then one is also worried about one's own apparent lack of egalitarianism.

Twitter founder gives $10 million to university research center that promotes anti-white discrimination.  The religion of "antiracism" requires racial discrimination against whites, as its leading apostle Ibram Kendi has made clear.  Anti-white discrimination is getting an enormous boost courtesy of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, who donated $10 million through his charitable foundation to Boston University's Center for Antiracist Research, launched by Kendi just six weeks ago, the private university said Thursday [8/20/2020].  The gift from Dorsey has "no strings attached," which shows his "unqualified support of Kendi's vision of putting academic researchers at the forefront of the movement to dismantle policies that underlie racial inequity and injustice," the university gushed.

Multimillionaire Obamas Haven't Donated to Joe Biden's Campaign.  Barack H. Obama and his wife Michelle became fabulously wealthy after leaving the White House in 2017.  For whatever reason, they haven't given a single dollar of their massive fortune to Joe Biden's presidential campaign.  President Obama has hosted virtual fundraisers for his former running mate and urged Democrats to give "any amount you can" to Biden's campaign.  Michelle addressed the virtual Democratic convention on Monday, but didn't even show her arms.  Barack is scheduled to give the primetime address on Wednesday night.  But neither have personally contributed a dime to Biden's campaign, according to federal election records.

Longtime friend 'builds Obama's multi-million dollar Hawaii ocean villa using loopholes to bypass coastal protection laws'.  The beachfront compound in Hawaii where former President Barack Obama reportedly plans to someday retire used a planning loophole to retain a seawall that is likely causing beach erosion, according to a new report.  State officials and community members confirmed to ProPublica that Obama plans to reside in the compound on Oahu, which was purchased for $8.7 million by his close friend Marty Nesbitt in 2015.  After tearing down the site's mansion made famous as the house from Magnum PI, developers are building three homes, two pools and a security perimeter on the three-acre beachfront parcel, permits show.

Here's A List Of Corporations Funding The 'Defund The Police' Movement.  Dozens of corporations from around the world have collectively donated millions of dollars to left-wing organizations that advocate for defunding America's police departments, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found.  Companies including Microsoft, Intel and Airbnb have donated to Black Lives Matter Global Network and Color of Change, both of which want to defund police departments across the country.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's net worth just ballooned above $100 billion for the first time ever.  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's net worth just passed the $100 billion for the first time as the social media firm has enjoyed a soaring stock price during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Per a Bloomberg report, the ballooned fortune lands Zuckerberg with the likes of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, both of whom crested the $100 billion mark already.  The three are reportedly the only people in the world worth at least $100 billion.  Zuckerberg, who has a 13% stake in Facebook, and other executives of online companies have enjoyed a surge in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic as people are ushered into their homes and more so onto their devices.

George Soros Spends $52 Million on 2020 Election Cycle.  Left-wing and partisan Democrat billionaire George Soros spent more than $52 million in political spending, per Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings, according to a report for the Washington Free Beacon.  The total does not include ostensibly philanthropic spending via his Open Society Foundations network.

Gavin Newsom's $3.7 Million Estate Was Gifted to Him in 2019; 3 Months Later He Got a $2.7 Million Tax Free Cash-Out.  One thing that's become extraordinarily clear to Californians in 2020 is that there's one set of rules for Gov. Gavin Newsom, and there's another set of rules for the rest of us.  He preaches that we're all in this together and that we have to sacrifice to "meet this moment," yet he's not missing a paycheck.  As California businesses struggle, he sends a $1 billion contract for masks to a Chinese company.  When he shut down wineries throughout 80 percent of California, he kept his open.  While the dream of owning a home is increasingly out of reach for California's families, it appears that Newsom received a $3.7 million estate from an LLC owned by his cousin then, a few months later took out a $2.695 million (tax-free) cash-out mortgage on it — and didn't report the gift on any of his financial disclosure forms.

George Soros Pumps Another Quarter Billion Dollars into Black Lives Matter.  Far-left billionaire George Soros has announced he is pumping another staggering amount of cash into the radical Black Lives Matter organization.  With America burning under the leftist push for socialism, Hungarian-born financier Soros announced he is donating another $220 million to the "Black Lives Matter movement."  Much of Soros' money is going into efforts to defund the police and control 2020 voting systems, his foundation revealed.

Democrats Project their own Character Flaws onto Republicans.  Democrats accuse Republicans of being the political party that represents the "evil" rich but in reality, but there are plenty of Democrats among of the richest members of Congress.  Obscenely wealthy Democrat contributors include George Soros, Warren Buffett, Eric Schmidt, most of Hollywood, most of Silicon Valley, public-sector labor unions, and the lamestream media.  By comparison, who do the Republicans have, besides the surviving Koch brother?  The last time I checked, the Koch brothers hadn't even cracked the top 50 list of political donors, and that was when David was still alive.  Know who was #1 on that list?  Act Blue.  Do you know where all the money currently being donated to the "Black Lives Matter" movement is going?  Act Blue.

Mystery, Democratic-linked super PAC meddles in Kansas GOP primary.  A mysterious new super PAC with links to Democrats released a TV ad on Wednesday meddling in next month's Kansas Republican Senate primary.  The super PAC, Sunflower State, formed on Monday and two days later launched its first TV ad, focused on Kris Kobach and Rep. Roger Marshall, two of the Republicans running in the Aug. 4 primary.  National Republicans have expressed concern that Kobach — the former secretary of state who lost the 2018 governor's race to Democrat Laura Kelly — would put the seat in jeopardy if he becomes the nominee, while Marshall has attempted to consolidate support from the establishment in the primary.

Lincoln Project's Co-Founder John Weaver Was a Registered Agent for Russia.  The Lincoln Project has hit upon some hard times.  For a while this Quisling Republican firm founded by George T. Conway III, Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt, John Weaver, Jennifer Horn was the toast of the town.  Democrats and NeverTrumpers, to the extent there is a difference, saw them as the giant killers.  The were the team who was going to evict Trump from the White House and install a demented, doddering lecher because Principles and also because Grift. [...] Yesterday [7/15/2020], we saw the first filing of Lincoln Project that gives the appearance that it is a Scam-PAC.

Lincoln Project Paid More than $2 Million to Firms Owned by Its Founders.  The Lincoln Project, a political action committee run by a cadre of GOP campaign operatives opposed to President Donald Trump, has paid out more than two million dollars to firms owned by its founding members.  The group, which was formed last December, has made national headlines for its viral ads, many of which attack Trump and his congressional allies.  Since its launch, the Lincoln Projected has raised more than $19 million, with most of the money ($16.8 million) coming in over the last three months.  A significant portion of the group's newfound contributions, as noted by the Center for Responsive Politics, come from Democrat mega-donors, some of whom have donated as much as one million dollars.

'Lincoln Project' Co-Founder John Weaver Signed Six-Figure Deal with Russia, Pulled Out After Backlash.  John Weaver, one co-founder of The Lincoln Project Super PAC, signed a deal in 2019 with a Russian state-owned company to advocate for its interests — but ultimately rejected the contract once he was accused of hypocrisy for his years of calling President Donald Trump a pawn of Vladimir Putin.  Weaver, a career political consultant who started The Lincoln Project to defeat President Donald Trump's reelection bid, signed an agreement on May 10, 2019 with Tenam Corporation, "a subsidiary of Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company," Politico reported at the time.

George Soros group to spend $220M on causes promoting racial equality and criminal justice reform.  A prominent nonprofit group founded by liberal mega-donor George Soros announced plans to dump more than $200 million into initiatives dedicated to ending racial inequality.  The Open Society Foundation will announce its $220 million funding mission on Monday [7/13/2020], committing $150 million to racial justice organizations that are under the leadership of black people and $70 million to organizations that promote civic engagement or local criminal justice reform initiatives.

Bill Gates:  Philanthropist or Scoundrel?  He has already subjected America's children to educational quackery as the main sponsor of Common Core, and he has gathered more data on you and every American than you could imagine.  Now, as this article will show, one of the world's leading population-control zealots wants to inject you, your whole family, and every single person on the entire planet with an as-yet undeveloped and untested vaccine — supposedly to protect against coronavirus.  Then he wants to track you using technology that sounds like it comes out of a science fiction movie.  And unless and until everybody on Earth submits to his vaccination demands, the technocratic globalist has declared repeatedly, society cannot and will not return to normal.  That man, of course, is Microsoft founder Bill Gates — perhaps one of the most controversial people in the world right now, despite media adulation.  With all Gates' connections, media appearances, and demands, one might be forgiven for thinking that he was emperor of the world.  And if humanity is not careful, the agenda Gates represents may well succeed — potentially in the near term.  That means liberty, health freedom, the family, self-government, much of the population, and the economy are in mortal danger.

'Can I buy ya a hot dog?' Gov. Whitmer offers coney dog to unemployed worker asking for help.  With states being buried in an avalanche of unemployment claims as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, processing the vast number has proven to be a challenge.  Michigan is among the states struggling to get benefits to those who, for no fault of their own, have been left unemployed.  In a scene that perfectly captures the ineptitude of progressivism, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's solution to the crisis was to offer a hot dog.  The controversial governor was serving hot dogs at Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit on Thursday [6/18/2020] when she was approached by a man who claimed to be an unemployed health care worker.

National Arm Of Black Lives Matter Spent Millions On Travel And Consultants, Financial Statements Show.  The national arm of Black Lives Matter spent millions on consultants, travel and compensation for its own staff between July 2017 and June 2019, according to audited financial statements prepared by its fiscal sponsor, Thousand Currents.  BLM Global Network spent $899,000 on travel, $1.6 million on consulting and $2.1 million on personnel costs during its 2017, 2018 and 2019 fiscal years, the financial statements show, together comprising 83.3% of its total spending during the three year period.  BLM Global Network granted $328,000 to outside organizations, which include local BLM chapters, during that same time frame, a figure that represents about 6% of its total spending.

Warren Said High-Dollar Fundraisers Would Rip 'This Democracy Apart.' She Just Had A $6 Million Fundraiser For Biden.  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) held a $6 million fundraiser for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden this week despite having denounced high-dollar fundraisers during her failed presidential campaign.  In comments denouncing high-dollar fundraisers, Warren told reporters during a campaign stop in February that we are "tearing this democracy apart."  "She talked in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire about her disdain for the typical fundraising practices used by most candidates; she was often rewarded with thunderous applause (but not enough votes)," The Washington Post notes.  "She talked about it on the debate stage, where she zinged other candidates for raising cash in fancy settings — like a California wine cave.  She talked about it in friendly interviews with anchors like MSNBC's Rachel Maddow."

The Democrats' Corruption of America's Inner Cities.  What are the real problems in America's inner cities?  Is it all about racism, or could it be a combination of several factors?  According to a survey of Chicago parents by the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, poverty, violence, and crime are also some of the biggest concerns in their neighborhoods.  Good jobs and capitalism could solve the poverty part of the problem, but if cities make it hard for businesses to come into town or for a local person to start a small business, citizens with little mobility stay poor.  Why wouldn't these cities want the freest, most business-friendly laws and policies imaginable for their citizens?  The answer is often that politicians care very little about their constituents but care deeply about their own power and money.  High taxes, crony capitalism (meaning favors for politicians and others who have the power to give the "right" companies the contracts), excessive regulations, and a culture of "it's who you know" combine to crush entrepreneurs and small business owners who are not among those favored by the powers that be.

Minnesota Freedom Fund Reveals Only $200,000 of Millions in Donations Has Been Spent to Bail Out Protesters.  The Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) faced a social media backlash after it revealed on Twitter that it has spent around $200,000 to bail out protesters — despite receiving millions in donations in recent weeks.  "Appreciate all those calling for transparency.  We see y'all.  Our values and mission have not changed since 2016.  Be on the lookout for things coming on our end.  Be well," the nonprofit, which works to bail out those who couldn't otherwise afford it, posted on Twitter.  "Without jeopardizing the safety of the folks we bailed out we paid well over $200k in the weeks since the uprising alone.  We are working on doing more."

Twins owners commit $25M to help combat social injustice in Twin Cities.  The Pohlad Family, owners of the Minnesota Twins, announced that they are committing $25 million to combat racial injustice in the Twin Cities.  "Black people have experienced oppression and racism for far too long in this country," said Bill Pohlad, president of the Pohlad Family Foundation.  "We condemn racism in all its forms, and we are firmly committed to helping to enact meaningful change.  We know this will take time and effort, and we are committed to this work beyond this seminal moment in our country's history."  The Pohlads will partner with other equally committed organizations to help change the systems that create racial inequities and marginalize people of color.

The Editor says...
What systems exist that "marginalize people of color?"  Exactly the opposite is true: Exhibit A is Affirmative Action.

Biden attending high-roller fundraiser headlined by defund-the-police activist John Legend.  Joe Biden is set to attend a high-roller fundraiser Thursday evening [6/11/2020] headlined by anti-police activist John Legend, who has openly promised that he'll try to push the former vice president towards totally defunding law enforcement and adopting other far-left positions.

Yes, George Soros Sent Money to Fund the Riots — and So Did Taxpayers.  Ever since the protests turned to riots over the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, rumors have flown that George Soros and his Open Society Foundation had to be involved.  After all, OSF funded Black Lives Matter in 2015.  It didn't take long to reveal the financial ties to current riots and to show that OSF and George Soros directly support the movement today.  Particularly infuriating are the taxpayer-funded grants received in conjunction with the Soros funding.  Daniel Bice of the Milwaukie [sic] Journal-Sentinel reports that a group called Freedom, Inc. has received grants from the Wisconsin Department of Justice:  ["]The Madison-based nonprofit has advocated for the release of all African Americans from jail and the defunding of police departments.  As for the current protests, the group's leaders say "all actions against racist state violence are justified."["]

Report: Silicon Valley Billionaires Join Forces Behind Joe Biden; Plans Include 'Partisan News Sites'.  Left-wing "explainer" website Vox reports Wednesday [5/27/2020] that leading billionaires in Silicon Valley are joining forces to build a digital campaign around former Vice President Joe Biden, who is holed up in his Wilmington, Delaware, home.  Biden and the Democrats are considered far behind their rivals in building digital tools for the 2020 presidential campaign — and Biden's technological ineptitude has become a subject of public mockery.

Mommy Warbucks shuts her purse on The Atlantic's lefty denizens.  At a time when the news is filled with stories about small business-owners making humongous sacrifices to save their employees' jobs, and corporations and governments are running ads saying "we're all in this together," billionaire wifey investor Laurene Powell Jobs (estimated net worth: $32 billion), whose cash keeps the left-wing Atlantic Monthly afloat, has pulled a Bloomberg on the Atlantic Monthly staff and laid off a large number of them.  Her minions did it just as unemployment hits double digits, so with the job market collapsed, these newly laid off staffers can get ready for new careers as Walmart greeters and Amazon deliverymen.

Obama Staffer, Bill Gates, Soros Behind the Group Pushing a Celebrity Global Response to Chinese Coronavirus.  The celebrity campaign #PasstheMic is enlisting Julia Roberts, Hugh Jackman, and other A-list Hollywood stars to hand over their social media accounts to the likes of Dr. Anthony Fauci and other experts to promote a "global response" to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.  Who's behind the push?  The roster of donors and leaders reads like a who's-who of left-wing globalists — U2 frontman Bono, George Soros, and Bill Gates.  At the head of the organization is Gayle Smith, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama.

Bain Capital Chairman Donates Big Money to Biden Super PAC.  The chairman of Bain Capital, the infamous venture capital firm excoriated by Democrats during the 2012 election for outsourcing American jobs, is putting big money behind a Super PAC working to elect former Vice President Joe Biden.  Joshua Bekenstein, who was one of the founders of the firm alongside Mitt Romney and now serves as its chairman, donated $250,000 to Unite the Country at the start of April, according to the Super PAC's Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.  On the same day that donation was made, Bekenstein's wife, Anita, contributed a further $250,000, raising the couple's total to half a million dollars.  Bekenstein and his wife have also each contributed the max amount of $5,600 to Biden's official 2020 campaign.

Soros Donor Network Quietly Launched New Big-Money Entities.  A powerful donor club cofounded by liberal billionaire George Soros quietly established two big-money entities to help its effort to inject $275 million into the 2020 election.  The Democracy Alliance, a coalition of deep-pocketed Democratic donors, launched the Strategic Victory Fund super PAC in March.  The PAC appears to be aimed at state-based initiatives and can collect and spend unlimited sums on political advertisements.  The group also created the Strategic Victory Fund nonprofit arm, which supplied the PAC's initial $500,000 deposit.  Democracy Alliance helps set the Democratic agenda and Vox has called it the "closest thing that exists to a 'left-wing conspiracy' in the US."

She has a Ph.D. in Social Welfare, whatever that is.
Woman Dictating LA County Shutdowns Isn't a Medical Doctor, Paid More than $500K.  Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer made news Tuesday [5/12/2020] when she told the county's board of Supervisors that the "Safer at Home" order would almost certainly be extended for three more months when it expired May 15.  Outrage ensued, and the Board of Supervisors and Ferrer herself walked back those comments.  Turns out that walk-back was just a giant "psych!" because Ferrer announced the new order Wednesday — one with no expiration date.  But, give her credit for being literal — it wasn't a three-month extension.  To say that the vast majority of county residents are upset is an understatement.  As we at RedState have argued throughout our collective quarantine, the people making these decisions are people with stable, steady paychecks — paid for by We the People.  Ferrer definitely fits in that category, but the amount of her salary is stunning.  According to Transparent California, a watchdog group, Ferrer's total compensation package in 2018 was $553,249.

Michelle and Barack Obama rake in millions of dollars, as adoration by liberal media continues.  The Hollywood Reporter recently broke a scoop about the latest Netflix documentary from the Obamas, designed to offer us an oasis of joy as we suffer through the coronavirus pandemic.  The documentary is called "Becoming" and it will be available worldwide Wednesday.  As the title suggests, it promotes Michelle Obama's memoir of the same name, which has sold more than 10 million copies.  So let's get this straight.  The Obamas were awarded a book deal worth an estimated $65 million for their memoirs, hers and then his.  They also struck an estimated $50 million production deal with Netflix.  (We don't have actual numbers.  Could someone in the media ask for a tax return?)  With this self-aggrandizing documentary, the second deal is being used to accentuate the profits of the first.  The buck raking here is intense.

Southern Poverty Law Center Now Has $162 Million Stashed in Offshore Accounts.  The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which last year faced accusations of racism among its highest ranks, reported $162 million stashed in offshore investments and paid its disgraced former leaders over $1 million.  The controversial group has continued to build its massive war chest by tens of millions of dollars even after employees claimed that the group's leadership allowed sexual harassment and racial discrimination against its minority staffers.  The ensuing media firestorm ultimately led to the ousting of cofounder Morris Dees, longtime president Richard Cohen, and legal director Rhonda Brownstein from the group in March 2019. New forms, covering a period beginning Nov. 1, 2018, and ending on Oct. 31, 2019, show that Cohen and Brownstein each received six-figure severance packages.

Financing Poverty, Malnutrition and Death — Part 1.  [Scroll down]  Indeed, "philanthropic" foundation support for radical environmentalist groups and campaigns is one of the best kept secrets of modern society.  It's time to spotlight some of them and call them to account.  Wealthy foundations — often created with profits and fortunes made in industry and technology — directly and indirectly support some of the most radical anti-energy, anti-technology and agro-ecology activism in America, Europe and the world.  Their wealth, direct and indirect aid mechanisms, and inter-locking global network of funders, managers and advisors make them a powerful, callous, oppressive force.

Pelosi Shows Off Her Kitchen and Gourmet Ice Cream Collection as Americans Stand in Line at Food Banks.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) showed off her expensive kitchen appliances and massive gourmet ice cream collection during an appearance on a late night show as Americans stand in line at food banks.  Pelosi slammed President Trump over his Coronavirus response on Monday's episode of "The Late Show" with James Corden before showing off her 15 flavor ice cream collection.  Pelosi, who is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, held Americans hostage by delaying the first Coronavirus stimulus package.

Nancy Pelosi Struggles Through Coronapocalypse With Her Fancy Designer Ice Cream.  Well, nothing says "Woman of the People" quite like posing in front of two of your enormous gleaming stainless-steel luxury refrigerators with a sweater tied around your neck.  What color is that, is that peach?  No, more of a tangerine.  Pumpkin, perhaps.  Very comforting, in any case.  Whoever dresses Pelosi is earning his and/or her pay. [...] Down with ICE, up with ice cream!  This is something every single American can appreciate, and it's not at all tone-deaf.  Those containers of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams you saw packed into Pelosi's freezers are only $12 per pint, so you can buy literally 100 of them with your Trump check.  Almost as many as Pelosi has.

Biden Super PAC Joins Forces With David Brock Group to Form $175 Million Anti-Trump Coalition.  The super PAC supporting former vice president Joe Biden has joined forces with liberal operative David Brock's opposition research group to form a $175 million network opposing President Donald Trump.  Pro-Biden super PAC Unite the Country and Brock's American Bridge PAC announced Monday they will collaborate on research, polling, and ad buys against President Trump.  The groups are teaming up in hopes of surpassing the Priorities USA super PAC, which is affiliated with the Democratic Party, as the largest outside group backing Biden's candidacy.

Bernie's Billionaire:  How the Richest Man in Hawaii Funds Bernie's PR and Opposition Research.  If there's one thing everyone knows about Senator Bernie Sanders, it's that he hates billionaires.  Now a newly minted millionaire and member of the 1%, Sanders reserves all his old hatred for millionaires, exclusively for billionaires.  Billionaires shouldn't exist, he insists.  And while Bernie virtue signals about not having a PAC or taking money from billionaires, a big chunk of his media operation is financed by Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, and the richest man in Hawaii.  Omidyar, a Franco-Persian who lives in Hawaii, pledged $250 million to First Look Media.  FLM's signature project is The Intercept, a radical leftist, anti-American, and anti-Semitic media hate site.  And The Intercept has a clear and definite candidate in the 2020 race.  The Intercept's election coverage is filled with hysterical Sanders cheerleading, [...]

Deep Pocket Democrats Intend to Buy Congress.  Michael Bloomberg made a stunning admission last month during his second appearance in a Democratic presidential primary debate.  Speaking in defense of his new identity as a member of the Democratic Party, he said, "All of the new Democrats that came in, put Nancy Pelosi in charge, and gave the Congress the ability to control this president, I b ... bought ... I got them."  Indeed he did.  He bought them.  Bloomberg bought congressional seats in 2018, spending an estimated $110 million to help Democrats win.  This included $28 million through his super PAC Independence USA, which backed 22 Democratic congressional candidates, 19 of whom won.  These efforts promise to be minor compared to what is happening now.

Liberal Children Of Privilege.  One of the weirdest things about the modern left isn't how much the activist class despises people who succeed, it's how many of those activists actually come from money themselves.  Not that they want you to know it, they pretend it isn't true while enjoying the freedoms that come from their family's accomplishments.  The latest example of this comes from the New York Post, which exposed a guy named Carlos Maza as a hypocrite on Saturday [3/7/2020].  Maza, who goes by the name "gay wonk," is known for whining about people who've earned a lot of money and trying to "cancel" conservatives for making fun of him.  The "wonk" part of his name must be used ironically since his resume exhibits nothing remotely close to an area of policy expertise.

Exposing Liberal Hypocrisy is Dangerous.  Before this New York Post story, I had never heard of Carlos Maza.  But a lot of people had; he has 150,000 followers on Twitter and YouTube.  Maza is a social justice warrior, and he hates rich people. [...] Maza's mother is the partner, to use contemporary lingo, of the founder of a successful software company, who is Maza's de facto stepfather.  They also have a $7 million condominium on Manhattan's Upper West Side.  They are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, estimating conservatively.  All of which is fine with me.  But there is something unhealthy about railing against other people's wealth — and hypocrisy! — while enjoying extreme financial privilege.  Yet somehow, it is rather common — there are more socialists among the upper crust than among the working class.

Bloomberg [and] Steyer Spent at Least $1,063,718,074 Trying to Oust Trump.  Liberal billionaires Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer spent over $1 billion in their attempt to oust President Donald Trump from office, an effort that began even before their 2020 presidential campaigns.  In fact, it began when Steyer spent $123 million on a massive Need to Impeach campaign to push for Trump's impeachment between 2017-2018.  Adding Steyer's 2017-2018 spending ($123 million) to both billionaires' current estimated campaign spending totals, a whopping $1,063,718,074 was spent in an attempt to oust Trump.  To put this into perspective, that's nearly $600 million shy of Steyer's entire net worth estimated at $1.6 billion.

Tom Steyer Reportedly Spent $23.6M on South Carolina Campaign Ads.  Despite Michael Bloomberg's unprecedented spending, his billionaire rival Tom Steyer has "nearly tripled the rest of the field combined in TV and digital ad spending in South Carolina through mid-February," according to The Dallas Morning News Feb. 28.  Steyer has reportedly spent a whopping $23.6 million on campaign advertising just in South Carolina alone, according to NPR Politics deputy editor Ben Swasey's summary of Advertising Analytics data Feb. 27.  Swasey's tweet indicates that Steyer's spending currently trounced the number two spender in the state, Mayor Pete Buttigieg (who spent $2.8 million), nearly ten times over.  And yet, RealClearPolitics polling averages currently show Steyer in distant third place in the state.

Has any candidate ever imploded like Michael Bloomberg?  Mr. Bloomberg spent more than $463 million in the first two months of his campaign, according to a report filed to the Federal Election Commission.  In January alone, Mr. Bloomberg dumped $220 million of his own money into his campaign — an average of more than $7 million per day.  Those expenditures included $126 million on TV ads and $45 million in online advertising. [...] Mr. Bloomberg has an estimated net worth of $64 billion.  That means his expenditures so far amount to just 0.7% of his fortune.

The million-dollar property listings of Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg.  Socialist Bernie Sanders likes to vacation in a fixer-upper wood cabin in Vermont, calling it his "summer camp."  Billionaire Mike Bloomberg's summer camp, on the other hand, consists of a $10 million waterfront mansion in Bermuda and a $20 million estate in Southhampton.  The presidential wannabes traded blows on Wednesday's debate stage when Bloomberg suggested Sanders was a hypocrite posing as a humble socialist who in fact owned three homes.

Michael Bloomberg, Arrogant Elitist.  There is a YouTube video featuring Michael Bloomberg speaking at the University of Oxford on the verge of Trump's inauguration in December 2016.  The video reveals much about Bloomberg's beliefs and thinking:  He is dismissive of the working class, seeing them as ignorant and insufficiently intelligent to be able to find useful work in this advanced technological age.  He sees himself as a member of an intellectual elite.  And the voters will quickly grasp his real opinion of them.  They are unlikely to vote for someone who sees them as serfs in need of guidance and patronage from nobility such as himself.  In three years, Donald Trump has blown apart Bloomberg's theory that the working class is composed of useless oafs.  Under Trump's policies, the workers that Bloomberg wrote off have found jobs and it wasn't necessary for the government to hire them with make-work programs.

Michael Bloomberg spent over $200M on campaign in January.  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is spending money at breakneck speed as he seeks the Democratic presidential nomination.  The billionaire spent $220 million in January, the same dollar amount he spent from November, when Bloomberg announced his campaign, through December, according to a Federal Election Commission filing.

Will Bloomberg News Ignore NYT Story on Bloomberg's Massive Spending?  No wonder liberal billionaire 2020 candidate Michael Bloomberg does not want his own news outlet investigating him.  They might have to do journalism and risk exposing where his money has been going all these years.  The liberal New York Times chose to do some actual journalism by digging up records on Bloomberg's enormous spending between 1977 and 2019 in a report Feb. 15.  Bloomberg spent "at least" a whopping $10 billion split between charitable and political causes.  Some of those causes included:  abortion, climate change and gun control.  As of now, the billionaire has poured an unheard of $401 million just into his own personal campaign in the first three months of his bid.  All of it came from his own wallet.  But do not expect to see this from Bloomberg News, considering its controversial policy to not investigate its owner.

Bloomberg Is Now 'Highest Spending Presidential Candidate of All Time'.  Liberal billionaire 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is willing to spend $2 billion to defeat President Donald Trump, and he continues to put his money where his mouth is.  Advertising Analytics, which provides information on advertising spending, said in a tweet that "@MikeBloomberg is the highest spending presidential candidate of all time."  Bloomberg has apparently spent a jaw-dropping "$338.7M on traditional media, surpassing @BarackObama's 2012 record of $338.3M," Advertising Analytics said Feb. 18.  The billionaire has poured an unheard of $401 million into his personal campaign within just the first three months of his bid.  All of it came from his own wallet.  He spent over $180 million in the first month alone.

Jeff Bezos Delivers $10 Billion To The Wrong Address.  When it comes to virtue signaling, it will be tough to top Jeff Bezos, who has pledged to put $10 billion — nearly 8% — of his net worth to help "save Earth."  He'd be better off investing that money in his own company, which has probably done more to reduce CO2 emissions than the do-gooders lining up for his handouts ever will. [...] We don't have anything against private charity.  It's the backbone of this nation.  And Bezos is free to spend his wealth however he wants.  But he's missing an opportunity to educate the public about how the free market — and his own company — are doing far more to "save Earth" than he will giving his money away to embolden "collective action."

The Revolution Will Be Subsidized By Bloomberg.  The apparent disagreements among the "centrist" and "radical" Democratic presidential candidates are not significant or substantial.  In the end, they will unite and depend on Mike Bloomberg's billions of dollars to take down President Trump.  Mr. "Stop-and-Frisk" has already pledged $2 billion or more to do so.  This makes Trump beatable.  If you don't think money matters, look at Bloomberg's rise in the polls based on millions of dollars of commercials alone.  Bloomberg is not a socialist but a technocrat prepared to usher in a socialist state.  He wants to bring "Stop-and-Frisk" to all of us, on a nationwide basis.  This means getting shoved up against a wall and losing our economic, political, and personal freedoms.

Socialist Bernie looks nervous after he's caught flying first class.  Bernie used to ride coach like us commoners, but no longer.  He is now a millionaire with three homes who spends exorbitantly on air travel.  That makes him a socialist hypocrite as he travels the country ranting against the 1%.  He is the 1%.  A passenger caught Bernie flying first class, and he does look nervous having his photo taken.  The tweet has since gone viral.

Bloomberg's money [is] sowing the seeds of destruction of the Democrat party.  Right before our eyes, a mega-billionaire is buying the presidential nomination of a political party, and oddly enough, it is the party that decries inequality of wealth and whose leading lights debate taxing billionaires out of existence.  This will not end well for the Democrats.  Bloomberg is luring the party's elites into visibly betraying the principles most of its rank-and-file hold dear and identifying themselves as sellouts who can be bought by sheer force of lucre.  A bitter split will be hard to avoid.

Mad Maxine: 'Fancy Parties' In Beverly Hills Ought To Give CA 'More Say' Than Iowa, NH.  Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) says her home state of California should have "more say" in the Democratic Party's primaries because they have "fancy" big-money parties in Beverly Hills.  "As you know, we have candidates who fly out to Los Angeles from everywhere to raise money," the California Democrat told CNBC on Thursday [2/13/2020].  "As a matter of fact, it had gotten so that you would have two, three, four at a time in Beverly Hills having dinners.  And some of our contributors who are very rich were holding, you know, fancy parties, trying to accommodate the request for donations and contributions.  And so, you know, the conclusion, the thinking is that if we are supplying tremendous dollars to candidates, we ought to have more say."

Maxine Waters:  CA Should Have More Say In Primary Because Of Big Money Raised At Beverly Hills Parties.  For years now, Democrats have been claiming they want big money out of politics.  Yet Maxine Waters just claimed on national television that California should have more sway in the Democrat primary process because of all the big cash generated for Democrats at fancy parties in Beverly Hills.

Steven Spielberg and Spouse Gave $3,500,000 to Liberals So Far This Electoral Cycle.  The liberal director of The Washington Post-touting film The Post (2017) Steven Spielberg has not kept silent about his disdain for President Donald Trump, and neither has his wallet.  Liberal filmmaker Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have contributed $3,500,000 collectively to liberal outside spending groups so far this cycle.  Pacronym, which received $500,000 each from the celebrity duo, is the affiliated political action committee for Acronym, the company behind the Iowa Democratic Caucus app fiasco.  The duo also contributed $1,000,000 collectively to the Senate Majority PAC, which works to help Democrats win control over the Senate.  They also gave to the Democrat super PAC Priorities USA Action, whose 501(c)(4) advocacy organization Priorities USA announced last year it was "launching an advertising campaign that would repackage local news into Democratic propaganda, in an attempt to assist the DNC with its 2020 presidential campaign."

Steyer, Bloomberg, Sussman & Eychaner Gave $63,970,900 to Liberals, Dwarfing Top 39 Conservative Donors' Spending.  Liberal outlet The Guardian reported Feb. 10 that conservative donor Sheldon Adelson is allegedly gearing up to spend $100 million to help boost President Donald Trump and Republican candidates this fall.  The outlet used its reporting (citing "three Republican fundraisers familiar with Adelson's initial plans") to suggest later that "The president's courting of the Adelsons contradicts his claims in 2016, when Trump donned a populist mantle and pledged to 'drain the swamp' of big money and lobbying."  Yet, Adelson, at this point, is tied for 43rd in contributions to outside spending groups, according to Open Secrets.  In fact, current data reveal that the top four liberal donors dwarf the spending of the top 39 donors to conservative outside spending groups combined.

How NeverTrump Could Cost the GOP the House and Senate.  Donald Trump's chances for reelection in November have never been higher.  The latest Gallup poll puts his approval rating at 49 percent, other polls have measured even higher, and he just gave the speech of his life in his 2020 State of the Union address.  But watch out.  Without Republican control of the Senate in 2020, much less recovering control of the House of Representatives, the impact of a second Trump term will be profoundly diminished.  Left-wing billionaires like Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer, Donald Sussman, James Simons, George Soros, Kenneth Griffin, Stephen Schwarzman, Fred Eychaner, Karla Jurvetson, and Jeff Bezos have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars almost exclusively to Democrats over the past few years.  For example, in 2018 these Democratic mega-moguls constituted 10 of the top 12 individual political contributors to federal elections.

Bloomberg's naked bid to buy the White House is an assault on democracy.  Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has elbowed himself into the Democratic nomination race solely on the basis of his fortune.  His campaign is high-handed as only a billionaire many times over could even contemplate.  He entered late, is skipping the early contests and hasn't participated in any of the debates to date (although that will change soon, thanks to the Democratic National Committee retrofitting its rules for Bloomberg).  Without more than $50 billion to his name, Bloomberg would almost certainly be running a campaign like another late entrant, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who hasn't been heard from.  Bloomberg's political strategy has always been built on the belief that nothing succeeds like excess.  If he wants it, he can buy it; money is no object.

Michael Bloomberg's Campaign Spent Over $180,000,000 in First Month of Presidential Bid.  Liberal billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is whipping out ridiculous amounts of cash to beat President Donald Trump in November.  Recent Federal Election Commission records revealed that the campaign for the billionaire owner of Bloomberg News had spent over a whopping $180 million just in the first month of his candidacy, CNBC reported Jan. 31.  "Bloomberg spent more during that month than any of his individual Democratic rivals have raised in total during the cycle," CNBC said.  Bloomberg had also personally contributed over $200 million to his own campaign.

Bloomberg's Plan For Black Americans Doubles Down On The Left's Failures.  Perhaps for the first time in many years, politicians are directly competing for black votes.  This goes hand-in-hand with signs that black America is no longer monolithically supporting Democrats.  For example, President Donald Trump's approval rating among black Americans is in the mid-30s.  Enter Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, who just launched his new plan for black America, the Greenwood Initiative, named after a site of both incredible black achievement and pain.  Bloomberg, speaking to a mostly white audience of only several hundred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, unveiled his plan's three points.  The plan is a perfect example of the failure of center-left policy concoctions meant to help black Americans, invariably cooked up by rich liberals.

This portion of the impeachment circus is sponsored by The Washington Post.
WaPo's Jennifer Rubin Says Bloomberg Could Help Dems by Spending $50,000,000 on Impeachment Ads.  The Washington Post's "conservative blogger" Jennifer Rubin is at it again.  This time she's saying that liberal billionaire Michael Bloomberg could help Democrats by using his vast wealth to support impeaching President Donald Trump.  The self-described "conservative blogger" wrote a fairly liberal op-ed Jan. 20 headlined, "Here's how Bloomberg could help himself, Democrats and America."  The way to "help," wrote Rubin, was for Bloomberg to:  "Spend $50 million or so in the next week on impeachment ads".  Strange, given that she wrote in January, 2019 (roughly one year ago), that such spending on impeachment ads was "financial wastefulness."  Rubin's opinion from a year ago was a rebuke to liberal billionaire and now current Democratic presidential contender Tom Steyer, who had spent years and a massive $120 million promoting the impeachment of President Donald Trump[.]

Michael Bloomberg Does Not Rule Out Spending a Whopping $1,000,000,000 to Beat Trump.  The New York Times reported Jan. 11 that Bloomberg "did not rule out spending a billion dollars of his own money on the 2020 presidential race, even if he does not win the Democratic nomination".  The Times noted that Bloomberg would mobilize his "well-financed political operation" to help rivals Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), "despite their sharp policy differences."  Is this attempt to buy the election a showcase of political expediency or just downright obsession?  Bloomberg has already spent a massive $200 million on advertising for his campaign, The Times noted.  He is also spending $10 million on an anti-Trump ad spot for the Super Bowl Feb. 2.

Jane Fonda Saves the Planet From Herself.  Last year, Jane Fonda sold her "eco-conscious" Beverly Hills mansion, with its 7,102 square feet on a 36,000 square foot lot enclosing a his and her master suite, a glass elevator, 5 bathrooms, glass walls, fireplaces, a fountain, a meditation garden, a fully stocked gym, a pavilion with heat lamps, and a huge pool for $8.5 million after she found no takers at its original $13 million sale price.  "This was the first time in my 79 years," Fonda enunciates with the deep pathos of an orphan finally getting a full meal as the camera zooms through the cavernous interior of a walk-in closet the size of some people's homes, "that I have had a closet that you could walk in and see everything you have." [...] Fonda didn't sell her mansion because she suddenly realized that two people living on a 36,000 square foot estate was bad for the environment.  Even if the pool was solar heated.  She had just broken up with her record producer boyfriend and was looking to scale down by getting something for the single life.

Hunter Biden owns massive home in swanky Hollywood Hills, court docs reveal.  Recovering crack addict Hunter Biden owns a home in one of the swankiest neighborhoods in America, it was revealed Monday [12/23/2019].  The son of former Vice President Joe Biden shares a ZIP code in the Hollywood Hills with celebrities such as Ben Affleck, Christina Aguilera and Halle Berry, according to documents filed in Hunter's Arkansas paternity case.  The three-bedroom, three-bathroom mid-century home is valued at $2.5 million.

Feted or fetid?
Inside Mayor Pete's $2,800-a-head wine cave fundraiser that prompted debate fury.  The now-famous wine cave in Napa Valley where billionaires hosted a fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg features a chandelier with 1,500 Swarovski crystals, an onyx banquet table to reflect its luminescence, and bottles of cabernet sauvignon that sell for as much as $900.  The event was attended by between 150 and 200 supporters of the South Bend, Indiana, mayor, who is looking to make history as the first openly gay candidate to win the presidential nomination of a major political party.  Guests at the fundraiser paid $2,800 to attend.  For an additional $1,000, they got to take a photo with the candidate.

We Three Kings of America Are:  Soros, Steyer, and Bloomberg.  The biggest lie in American politics today is that Republicans are the party of the wealthy elite, and the Democrats are fighting for the little guy.  While corporate political spending is split roughly down the middle between Democrats and Republicans, in all other categories the Democrats are way in front.  Labor unions, which collect and spend at least $14 billion per year in the United States, are almost exclusively committed to Democratic candidates.  And while Republicans still have some mega-donor individuals, most of them only contribute to candidates who espouse the same agenda as the Democrats — open borders, "free" trade, and endless wars.

Ukrainian Oligarch Paid $700,000 To The Husband Of A House Judiciary Committee Democrat.  Robert Powell, the husband of Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., reportedly took $700,000 from a Ukrainian oligarch named Igor Kolomoisky.  Mucarsel-Powell sits on the House Judiciary Committee, the committee that drafted two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his alleged abuse of power with regards to Ukraine.  In 2018, the Daily Beast reported that a number of businesses linked to Kolomoisky hired Powell as an attorney.  One of those firms paid Powell at least $700,000 over two years, according to public records.  The Miami Herald reported Powell was working for companies tied to Kolomoisky for 10 years.  Powell made most of his money in the two years leading up to his wife's election in 2018.

Liberal Organizations Contributed $43,817,937 to NPR from 2003 to 2019.  National Public Radio ("NPR") has historically been criticized for liberal bias.  Is it any wonder why, particularly when there's a money trail from liberal organizations bankrolling an already taxpayer-funded news outlet?  Ten liberal organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($14,164,937), the Ford Foundation ($12,350,000), the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation ($7,000,000) the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation ($6,285,000), liberal billionaire George Soros' Foundation to Promote Open Society ($2,900,000), the Ploughshares Fund ($550,000), Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. ($218,000), The Rockefeller Foundation ($200,000), the Craig Newmark Foundation ($100,000) and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Inc. ($50,000) have contributed $43,817,937 to National Public Radio (NPR) between 2003-2019, according to Foundation Directory Online data.  This raises major concerns over its liberal bias, especially given that NPR also receives federal funding.

Obama gave Common Core contract to publisher, got $65-million book deal in return?  As far-left Democrats yell about bribery and high crimes and misdemeanors, let's turn to their own side of the aisle, starting with the once penniless President Obama, who left public office a very, very rich man.  He just bought a Martha's Vineyard mansion for a cool $11.75 million, which is in addition to his Kalorama lookout post, his Chicago home, and possibly a Hawaii spread.  At some point, you've made enough... but not him.  Ostensibly, it's mainly the work of his book deals.  No bribery there, right?

George Soros:  A New Kind of Tyrant?  The venomous careers of Hitler and Stalin provoked the study of totalitarian regimes as the very epitome of evil, depriving their citizens of freedom and of life itself.  A state captured by a demagogue is considered a sure sign of danger ahead — hence the alleged justification by the Left for their hysteria over "rabble rouser" Donald Trump's election.  Overlooked until more recently are the unelected, bloated bureaucratic fiefdoms and regulatory encroachments of both national and global government and non-governmental institutions, which have created the opportunity for a sinister, large scale violation of political power.  This new abuse was foreshadowed in the career of FBI architect and director, the corrupt J. Edgar Hoover.  It has been notched up to a planetary level of hyper-coordination by George Soros as preliminary to the installation of his global Open Society.

Obamas pay $11.75M for Martha's Vineyard home on nearly 30 acres: report.  Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have purchased a nearly 7,000-square-foot home on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts for $11.75 million, according to a report.  The purchase price was recorded Wednesday with the local Registry of Deeds, the Vineyard Gazette reported.  The Obamas paid about half the original asking price for the property when it first became available in 2015, the report said.

Soros cash flows to pressure vulnerable GOP Congress members to impeach Trump.  Apparently, it's not enough that leftist hedge fund billionaire and 'stateless statesman' George Soros and his non-government organization front groups made a lunge to take over much of eastern Europe, visibly in the case of Ukraine during the Maidan revolution.  Nor is the Soros seeding of first the Obama administration, and then the Trump administration, with former operatives of his from other outfits.  Some, in the case of Trump, are now testifying as witnesses in the impeachment hearings.  Now, the Soros cash is rising to flood levels, targeting GOP Congress members to vote in support of impeaching Trump.

Documents reveal massive 'dark-money' group boosted Democrats in 2018.  The "green wave" of campaign cash that boosted Democrats and liberal causes in 2018 included an unprecedented gusher of secret money, new documents obtained by Politico show.  The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a little-known nonprofit headquartered in Washington, spent $141 million on more than 100 left-leaning causes during the midterm election year, according to a new tax filing from the group.  The money contributed to efforts ranging from fighting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and other Trump judicial nominees to boosting ballot measures raising the minimum wage and changing laws on voting and redistricting in numerous states.

Impeachment is not Playing in Peoria.  In the days of vaudeville when a show was destined to not play well in Peoria the producers would cut their losses and shelve the production.  So, Nancy Pelosi what are you going to do?  Stick with The Ukraine debacle to the bitter end rather than admit a mistake?  Try and create out of whole cloth yet another impeachment theory?  Slink off into the shadows and not have an impeachment vote?

Al Sharpton gets $1M in pay from his own charity, tax filings show.  He's the million-dollar minister.  The Rev. Al Sharpton raked in $1,046,948 from his own charity last year, according to National Action Network's latest tax filings obtained by The [New York] Post.  Sharpton got a $324,000 salary — 32% higher than his 2017 pay — in addition to a $159,596 bonus and $563,352 in "other compensation."

California Dems Flood Colorado With Cash Ahead of National Popular Vote Referendum.  California Democrats have been cutting six-figure checks to promote the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPV) in Colorado ahead of a referendum vote in the state next November.  The NPV would change how the Electoral College operates without amending the Constitution.  It pledges a state's Electoral College votes to the candidate receiving the most votes nationwide in a presidential election.  The Colorado political committee Yes on National Popular Vote has collected just under $750,000 since its creation in late July.  Over 98 percent of that money is from California donors, most of which is courtesy of a $500,000 donation from Stephen Silberstein, a board member of the National Popular Vote nonprofit that has driven the movement for more than a decade.

The Curious Activity of George Soros in Virginia.  You'd think that by so generously "investing" (as Soros puts it) in political candidates and causes, he would receive more positive attention in the media.  Truth is, Soros knows the majority of America does not want what he's selling, so he tries not to call attention to himself.  Soros also knows populations are easily influenced by impressive-sounding names and that most people don't investigate things beyond a surface level.  Therefore, he sets up and funds shell-organizations to elect marionettes who will vote and make policy in ways Soros wants.

Mike Bloomberg's gun-control group just vastly outspent the NRA to help Democrats win in Virginia.  A gun-control lobbying group funded largely by billionaire Michael Bloomberg just helped Democrats take over the state government in Virginia — right in the National Rifle Association's backyard.  In Tuesday's [11/5/2019] elections, the Democrats tipped the Virginia House and Senate in their favor, giving them full control of the state government for the first time since 1994.  The election had stronger-than-usual turnout in the suburbs, according to media reports.  While the results could be a good omen for Democrats' chances in 2020, it may also be a tipping point in the money battle over gun rights.  Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun-control advocacy group that the former New York mayor helps fund, spent $2.5 million this year to influence voters in Virginia versus approximately $300,000 by the NRA, which has its headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia.

Far-left candidates appear to flop in Seattle city council race after Amazon dumps dollars.  Preliminary results are in for the Seattle City Council election, and it appears far-left candidates who were expected to be hostile to business interests have faltered after Amazon dumped more than a million dollars into the race in October.

Don't Let the Deep State Divide Us.  [Scroll down]  But what if Tom Steyer is just a guy that made a mint financing coal plants in the Third World that has now got a bee in his bonnet about saving the planet, because polar bears?  What if George Soros, speculator extraordinaire, is still the kid that absorbed the conventional wisdom of 1948 that we must never let the nationalist dogs out of the kennel again, because jackboots?  And what about those deep staters in the "intelligence community?" Could it be that they just don't have the cojones to conspire in a real coup?  But are willing to give it a little nudge that they hope will not jeopardize their pensions?  But is that all there is in today's ruling class?

How Central Banks Fund Our Age of Endless War.  The 20th century was the century of total war.  Limitations on the scope of war, built up over many centuries, had already begun to break down in the 19th century, but they were altogether obliterated in the 20th.  And of course the sheer amount of resources that centralized states could bring to bear in war, and the terrible new technologies of killing that became available to them, made the 20th a century of almost unimaginable horror.  It isn't terribly often that people discuss the development of total war in tandem with the development of modern central banking, which — although antecedents existed long before — also came into its own in the 20th century.  It's no surprise that Ron Paul, the man in public life who has done more than anyone to break through the limits of what is permissible to say in polite society about both these things, has also been so insistent that the twin phenomena of war and central banking are linked.  "It is no coincidence," Dr. Paul said, "that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking."

Blowing the Whistle on the Whistleblower.  Paul Sperry of RealClearInvestigations wrote the name Eric Ciaramella on Wednesday [10/30/2019]. [...] America merely lacked a name.  We knew the type.  Ciaramella graduated from a high school that costs $30,000 a year to attend, received his undergraduate degree from Yale, and obtained a master's from Harvard.  A few years after graduation from that tony private high school, the youngster estimated to its alumni magazine of trips to 28 different countries (he admits he lost count).  When others provide you with the best education and pricey junkets to obscure parts of the globe, not getting the president you asked for might come as a terrible blow.  So Ciaramella sought to rectify this injustice by anonymously peddling secondhand gossip — false in large part — designed to instigate another round of impeachment discussions.  He did so by first going to Congressman Adam Schiff.  When you seek to report a federal crime, go to the FBI.  When you seek to gin up political trouble, go to Adam Schiff.

The Left's Billionaires Have Been Pushing Impeachment All Along.  Leftist activists, the Democratic National Committee, their billionaire benefactors, and representatives of some of the world's largest charitable foundations came together in the days following Donald Trump's election.  At a meeting deliberately planned for Inauguration Day 2017, they finalized the resistance. [...] This plan, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon in 2017, included working directly with social media giants to access and manipulate their data, planting news stories in the mainstream media critical of President Trump, mounting campaigns against his policies, framing everything he does through a racial lens, and normalizing violence in the streets as a form of resistance.  Their goal?  To box Donald Trump in and ensure that he would never be "normalized" in American culture.  The amount of money dedicated to these efforts is staggering.  Tracing the sources of that dark money has proven elusive.

Michelle Obama castigates whites for 'running from us'.  Speaking at an event in Chicago called the "Obama Foundation Summit" (were any heads of state present?), Michelle Obama let slip her resentment of white people.  The grudge goes back to her childhood, and she does not seem to see much progress in the behavior she attributes to Caucasian-Americans. [...] This is remarkably un-self-aware, considering that the Obamas currently reside in Kalorama and Martha's Vineyard.  How many blacks live near their two mansions?

Is California Becoming Premodern?  The nobodies have struggled to buy high-priced gas, pay exorbitant power bills and deal with shoddy infrastructure — all of which resulted from the policies of the distant somebodies.  California's three most powerful politicians — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Gov. Gavin Newsom — are all multimillionaires.  Their lives, homes and privileges bear no resemblance to those of other Californians living with the consequences of their misguided policies and agendas.

Elizabeth Warren is the Hillary Clinton of 2020.  Why is it fine for Warren to menace the rich — but not for Bernie Sanders?  With some polls placing her ahead of the former vice president Joe Biden, the Massachusetts senator is suddenly basking in praise from mainstream newspapers as well as 'progressives' like Emily Tisch Sussman, a 'Democratic strategist' who appears regularly on MSNBC.  Led by its star hosts, Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow, MSNBC functions as the mouthpiece of an official Democratic party still dominated by the Clintons and Barack Obama.  'If you are still supporting Sanders as opposed to Warren,' said Sussman recently, 'it's kind of showing your sexism.'  Besides being a courageous feminist, Sussman happens to be the daughter of two billionaires.  She seems unafraid of Warren's plan to increase taxes on the super-rich.  Warren ticks all the boxes marked 'progressive' that used to belong mostly to Sanders.

Democrats Represent the Rich While Working Class Flocks To GOP.  In research produced by the Wall Street Journal, Democrats and Republicans have seemingly switched voter bases through the decades, shifting political positions on trade and immigration to benefit those voters.  For instance, in 2008, Democrats pulled most of their votes from congressional districts with some of the least economic output and toward those with the highest economic output.  Fast-forward to 2018, and Democrats now largely represent voters who live in districts with the largest economic output with only a sliver of low economic output districts.

Leftist Dark Money Group Pushes Scheme to Pack Supreme Court with Liberal Justices.  Demand Justice, an organization founded by former members of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and associated with a secretive "social welfare organization" financed by billionaire activist George Soros, is pushing a scheme to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices by adding new seats to the nation's highest court.  This comes after Demand Justice has failed in its repeated attempts to bring about the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Polish MP: Soros 'Wants to Rule the World' as 'Master of Puppets'.  The left-liberal establishment is attacking Poland's conservative government ahead of national elections on Sunday because its success "damages the Soros Plan", according to Polish lawmaker Dominik Tarczyński.  In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, the outspoken Polish parliamentarian said it was "obvious" that the international interest in his country's elections is a result of "globalist" distaste for its conservative-populist Law and Justice Party (PiS) government and its pro-sovereignty, anti-mass migration agenda, [...]

AOC responds to report on pricey haircut: 'They're just mad we look good doing it'.  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez dismissed criticism over her pricey trip to a beauty salon last month as pure envy, suggesting people are jealous over how good she looks while championing progressive policies.  The freshman New York Democrat said Thursday [10/10/2019] the Washington press should be covering more important issues than her latest visit to a downtown salon to refresh her locks, citing healthcare costs, poverty and "extreme inequality."

Ocasio-Cortez Pays Nearly $300 for Haircut While Preaching Socialism.  My colleague and PJM senior editor Tyler O'Neil put AOC's latest slice of hypocrisy best:  "She's such a typical millennial — we enjoy the benefits of capitalism but advocate against the engine of growth behind it."  AOC does not appear to practice what she preaches.  She recently visited "The Last Tangle" hair salon and dropped nearly $300 for a haircut.

The Editor says...
Yes, but $300 in New York is like $100 in Dallas, and think of the poor hairdresser who has to listen to AOC rant for half an hour.

Imagining Chelsea Clinton's America.  [Scroll down]  In city after city, draconian ordinances overrode zoning laws with decades of precedence.  Investors could demolish single family homes and erect fourplexes, or more units, where one household had previously stood.  Rent control laws, combined with mandated conservation retrofits (to prevent climate change), made it hard for anyone apart from large institutional investors to maintain rental properties.  Single family homes became worth more to buyers if they were demolished and replaced with apartments.  New laws made it obligatory to accept Section 8 renters whose rent would be paid by taxpayers.  Corporate behemoths busted block after block, in city after city, turning communities into government housing projects.  Those who objected were branded as racists, deniers, xenophobes, and NIMBYs.  They were silenced.  Chelsea Clinton, of course, along with all the politically connected, well fed animals in this new Animal Farm called America, resided in a gated community.

Understanding the Climate Movement Part 3: Follow the Money.  I became quite despondent while putting this together as I started to understand the huge, eye-watering amount of money that is dependent upon the unproven notion that atmospheric CO2 arising from the use of fossil fuels is causing catastrophic global warming/climate change/ pestilence and doom.  Some headline numbers:  the capitalisation of the renewable energy industry is over $1 trillion; the funding of the NGOs being used as alarmist publicity and lobbying agencies exceeds $2 billion; and the amount of government research funding committed to the issue exceeds $1billion.  Good luck expecting that the resolution of some matter of scientific importance will cause these agencies to admit that their business is based upon a lie and that they will go away quietly, or at least scale back to a size more commensurate with the real market needs.

The Greta Thunberg phenomenon is nothing but a money-making scheme set up by her handlers to profit from climate hysteria.  Many Americans are scratching their heads trying to figure out what's up with this Greta Thunberg child, including how she was able to quickly rise to prominence as the newest mouthpiece promoting the climate change hoax.  Well, the answer is simple:  Greta is a pawn of the global climate mafia, which we know is all about money and power.  Besides working for George Soros, Greta is also tied to the domestic terrorist group Antifa through her parents, both of whom identify as members of this far-left hate group.  Greta also has a handler who followers her nearly everywhere she goes.  Her name is Luisa-Marie Neubauer, and she's an operative for "ONE Movement," a climate hoax group that's funded and controlled by not only Soros, but also eugenicists Bill and Melinda Gates, as well as washed-up rock singer and political operative Bono.  Right on its website, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation admits that the ONE Movement is a globalist organization that uses celebrities and other assets to push climate change activism and other leftist causes on the masses.

George Soros Emerges as Major Funder of 'Global Climate Strike' Groups.  George Soros financed radical environmental groups partnering in this week's "Global Climate Strike" to the tune of nearly $25 million, according to a new report.  At least 22 of the left-wing activist groups listed as partners in the Global Climate Strike received $24,854,592 in funding from liberal billionaire George Soros between 2000-2017 through his Open Society Network, Joseph Vazquez reported Thursday [9/26/2019] for the Media Research Center.

Senator Elizabeth Warren's net worth revealed as the 2020 Presidential Election heats up.  Warren, who is currently a U.S. Senator in Massachusetts, is regarded as one of the more liberal candidates in the current Democratic race.  The senator has built her campaign on promising middle-class Americans to fight for their equality.  "Rich guys have been waging class warfare against hard-working people for decades," Warren said in her speech announcing her candidacy for president.  "I say it's time to fight back!" [...] Forbes reported the presidential hopeful is worth an estimated $12 million.

Would You Pay $4,200 to Listen to Michelle Obama Scold You?  "At a certain point, you've made enough money."  Back in 2010, President Barack Hussein Obama said that out loud into a microphone.  But now, once again, Past Obama and Present Obama find themselves at odds.  I cannot imagine Barry is saying the same thing today to his wife. [...] At a certain point, you've made enough money.  But you don't get to decide when that "certain point" arrives.  The Obamas get to decide that.  And obviously, they've decided that their own "certain point" isn't anywhere close yet.

Trump recommends congressional investigations into Obama family book and Netflix deals.  In 2017, Barack and Michelle Obama signed a joint book deal worth a reported $65 million.  They also inked a deal with Netflix in 2018 to produce content for the streaming company.  Last month, the Obamas' first produced documentary, American Factory, streamed on Netflix.

The impenetrable, gloomy rage of the Democrat presidential candidates.  The Clintons and the Obamas all became fabulously wealthy during and after their terms in the White House.  Just how did they do that?  We know more about the Clintons and their foundation that was a pay-to-play scheme for access to power and preference, like the sale of 20% of U.S. uranium to Russia.  It is still a mystery, aside from their books and Netflix, how the Obamas did it, but they are obviously not worried about the seas rising any time soon.  Their $15M mansion is on the water at Martha's Vineyard.  And they travel to the world's most luxurious places with abandon.

The Truth about Huey Long.  [Scroll down]  He was among the earliest American politicians advocating for redistribution of wealth, insisting that true equality would only be achieved when big corporations — in his case, Standard Oil — were forced to pay higher taxes to fund a more robust welfare state.  In public, Huey P. Long boasted of his populist policy bona fides, hiding his well-to-do upbringing to convince Louisiana's poor and working class that he understood their plight.  But in private, Long lived lavishly at taxpayer expense.  In speeches, he condemned J. P. Morgan Jr. for owning 100 suits, which Long said he stole off the backs of working people.  Meanwhile, Long used state funds to outfit a luxurious wardrobe of as many suits or more.  Deciding that the existing governor's mansion wasn't grand enough for him, Long demanded that a new one be constructed.  When the legislature wouldn't approve the funds for the project, Long simply ordered construction to begin, and it did.

A Kennedy launches a campaign to tell us little people to quit eating hamburgers.  One of the beautiful people out there riding jets for book tours and maybe global warming conferences is very, very, upset with the rest of us for our "inconspicuous" consumption.  Pay no attention any more to the superrich for that conspicuous consumption on carbon-spewing yachts and jets flying to global warming conferences, the big problem now is shaming those who can only afford hamburgers.

The Hate Factory.  [Scroll down]  Going back at least as far as FDR and the New Deal, Democrats portrayed themselves as champions of the working class, and vilified "big business" as corrupt and oppressive.  This tradition endures in the rhetoric of candidates like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who rail against the "rich" whom they promise to punish with confiscatory taxes.  Never mind the fact that both Sanders and Warren are millionaires, of course.  No matter how rich Democrats themselves might be, they always assail "corporate America" as a force of evil, because this kind of anti-business rhetoric stirs up a sense of envy and resentment among the ignorant poor.

Rich part of Washington, D.C. goes tooth-and-claw to prevent new child-migrant shelter in its neighborhood.  Actually, the area has been plagued by some of these child migrants, getting its name in the news more than once for its gruesome murders. [...] It's indisputable that bringing in more unvetted migrants mean there are going to be more of these killings going on, something that might just affect property values and the quality of life in this tony district.

Inside The Obamas $15 Million Dollar House of Hypocrisy on Martha's Vineyard.  The home, which the Obamas reportedly made a bid on, is a whopping 7,000 square foot sprawling mansion that sits on 29-acres of pristine land, and would reportedly be a "summer home" for the former First Family.

Obamas fight climate change by... buying an oceanside estate.  Remember that time when former President Barack Obama was addressing Wall Street reform and said, "I do think, at some point, you've made enough money."?  Well, what better way to celebrate his own good fortune than buying a fabulous 29-acre estate on the island of Martha's Vineyard, right?  Unless, of course, people paying attention say, "Hey, wait a minute.  What about your carbon footprint, Mr. Obama?"

Do As I Say, Not As I Do.  Then there is Barack Obama.  "At a certain point you've made enough money."  "You didn't build that."  "There's only so big a house you can have."  It turns out, though, that the Obamas haven't yet reached those limits.  Barack and Michelle have bought a $14.85 million estate on Martha's Vineyard from the owner of the Boston Celtics.  This is not, of course, their only home, but most of us would find it more than adequate:  [Photo]  [...] [M]ost Americans have figured out that when Obama said, "At a certain point you've made enough money," he was talking about you, not him.

Why Would the Obamas Buy a Doomed Beach House?  It has 29 beachfront acres.  The main residence is just shy of 6900 square feet. [...] It's got the obligatory pool, the outdoor fireplace, vaulted ceilings, two guest wings, but it's right on the beach.  It's right on the beach.  The Obamas have just sunk $15 million into something that may not be there in 10 years because of climate change and rising sea levels.  So why would the Obamas do that?  Why would the brilliant Barack Hussein O plunk down $15 million on a property that's gonna be ruined and destroyed inside of 10, maybe 12 years at the outside because of climate change?

Obama Family Purchasing Swanky Martha's Vineyards Mansion.  The Obama's are reportedly purchasing 29 beachfront acres, 7 bedrooms, just shy of 6,900 square feet, $14.85 million mansion in Martha's Vineyard.  The home is currently owned by Boston Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck.  The Martha's Vineyard estate was previously listed for $22 million, but the Obamas are paying less than the current listing price according to "multiple island sources."

Obamas Buying $15 Million Mansion; Socialists AOC and Bernie Oddly Quiet.  Someone needs to alert Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and the rest of the socialists in this country that leftist fan-favorites Barack and Michelle Obama will soon have new digs.  More importantly, because their new mansion in Martha's Vineyard costs a cool $15 million, those new digs are a vivid demonstration of the income disparity between the haves and the have-nots. [...] However will the Obamas cope with only a two-car garage?  With 29 acres, I'm sure that they can find a spot to build a bigger garage if they want.  In the meantime, Comrade Bernie Sanders will no doubt be more than happy to store any of their extra cars at one of his three houses.

Report:  The Obama Family Is Purchasing Massive Martha's Vineyards Mansion.  Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle are reportedly set to purchase a mega-mansion in Martha's Vineyard.  The Obamas will purchase the house from Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck for a discount, according to a report published by TMZ Thursday.  The property contains 29 beachfront acres, 7 bedrooms, and is listed at $14,850,000.  The report stated that the former first family rented the house for the summer and enjoyed it so much that they decided to purchase it.

The Editor says...
Where did Barack H. Obama get that kind of money?

George Soros's secret 2016 access to State exposes 'big money' hypocrisy of Democrats.  Liberal mega-donor George Soros made some big bets during the last U.S. presidential election.  One was that Hillary Clinton would win the presidency.  Another was that he could reshape Ukraine's government to his liking, and that his business empire might find fertile ground in that former Soviet state.  So when Donald Trump's improbable march to the White House picked up steam in the spring of 2016, Team Soros marched to the top of the State Department to protect some of those investments, according to newly released department memos providing a rare glimpse into the Democratic donor's extraordinary access to the Obama administration.

Here Are The Democratic Presidential Candidates With The Most Donations From Billionaires.  Dozens of American billionaires have pulled out their checkbooks to support candidates engaged in a wide-open battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.  As of the last filing deadline with the Federal Election Commission on July 15th, 67 billionaires — including spouses and members of billionaire families — had donated to the 20 Democratic candidates that debated in Detroit last week.

Bill Maher:  Recession 'Worth It' To Prevent Trump Winning.  Comedian Bill Maher of HBO, a wealthy man who will most likely never experience economic hardship for as long as he lives, now actively hopes that people lose their jobs, having their lives completely upended by way of a recession so that President Trump loses the 2020 election.

Income inequality is a big topic for rich Dem candidates, but their audience yawns.  To hear all the wealthy Democratic candidates for president tell it, economic inequality is a major issue, right up there with other unrealistic proposals like free college and a multi-trillion-dollar government takeover of healthcare.  That message is then multiplied and magnified by mainstream media's ubiquitous megaphone.  But to hear average Americans talk about income inequality, well, you don't actually hear much of anything about that.  They're seemingly too busy chasing their own economic dreams to pay much attention to meaningless political primary palaver aimed at a tiny population sliver of even wealthier donors.

Prince Harry 'gives barefoot speech' at secretive Google Camp climate change conference in Italy.  Tech giants and celebrities flocked to Sicily to show off their green credentials for the camp that focuses on global warming, but many failed to leave their private jets at home.  More than 110 fuel-guzzling planes are scheduled to land at Palermo, the nearest airport, between now and August 4, reports Giornale di Sicilia.  Others brought their super yachts to the three-day conference which has A-lister attendees including Harry Styles, Katy Perry and Bradley Cooper.  Buckingham Palace refused to confirm Prince Harry's attendance at the event or how he travelled to Sicily.

A-listers flock to Google summit in private jets, mega yachts to talk climate change.  The world's rich and famous have flocked to a posh Italian resort to talk about saving Mother Earth — but they sure are punishing her in the process.  The billionaire creators of Google have invited a who's who of A-list names — including former President Barack Obama, Prince Harry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry — to the Sicilian seaside for a mega-party they've dubbed Google Camp.  The three-day event will focus on fighting climate change — though it's unknown how much time the attendees will spend discussing their own effect on the environment, such as the scores of private jets they arrived in and the mega yachts many have been staying on.

Your Sunday schadenfreude.  Senator Ted Cruz faced down and won re-election in a heated campaign against not just a fake Hispanic pretty boy named Robert Francis O'Rourke, he defeated an intense propaganda offensive undertaken by Texas and national media.  That propaganda was not enough to convince Texas voters to hand a majority to O'Rourke, the already-wealthy populist who married an heiress to an estimated half billion-dollar fortune.

Middle-Class Joe Cashes In.  The American middle class just got a lot richer.  Joe Biden, who invariably and tiresomely refers to himself as "Middle-Class Joe," made $15 million the first two years after the end of the Obama administration.  This hardly qualifies as a rounding error in the portfolio of any billionaire mogul, but for the average American, a million here, a million there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money.

Biden and wife made more than $15 million after leaving office.  Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, earned more than $15 million in the two years after Biden left government in early 2017, according to tax records released by his campaign on Tuesday [7/9/2019].

Biden releases financial info, made more than $15.5M before taxes over past two years.  Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has raked in millions since leaving office, released his financial disclosure form as well as three years of tax returns Tuesday [7/9/2019].  The documents showed that Biden and his wife, Jill, made more than $11 million in 2017 before taxes and made more than $4.5 million in 2018 before taxes.  Biden's campaign said that the vast majority of that income ($10,048,739 in 2017 and $3,236,764 in 2018) derived from payments to the couple for the writing of two books:  Joe's "Promise Me, Dad" and Jill's "Where the Light Enters," as well as paid speaking engagements.

Rich father-in-law has helped, complicated O'Rourke's career.  Beto O'Rourke was running for the El Paso City Council in 2005 when he asked to meet with the illustrious real estate investor William Sanders.

The Left's Endgame Is Not Chaos.  It's Worse.  Writ large, what the self-styled "progressive left" is selling amounts to a modern version of feudalism, in which a self-appointed elite, whose status is maintained by the promotion of a self-serving "progressive," neo-Marxist dogma, is anointed to tell the rest of us peasants how we must live our lives, not unlike the Divine Right of Kings.  The Rest of Us will be compelled to create wealth for them, as they enjoy an opulent existence without earning it; the likes of Obama, Hillary, Macron, Merkel, etc., couldn't produce something genuinely useful if their lives depended on it.  In their world, over-educated uselessness becomes a virtue, as they are simply "above" having to produce anything.

WaPo: Biden's Had 'An Explosion of Wealth' Since Leaving White House.  Biden's newfound wealth since leaving public office has mostly come from paid speeches, some of which earned him as much as $200,000, and book deals.  The book deal for his 2017 memoir Promise Me, Dad was reportedly worth $8 million and covered three books from Biden and his wife, of which two have been published.  The former vice president's campaign said he has given fewer than 50 paid speeches in the years since serving alongside President Obama but declined to give further details to the [Washington] Post about how much he made from these speeches.  Four contracts unearthed by the Post show Biden making between $150,000 to $200,000 per speaking appearance.

'Middle class Joe' Biden is renting a $20,000-a-month Virginia home from a venture capitalist.  Joe Biden has raked in the cash since he's left the vice presidency, making speeches at up to $200,000 a pop, signing a seven-figure book deal, and renting a 12,000-square-foot home in Northern Virginia from a wealthy venture capitalist.  He even has demands in his contract for raspberry sorbet and chartered flights for his speeches.  The details about the new life of the man who calls himself 'Middle Class Joe' were revealed Tuesday [6/25/2019] by the Washington Post, which used public records to track down Biden's new lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Joe Biden Demands 'Angel Hair Pomodoro, Caprese Salad, Raspberry Sorbet' Before $150,000 Speaking 'Performance'.  [Joe] Biden's thinking about running for president for a third time.  And there's good reason for the 76-year-old to jump into the 2020 race:  Money.  Candidates live the high life, jetting around the country in private planes, lounging in five-star hotels, eating like a king — all while hauling in millions from contributors who end up footing the bill.  Nice work if you can find it (just ask socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, who owns three houses).  But Biden's already living the rock star life, giving paid speeches at colleges and theaters all across the country (he even hit Proctor's Theatre, a former vaudeville house, in Schenectady, New York, recently, not your usual stop).  And throughout his tour, he had some heavy demands, just like any bona fide rock star.

A civil war is coming for the Democratic Party — and it won't be pretty.  For starters, is the Democratic Party a party of the rich or a party of the little guy?  For many years, they've been the party of the rich playing a good game of pretending to be for the little guy.  And the Democratic establishment does it in insidious ways that are too clever by half:  They are for the marginalized guy or gal in the race, gender, and sexuality issues because, hey, that doesn't hurt their and their affluent constituents' pocketbook much.  But in the economic issues that matter, they often sock it to the average Democratic working-class voter:  in the global trade deals that've offshored jobs and have decimated the American manufacturing base; in their looking the other way as illegal immigrants depress the wages of working-class Americans, and more.

Who Are the Rich, White Men Institutionalizing Transgender Ideology?  As an environmental activist who was deplatformed from a speaking venue by transactivists, in 2013 I developed curiosity about the power of this group to force this development.  A year later, when Time magazine announced a transgender tipping point on its cover, I had already begun to examine the money behind the transgender project.  I have watched as all-women's safe spaces, universities, and sports opened their doors to any man who chose to identify as a woman.  Whereas men who identify as transwomen are at the forefront of this project, women who identify as transmen seem silent and invisible.  I was astonished that such a huge cultural change as the opening of sex-protected spaces was happening at such a meteoric pace and without consideration for women and girls' safety, deliberation, or public debate.

Iran Drone Incident An Obama-Thrown Bombshell?  The Obamas are staying in a $62,000-a-week vacation rental in Avignon, France, a small town in the Provence region of France, known for its scenic landscapes, nearby vineyards and historic sites, like Palais des Papes, where the Pope lived in the 14th century.  Next stop, Lake Como, Italy, and the home of George and Amal Clooney.  Being an in-the-closet 'Resistance' leader leaves plenty of time for lavish holidays when the plants back home do your job while you're away from home.

O'Rourke: 'I Don't Know That Anybody Deserves to Have a Billion Dollars'.  Former Texas congressman Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke suggested no one deserves to have a billion dollars during an interview with the New York Times.  "I don't know that anyone deserves to have a billion dollars," O'Rourke told the Times when asked if anyone deserves to have that much money.  It is unclear if O'Rourke thinks his father-in-law, who is estimated to be worth $500 million, deserves his money.

Joe Biden Holds Fundraiser In $34 million NYC Penthouse.  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden held a fundraiser Monday night [6/17/2019] in a $34 million New York City penthouse.  Close to 200 wealthy supporters of Biden drank wine and took in the Central Park view from investment billionaire Jim Chanos's three-story, 7,800 sq. ft. home, reported The Washington Examiner.  They were apparently unfazed by liberal protesters gathered outside, chanting about global warming and the need to ban fracking.

Dirty Rotten Climate Scandals:  Reality of big climate funding will shock you.  Other scientists try to help humanity, but while climate scientists may kid themselves and others that they share that goal, their practical intent is to raise energy costs and harm nations' energy efficiency via renewables.  While they posture as planet-savers in white coats, some of them pocket awards of half-million dollars, even a million, and notch up more career-enhancing medals than a North Korean general.

Obama playing dictator-in-exile from a kingly south of France palace?  President Obama is living the life of a former king, vacationing these days at a palatial estate in the south of France.  At what point has he made enough? [...] Why the taxpayers should pay for this via the security guard details, as if the man can't afford any of his own after all the payoffs he's now collecting from speeches and book deals is rather a side issue.  The problem is that this comes as he's engaging in quite a few shenanigans on his own around Europe.  DCWhispers, a pretty reliable blog, reprinted an item stringing together all the Obama spottings around Europe with its leaders, all of whom are of the #NeverTrump ilk, calling it the activity of a "dictator in exile."

Soros Implementing His Radical Leftist Agenda by Investing in Criminal Justice.  For many years leftist billionaire George Soros has used his wealth to remake our society.  His latest area of focus is criminal justice.  From Texas to Philadelphia to Virginia, Soros has reportedly spent millions in backing candidates for district attorneys or prosecutors.  "Philadelphia is the laboratory where this experiment of Soros funded prosecutors is playing out," said William McSwain the US Attorney for Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Tucker Carlson Show.  [Video clip]

Are you tired yet of how DC works?  The people in Washington don't really care about you or me.  Yes, they care, but about different things — such as getting re-elected, and hanging on to power, and making money.  It's an ego trip, basically, and a handsome source of collateral income along the way.  They work for it, what with their endless calls to donors and lobbyists, plus the added leverage of their political influence.  And their efforts are not in vain.  Just ask Joe Biden and his son Hunter.  They made out quite well.

Mike Bloomberg Devotes $500 Million To Kill Coal Jobs, Influence 2020 Elections.  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will spend $500 million to close every remaining U.S. coal-fired power plant and stop the expansion of natural gas.  Bloomberg will fund environmental activist lobbying campaigns in state legislatures, city councils and public utility commissions.  Activists will demand officials replace coal plants with renewable energy, not natural gas.  "We're in a race against time with climate change, and yet there is virtually no hope of bold federal action on this issue for at least another two years," Bloomberg said in a statement Thursday [6/6/2019].

The Editor says...
We are NOT "in a race against time" to stop global warming.  There is no abnormal global warming.  Any time you hear a politician push for immediate action, it is almost always for the purpose of deception.

Michael Bloomberg pledges $500M to shutter U.S. coal plants.  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday will launch what he calls the largest ever coordinated campaign to beat climate change, which will close all U.S. coal plants by 2030.  Bloomberg said the $500 million program, Beyond Carbon, will put the United States on track toward a 100 percent clean energy economy by working with advocates to "build on leadership and climate progress already underway."

Donor fires back after University of Alabama returns $21.5 million.  The philanthropist who pledged a record $26.5 million to the University of Alabama said the school is harming students by returning his donation after he spoke out about abortion.  Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. encouraged students to boycott the university in response to the state's controversial new abortion law, which does not allow for exceptions in instances of rape or incest.

Anti-Trump AG Sued For Using Bloomberg-funded Attorneys To Promote a Climate Crusade.  Virginia-based law firm sued Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey Monday for using attorneys financed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to engage in a climate crusade against Exxon Mobil.  Government Accountability & Oversight (GAO) filed the lawsuit against Healey for using two privately funded attorneys to focus on prosecuting oil and gas companies.  The attorneys are paid through a $6 million grant from Bloomberg and have ties to the anti-Exxon campaign.

Soros, Wallace Help Bankroll Dark Money Fund Aimed at Midwestern Voters.  Liberal billionaires George Soros and Scott Wallace are helping bankroll a new fund hosted by an intricate dark money organization and focused on helping Democrats make inroads with midwestern voters for the 2020 elections.  The deep-pocketed donors moved the money from the Open Society Foundations, Soros's foundation, and the Wallace Global Fund, Wallace's foundation, to the newly launched Heartland Fund, a collaborative effort focused on building "power across the divides of the American heartland" as overall Democratic efforts have veered towards the region.  The Heartland Fund recently disbursed $500,000 in its first round of grants to nine left-wing groups and will begin its efforts with organizing and issue advocacy.  The initiative is housed at the Windward Fund, which falls under the auspices of Arabella Advisors, a major dark money "fiscal sponsor" network founded by Eric Kessler, a former Bill Clinton appointee.

Obama Earning Almost $600K for Speech in Colombia.  Former President Barack Obama is being paid almost $600,000 to speak at a marketing conference in Bogota, Colombia on Tuesday [5/28/2019].  According to a report from El Tiempo, a Colombian news outlet, Obama is earning "2 mil millones de pesos" for a speech and discussion on-stage about leadership strategies at the EXMA Conference in Bogota.  When converted from Colombian pesos to U.S. dollars, Obama's payment for participation in the event is equivalent to $594,000.  According to the Colombian news website Publicmetro.co, conference attendees who want to attend the event with Obama and take a photo with him have to pay 11 million Colombian pesos, which is approximately $3,267.

The Calming Feeling as Jew-Hate Now Takes Deeper Root in the Democrat Party.  When Ilhan Omar tweeted that Jews control because "It is about the Benjamins, baby," she revealed herself not a convenience-store-quality bigot but a ready-for-primetime Nazi.  Not every Nazi in the 1940s acted violently.  Most Nazis simply stood along the avenues and highways of Germany and cheered as Hitler's limo drove by.  Some made speeches.  Muslims led by the Grand Mufti, Haj Amin el-Husseini, were among Hitler's best Nazis.  When Omar tweeted about "the Benjamins," she revealed her Nazi moorings.  The irony, hardly surprising, is that it is she who rakes in the cash.  Ilhan Omar has leveraged her anti-Semitism to raise more than a million dollars in record time.  [It certainly] was about the Benjamins — hers.

San Francisco:  The Radical Left in Charge.  In America's largest coastal metropolises, Democrats rule.  For all intents and purposes, there are no Republicans.  Today, for instance, the New York City school commissioner is hard at work trying to destroy the city's public schools.  He is firing white administrators.  He is telling school principals to give special privileges to minority children.  He wants to dumb down New York's premier high schools, in the name of diversity.  And yet, New York is not quite in the league of San Francisco, now become America's urban basket case.  It is worth noting that the city is home to House Speaker Pelosi, who is hard at work slandering the president of the United States. [...] As I said, wealthy radical leftists do not care about other people.  They care mostly about themselves.

Trump, Pareto, and the Fall of the Elites.  Encouraging mass immigration of illegals who compete for lower-level jobs does not help the underprivileged, rather it creates a new group of voters that will support the Democrats.  It also helps privileged groups by supplying cheap labor.  Take, for example, wealthy Marin County, California.  Marin is largely populated by well-to-do and highly educated professional people.  An underclass of often illegal immigrants provides affordable services such as yard work and babysitting.  In the 2012 presidential election, Marin voted 74% for Obama.  In the 2016 election, Marin voted 77% for Hillary and only 16% for Trump.  Another wealthy California county, Santa Clara County, is the heart of Silicon Valley.  In the 2016 election, Santa Clara County voted only 21% for Trump.  Fresno County, California, a county that is majority Hispanic with a very high poverty rate, voted 43% for Trump.  California as a whole voted 32% for Trump.  The nation as a whole voted 46% for Trump.  In the borough of Manhattan, in New York City, one of the wealthiest places in the country, only 10% of the votes went for Trump.  Clearly the privileged class votes Democratic and strongly opposes Trump.  In places inhabited by elites, the Democrats dominate.

With illegals surge, Border Patrol officers are catching the measles and mumps and ...  That's the situation with the current border surge, which has seen 109,000 illegal migrants pour into this country without any vetting, medical screening, or paperwork in just the past month.  With little in the way of a wall, a Democratic Party that's encouraging mass illegal migration from abroad, a Democrat-led House that refuses to do anything to halt the current border surge, and numerous incentives from blue states for illegals to enter illegally, at least one end result is this effective standing order for Border Patrol agents to take the diseases the illegals they apprehend are bringing in with them, before releasing them to move about the country. [...] So much for the Democrats' supposed concern for the working man.  So much for Democrats' 'narrative' about being the party of OSHA, living wages, and humane working conditions, something the supposedly mean Republicans are supposedly all against.  Where's their concern for the unprotected Border Patrol agents subject to infectious diseases from unvetted migrants?

Linda Sarsour Posts Selfie on Private Jet While Complaining about 'Injustice'.  Women's March leader Linda Sarsour was ripped on social media after posting a selfie with Roger Waters on a private jet with an accompanying text extolling the Pink Floyd frontman's "empathy" and "personal risk" in standing up for the Palestinians.

The Dems Don't Even Believe Themselves.  Yet Bernie is a millionaire with several houses, Beto gave less than 1% of his income to charity and Liz Warren lives in a beautiful house valued at over $2 million dollars while earning nearly half a million dollars annually for teaching a single course at Harvard.  They talk the talk, but they certainly don't walk the walk.

Biden Backers Launch $60 Million Secret Money Dem 'Strategy Center' for 2020.  A group of Democratic strategists that includes an individual who established a political action committee backing presidential candidate Joe Biden will lead a $60 million secret money "strategy center" for Democrats for the 2020 election cycle.  Future Majority, a Washington, D.C.-based strategy center that will work to "rebrand" the Democratic party, was launched with the intent of providing "strategic advice" to other liberal organizations, communications, and a "war room" to debunk "fake news" and "counter conservative social media," Politico reports.

Judge signs off on homeless shelter on 'Billionaires' Row'.  A Manhattan judge on Monday gave city officials the green light to open a controversial homeless shelter in the ritzy "Billionaires' Row" neighborhood.  State Supreme Court Justice Alexander Tisch rejected arguments from the West 58th Street Coalition and other opponents that the former Park Savoy Hotel doesn't meet current safety standards and is unsafe in case of fire.  Tisch ruled that while the only way out is through the lobby and the stairwell may be too narrow for both tenants and first responders at the same time, "these are all aspects for which the City and its agencies are supposed to be given deference."

Rich Dems Spend $60 Million to Hide the Party's Far-Left Agenda.  Politico reported Monday [4/29/2019] that a group of "Democratic operatives" is putting $60 million into a campaign "to reclaim values-laden terms like 'freedom' and 'opportunity' for their party ahead of the 2020 election."  What it really amounts to is an effort to mask the party's headfirst plunge into the deep end of left-wing extremism that would push the country in the exact opposite direction from freedom and opportunity.  The group, called Future Majority, is co-chaired by Berkshire Hathaway billionaire Charles Munger's son Philip, and Dan Tierney, the founder of an electronic market trading firm called Getco.  Amalgamated Bank CEO Keith Mestrich is also funding the effort.  In other words, rich people.

Now we know for sure that Trump is the better man.  [Scroll down]  These are arrogant people who, like most leftists today, see nothing good in America worth preserving.  They are supremely confident that none of the nonsense policies being promulgated by the crazy gaggle of Democrat presidential candidates will ever affect them.  The widespread contamination of San Francisco's streets with human feces and discarded needles does not seem to bother Nancy Pelosi one bit, as she has opposed every possible solution.  She continues to encourage migrants from Central America to make their way to her sanctuary city.  As long as the border remains a thorn in Trump's side, the Democrats are willing to see the country invaded.  So what if the criminals among them maim and kill innocent Americans?  They won't likely be roaming about in their neighborhoods.

Calling socialism 'democratic' is like putting lipstick on a pig.  When asked in a recent townhall by a Harvard student whose family fled Soviet Russia why he embraced the same type of socialist policies that had failed there and worldwide, presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., did what he always does.  He deflected.  According to Sanders, he isn't advocating for that kind of socialism.  No, he has dressed his philosophy up with a fancy moniker called "democratic socialism."  It's a phrase that many on the far left have embraced as they push anti-free market propaganda and policies that seek to concentrate more power within the hands of a few political elites.

Disney Heir Blasts Bob Iger's $65 Million Paycheck: 'Insane,' 'Too Much Going Around The Top'.  Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger's $65.6 million paycheck last year is an "insane" amount, according to Disney heiress Abigail Disney (grandniece of Walt).  In a viral Twitter thread on Sunday, Abigail Disney said that Iger's salary (reportedly 1,424 times more than median employee pay) is too much money going to the top.

Opposing viewpoint:
My Least Favorite Disney Princess.  If it were not for her last name, Abigail Disney would be just another alumna of Yale (B.A.), Stanford (M.A.), and Columbia (PhD) living in Manhattan.  No one would pay much attention to her opinions, none of them especially unique or different from others shared by her class.  But she is a Disney, [...] and in America in the twenty-first century we must pay attention to the rich and privileged, especially if they parrot the current line of the left wing of the Democratic Party.

Wealthy Elitists Freak Out As Hordes Of Homeless People Take Over Their Neighborhoods.  The elite are very "tolerant" of the homeless until they start showing up in their own neighborhoods.  Even though the mainstream media keeps telling us that the U.S. economy is "booming", the number of Americans living on the streets continues to grow very rapidly, and this is particularly true in our major west coast cities.  More than half a million Americans will sleep on the streets of our cities tonight, and they need help, care and shelter.  Sadly, as economic conditions deteriorate that number is likely to double or even triple.  Of course, many among the elite are all in favor of doing something for the homeless, as long as they don't have to be anywhere around them.

Finally, some transparency on public sector unions' political spending.  The Democratic Party has a simple strategy:  Continue pumping funds into Democratic candidates until traditionally Republican-leaning states turn purple, and then finally flip blue.  It may have taken decades, but the steady stream of dollars to the Left is finally moving the needle.

Beto Gives the Gift of Beto.  There comes a time in every political campaign where Democrats have to explain why they don't give money to charity.  They want you to vote for them so they can spend your money on their whims, but they don't like parting with their own cash.  Their excuses for this hypocrisy are never good, but sometimes they can be revealing.

'Shadowy' dark money network behind left-wing causes exposed in new report.  An expansive network of "shadowy" dark money donors has grown to rival the influence of the conservative Koch network — pumping millions into left-wing causes ranging from health care to climate change to abortion — all while flying well under the radar of public scrutiny, according to an explosive new report obtained by Fox News.  The report, by conservative watchdog Capital Research Center, describes a band of nonprofits operating under the banner of Washington-based philanthropy company Arabella Advisors.  Those "pop up groups" are housed in four Arabella-controlled "sister" nonprofits, according to the report:  the New Venture Fund, Sixteen Thirty Fund, Hopewell Fund and Windward Fund.

Bernie Sanders donated less than one percent to charity first year he made over one million dollars.  Sanders released 10 years of tax returns Monday, revealing that he earned an average of $280,975 per year from 2009 through 2015, and that his income skyrocketed to $1,062,626 in 2016 due to sales of his best-selling book, "Our Revolution."  Sanders reported $10,600 in charitable contributions in 2016, making up slightly less than one percent of his reported income and falling under the $21,365 average charitable contribution for Americans who earned $250,000 or more that year, according to the latest available IRS data.

Bernie Sanders tells Fox News town hall that he won't pay his 'fair share' in taxes unless he is forced to.  Conservatives have let rich lefties off the hook for too long for their insistence that they will follow their own moral guidelines only when forced to.

Confidential Memo:  Secretive Liberal Donor Club Plots $275 Million Spending Plan for 2020.  A secretive group of top liberal donors has budgeted $275 million to be injected into progressive infrastructure leading up to the 2020 elections, confidential documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show.  The Democracy Alliance, which has been pivotal in helping bankroll left-wing causes and organizations since its founding in 2005, held its annual Spring conference at the ritzy Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas, last week.  Members and liberal groups mapped out their goals of expanding and strengthening the progressive political base, building and supporting progressive governance at every level, and restoring and expanding structural power.

Hillary Clinton Waiting Her Whole Life to Be President Only to Lose to Donald Trump Is Still Grimly Hilarious.  Hillary Clinton spent nearly her entire adult life on a desperate quest for power and money.  She stood by as her horny husband achieved both, and longed to escaped his crooked shadow, to step into the spotlight on her own, to make history.  Political success was insufficient.  Overcome with rage and class envy — at having so much raw power and prestige yet still having to debase herself before the altar of America's financial elite — she vowed to abandon all shame in her crusade to join their ranks.  She would take their money:  $675,000 from Goldman Sachs, $505,000 from Deutsche Bank, $265,000 from the National Association of Convenience Stores, $250,000 from Drug Chemical and Associated Technologies, 225,500 each from the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, the International Deli-Dairy-Bakery Association, and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.  And so on.  She would taunt them with her massive endowment.

Sanders Admits He's A Millionaire.  On Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) revealed some very bad news for his campaign:  he's a millionaire.  Sanders, who has been pressured to turn over his tax returns for the last ten years, finally acquiesced, announcing he would do so — and admitting that he is, in fact, worth more than a million dollars.

The College Admissions Scandal:  You Did It, Liberals.  According to Caitlin Flanagan at The Atlantic, when prep-school college counsellor Katie would tell rich liberal parents that their kid — on whom they had spent a ton of private-school tuition — probably wouldn't get into one of those selective colleges, those same rich liberal parents would get mad [...] Actually, I wouldn't worry, Katie.  Those rich liberals will find a way to sneak their kids into some silk-stocking job in the ruling class, somehow.  Money talks.  Just ask Hillary Clinton.

Democrats Want to Restore Tax Break for the Wealthy.  Democrats often complain that tax cuts primarily benefit "the rich," but apparently they only think it's a problem when rich conservatives get a tax break, because they're outraged that President Trump's tax cuts scaled back a generous subsidy enjoyed by well-off taxpayers in liberal states.  A key provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a new cap on the so-called State and Local Tax ("SALT") Deduction, which allows taxpayers to deduct state and local taxes on their federal tax return.  This provision forces taxpayers in low-tax states such as Florida and Texas to effectively subsidize those in high-tax states such as New York and California.

Bernie Travels First Class.  I wonder if at the outset of his career back in woodsy Vermont Bernie Sanders — Crazy Bernie, as we say — ever imagined that years later at the age of 77 he would be running for president, have developed a taste for private jets, be the master of three homes, and run on a platform that included Medicare for All, Free College for All, and a Minimum Wage of $15 an Hour for All, that and the rest of the Green New Deal with no hint of how he would pay for it.  No one is making a very big issue of it that Crazy Bernie has already rung up a tab of trillions of dollars that the taxpayers will have to pay somewhere down the road.  There was a day when we chuckled about Limousine Liberals.  What do you call Bernie?  A Sybaritic Socialist?  Sure he still dresses like a rag doll, but his transportation is another matter.  He does not fly first class.  He flies private jet, and lounges about in his three homes, all tended to by his wife who just bankrupted a minor university.  I wonder if she is paying off any of that university's debt that she rang up.

Andrew Cuomo to become the highest-paid governor in the US.  Even with Albany passing a $175 billion budget underpinned by a series of new taxes, there's at least one New Yorker whose bank account will be better off:  Gov. Cuomo.  Lawmakers voted in the wee hours of Monday morning [4/1/2019] to hike Cuomo's salary to $250,000 by 2021, making him the highest-paid governor in the nation.  Voting largely along party lines, the Senate signed off on the raise around 2:45 a.m. in a 35-to-24 vote.

Dems publicly tout small dollar donations, while quietly courting big dollar donors.  Following the financial success of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential run in 2016, the growing field of Democratic candidates in 2020 are publicly all about the small dollar donations.  But as the first quarterly fund-raising deadline comes to a close on Sunday [3/31/2019], the candidates in the Democratic field are all also trying to quietly haul in as many big dollar donations as they can get.

Do Left-Wing Billionaires 'Own' House Democrats?  As the Democratic presidential field begins to take shape, liberal and left-wing billionaires are shopping around for the best candidate to support.  Some, as we shall see, are also seeking to torpedo President Trump's presidency through impeachment long before the 2020 election takes place.  But we shouldn't lose sight of what these billionaires have already accomplished: they helped elect a Democratic House of Representatives in 2018 that largely can be relied upon to do their bidding.  In other words, the Democrats have become what they always professed to loath [sic] :  a party propped up by big-money interests and beholden to a small clique of ambitious billionaires.

AOC bristles as GOP lawmaker blasts Green New Deal as 'elitist' pet project of rich liberals.  Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., mocked Ocasio-Cortez's plan to combat climate change during a Financial Services Committee hearing on Monday [3/25/2019], introducing an amendment to a homelessness bill that would create "green" standards — and demonstrate what he viewed as the impracticability of the Democrat's plan.  "The Green New Deal is one that if you are a rich liberal from maybe New York or California it sounds great because you can afford to retrofit your home or build a new home that has zero emissions, that is energy efficient, affordable and safe," Duffy said.

Hollywood celebrities champion higher wages for waitresses who say 'no thanks'.  Several Hollywood celebrities are pushing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to eliminate the wage difference between hourly employees and tipped workers like waitresses and bartenders.  Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Williams, Amy Poehler and Amy Schumer are among the more prominent actresses pushing the proposal.  But, not suprisingly the waitresses have written a letter to the celebrities, telling them "no thanks."

Blue-Collar Hero Joe Biden Is Actually Super-Duper Rich, A Bona Fide 1 Percenter.  Joe Biden likes to call himself "Middle Class Joe," but nowadays, he's anything but that.  Biden is a bona fide member of the "1 Percent," which according to the Economic Policy Institute means you make more than $421,926 a year.

'Middle-Class Joe' rakes in millions.  "Middle-Class Joe" Biden has a $2.7 million vacation home.  He charges more than $100,000 per speaking gig and has inked a book deal likely worth seven figures.  Since leaving office in 2017, the 76-year-old former vice president has watched his bank account swell as he continues to cultivate the image of a regular, Amtrak-riding guy.  He's repeatedly referred to himself as "Middle-Class Joe" on the campaign trail and in speaking engagements as he publicly mulls whether to run for president.

Beto O'Rourke, The Ultimate Limousine Liberal Gen Xer, Announces For Prez.  [Scroll down]  In other words, 2020 contender Beto is getting a heavy lift from the media.  Expect this to continue throughout the election, unfortunately.  Of course, perhaps his candor and coolness is a double-edged sword — a selling point that makes profiles of him oh-so-colorful that media ilk just can't resist churning them out, and a cringey furtherance of limousine liberal stereotypes that make him far too mockable on Twitter.

Who Declared this to Be Crazy Week?  The college admission scandal is just too delicious to be believed.  It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of hypocritical, liberal-run institutions.  One aspect of the scandal is clear: if you are kinda, sorta rich but not Wall Street/Goldman Sachs rich, you can't afford to buy your kid's admission to an elite school the old-fashioned way — by donating a building.  The unofficial over-under amount seems to be about $10 million.  But if you're only Hollywood rich, you can try the "side door" with a $500,000 bribe to a sports coach.  In other words, the old back door for the super-rich will remain untouched, while the striving semi-rich will go to jail for the sin of cutting out USC's development department.

Southern Poverty Surpasses Half Billion in Assets; $121 Million Now Offshore.  The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a far-left nonprofit known for its "hate group" designations, has surpassed a half billion dollars in total assets and now has $121 million parked offshore, according to the group's most recent financial statements.  The SPLC, which is based in Montgomery, Ala., has not publicly posted its most recent financial statements on its website.  However, the organization applied for renewal in the state of California days ago and submitted a number of documents pertaining to its financial standing including its most recent audited statement and tax forms for calendar year 2018, which covers Nov. 1, 2017 to Oct. 31, 2018.  According to the filings submitted to California's Office of Attorney General, the group reported total assets of $518 million from November 2017 to the Oct. 31, 2018, an increase of $41 million from the $477 million in total assets it reported on its previous year's tax forms.

Dem Rep. Bobby Rush-Linked Entity [was] Given $3 Million in Gov't Grants Last Year.  An entity linked to a church founded by Illinois Democratic representative Bobby Rush received $3 million in taxpayer-backed government grants last year, according to records.  Rush established the Beloved Community Christian Church, a Chicago-based non-denominational church, in 2002 after paying $800,000 for its site with the backing of a $500,000 loan secured from the New City Bank.

Also posted under The one-sided separation of church and state.

Socialist Democratic Capitalist Pigs Living High On The Hog.  All Socialist Democrats define 'capitalist pigs' as right of centre millionaires and billionaires, claiming there is no such thing as a well-heeled Socialist Democrat Capitalist Pig.  Beto O'Rourke?  He's just an Irish dude who swiped a Spanish-sounding name for himself and like John Kerry before him, only got rich through his Daddy-blessed spouse.  Hillary Clinton?  Foreigners, Hollywood and Harvey Weinstein kept the cash flow going in her campaigns and the dead-but-still-walking, cash infused Clinton Foundation. [...] The top three Socialist Democratic Capitalist Pigs are the Obamas, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Soros-Backed Priorities USA to Invest $100 Million in Four Swing States Ahead of 2020.  Priorities USA, the largest Democratic super PAC, announced on Thursday [2/21/2019] it will spend $100 million in four of the top swing states as part of an initial investment to try and defeat President Donald Trump.  Guy Cecil, the super PAC's chairman, held a briefing with reporters earlier in the morning, where he argued polling shows Democrats have "opportunity to expand the electorate to the largest, if not certainly the largest in a generation."  In order to do that, the Democratic party shouldn't waste time and must start building an apparatus, he said.  The group's initial investment will be in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, according to NBC News.

Barack Obama spends Presidents' Day dining at high-end San Francisco barbecue restaurant.  Barack Obama spent Presidents' Day dining in San Francisco with Steph and Ayesha Curry, as well as Hollywood A-listers Chrissy Teigen and John Legend.  The former president had dinner on Monday night at International Smoke — a high-end barbecue restaurant run by actress Ayesha and celebrity chef Michael Mina.  Obama was joined by Ayesha and her Golden State Warriors star husband.  Chef Mina later shared a photo on Instagram of him posing with Obama and the Currys.

These Are the Wealthiest Towns in the U.S.  The Silicon Valley town that billionaires Eric Schmidt of Google and Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg have called home is America's richest community for the third year in a row.  Atherton, California, whose household income averaged $450,696 in 2017, topped the Bloomberg Richest Places annual index.  Atherton Mayor Bill Widmer said the tree-lined streets and lot sizes of at least an acre offer residents privacy with Stanford University, Google and Facebook all a short drive away.

Ocasio-Cortez Living in Luxury Navy Yard Apartment Building.  After fretting about whether she'd be able to afford rent, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) has moved into a luxury apartment building in the District of Columbia's Navy Yard neighborhood, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.  Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, got a big raise with her election to Congress, a job that comes with a $174,000 annual salary.  She told the New York Times she was concerned about how she would get an apartment before that salary kicked in.  She ended up moving into a luxury apartment building with a wide array of amenities where rent for even a studio apartment exceeds $2,000 a month.

Warren Forgets One Thing As She Announces.  Senator Elizabeth Warren, announcing her campaign for president [...] over the weekend, used the word "rich" or a variation on it — "richer," "richest" — at least nine times in a single 45-minute stump speech. [...] Mrs. Warren's rich-bashing also risks getting a bit awkward in a Democratic Party where the governor of Illinois is Hyatt hotel heir J.B. Pritzker and the governor of Connecticut is J.P. Morgan banking heir Ned Lamont.  Senator Warren was introduced in Lawrence as "the next president of the United States of America" by Joseph Kennedy III, a congressman from Massachusetts.  His disclosed wealth of about $42 million derives primarily not from the Hyannis Port and Palm Beach Kennedy side of his family but rather from his mother Sheila Brewster Rauch's status as an heir to the Standard Oil fortune.

Billionaire liberal threatens to unload on Dems if they don't impeach Trump.  Billionaire Tom Steyer is cranking up pressure on key House Democrats to impeach President Donald Trump where he thinks they'll feel it most — back in their home districts.  Steyer's first targets are three powerful committee chairmen, Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). But the liberal megadonor isn't stopping there:  He will soon turn his attention to rank-and-file members seated on the committees that would be involved in impeachment proceedings, including freshmen.

The Left's Idea of Generosity.  Studies consistently show that Republicans give more than Democrats to private charities.  But as any liberal will happily tell you, that doesn't capture the whole picture.  The left, they say, is far more generous than the right.  It's just that they don't express their concern for the disadvantaged via charitable giving.  Rather, they raise taxes and spread the wealth via big government.  There's only one problem:  The disadvantaged don't always want that kind of help.  For proof, consider the recent "yellow vest" protests in France.  President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular gas-tax increase — aimed at stopping climate change — will only negligibly reduce global greenhouse emissions.  What it will do is empty rural workers' pocketbooks.  Compared with their urban political leaders, the rural French must travel great distances for work without ready access to public transit.  Higher taxes take a real bite out of their paychecks.  And all so that France's political leaders can appear virtuous, while accomplishing nothing.

Will America's Rich Fund Their Own Dispossession?  While today's leftists rage against the corrosive effects of big money in politics, the reality is the Democrats are now the party of the monied interests.  What has changed is the new big-money donors are no longer hedging their bets, but have gone all in for the Dems. [...] Today's Democrats are awash in cash from Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Hollywood.  Leftist billionaires like George Soros, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, and Jeff Bezos not only max out Democrat party and candidate donations but fund a massive interlocking network of political action committees and "progressive" non-profits to promote leftist causes.

The Progressive Race to the Bottom.  The left-wing approach to billionaires has radically changed.  Aside from the rhetorical boilerplate about robber barons and the need for an income-tax rate of 70 percent, in reality the hard Left has partnered with the nation's richest.  The new big fortunes of America are now mostly in high-tech, media, and finance, not in the old conservative and muscular corporations centered in farming, manufacturing, or oil and minerals.  And the new zillionaires are left-wing, and they are activist:  Bezos, Bloomberg, Buffett, Gates, Zuckerberg, the Google and Apple teams, Soros, Steyer, and a host of others.  Through grants, foundations, purchased media, and super PACs, astronomical amounts of money flow into federal, state, and even local midterm election campaigns, and into voter harvesting and issues from global warming and late-term abortion to open borders, gun control, and identity politics.  The 2018 midterms were a mere precursor of things to come.

Jeff Bezos gives a pitiful amount of his $160B fortune to charity.  For the world's richest man, charity begins — and stays — at home.  Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has given only a tiny fraction of his $160 billion fortune to philanthropic causes, falling far behind fellow billionaires such as Bill and Melinda Gates and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, public records show.  Although Bezos, 55, and his estranged wife MacKenzie recently pledged $2 billion to a new charitable initiative, their previous giving amounts to a total of just over $145 million or .0906 percent — far less than one percent — of their net worth.  Out of $100,000, that would be like spending $90.06 on charity.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus PAC Spent $300K at Luxury Resorts Last Cycle.  The political action committee linked to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) disbursed hundreds of thousands of dollars of its funds on luxury resorts, upscale restaurants, nightclubs, and tickets to Vegas events throughout the last election cycle, Federal Election Commission filings show.  The CHC BOLD PAC, the fundraising arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, came under fire this week for a delegation trip to a seaside resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the government shutdown where its members mingled with more than 100 lobbyists, attended a viewing of the Broadway show "Hamilton," and met with Puerto Rican officials.  The trip was met with condemnation from a number of Republican leaders.

Partying hearty:  Menendez's bikini shot blows up Dems' narrative about Puerto Rican junket during shutdown.  President Trump is staying put in snowy Washington while his government shutdown duel with Democrats continues, canceling every fancy trip out (that doesn't include a non-touristy one to the Texas border), including even a Christmas trip to his home in Florida.  That's fitting for the times, and it suggests a leader looking for a resolution.  But then there are... the Democrats.  A whole slew of them packed off to Puerto Rico for a junket, getting hold of those hard-to-get Hamilton tickets (no shutout there); bunking in with 109 K Street lobbyists in $429-a-night hotel rooms; and, sure enough, partying hearty.

Second death, more accusations sharpen focus on Ed Buck, California Democratic megadonor.  Democratic Party megadonor Ed Buck faces new questions this week after Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives opened an investigation into the second death of a man — who authorities have reportedly identified as 55-year-old Timothy Dean — at Buck's home in less than two years, and a third man came forward with an account of what he described as his drug-fueled interactions with the well-connected Californian.

Top Democrat Donor Ed Buck With His Democrat Pals and His Black Male Prostitutes — 2 Dead Now.  The body of another young black gay escort was found at the West Hollywood home of Ed Buck, a top Democrat donor and and political activist.  Sheriff's deputies are investigating after an African-American male was found dead early Monday morning [1/7/2019] at the Laurel Avenue apartment belonging to one of Hillary Clinton's donors, Ed Buck.

The Party of the Rich goes to bat for its constituents.  The Democrats are the Party of the Rich.  They were swept into the House majority by a revolt of the elites.  This party of Orange County, Westchester County, and Chicago's North Shore is playing the part, wasting no time pushing policies to hand special tax breaks to their upper-middle-class constituents.  Consider Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. As the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, former chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and in the top 10 in seniority among Democrats, Lowey is among the most powerful members of Congress.  She has introduced two bills so far.  One is the appropriations measure to reopen the government.  The other is a major tax cut for the rich.

The Only Privilege in America is Liberal Privilege.  When you think about it, it is obvious that left-wing politics is fake politics.  Instead of allowing the grievances of the people to develop organically, our modern elite creates an artificial politics with its activists — who do not represent the people but are instead the bribed apologists of the ruling class pretending to be the voice of the people.

Nancy Pelosi Endures Partial Government Shutdown at Luxury Resort in Hawaii.  Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House minority leader and, most likely, soon-to-be House speaker (D-CA), is enduring the partial federal government shutdown at a luxury resort in Hawaii.  The Washington Free Beacon reported that Pelosi, who calls the impasse over $5 billion for a border wall the "Trump shutdown," is at Fairmont Orchid resort, where prices range from $899 per night for a standard room to $4,899 a night for the presidential suite.

Nancy Pelosi Takes Advantage Of Government Shutdown; Vacations At Luxury Hawaiian Resort.  Democrats are standing firm on their commitment to make America less safe, by refusing to give President Trump the funding he's requested to construct a wall on our southern border.  Democrat lawmakers, like Nancy Pelosi, were quick to blame President Trump for the partial shutdown of the government.  They warned about how government employees and members of our US military would suffer the consequences.  Unlike the Democrat lawmakers, President Trump canceled his trip to Florida for Christmas, choosing instead, to visit our troops overseas and to stay back at the White House, making himself available in case the Democrats want to come back to D.C. and agree to fund the wall.

Nancy Pelosi is spotted vacationing at $899-a-night Hawaii hotel as White House blasts her for refusing to enter talks to end week-long government shutdown.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was spotted at a luxury hotel in Hawaii just before the partial government shutdown entered its seventh day Friday, with little sign of progress to end it.  The likely speaker didn't appear to miss out on any negotiations, as talks between the White House and Democratic congressional leaders appear to have ceased, even as hundreds of thousands of federal employees remain on furlough.  Pelosi's office says the White House hasn't contacted them since December 11, when Trump said at a tense meeting he would claim the 'mantle' of a shutdown.

'I'm not allowed to talk about that': Nancy Pelosi office stonewalls on her shutdown vacation in Hawaii.  Nancy Pelosi, the next speaker of the House of Representatives, is reportedly spending the government shutdown at a Hawaiian resort.  A person answering the media contact number for Pelosi's office identified herself as "press desk."  When asked about the vacation, she told the Washington Examiner:  "I'm not allowed to talk about that."  She said she would pass on a message on to the deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, who did not respond.  According to the Washington Free Beacon, the California Democrat was seen Thursday [12/27/2018] at the Fairmont Orchid resort, which features accommodations up to almost $5,000 a night.

John Kerry's Family Fights to Keep Peasants Away from Ancestral French Villa, Claiming Terror Threat.  Saint-Briac-sur-Mer on the Brittany coast in France is a private playground for the European elite.  It's also the home of Les Essarts, the ancestral home of former Democratic presidential candidate and former Obama Secretary of State John Kerry.  It has been in his family since 1923 and was the place he regularly vacationed as a child.  But Saint-Briac is now a legal battleground between the French state and the uber-rich villa owners, including Kerry's family, who for decades have defied a French law that allows for a small right-of-way on the city's beach for hikers and visitors.  Now it seems that the illegal efforts by the villa owners to keep the hoi polloi out of Saint-Briac is nearing an end.

Linkedin founder Reid Hoffman apologizes after $750,000 campaign donation linked to misinformation in Alabama senate race.  Linkedin co-founder and Greylock Partner's investor Reid Hoffman apologized Wednesday for funding a group linked to a misinformation campaign during Alabama's 2017 special election for the US Senate.  It was the first time that Hoffman, a prominent Silicon Valley billionaire, acknowledged his donation to the group, called American Engagement Technologies, or AET.  AET allegedly funded another project, called New Knowledge, which used social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to boost support for Democrat Doug Jones in his ultimately successful campaign against Republican Roy Moore.

Liberal Billionaire Apologizes For Funding Russian Bot 'False Flag' But Questions Remain Unanswered.  Billionaire Reid Hoffman apologized Wednesday for funding an effort to dupe Alabama voters into believing Russian bots were fueling Republican Roy Moore's failed senatorial bid.  But he left crucial questions unanswered.  His statement left several important facts about the so-called experiment unaddressed, including a detailed accounting of everyone involved in the caper, as well who crafted and executed the campaign.  The effort was the subject of a closed-door presentation in Washington, D.C., to a group of liberal technology experts, The Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources.

If You Only Get Your News From CNN, You Have No Idea This Story Happened.  A left-wing billionaire gave $100,000 towards an online misinformation campaign that mimicked Russian interference operations — but if you only get your news from CNN, then you have no idea that happened.  Linkedin co-founder Reid Hoffman, an early investor in Facebook, was behind a six-figure misinformation campaign that involved falsely linking Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore to Russian influence operations during Alabama's December 2017 special election.  Hoffman funded Democratic operatives who staged a "false flag" — in their own words — meant to falsely link Moore's campaign to Russian bots in order to boost Democratic candidate Doug Jones' Senate campaign.  Jones went on to win the election after defeating Moore in an upset.

Disinformation campaign targeting Roy Moore's Senate bid may have violated law, Alabama attorney general says.  Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Thursday that his office is exploring whether disinformation tactics deployed against Republican Roy Moore during last year's special election violated state campaign laws and said he was worried that the operation could have affected the closely fought Senate race.  "The information is concerning," Marshall, a Republican, said in a phone interview.  "The impact it had on the election is something that's significant for us to explore, and we'll go from there."  Moore lost the election to Democrat Doug Jones.

If Russian Bot Tactics Didn't Defeat Roy Moore, They Didn't Defeat Hillary Clinton.  It turns out the Russians aren't the only ones who know how to employ the Internet for political dirty tricks.  As The New York Times reported in a front-page story on December 20, Russian bots were part of what the newspaper called a "secret experiment" in Alabama during the special Senate election won by Democrat Doug Jones in December 2017.  The tale involves a cyber-security firm that has played a role in hyping the claim that foreign intervention "influenced" the 2016 presidential election.  It sought to duplicate the scheme in order to help Jones defeat Roy Moore.  Although the Times dismisses the effort as "too small to have a significant impact on the race," it acknowledged that the scheme, which involved fake Facebook and Twitter accounts, was patterned after the Russian meddling in American elections the year before.

Fight for $15!
Schumer's 'unpaid internship' ad sparks outrage and fast reversal.  At a time when Democrats are demanding higher pay for low-wage workers, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer appeared to wrong-foot himself when his office advertised a job opening for an unpaid internship.  His staff quickly issued a statement saying that was an error and the position would be paid.  The fast reversal underscored the new reality on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers earlier this year created a new $14 million fund in its budget to finally pay interns.  Backers said it was an effort to help would-be interns from poorer families who, unlike their wealthier counterparts, can't rely on parents to fund their Washington experience.

Cash-rich Schumer gets caught exploiting the interns.  Has anyone been louder in advocating for a higher minimum wage than New York's Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer?  He's bellowed that minimum wages should be raised to at least $12 an hour, attempting to shame Republicans for opposing him, by calling it, (kid you not), "a moral issue," as he put it.  He's pretty much defined the Democratic Party in the minds of voters by his hammerings on the minimum wage.  Then he went and put out an ad calling for unpaid interns. [...] It is exploitation, as it deprives anyone who's not independently wealthy of the opportunity to serve in the Senate.  For free unpaid interns under Schumer, they labor, and he gets the end product of it for nothing, presumably in exchange for a good job recommendation to work for money from someone else.

Michelle Obama dresses to impress in $4,000 glittery thigh-high Balenciaga boots.  Michelle Obama made a fashionable appearance on the final stop of her book tour where she was interviewed by Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker.  Obama, wearing $4,000 glittery thigh-high Balenciaga boots, packed out the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday night, where Parker interviewed her about her new book, Becoming.

Michelle Obama's horrifying $4,000 Balenciaga boots.  Recently, former first lady Michelle Obama closed out her money-grabbing "Becoming" a gazillionaire book tour of America at the Barclay Center in Fort Green, Brooklyn, where Michelle's welcome was on a level comparable to Beyoncé's.  After being introduced by an anorexic Sarah Jessica "Sex in the City" Parker, Michelle emerged from candy-pink curtains donned with what had to be 100 yards of blinding yellow tie-waist satin.  Then, before sitting down, the towering former FLOTUS applauded herself Hillary-style and feigned humility by crossing her arms across her chest, appearing shocked that so many dupes were willing to pay $3,000 for a ticket.

Soros Gave $1.35M to 'Nonpartisan' Watchdog Inundating Trump with Lawsuits.  Liberal billionaire George Soros provided $1.35 million to a "nonpartisan" government watchdog organization last year that is hitting the Trump administration with a steady flow of complaints and lawsuits in an attempt to "damage" his presidency, according to tax filings provided to the Washington Free Beacon.  Separate state filings also reveal that the "nonpartisan" watchdog shares employees with the liberal Media Matters for America, an organization that was founded by Democratic operative and Clinton loyalist David Brock.  Confidential documents handed out by Brock to big money donors in early 2017 and obtained by the Free Beacon previously shed light on how Brock planned to attack Trump over the course of his presidency using his constellation of organizations.  Soros gave $1.35 million to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does not reveal its donors.  The group has been involved with a number of high-profile lawsuits and complaints against Trump and other Republicans.  Its top members regularly appear on news programs attacking the administration and members of the GOP but are rarely identified as having a left-wing mission by the outlets and on-air personalities.

Settled Science:  There Really Are 'Latte Liberals'.  I'm sure most readers took note of the hoax identity politics academic journal articles recently, but I have found a real article that you could easily suppose to be a hoax.  The article is "The Real Reason Liberals Drink Lattes," and it appears in PS, which is a secondary journal of the American Political Science Association (APSA).  This relevant bit of social science deserves to be savored at length, especially as the article is behind a paywall that costs more than a week's quota of liberal lattes.  The authors examine and test with data four hypotheses for why liberals may drink more lattes than normal Americans (my term, not theirs).

Census Bureau: 5 Richest U.S. Counties Are D.C. Suburbs; 10 of Nation's 20 Richest Counties in D.C. Area.  The five richest counties in the United States when measured by median household income are all still suburbs of Washington, D.C., according to American Community Survey data released today by the Census Bureau.  In fact, ten of the top twenty richest counties in the country are suburbs of Washington, D.C., according to this new data.  The same five suburban Washington, D.C., counties that were the richest in the country according to estimates that the Census Bureau released last year are also the five richest this year.  However, their rankings have changed slightly in the new data release:  Fairfax County, Va., and Howard County, Md., moved ahead of Falls Church City, Va.

Have We Reached Peak Soros?  All around you, if you look closely enough, you will see the spectre of George Soros lurking behind the headlines.  The caravan, net neutrality, regulating Facebook, the de-platforming of independent media, color revolutions and election meddling, refugee creation and manipulation, the trolls on Twitter, your blog and YouTube, etc.  All of these things we see in the headlines today are a product of George Soros' money and his singular obsession with re-creating the world in his image.

Keyword: slush fund.
Obama Foundation Sees $232 Million Windfall in 2017.  Contributions to President Barack Obama's foundation skyrocketed last year as the group hauled in more than $230 million, its most recent tax forms show.  The drastic increase in funds also coincided with hefty pay raises for its executives, with one individual pulling in more than $800,000 in total compensation.  The Barack Obama Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit that was launched in 2014 and carries a primary goal of building the Obama presidential center in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, reported $231,993,748 in contributions and grants in 2017.  This was an increase of more than $218 million from the $13 million in donations the foundation reported in 2016.  A majority of the foundation's money last year came from just 13 undisclosed donors.

Saint Michelle Cashes in, Big Time.  Michelle Obama has a new memoir out called "Becoming."  Add two words:  "Very Wealthy."  The Obamas struck a $65 million book deal for his-and-hers memoirs, and next to it is their $50 million production deal with Netflix.  They are set to cash in to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.  One outlet has called them a "billion-dollar brand."  None of their media sycophants find this the tiniest bit controversial.  They are the royal family.  They cannot possibly be compensated enough.  (President Trump's wealth?  Wealth generated by a lifetime of work in the private sector?  Unacceptable.)  Mrs. Obama's interviews — entirely with women, and mostly black women — are servile in every "objective news" venue and even worse during TV promotional pit stops.  Ellen DeGeneres aired a sappy tribute video stuffed with adoration and proclaimed that Obama is "a human being that we all look up to."  She said, "you inspire all of us.  So, we put together a little something for you to just show you how amazing you are."

Report: 'Impeachment' Billionaire Tom Steyer Prepares to Launch Presidential Bid.  Left-wing billionaire Tom Steyer, who spent millions in the 2018 midterm elections pushing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, is preparing to launch a campaign for president in 2020, according to Politico.

At a certain point you've made enough money.  Right, Barry?
Super-Rich Obama Should Give Taxpayers Their Money Back.  By his own admission, Barack Obama is now fabulously rich.  So why are middle-class taxpayers paying him roughly a million dollars each year?

The Obamas Are on Their Way to Becoming a 'Billion Dollar Brand'.  Michelle Obama, wife of former president Barack Obama, is in the midst of a book tour to sell her autobiography Becoming.  It's a sure-fire best seller and the book tour itself will net her millions.  She also gets $225,000 a pop in speaking fees.  Combine that with the cash being raked in by her husband and a strong case can be made that the former first couple should be placed at the front of the line when the redistributionist policies they so fervently support become law.

Soros Money Standing Behind Climate Activism in Texas.  A George Soros-funded government attorney in Texas has been leading the charge against a chemical manufacturing company that stands accused of jeopardizing the public safety.  The optics of the case have not been good for the company.  But the money trail that flows between Soros and elected officials comes with its own baggage and points to an agenda that is not necessarily in the public interest.  Lawsuits can make lawyers rich; they can advance political careers and impact public policy.  But how much they improve public safety and protect the environment is debatable.

Somewhat related:
The Bishops Go Bust in Baltimore.  In the early days of Baltimore, if a Catholic leader had proposed a religious gathering at a swanky hotel, he would have been ridiculed.  Such a suggestion would have been taken as a mark of spiritual unseriousness.  Ascetic, serious-minded bishops might meet in monasteries or religious houses to discuss matters of grave importance to the Church.  But a hotel?  That practice only became popular after worldly, faux-populist fetishes saturated the post-Vatican II Church.  And so now every November, Catholics in the pews have to pony up hundreds of thousands of dollars for the bishops to enjoy a cushy get-away at such luxury hotels as the Inner Harbor Marriott (where they held it this year), with their creepy entourages and security teams in tow.  Far from populist, the behavior of the bishops at the hotels is utterly insular.  They spend much of the meeting hiding behind police officers, goons, six-figure mercenaries of one stripe or another, and a battalion of gray-haired ex-nuns turned witchy episcopal aides.

Democrats Are Emerging As Party of the Rich.  This month saw the election of Jay Robert "J.B." Pritzker as governor of Illinois.  Mr. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, is worth an estimated $3.2 billion, and spent $171.5 million to get himself elected, according to Money magazine.  Another winner was Edward M. "Ned" Lamont Jr., in the Connecticut governor's race.  Mr. Lamont, an heir to the J.P. Morgan banking fortune of his great-grandfather Thomas Lamont, estimated his assets in 2006 at between $90 million and $300 million, and showed reporters tax returns last month with income totaling $18 million over 5 years.  The winner of the election for governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, filed financial disclosure forms as a member of the House of Representatives indicating estimated wealth of more than $300 million.

Progressive Politics Are Not Really Progressive.  [Scroll down]  Multibillion-dollar fortunes are now usually the domain of progressives who were enriched through globalized high tech, international finance, and media.  The ensuing rules are that when the Koch Brothers give money, it is "dark," and when the masters of the universe at Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and the likes of Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, George Soros, or Tom Steyer give far more millions to enhance progressive agendas, the cash is as light as can be.  We saw that disconnect unapologetically in 2008 when the progressive reformer and social justice warrior Barack Obama railed about big right-wing cash, while becoming the largest fundraiser on record and in particular the greatest recipient of Wall Street cash in history.

Thread breaks down money wasted per Beto O'Rourke vote and the Left flips out.  Robert O'Rourke lost last night even though he raised more money than any other person who has ever run for the Senate.  Hollywood dumped millions of dollars into his campaign hoping to beat Cruz ... and Bob still lost.

Beto O'Rourke's loss to Ted Cruz is a heartwarming reminder that money can't buy elections.  Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke's Senate campaign crashed harder Tuesday evening than a speeding Volvo driven by a drunk judge's son.  Glum-faced news anchors have called the Texas Senate race for incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. [...] His defeat will no doubt come as a terrible blow to all the hard-hitting news reporters who dedicated thousands of words to detailing how much he loves driving and practicing his Spanish.  But they shouldn't think of it as a loss!  They should think of the "Kennedyesque" candidate's failure to unseat Cruz as an uplifting reminder that money can't buy elections.

In 2016, Soros Boasted Of Spending $500 Million On Migrants.  Democratic donor George Soros earmarked half a billion dollars in 2016 to support migrants, writing that "harnessing the power of the private sector" is critical to support the "tens of millions of people [who] are on the move, fleeing their home countries in search of a better life abroad." [...] But The [New York] Times also acknowledged that Soros has contributed $75 million to federal candidates and political committees, as well as $32 billion to his liberal-leaning Open Society Foundations.  And Israel, a nation of refugees, has benefited little from his largess.

The mystery of Nike founder Phil Knight's huge political donation ahead of the midterms.  [Scroll down]  Nike founder Phil Knight, who remains chair emeritus of the company, has donated a total of $2.5 million to Knute Buehler, Republican gubernatorial candidate in Oregon.  That amount far exceeds any other individual donation to political candidates in the state.  Knight, who is thought to be worth about $30 billion and is famously private, hasn't explained what's behind this exceedingly generous gift to the Republican candidate.  Buehler's campaign team has also declined to comment on the donations.

Is It 'Hate Speech' to Tell the Truth?  George Soros has been a major funder of much of the institutional infrastructure the Left has built during the past 20 years.  David Horowitz's site Discover the Networks says that "a strong case can be made for the claim that Soros today affects American politics and culture more profoundly that any other living person."  Such organizations as Media Matters for America are beneficiaries of Soros's vast wealth.  While the total of his political expenditures over the years is perhaps beyond calculation, it is known that between 2003 and 2011, for example, Soros spent more than $48 million to fund media properties.

Navajo Nation Spokesman Calls Tom Steyer's Green Energy Campaign A 'Slap In The Face'.  Navajo Nation leaders are not supportive of Tom Steyer's campaign to force Arizona into dramatically increasing its renewable energy mandate, a mandate they argue would financially ruin their community.  Arizona voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to decide the fate of Proposition 127, a ballot initiative that would mandate utility companies acquire half their electricity from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, by 2030.  The proposal would amend the state's constitution and be a sharp increase from its current renewable mandate — which stands at 15 percent by 2025.

Why did nobody mention that Beto O'Rourke's wife is a billionaire heiress?  Young Beto O'Rourke casts himself as the 'anti-Trump'. But his father-in-law, it turns out, is a billionaire property developer with a contentious relationship with non-white residents — not unlike the President.  Beto's more the proto-Jared Kushner.  The New York Times today [10/29/2018] revealed the highly interesting news that friend-of-the-little-guy Beto married well.  Very well.  His wife is not only the daughter of William D. Sanders, aka the Warren Buffet of real estate, Cockburn can reveal she is the only daughter.  Sanders's portfolio is valued at about $20 billion.

The Truth about George Soros Is [Bad] Enough.  Whatever Soros's worldview and philosophies as a boy during World War II were, he's a committed, outspoken, extraordinarily deep-pocketed liberal progressive now.  It is not an exaggeration to characterize Soros's views as radical, particularly compared to the American mainstream.  Because Soros grew to prominence on the U.S. political scene when he spent more than $25 million trying to defeat President Bush in the 2004 election, most members of the media think of him as just another liberal billionaire — Tom Steyer or Michael Bloomberg with a different accent.  But his views are genuinely shocking to middle America when they hear them.

Kennedys profit off 'nonprofit'.  Do you know how much money Joe Kennedy, the former congressman, is now making at his "nonprofit"?  According to the most recent documents, his "public charity" has filed with the state attorney general, in 2016 Kennedy pocketed a total of $824,929 — $109,336 from Citizens Energy and $715,703 from "related organizations."

Economic Profile of 50 States Reveals Republicans Represent the Poor, Democrats the Rich.  Democrats paint themselves as the party looking out for the little guy and more interested than Republicans in representing the poor and their best interests.  But according to Ken Fisher, the founder and executive chairman of Fisher Investments, best-selling author and one of the richest men in the United States, a USA Today study released earlier this month that shows the economic profile of all 50 states, ranked by household income, reveals much more.  When Fisher read what he called "a breathtaking economic profile" of the states he found in it something that was "embedded" in it that reveals what he believes is "arguably the greatest unseen political truth of our time."

No Hope For Democrats.  According to the so-called experts, the real question is not whether the Democrats will win the midterm elections, but what will be their margin of victory?  The Democrats are leading because of the powerful institutions that support them, namely, the media, Hollywood, academia, government bureaucracies and special interest groups.  In addition, Democrats have significant backing from the wealthiest Americans.  For example, there has been a tremendous outpouring of campaign cash flowing into the coffers of Democratic candidates and political action committees from billionaires such as George Soros, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer.

Billionaire Bloomberg's Radical Green 'Fellows' Use States To Sue Corporations.  We all know what a bang-up job President Trump has done in fulfilling his campaign pledge to "drain the swamp" in Washington.  Unfortunately, he can't do the same at the state level.  There, wealthy leftist activists are inserting privately-funded progressive lawyers into state attorneys general offices.  Why?  To sue energy companies and others for "global warming" related crimes, of course.

Despite everyman image, Beto O'Rourke twice as wealthy as Ted Cruz.  Congress is rife with rich people, but [Beto] O'Rourke had a 2015 net worth of about $9 million, ranking 51st out of 435 House members, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.  That's more-than double the $3.8 million worth of his Republican opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz, who ranked 41st of 100 senators.

Democrats' 'socialism' prescription is a war on the poor.  The most striking difference between Democrats and Republicans is not their views on #MeToo, affirmative action or the Supreme Court:  It's how they view the economy.  Republicans deplore socialism.  But more than half of Democrats view socialism favorably, according to Gallup.  The Democratic Party's left flank is turning the midterm elections into a referendum on capitalism.  Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and dozens of other federal and state candidates protest that our economic system is unjust and needs an overhaul.  They demand radical changes like giving workers control of 40 percent of corporate-board seats, and making boards serve vague goals like social justice instead of maximizing profits.  They're also pushing for huge minimum-wage hikes.

George Soros's March on Washington.  I started following the money for the "resistance" when it was born, hours after Election Day 2016.  I have organized my findings in a spreadsheet I have made public.  At least 50 of the largest organizations that participated as "partners" in the Jan. 21, 2017, Women's March had received grants from Mr. Soros's Open Society Foundations or similar funds in the "House of Soros," as his philanthropic empire was once called internally.  The number of Soros-backed partners has grown to at least 80.  At least 20 of the largest groups that led the Saturday anti-Kavanaugh protests have been Open Society grantees.

Delusion on Campus.  We are constantly lectured about how the increasingly distant past has apparently permanently marginalized various identity groups, so they must be handed ever more power in the present.  But aren't those who are being paid to do this lecturing part of the powerful?

Inside The $4 Billion Wealthy Liberal Foundations Handed To Environmentalists.  Major foundations handed nearly $4 billion to global warming activists, anti-fossil fuel campaigners and other environmentalists over the past eight years, according to a database debuted Monday [9/17/2018].  The website Big Green, Inc. tracked $3.7 billion in commitments from major grant-making foundations to environmental causes from 2008 to 2016.  It's a project of the free market Institute for Energy Research and is based on nonprofit tax filings.  IER president Tom Pyle said the vast web of funding detailed by Big Green, Inc. shatters the notion environmentalists are locked in a David versus Goliath-like struggle against energy companies.

George Soros Funded Fusion GPS, His Spokesman Confirms.  George Soros has indirectly funded Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm behind the infamous Steele dossier, a spokesman for the billionaire financier has acknowledged.  Michael Vachon, the Soros aide, told Washington Post columnist David Ignatius that Soros provided a grant to a nonprofit group called the Democracy Integrity Project.  That organization, which was formed in 2017 by Daniel Jones, a former Senate Intelligence Committee staffer for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, paid Fusion GPS as a contractor to continue an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Bill De Blasio Caught On Camera Dismissing Homeless Woman Who Interrupted His Workout.  New York City Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio was captured on camera telling a homeless woman that he could not speak to her about the city's affordable housing crisis because he was in the middle of his workout.  "I'm in the middle of doing my workout," de Blasio told 72-year-old Nathylin Flowers Adesegun after she approached him while he was stretching at the Park Slope YMCA.

Elizabeth Warren has a luxury wardrobe to put Imelda Marcos to shame.  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who's getting ready to run for president, is cleaning out her closets. [...] Not since Bill Clinton tried to tell the IRS his used underwear was worth $5 a pop have we heard an excuse like this one from a Democrat.  First, note that Team Warren claims that the $9,376 amount is approximately the same as the $8,000 she claimed on her 2014 taxes.  So it wasn't exactly a decades' worth of closet-clearing, some Swedish death-cleaning mother of all cleanouts to pare down.  Nope, it's an annual event, amounting almost ten thousand bucks a year off her taxes.

Tom Steyer to spend at least $5 million on Andrew Gillum.  Tom Steyer, the billionaire investor and Democratic activist, has directed his political operation to spend more than $5 million aiding Andrew Gillum's campaign for governor of Florida, an enormous investment that will test whether fired-up Democratic voters can flip control of a state long dominated by Republicans.  The campaign between Mr. Gillum, who is the progressive mayor of Tallahassee, and Representative Ron DeSantis, a conservative lawmaker who has aligned himself closely with the White House, has become one of the clearest contests of strength nationwide between the Democratic Party's rising liberal wing and the Republican Party as President Trump has reshaped it.  Mr. Steyer, who is based in California and has crusaded since last year for Mr. Trump's impeachment, said in an interview that he would spend more money in Florida this fall than any other state.

H-2B Foreign Workers Sue Billionaires Club for Wage Theft, Poor Treatment.  A ski resort frequented by billionaires like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates is being sued by a group of Jamaican nationals who were brought to the United States to take blue-collar seasonal jobs.  The Yellowstone Club in Montana has been hit with a lawsuit by a group of foreign workers in the country on H-2B visas that were hired by the resort for allegedly cheating them out of tips and pay.  The H-2B foreign workers also claim they were treated worse than other employees at the resort.

Soros Money Behind 'Black Political Power' Outfit Supporting Andrew Gillum in Florida.  Billionaire George Soros is a financial contributor to The Collective, a little-known but increasingly influential political organization that says it is seeking to build a "black political power" movement in the U.S., Federal Election Commission records show.  The Collective was one of the primary donors central to funding Andrew Gillum's recent meteoric rise in the Tallahassee mayor's successful primary fight for Florida's Democratic gubernatorial nomination.  It reportedly injected nearly $2 million into Gillum's campaign, funding television and radio ads, get-out-the-vote drives, and playing a key role in helping Gillum defeat his Democratic opponents, some of whom were better-funded and had more statewide name recognition.  The group announced plans to continue backing Gillum during the current general election campaign.

Obama Won.  [Scroll down]  Obama institutionalized the idea that a Silicon Valley hipster billionaire could and should play act being left-wing, if only he would pledge to use his wealth and power to promote progressive causes, whose consequences he cynically would be able to avoid by virtue of his influence and riches.  Hollywood celebrities, Wall Street schemers, and techie billionaires all entered the public square demonizing "white privilege" that the rich enjoyed by fobbing it off on those poorer who had none of it.  The substitution of race and gender for class, then, was Obama's truly signature achievement.  It was no accident that in the days after he left office, the Obamas cut nearly $60 million in book and film deals, while Obama himself took off to millionaires' yachts and islands to deplore the Trump Administration, whose policies were beginning to help the unemployed that had been most left behind by his own boutique environmental and regulatory policies so cherished by the affluent.

Michelle Obama charging $3,000 for VIP tickets during book tour for her memoir.  The tickets for Michelle Obama's upcoming book tour are selling fast, and at a price that is unheard of in the publishing world.  Mrs. Obama will be making 12 stops in 10 cities to promote her memoir Becoming, and given the hype around the book will be appearing in arenas such as the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn and TD Garden in Boston.  Tickets for these events are going for as low as $29.95, but for a VIP package fans will have to shell out $3,000 to meet and greet Michelle Obama while also getting a front row seat, their very own photo with the former first lady and a autographed copy of her book.  Those fans will have to hurry however, because despite the jaw-dropping price the VIP package tickets are sold out at almost every venue just hours after going on sale.

Ben and Jerry team up with MoveOn.org to create Democrat-inspired ice cream flavors.  Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's ice cream are teaming up with MoveOn.org to hold a contest for a new line of Democrat-inspired ice cream flavors.  The contest, announced Friday, will select the seven best ice cream flavors inspired by Democratic House challengers Jess King, Lauren Underwood, Aftab Pureval, J.D Scholten, Ammar Campa Najjar, Stephany Rose Spaulding and James Thompson.  "We need a Democratic majority to check President Trump's unrestrained power," Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield said in a press release on MoveOn.org's website.  "And we also need to send progressive champions to Congress who will fix our health care system with Medicare for All, protect clean air and water, and get big money out of politics.

The Editor says...
Oh!  Get big money out of politics — like the money coming from George Soros and Tom Steyer?

Michelle's 'Becoming' a Gazillionaire Book Tour.  For those who forgot — or would like to forget — despite waking up every morning for eight years "in a house built by slaves," America's former first lady, Michelle Obama, indulged in 100 million dollars' worth of vacations at taxpayers' expense; wore haute couture; and, while attempting to limit every morsel Americans put in their mouths, ate epicurean fare fit for a queen.  Recently, Penguin Random House and an advance in excess of $65 million for two memoirs ensured that Mrs. Obama can continue to live the lifestyle she'd grown accustomed to, which now includes things like an $8.1-million Kalorama mansion and back-to-back vacations in Martha's Vineyard and Mallorca, Spain.  For those of us who "at this point have made enough money," if a $65-million tome reiterating the minutiae Michelle and Barack have subjected America to for a decade weren't enough, like U2 on steroids, Mrs. Obama has now decided to embark on a hard-knock-life stadium-sized expedition.

'Socialist' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wears $3,500 Outfit For Photo Shoot With Construction Workers.  Socialists want everybody to get everything — as long as they get theirs first.  And socialists looooove money.  Take Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent who touts himself as a socialist.  He's got three houses, including a shorefront house on Lake Champlain.  Same goes for the hot new socialist, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  She's everywhere now as she runs for a New York seat in the U.S. House.  And with that comes money — and bling.  In a photo shoot for Interview magazine, Ocasio-Cortez was pictured wearing a $3,500 outfit as she posed with construction workers.  She was decked out in a Gabriela Hearst blazer ($1,990), Gabriela Hearst pants ($890), and some Monolo Blahnik shoes ($625).

Gues [sic] How Much Socialist Ocasio-Cortez' Outfit Cost — $49? $180? $3,500?  If NYT weren't so busy reporting misleading stories about Nikki Haley's curtains, maybe they would pick up on the hypocrisy of the budding Democrat Socialist Superstar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  The New York Times, with their usual smug satisfaction, thought they'd scored with a 'gotcha' story implicating our take-no-prisoners Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley.

Michael Moore Accused of Stiffing, Smearing Vendors.  Last week at the Toronto International Film Festival, Michael Moore debuted his latest film, Fahrenheit 11/9.  The Daily Beast described the political documentary as a fast-paced, wide-reaching project, jumping from Flint, Michigan to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (and stopping along the way to compare Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler).  As Natalia Winkelman wrote, "Moore's best zingers and most penetrating indictments land on the Democratic Party, whom he implicates (along with dominant liberal news media) as part of an establishment system continually churning in place to maintain the status quo and impede forward movement.  He even calls out Obama on a few occasions: for letting down the people of Flint, for accepting Goldman Sachs money, for deporting immigrants, for drone strikes.  But best of all, Moore acknowledges and emphasizes that he himself is not totally free from that establishment either."  Apparently, Michael Moore is struggling to reconcile his revolutionary brand with his status as a famous, wealthy filmmaker.  Simultaneously, critics of the documentarian are calling hypocrisy, insisting that Moore's conduct is at odds with his reputation as a champion of the people.

Hollywood Elites Gush over Socialist Andrew Gillum's Victory in Florida.  Hollywood elites gushed over the victory of Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum in Florida's Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday, after the socialist-backed candidate scored an upset victory over his more moderate opponents.  Gillum, who received the backing of prominent socialist figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, defeated Rep. Gwen Graham and former mayor of Miami beach Phillip Levine with 34.3 percent of the vote.  He was also endorsed and funded by left-wing billionaires such as Tom Steyer and George Soros.

When Obama mocked McCain.  While "the betters" on the Sunday talk shows were praising John McCain, who died from brain cancer Saturday, Mrs. Marathon Pundit turned to me and asked, "Why isn't anyone talking about the number of houses he owned?"  The TV talking heads weren't.  In his laudatory statement about the Arizona senator's passing, of course Barack Obama didn't bring up the houses.  But in 2008, when a Politico reporter asked the Arizona senator how many houses he owned, and in a awkward manner, McCain replied that he didn't know.  He suggested that the reporter check with his staff. [...] The correct number was eight, if you include the homes owned by McCain's wife.  Obama's campaign used the McCain houses remark in television ad. Which, in one of the McCain campaign's better moments, led a spokesperson to retort, "Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses?"

Senator Elizabeth Warren Made A Lot Of Money Last Year.  Senator Elizabeth Warren has routinely campaigned on redistributing wealth and counts herself as a champion of the "99%" of Americans who aren't millionaires.  But according to financial records obtained by MassLive, Warren is solidly within the 1%.  In 2017, Warren and her husband, a Harvard University professor, hauled in nearly $1 million in adjusted gross income.  Warren was the moneymaker, though her husband claims to have earned around $430,379.  The numbers aren't much of a surprise.  Warren is believed to have a net worth somewhere in the ballpark of $7 million to $10 million [...]

San Francisco billionaire surges in 2020 presidential election odds.  Could San Francisco billionaire activist Tom Steyer really become the next president of the United States?  Oddsmakers are giving him the same odds as Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker as of Tuesday afternoon [8/21/2018].

Report: Obama Wealth Grew 40-Fold Since Entering White House.  Former President Barack Obama and wife Michelle entered the White House in 2008 with a net worth of $1.3 million, but in the 10 years since that time, that has grown to an estimated $40 million, and could earn as much as $242.5 million in the years ahead.  Obama made $20 million from the time he joined the U.S. Senate in 2005 through the end of his presidency, including money from his government salary, book royalties, investment income, and from Michelle Obama's income from the University of Chicago before she became first lady, reports Business Insider.

Democrat Sen. Feinstein employed [a] Chinese spy for 20 years: new details.  Veteran Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, whose husband Richard C. Blum has significant business in China, employed a Chinese spy on her staff for 20 years.  According to various reports, a Chinese man served on Feinstein's staff in San Francisco while he reported to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).  China focuses on San Francisco and the Bay area because of the large Asian community there and its proximity to Silicon Valley tech giants such as Apple and Google.  With a fortune estimated to be approximately $45 million, Feinstein is believed to be one of the wealthiest members of Congress.  However, by some estimates, her husband's holdings may be valued at $1 billion.  Feinstein has been an inveterate proponent of closer bilateral relations with China.  However, the Democratic party of California did not endorse her re-election bid for this year.

Dem governor flees to $7M Italian vacation home as political, personal problems mount.  His constituents are complaining about the state's crumbling transit system.  His own party wants to strip him of gubernatorial powers.  The soccer team he owns is living in dire conditions, and one of his sons has been in trouble with the law.  What's a newly elected governor with no experience in elected office to do?  He takes a vacation far, far away.  New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy raised eyebrows last week as he embarked on a swanky 11-day trip to Italy, where he owns a $7 million home he bought during his 23-year stint at Goldman Sachs.

Democrats' Impeachment Army: $110 Million, 1000 Staff, 2000 Volunteers.  Democrats who are pushing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump will have $110 million to spend on the cause, thanks to the efforts of left-wing billionaire Tom Steyer.  Steyer's organizations, NextGen America and Need to Impeach, will also have a combined 1,000 employees and 2,000 staffers as they take the case for impeachment to voters in November, according to Politico.  Though House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has discouraged impeachment talk, grass roots Democrats favor the idea.

George Soros Spent $10.37 Million Lobbying During Second Quarter.  Liberal billionaire George Soros's nonprofit spent more on lobbying during the second quarter of 2018 than he has in any previous quarter, disclosure forms show.  The Open Society Policy Center, a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit that deals with domestic and international advocacy efforts that is a separate entity from Soros's Open Society Foundations, reported spending $10.37 million between April 1 and June 30 — an increase of nearly $8 million from the first quarter of the year when the center reported spending $2.52 million on its lobbying efforts.  The increase in its lobbying activities can be attributed to the group adding a number of issues related to the nomination of Donald Lu as the U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan and the nomination of David B. Cornstein as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, where Soros was born.

DNC Chair Tom Perez spotted carrying $1,840 designer bag at airport after calling Socialism "Future of the Party".  A sharp-eyed sleuth snapped a picture Friday of Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez at DC's Reagan National airport.  The former Obama secretary of labor was standing in line, carrying a travel bag that looked outside the working man's budget.

Board of Elections says Wilson's cash giveaway didn't violate rules.  Chicago mayoral candidate Willie Wilson says he wasn't trying to buy anyone's vote when he handed out close to $200,000 to churchgoers.  The millionaire businessman said Sunday's appearance at the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church was nothing more than "one of the biggest property tax relief assistance" events of the year and the kind of thing he's done before.

Obama Attacks Wealthy For Big Houses Before Returning to His $8 Million Mansion.  At a recent speech in South Africa, former President Barack Obama criticized wealth inequality, saying those who have more money should share their earnings with the less fortunate.  "Right now, I'm actually surprised by how much money I got," Obama said of the more than $20 million he earned between 2005 and 2016.  Obama then chided wealthy individuals for excess, saying, "There's only so much you can eat.  There's only so big a house you can have.  There's only so many nice trips you can take.  I mean, it's enough."

Ethel Kennedy's hunger strike hypocrisy.  Wearing a green jacket that read 'I really do care,' Ethel Kennedy celebrated at the annual Hyannis Port annual Fourth of July parade with a clear slap at the first lady.  Just a week before, it was announced that the 90-year-old would be participating in a hunger strike to protest President Trump's immigration policies on the southern border.  But Ethel's protestations may be somewhat hypocritical, as Robert F. Kennedy's widow 'treated her immigrant servants like dogs,' according to insiders who worked for her.

Billionaire Richard Branson:  America should give out free cash to fix income inequality.  One solution to income inequality is giving out free cash, according to the British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson.  "A basic income should be introduced in Europe and in America," Branson told David Gelles of The New York Times.

The Editor says...
If Mr. Branson wishes to mitigate his guilt by dissipating his wealth, I see nothing wrong with the idea; however, it appears that he is proposing to have taxpayer money re-distributed to non-taxpayers, which is essentially communism.

Fact Check: 'Girl from the Bronx' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Grew Up in One of Richest U.S. Counties.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic Party's rising socialist star, describes herself as "a girl from the Bronx" to project a working-class image.  However, this claim is only half true — to borrow a phrase from the left-wing website PolitiFact. [...] Ocasio-Cortez omits that for most of her formative years, she was actually raised in one of the United States' wealthiest counties.  Around the age of five, Alexandria's architect father Sergio Ocasio moved the family from the "planned community" of Parkchester in the Bronx to a home in Yorktown Heights, a wealthy suburb in Westchester County.

Report: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 'girl from the Bronx,' raised in one of wealthiest US counties.  [Scroll down]  Yorktown Heights, ironically, is the opposite of the Bronx.  In a 1999 New York Times profile of Yorktown Heights, the town supervisor described it as "a folksy area where people can come, kick off their shoes, wander around, sit in a cafe, listen to a concert in the park, or go to the theater." Ocasio-Cortez would have been about 10 years old at the time.  Overall, Westchester County is one of the most wealthy counties in the United States; it's even where former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton reside.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly three-quarters of the county's 980,000 people are white, the average home price is more than a half million dollars, the median household income is nearly $90,000 and just 10 percent of the county lives in poverty.

Top Venture Capital Firm Tight Lipped About Barack Obama Visit.  Former President Barack Obama on Friday visited a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm.  Andrew Chen, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, posted a photo on Twitter of Obama posing Friday [6/29/2018] with a large group of people, including several venture capitalists at the firm based in Menlo Park, California.

Democrats Party Hard on Martha's Vineyard, Mark Warner Jokes About Mueller Leaks.  Leading Democrats over the weekend rubbed shoulders in one of the country's most liberal enclaves, according to reports.  Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and philanthropist Connie Milstein threw a ritzy bash at her Edgartown abode on Saturday.

Bloomberg to Spend $80 Million Boosting Democrats in Midterms.  Billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has approved a plan to spend $80 million helping Democrats in their efforts to flip the House of Representatives in the midterm elections.  Bloomberg is a political independent but holds liberal stances on issues like climate change, gun control and immigration, and he spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.  He was a Democrat before first running for mayor in 2001, then became a Republican, was re-elected in 2005, left the party to become an independent, and was re-elected once more in 2009.  Bloomberg told the New York Times Republicans had "failed" in their opportunity to show they could "govern responsibly."

Bernie Sanders' income tops $1M for second year in row, reports say.  A financial disclosure document filed in May shows that the indepedent lawmaker from Vermont made more than $1 million in 2017, given him income of that figure or more for the second year in a row, VTDigger reported.  Most of that income — $885,767 — came from cash advances and royalties for his 2016 book, "Our Revolution," which recounted the Sanders' failed bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

Bloomberg commits $80M to rid Congress of Republicans.  Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, will pour at least $80 million into Democratic campaigns for the midterm elections in an attempt to drive Republicans out of the House, according to a report Wednesday [6/20/2018].  Bloomberg, an independent who backs gun control, progressive immigration reform and efforts to fight climate change, has approved the plan to use the funds to flip the House, the New York Times reported.  In a statement, Bloomberg took the "absolutely feckless" Republican leadership to task for failing to check President Trump or provide oversight of his administration.

Melinda Gates Upset President Trump Defunded International Planned Parenthood.  Melinda Gates, wife of billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates, wishes President Trump had allowed International Planned Parenthood to continue its murderous agenda across the globe instead of defunding it.  Keeping true to his pro-life promises, President Trump implemented the Mexico City Policy shortly after taking office.  Approximately $100 million was stripped from International Planned Parenthood thanks to the President's signature, which will save countless lives from abortions.

Jane Fonda urges Hollywood elites to 'save' America, time to take 'back our government'.  When will the Hollywood elite ever learn that average Americans don't really care what they think?  Actress and political activist Jane Fonda took an award ceremony opportunity to whine about the current state of government, warning her fellow Democrats that America is facing an "existential crisis" under President Trump.

Obama to headline DCCC fundraiser with Pelosi, Eshoo:  Report.  Former President Barack Obama will reportedly headline a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser in Northern California later this month.  The former president will appear alongside House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., at the June 29 event, which will be hosted by Liz Simons and Mark Heising at their house in Atherton, Calif., according to Politico. [...] Tickets to the fundraiser start at $10,000.

Facebook Cofounder's Wife Bankrolls BLM Activist Shaun King's PAC.  The wife of a Facebook cofounder has provided a bulk of the funding to a political action committee that was co-founded by Black Lives Matter (BLM) activist Shaun King to target district attorney races across the country in an attempt to "fight structural racism."  Liberal activists and entities, such as billionaire George Soros and the Color of Change PAC, have quietly flooded local district attorney races across the country with cash and organizational support in an attempt to overhaul the criminal justice system by electing far-left DAs.  King, who first spoke to media on the formation of the Real Justice PAC in February, told the Huffington Post at the time that "No position in America, no single individual has a bigger impact on the criminal justice system — including police brutality, but the whole crisis of mass incarceration in general — than your local district attorney."

George Soros, buying a district attorney near you.  George Soros, the billionaire of progressive-slash-socialist and globalist causes the world over, has been busy buying his way into local district attorney campaigns in the United States.  Talk about trying to turn the judicial system into an activist camp for the left.  It's one thing to exercise one's First Amendment rights to support candidates with similar political leanings.  It's another thing entirely to try and collapse a limited government republic, from the bottom up, and implement, in its place, a judicial branch filled with people who twist the Bill of Rights into something it's not, the Constitution into something it was never intended to be, and the rule of law into a mocking tool for far-left gain.

The Clinton Foundation is back!.  The Clintons partied like it was 2015 on Thursday night, hosting a $100,000-a-table star-studded gala designed to relaunch their troubled family charity.  Sting and Shaggy performed together on stage, Jon Bon Jovi introduced Bill and the audience included millionaires and Hillary super-fans who got in line for selfies.  On offer at a post-dinner auction was a trip to the Caribbean with Bill — or chardonnay with Hillary.

Campaign contributor helped Obamas score Netflix deal.  Barack and Michelle Obama are raking in the cash, thanks to the influence of a former campaign supporter.  The couple last week signed a creative production deal with Netflix that one entertainment-industry source said could be valued at more than $50 million.  Ted Sarandos, a major campaign contributor for Obama and the streaming giant's creative-content chief who oversees an $8 billion budget, helped to broker the deal, the source told The [New York] Post.

Soros spends big in California's DA races in bid to reshape criminal justice system.  New York billionaire George Soros is leading a campaign to reshape the nation's criminal justice system — and targeting with cash four of the 56 district attorney positions in California up for grabs June 5.  In fact, he and other wealthy liberal donors are pouring millions of dollars and liberal groups are offering support to would-be prosecutors who favor lower incarceration rates, crackdowns on police misconduct and changes in a bail system that they argue discriminates against the poor, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Tom Steyer Allegedly Using Convicted Felons For His Renewable Energy Initiative.  An organization backed by environmentalist Tom Steyer is allegedly paying convicted felons to gather signatures for a ballot initiative in Arizona — a crime in the state.  Steyer, an environmentalist billionaire who has spearheaded numerous climate change initiatives across the country, is behind a push to increase Arizona's renewable energy portfolio.  The California activist, through his national NextGen America organization, has completely funded Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona — a group that is campaigning to force utilities to obtain 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030.  Such a sweeping mandate requires an amendment to the Arizona Constitution, meaning supporters have to collect 225,963 valid voters' signatures by July to make the 2018 ballot.

The face of the Democrats in 2018: A bitter, petty, vindictive Hillary Clinton.  The Democratic Party has no leader right now.  No one.  Former President Barack Obama is palling around with his billionaire, island-owning buddies.  Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders is kicking back in one of his three houses (we're guessing the big one on Lake Champlain).  And the 20-some 2020 presidential wannabes are all jockeying for media attention (and cash, lots of cash). In such a void, that leaves just one person with the spotlight:  the bitter, ever-angry, petty, vindictive Hillary Clinton.

We'll Never Be Rid of Them:  Obamas Sign a Deal With Netflix.  [Scroll down]  My biggest pet peeve is when highly paid politicians refer to their "public service."  Four hundred thousand dollars a year with a domestic staff that's on call 24/7 in your mansion, followed by over $200K a year for life and all funded by taxpayers is not service.  It's a sweet gig.  Building a house with Habitat for Humanity is service.  I am not quite sure how the Obamas were meeting these people from "all walks of life," as it seemed as if they were spending most of their free time with the extremely wealthy people in Bel Air.

Confirmed: Former Feinstein Staffer Raised $50 Million, Hired Fusion GPS And Christopher Steele After 2016 Election.  A declassified congressional report confirms prior reporting by The Federalist that Daniel Jones, a former staffer for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), hired Fusion GPS and Christopher Steele after the 2016 election to push the anti-Trump Russian collusion narrative. [...] The report also revealed that Jones told federal investigators that he had raised $50 million from "7 to 10 wealthy donors located primarily in New York and California."

Billionaire George Soros invests millions in Democrat candidates in attorney races.  George Soros has joined forces with progressive groups and political action committees in an attempt to elect reformist prosecutors around the United States.  The billionaire has invested millions toward their initiative and will continue to fund other district attorney races across the nation during this cycle.  Soros donated $1.45 million to newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner, of Philadelphia, last year.

Soros Buying San Diego DA Race.  Leftist billionaire George Soros is injecting big money into a San Diego district attorney race as part of his larger effort to install extremist prosecutors across America who will refuse to enforce inconvenient laws that liberals and progressives don't like.  Soros, who turns 88 in August, has been underwriting district attorney races across America in an effort to dismantle the criminal justice system, empty the prisons, and sabotage the enforcement of immigration laws.

Here are 1,366 well sourced examples of Barack Obama's lies, lawbreaking, corruption, cronyism, hypocrisy, waste, etc.  [#4] Although Obama claimed to support the Occupy Wall St. movement, the truth is that as of 2011, he had raised more money from Wall St. than any other candidate during the previous 20 years.  In early 2012, Obama held a fundraiser where Wall St. investment bankers and hedge fund managers each paid $35,800 to attend.  In October 2011, Obama hired Broderick Johnson, a longtime Wall Street lobbyist, to be his new senior campaign adviser.  Johnson had worked as a lobbyist for JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Comcast, Microsoft, and the oil industry

Soros-Funded Group Launches App to Help Illegal Aliens Avoid Feds.  An open borders group that has benefitted from U.S. taxpayer dollars and is funded by leftwing billionaire George Soros launched a smartphone application to help illegal immigrants avoid federal authorities. [...] The group behind the app is called United We Dream, which describes itself as the country's largest immigrant youth-led community.  The nonprofit has more than 400,000 members nationwide and claims to "embrace the common struggle of all people of color and stand up against racism, colonialism, colorism, and xenophobia."  Among its key projects is winning protections and rights for illegal immigrants, defending against deportation, obtaining education for illegal immigrants and acquiring "justice and liberation" for undocumented LGBT "immigrants and allies."

Obamas 'building new swimming pool' at their $8.1 million mansion in exclusive Kalorama neighborhood of Washington DC.  Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are building a swimming pool at their home in an exclusive neighborhood of Washington DC.  The 44th president and his family purchased the the 8,200 sq ft mansion in the Kalorama area of the capital in 2017 for $8.1 million having initially rented the property.  Plans are now afoot for a new swimming pool in the grounds, according to TMZ, which says it has seen building permits.

Soros Is Targeting District Attorney Races to Create Havoc Against Conservatives.  Far left billionaire George Soros has been systematically targeting district attorney races throughout the United States.  Some of the candidates he has backed have already won.  Now he is focusing on Oregon.

Judicial Watch Sues for More George Soros Documents.  Hungarian-American George Soros became a billionaire from hedge funds he started, and also from short-selling pounds sterling during England's currency crisis in 1992.  That maneuver earned him $1 billion and the appellation, "The Man Who Broke the Bank of England."  By 2018, he had $8 billion in the bank — even after having given $18 billion to his Open Society Foundations, which support leftist causes in the United States and around the world.  With all of that money, you'd think he wouldn't need your help, wouldn't you?  Well, your government disagrees.  And, in fact, the taxes you pay have been supporting this guy.  That's not totally surprising, as the Obama administration was certainly fond of using American tax dollars to fund left-wing organizations.

Democrats: The Party of the Super-Duper (Mostly White) Gazillionaires.  Make no mistake:  in addition to campaign contributions, which can be viewed at OpenSecrets.org, the Democrat billionaires do believe in wealth redistribution, which is why they've invested their monies across every Democrat-friendly industry — from media to technology to anti-Second Amendment groups.  It's the Democrats' (legal) version of a Madoff scheme.

Judge, Lest Ye Be Judged.  Turns out, the fervent supporter doesn't really mind Bernie being very wealthy, not in any visceral way.  His discovery of Bernie's wealth doesn't shock him senseless, either.  He expects a politician to be wealthy, especially after a long career; he might not approve ("Property is theft!") but despite Bernie's personal choices, at least he'd prevent you from being wealthy, and that's what really matters.

Hollywood's Oscars Night Tanks as NRA Membership Skyrockets.  Hollywood's biggest night of the year turned into one of the smallest as viewers refused to watch a conga line of virtue-signaling celebrities preen about politics. [...] So, we have people flocking to gun rights organizations and running from Hollywood.  Why do you think that is?  Hollywood doesn't want to face the reality that it's because people are fed up with condescension from celebrities who don't value Americans' civil rights.

The Shape of Virtue.  If there's anything America likes less than being lectured to by a gilded aristocracy, it's sitting through close to four hours of those lectures while that same self-appointed nobility simultaneously sheds crocodile tears, pats itself on the back, and pretends to motivate itself to action.

The Benedict Predicament.  America's Left already has the bulk of the nation's wealth.  Residents of places such as Weston, Massachusetts, the suburbs of D.C. and of Silicon Valley, vote for the nation's farthest-Left candidates with higher percentages than do those of zip-codes along the country's Martin Luther King avenues.

Becoming Michelle Obama.  [Scroll down]  Forgetting that America has heard all that bootstrap-racial oppression malarkey before, of late, Michelle has given glimpses into the biographical vistas Becoming will explore.  Last year, for instance, for the 50,000th time, Michelle reiterated to the Hartford Courant that her "[p]arents weren't wealthy."  That was true until Mama Marian Robinson moved into the White House and received reparations in the form of four or more $4-million vacations a year — compliments of the U.S. taxpayer.  Comparing her former home to the $8.1-million mansion she currently occupies in the posh Kalorama section of Washington, D.C., Michelle poured it on when she told the Connecticut news site, "They weren't fancy folks.  But we had a good childhood, living in a little, bitty apartment."

Nancy Pelosi's net worth more than tripled during financial crisis 2008-2010.  I am sure there is nothing at all suspicious when the then-speaker of the House managed to triple her (and her husband Paul's) estimated net worth in the period of a global financial crisis, when the federal government was deciding whom to bail out and whom to let go bankrupt, and where to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on "stimulus."  Doug Ross of Director Blue noticed the stunning investment success of the San Francisco couple, drawing on information from Open Secrets, run by the Center for Responsive Politics.

During the financial crisis, Nancy Pelosi somehow tripled her net worth to $100 million.  If only our society had some people we used to call "investigative journalists".  They might be able to figure out how then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi mysteriously tripled her net worth during the height of the financial crisis.

'How Much Are You Worth, Nancy?': Pelosi Heckled at Town Hall While Slamming Trump Tax Law.  Rep. Nancy Pelosi was heckled by a woman at a town hall event Tuesday [2/20/2018] after she continued blasting President Trump and Republicans' tax cuts.  "God never intended one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth while others live in abject deadening poverty," the House minority leader said, adding that the quote was from Dr. Martin Luther King.  As she finished her sentence, Pelosi was interrupted by a woman in the Phoenix, Arizona, audience who asked "how much are you worth, Nancy?"

Pelosi Tries to Extend $137,000 Tax Break for Two of Her Multi-Million-Dollar Homes.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), who often rails against income inequality and calls on the wealthy to pay its "fair share" in taxes, took pains in late December to try to preserve tax breaks for two of her multi-million-dollar homes one last time before the new tax law kicked in.  Largely thanks to her husband Paul, a real-estate and venture-capital investor, Pelosi is the wealthiest woman in Congress with a net worth of more than $100 million and the seventh wealthiest member overall, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.  In fact, assets and cash disclosed in her 2016 financial-disclosure statement places Pelosi in the top one-tenth of the 1 percent of Americans.  Pelosi's annual property tax bill alone on three luxury homes last year — $137,000 — is more than twice the 2016 U.S. median household income of $59,039, which the U.S. Census reported last fall.

Hypocrisy, Inc.  American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten recently pilloried President Trump's health plan in the Huffington Post:  "GOP Rewards The Rich, Rips Off The Rest Of Us," she declared.  Is Weingarten among "the rest of us?" The union leader hauled in $472,197 last year.  Weingarten is hardly the only fat-cat teachers' union leader.  According to the Department of Labor, National Education Association executive director John Stocks bagged $355,721 last year, while NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garc'a scraped by on $317,826.  At the 2017 California Democratic Party Convention, California Teachers Association president Eric Heins ranted about billionaires without acknowledging his own $317,000 total compensation package.  CTA executive director Joe Nunez's compensation is $460,000; associate ED Emma Leheny makes $480,000, and deputy ED Karen Kyhn gets by on $427,000 yearly.  New York City's United Federation of Teachers boss Michael Mulgrew is practically working class by comparison, making $288,000.

Wealthy New Yorkers Fight To Keep Homeless Out Of Their Liberal Neighborhood.  Wealthy New Yorkers are furious that Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to open a homeless shelter in their ritzy Manhattan neighborhood.  Dozens of wealthy residents packed into a community meeting to voice their anger over the decision to move 150 homeless men into the former Park Savoy Hotel, NY1 reports.  The residents are concerned that the move will increase crime and decrease property values in their neighborhood on "billionaires row."

Things Your Professor Didn't Tell You About Climate Change.  This year's World Economic Forum provided yet another opportunity for those who believe in apocalyptic climate change to harangue us about the evils of greenhouse gases amid warnings the world will end in 2050 or 2100 or one of these days when it gets warm enough.  Most striking is the annual spectacle of the world's wealthy and privileged disembarking from their fuel-gulping private jets and limousines or emerging from luxury hotel suites, to proclaim the world must cut back on the use of fossil fuels, or to question why the world's common people do not feel as deeply or passionately about climate change as they do.

No, Joe, we are not all worthy.  Young Joe Kennedy III, grandson of "Bobby," says "we are all worthy," meaning, as I take it, that there are no differences between people — no matter what.  Everybody is the same, according to Liberal-Think.  For example, since I was born with the same rights as Sandy Koufax, I should be able to pitch for the Dodgers, too.  Only they won't let me.  That doesn't seem fair, but that's how it is in baseball, or in life.  In politics, well, if your name is Kennedy, Massachusetts automatically gives you a seat in the House or Senate.  So maybe that is why Joe assumes that we ALL get the same breaks and privileges.

Left Blasts 'Tone Deaf,' 'Inexcusable' Joe Kennedy Pick — Privileged White Man Who's Not Progressive Enough.  Some left-wing activists are not thrilled that Democrats selected Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) — a privileged "white man" — to give the response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening [1/30/2018], arguing that it will be tougher for Democrats to attack Trump as a white guy who inherited his wealth with another white liberal who inherited his fortune.  They are also slamming Democrats for selecting someone who is not progressive enough.

"I love Trump for being frank with Africans".  Conan O'Brien went to a resort in Haiti to prove it is not a [bad] country.  The people who live there know better than the tourists.  Conan's trip was too clever by half.  Inadvertently, he showed himself as a white guy millionaire with a Harvard degree sipping an adult beverage from some sort of coconut shell — while nearby, one million native people are still without sewers eight years after the earthquake.  How is this different from the colonialism Haitians overthrew 227 years ago?

A thousand dollars is mere chicken feed to a limousine liberal.
Wasserman Schultz joins Pelosi in mocking size of $1K cash bonuses linked to tax cuts.  Florida congresswoman and former DNC chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday to ridicule the economic repercussions of recent tax reform legislation.  An audience at Florida Atlantic University witnessed Ms. Pelosi double down this morning on her recent "crumb" criticism of cash bonuses given out by companies like Apple, AT&T, Boeing, Comcast, Disney, Home Depot, Fiat Chrysler, Southwest Airlines, Verizon, Wal-Mart and Well Fargo.  The event, which was sponsored by the group Not One Penny, included Ms. Wasserman Schultz's assertion that $1,000 doesn't go "very far for almost anyone."

Nancy Pelosi whoops it up with Democrats over government shutdown at a tony DC restaurant.  Maybe they were whooping it up.  Or maybe they were crying in their beer.  One thing that's certain is that Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, were doing it in luxury at one of Washington's toniest restaurants, as the measure to fund the government failed.  According to Scott Wong at The Hill, the wake of the late-night government shutdown sent congressional members skittering all over town for their dinners: [...]

Nancy Pelosi Ripped After Taking House Democrats out for Exclusive Dinner Party as Troops Pay Price for #SchumerShutdown.  According to media reports, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) invited the 192 Democrat Members of the House of Representatives out to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant in Washington, D.C. Saturday [1/20/2018] during the first day of the government shutdown.  Politico's Jake Sherman was first to report on Pelosi's dinner.

You Can Get A "Poverty Is Sexist" Shirt For Only $380.  The Golden Globes were a virtue signaling trainwreck by radical leftists with no virtue or common sense.  That's how you end up with a viral story about an overpaid actress wearing a "Poverty is Sexist" shirt.  And then you find out that the shirt/sweater runs to $380.  Because this is what Hollywood is.  If it were any more fake, it would consist entirely of award shows.

Soros and the Exploitation of Women.  To date, [George] Soros has given away close to $14 billion to various leftist "progressive" causes.  He works for the decriminalization of both prostitution and drugs and helped kick-start America's medical marijuana movement, was an early proponent and major funder of the initiative to redefine marriage, underwrites numerous leftist think-tanks, and works assiduously for left-wing policy changes.  OSF has nearly fifty offices around the world and more than 1,600 full-time staff members who are activists in numerous arenas, with particular attention to judicial decisions and supporting far-left judicial candidates.  Soros recently gave $18 billion to OSF, establishing one of the richest foundation endowments ever and guaranteeing that his work will continue after he is gone.  One of his less publicized causes is "helping sex workers."

Plans revised for 'Obama Presidential Center': taller, uglier and a little bit less white.  A faint odor of desperation accompanies the latest revised plans for the monument to the greatness of Barack Hussein Obama planned for Chicago.  You see, the City of Chicago and its mayor, Rahm Emanuel, have to approve the plans and the appropriation of park land designed by Frederick Law Olmstead — America's greatest landscape architect — to memorialize America's First Black President (unless you count Bill Clinton).  The effort to combine grandiosity with the appearance of community responsiveness is a tough challenge for anyone, it must be conceded.

Foreign leaders showered Obama with gifts in his final years.  Foreign leaders showered former President Barack Obama with more than $100,000 in gifts during his final two years in office, according to federal documents posted online Wednesday [1/10/2018].  The massive haul included cigars and rum from Cuban President Raul Castro, bottles of wine from Italian President Sergio Mattarella, an Australian billiards cue, a Jordanian chessboard — and a cured ham leg from Spain.

Guess Where The Money Behind Al Gore's Promotion Of Climate Hysterics Came From.  If you think former Vice-President Al Gore, and current head of the Church of Climate Change was helping to save the world out of the goodness of his heart with his own money, you are sadly mistaken.  As leaked documents reveal, Gore was having his pockets filled by an outside source that had a specific interest in the climate hysterics being spread far and wide.  And that source was none other than leftist sugar daddy George Soros.  According to Daily Caller, documents published by DC Leaks show that Soros's group Open Society Institute (OSI) threw $10 million at Al Gore in 2008 to push climate panic in order to help push policies surrounding the bad science.

Leftist Millionaire NYC Mayor Gives himself $33,000 Raise.  Leftists claim to hate tax cuts, but they use every tax advantage they can take.  And then these disingenuous fight for their raises, while claiming to give back.  Case in point, Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio.

De Blasio will get a pay raise when second term begins.  Mayor de Blasio will get a fat 15 percent raise when his second term begins Monday — bumping his salary from $225,000 to $258,750 a year.  The $33,750 boost is more than the annual salary of a full-time worker making the city's roughly $13 minimum wage.

Man Of The People:  Bernie Sanders Wears $700 Coat To Swear In New York Mayor.  New York mayor Bill de Blasio chose Vermont senator-turned-progressive-presidential-candidate Bernie Sanders to swear him in to his second term this weekend, solidifying a "bromance" de Blasio hopes will translate into Sanders naming him his socialist successor in national politics.  But the ceremony was so cold, Bernie Sanders was forced to upgrade his traditionally unkempt look, and he did it with a decidedly un-99%-er coat by the decidedly upmarket Burton outfitters.

The Prince and the Community Organizer.  For a self-described community organizer, full of the anti-colonial dreams of his father, Obama seems to enjoy inordinately rubbing shoulders with monarchs and princes.  The BBC this week hailed his embarrassingly empty chat with Prince Harry as his first post-presidential interview (it was actually conducted last September but released only on Tuesday [12/26/2017]).  The interview allowed two vapid liberals to wallow in their privilege while babbling about a world without privilege.  Nothing phrases like "platforms of change" tumbled forth as they both longed for greater egalitarianism.  The prince and the community organizer agreed that they are both "passionate" about helping paupers.  Obama, who is earning millions of dollars for twenty-minute speeches these days, says that he is concerned about unfair pay, while Prince Harry worried about the lack of seriousness accorded young people before asking Obama to choose his favorite Kardashian. [...] The interview overflows with such prattle, with Obama alternating between praising and condemning the superficial politics he helped create.

The incredible $2.8 million mansion Geraldo Rivera has moved into in Ohio after ditching life in his native New York City.  Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera and his wife have moved into their new $2.8 million mansion in Ohio.  The host has officially ditched his native New York City and is now settling down in his wife Erica Levy's hometown in Cleveland.  According to the listing on Zillow, the stately mansion sits on 'one of the truly iconic estates in Shaker Heights'.

Sheila Jackson Lee, Limousine Liberal.  It's about 200 paces from the awning of Jackson Lee's Capitol Hill apartment to the marbled steps of the Cannon House Office Building, where her office is.  Most people think the walk is a pleasant one.  Red-brick townhouses give onto tree-lined streets; crossing guards ensure no one is run over.  It's the kind of neighborhood where you might expect to find the Republican party's headquarters — and do.  They're right next door to Jackson Lee's building.  In a city that consistently ranks among the nation's worst for commuting, Jackson Lee would seem to have it made.  But apparently it's not convenient enough.  Jackson Lee is routinely chauffeured the one short block to work — in a government car, by a member of her staff, at the taxpayers' expense.  And apparently in violation of House rules.

Study finds top 1% thrived under Obama.  The rest of us not so much.  Economist Edward N. Woolf published a paper that shows that under Barack Obama, the wealthiest 1% increased their share of America's wealth to 40%.  The Washington Post blamed President Trump for what Obama did.

Census Bureau: 5 Richest Counties Are D.C. Suburbs.  The five richest counties in the United States when measured by median household income are all suburbs of Washington, D.C., according to the American Community Survey data released today by the Census Bureau.  According to the American Community Survey's new five-year estimates (2012-2016), the five richest counties in the country are:  Loudoun County, Va., where the median household income was $125,672; Falls Church City, Va., where it was $115,244; Fairfax County, Va., where it was $114,329; Howard County, Md., where it was $113,800; and Arlington County, Va., where it was $108,706.

Is Sen. Warren an 'Honest Injun'?  [Scroll down]  Sen. Elizabeth Warren is one of those who jumped onboard the Native American bandwagon, claiming a 1/32nd Cherokee heritage — a claim strongly disputed by a Cherokee genealogist.  Refusing a DNA test to remove any doubt, Warren relies on two dubious sources — family lore and her "high cheekbones."  She has asserted she "never asked for and never got any benefit" from her claim.  The following suggests otherwise.  Proclaiming her ancestry in 1984, Warren later used it professionally to claim minority status when her name was entered into the University of Texas Law School faculty directory.  That may very well have influenced Harvard Law School to offer her a job to join their faculty, where she was described as its "first woman of color."  Harvard became her launching pad for a political career.  While Warren had no qualms about claiming Indian heritage, she certainly stood out as such.  Unlike so many impoverished Native Americans, she is worth millions of dollars.

Gates Pushes InBloom's Massive Data Tracking System for Everyone in America.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave $100 million to fund a mega database to collect private information on every American school child from early education through high school.  He is also funding studies to prove the need for tracking students through college and into their adult life.  His thinking falls in line with The Life of Julia, one of Mr. Obama's campaign's socialist selling points.  The Life of Julia imposes the government into the life of every person from birth until death.  The "benevolent" government will be in a surrogate parental role under this type of system.  Julia's life is completely governed by the State and noticeably absent are parents, family, friends, and self-sufficiency.

Steyer:  We Can't Wait To Impeach Trump.  Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager and liberal mega-donor, told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday [11/26/2017] that President Donald Trump should be impeached as soon as possible.  The San Francisco-based mega donor financed a nationwide ad campaign urging Trump's removal from office by Congress for a variety of alleged offenses, including collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election and heightened tensions with North Korea.  He put $20 million behind a national ad campaign urging impeachment, which includes both television and digital ads.

Pelosi, Soros Headline Left's Biggest Dark Money Conference.  A secretive three-day conference where big money liberal donors are plotting the next steps of the "resistance" will be headlined by Friday [11/17/2017] speeches by billionaire George Soros and Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, according to internal documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.  The Democracy Alliance, a donor club of deep-pocketed liberal donors that each pledge to direct hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to approved left-wing groups, descended on California's posh La Costa Resort on Wednesday morning for its fall donor summit.  The group continued its tradition of secrecy, promising all members and guests of the summit their participation would "remain confidential."

Party Of The Rich:  Democrats Are 7 Of 10 Wealthiest Members Of Congress.  Republicans have long been smeared by Democrats as the party of the rich, even though all of Hollywood, all of Silicon Valley and all of Wall Street are in their pockets.  It's a cheap and long-debunked tactic, and now we have another piece of evidence to corroborate the obvious fact that Democrats are the party of rich white men.  According to a study conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics, financial disclosure forms reveal that out of the ten richest members of Congress, a whopping total of seven are Democrats.  Collectively, the total wealth of the seven richest Democrats in Congress amounts to $1.1 billion.

Barack Obama arrives in a four-SUV motorcade to a private Democratic fundraiser at $35m Manhattan mansion.  President Barack Obama mingled with Democratic leadership and high-powered donors at a New York City mansion on Tuesday, while raising money for the cash-strapped political party. [...] The fundraiser was held at the palatial Upper East Side duplex owned by Dennis Mehiel, a former candidate for New York lieutenant governor and major Democratic donor.

Michelle Obama and birthday girl Valerie Jarrett jet off to Las Vegas after Chicago summit.  Michelle Obama capped off a successful two-day summit in Chicago last week by hopping on a jet and flying off to Sin City.  The former first lady headed to Las Vegas alongside her husband Barack's former advisor and current Lyft board director Valerie Jarrett, who was getting a early start on her upcoming birthday.  Jarrett will turn 61 next Wednesday, and to celebrate she enjoyed a jam-packed weekend surrounded by friends and family that kicked off on Friday with dinner in a private room at TAO Asian Bistro in The Venetian.

Did Russian money make Hillary's takeover of the DNC possible?  As one reads the wretched news of how Hillary Clinton came to take over the Democratic Party and snatch the nomination from rival Bernie Sanders, in the memoirs of former DNC acting chair Donna Brazile, it's striking how the central persuading dynamic of it is money. [...] Basically, Clinton bought her way to access to power because she had more money than Bernie Sanders did.  Bernie's smalltime donor-based money pile proved to be no match for Hillary's kookabucks.  The millions and millions she had from her pay to play operations that moved through her foundation and were so irregular of bookkeeping control that no philanthropy rating agency would rate them.  Most of the foundation's work went to personal expenses, which could mean anything.  Including, quite possibly, campaign finance and bailing out the DNC.  Which is why, as [Fox News' Greg] Jarrett points out, a Special Counsel ought to be named, targeting her activities.

Mark Zuckerberg and liberals seek to weaken bail system that keeps us safe.  For any liberal to entertain winning the Democratic nomination for president these days, there are some important boxes to be checked, including taking on America's system of law and order.  Now Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has begun checking the boxes.  Zuckerberg has hired Hillary Clinton's pollster.  He's hired Barack Obama's campaign manager.  He's even visited the first presidential caucus state of Iowa.  And he's pandering to the left's machine by funding a campaign that aims to get rid of our nation's bail system.

Democrats Fight To Protect A $1.8 Trillion Tax Break That Benefits The Top 1%.  So what is it that Democrats are valiantly trying to protect?  This SALT deduction, as it's sometimes called, will cost the federal government $1.8 trillion over the next decade, according to the Tax Foundation.  And the benefits go almost entirely to upper-income families.  Fewer than 22% of tax filers even claim the state and local tax deduction, and the vast majority of these are higher-income families.  While 78% of those with incomes above $200,000 claim the deduction, just 7% of those making between $30,000 and $40,000 do.  For most taxpayers, the standard deduction is more valuable.

Soros Prepares To Buy Back Congress From Republicans.  [George] Soros and his deep-pocket globalist cohorts are set to push hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2018 Midterms while millions of Trump supporters have grown disenchanted with a Republican-controlled Congress that has repeatedly blocked the Trump agenda.  It is a condition that has led to the rise of the term "Trumplicans" — voters who remain firmly on the side of the President while casting an increasingly wary eye toward both political parties.

What Harvey Weinstein tells us about the liberal world.  [Scroll down]  To call this man a hypocrite is to state the obvious.  This champion of women is now accused of sexual harassment on an epic scale.  This defender of the press was excellent at manipulating it and on one memorable occasion is said to have physically roughed up a reporter asking tough questions. [...] In Weinstein's world, politics often correlated with conspicuous displays of luxury goods — it was something you did on Martha's Vineyard, or on the Riviera, or in the Hamptons, toasting the candidate or raising money for the good cause.

Bring Down Leftist Foundations Like The Mafia.  The Department of Justice has been investigating DisruptJ20, a "resistance" group that plotted to shut down President Trump's inauguration.  The DOJ has demanded the IP addresses of visitors, along with any emails, photos and names it can get.  But the pipeline of Dj20 funding goes back to George Soros.  And not just Soros.  Money from the Global Justice Alliance went to Refuse Fascism, a group founded by members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, which staged violent protests.  "Respectable" big money leftist groups like the Hill Snowdon Foundation and Ben and Jerry's Foundation fund middlemen like the Alliance.  And then the Alliance funds "direct action" groups that are willing to get their hands violently dirty.

American Coup:  Big Money Donors Trying To Overthrow Trump Revealed.  The Kellogg Foundation.  The Ford Foundation.  The Open Society Foundation.  (G. Soros)  The California Endowment.  The Marquerite Casey Foundation.  Fidelity Charitable Gift.  The open borders-promoting National Immigration Law Center.  These are some of the very deep pocket groups that have donated MILLIONS to the far-left, militant Center for Community Change [...]

Donors to anti-Trump 'resistance' group revealed.  The Center for Community Change, a Washington, D.C.-based 501 (c)(3) progressive community organizing group that does not reveal its donors, has been involved in direct action against President Donald Trump and Republicans before and after the November elections.  The organization's members sit on the boards of other prominent liberal activist groups.  The [Washington] Free Beacon has obtained the group's unredacted 2015 tax forms that shed light on its funders, who provide millions of dollars in assistance.  The group appears to rely heavily on a few major liberal foundations, organizations, and unions.

Why Are Mainstream Charities Funding The Anti-Trump 'Resistance'?  An investigation by the Washington Free Beacon looked into the progressive community organizing group called the Center for Community Change Action (CCCA), which has spearheaded the anti-Trump "resistance."  What the Beacon found by looking at the group's unredacted tax returns was surprising:  Far from being funded by like-minded activists and grass-roots contributions, the anti-Trump CCCA is secretly funded by major charities with respectably wholesome, centrist images.  In some cases, the charities fund other extreme left-wing activist groups, too.  Among those giving money to the CCCA — which, the Beacon notes, "has been involved in direct action against President Donald Trump and Republicans before and after the November elections" — include the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Ford Foundation and billionaire George Soros' Open Society Foundation, which have together funneled millions of dollars to the anti-Trump, anti-conservative, anti-Republican activist group.  Kellogg alone gave $3 million, while the Ford Foundation ponied up $2.3 million.  Soros delivered a cool $1.75 million to the anti-Trumpistas.

Democrat Warren confronted over her 'One Percent' status.  A Boston radio host called out U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren this week for criticizing America's "One Percent," noting that her net worth ranks her among the class she consistently attacks.  "How can you rail against the One Percent, when in a sense you are and live like the One Percent?," Jeff Kuhner asked Warren on Monday [9/25/2017] in the hallway of the WRKO's studio, referring to the class of America's wealthiest people.

Well we're movin' on UP ...
Obamas eyeing Upper East Side apartment.  Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle are eyeing an apartment in a historic building in Manhattan, multiple sources exclusively tell Page Six.  The Obamas have been looking at 10 Gracie Square on the Upper East Side, situated between East End Avenue and East River Drive and near the mayor's residence, Gracie Mansion, according to sources who have seen the couple arriving at the building for viewings.

Steelers' Head Coach Held Fundraiser For Hillary, Donated Heavily To Obama.  Steelers' Head Coach Mike Tomlin held a high-end fundraiser in 2016 for then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at his home with ticket prices reportedly costing over $30,000.  Tomlin hosted the event with his wife on June 14 with supporters required to pay $33,400 to meet Clinton — those who couldn't afford to pay that amount to meet a woman claiming to represent the middle class were given the option of simply paying $10,000 to attend.

Obama hauls in millions from Wall Street, media don't say a word.  Former President Barack Obama is hauling in millions from Wall Street banks — the very institutions he harangued throughout both of his presidential campaigns.  Throughout their political careers, both Hillary Clinton and Mr. Obama berated banks and the "fat cats" who run them as heartless corporations (while filling their own pockets with their cash).  Mrs. Clinton made millions giving speeches to the huge financial institutions, swatting away charges of hypocrisy.  This apparently didn't really sell with Mr. and Mrs. America, who didn't elect her president.  Now it's Mr. Obama's turn to make bank.

How Obama is funding the anti-Trump resistance.  An estimated $640 million has been diverted into what critics say is an improper, if not unconstitutional, "slush fund" fed from government settlements with JPMorgan Chase and Co., Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp., according to congressional sources.  The payola is potentially earmarked for third-party interest groups approved by the Justice Department and HUD without requiring any proof of how the funds will be spent.  Many of the recipients so far are radical leftist organizations who solicited the settlement cash from the administration even though they were not parties to the lawsuits, records show.  "During the Obama administration, groups committed to 'revolutionary social change' sent proposals and met with high-level HUD and Justice Department officials to try to get their pieces of the settlement pie," Cause of Action Institute vice president Julie Smith told The [New York] Post.

Obama Goes From White House to Wall Street in Less Than One Year.  [Scroll down]  While he can't run for president, he continues to be an influential voice in a party torn between celebrating and vilifying corporate power.  His new work with banks might suggest which side of the debate he'll be on and disappoint anyone expecting him to avoid a trap that snared Clinton.  Or, as some of his executive friends see it, he's just a private citizen giving a few paid speeches to other successful people while writing his next book.

Hillary's Anti-Presidential Campaign.  Hillary Clinton spent a third of her miserable adult life trying to get into the White House.  Now the nation's failed Harridan-in-Chief is determined to spend her remaining years blaming everyone, from Matt Lauer to the Electoral College, for having to live out the rest of her life in flat broke poverty in the eleven rooms of her Georgian Colonial mansion (and the neighboring mansion in their cul-de-sac too).

The Mistake of Pandering to Antifa and Black Lives Matter.  The loudest black voices trashing America are super wealthy Leftist blacks who could not have achieved their mega success without the enthusiastic support of white America.  And yet, they are dissing our flag and national anthem.  They are cheerleaders for the destruction of historical monuments and clamoring for us to throw out the U.S. Constitution.  Shamefully, rich leftist blacks are using urban blacks as pawns to further the leftist socialist/progressive agenda.

New York council candidate who lives in low-income housing wins primary election after deleting pictures of her wealthy husband frolicking on a yacht.  A New York City Council candidate who lives in lower income housing has been elected as the Democratic nominee for her district after controversy surrounded now-deleted online photos showing her husband sailing on his wealthy father's yacht.  Carlina Rivera will now be the nominee for the District 2 City Council seat to represent neighborhoods including parts of the East Village, Gramercy and the Lower East Side.  The race was called for Rivera shortly after the polls closed on Tuesday [9/12/2017] since she secured the nomination with 64 percent of the vote.

The Southern Poverty Law Center Has $69 Million Parked Overseas.  The Southern Poverty Law Center invests almost 20 percent of its nearly $320 million endowment fund in offshore equities and other investments.  The 2016 annual report of the Alabama-based civil rights organization reports $69,093,576 of "non-U.S. equity funds" among the assets comprising the total endowment fund of $319,283,961, a fund the SPLC describes as a "plan for the day when nonprofits like the SPLC can no longer afford to solicit support through the mail because of rising postage and printing costs."  (Given that 2016 contributions topped $45 million, that day has not yet arrived.)

Obama eyeing exquisite waterfront Vineyard properties.  The Obamas No. 1 vacation spot during their White House years is still drawing the former first family to its shores and may do so more permanently.  The Boston Globe is reporting that the ex-president and former first lady are eyeing two parcels of land that are for sale on Martha's Vineyard, part of a larger estate owned by President Obama's Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, which she inherited from her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.  The waterfront properties, part of the Red Gate Farm estate, were put on the market several months ago and are going for $12 million and $15 million a pop.

'At a certain point you've made enough money' — Obamas looking to buy a $15 million vacant lot on Martha's Vineyard.  We've done a thousand pieces on how leftist-statism is built on a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do foundation, but fatcat Dems keep offering new examples.  It's just so easy to point out their hypocrisy, that we'd be fools to stop doing it.  Enter former President Barack Obama:  a man who wants to "spread the wealth around" and who once famously said "at a certain point you've made enough money."  According to Realtor.com, he's looking to purchase one of two vacant lots on his favorite vacation Island, Martha's Vineyard.  Of course, he doesn't want to live inland like some commoner, so both properties are ocean front.  They're also not cheap.  The man who wonders when 'enough is enough' is looking at plots that start at $12 million and, remember, that's without a house.

Southern Poverty Law Center Transfers Millions in Cash to Offshore Entities.  The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a liberal, Alabama-based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that has gained prominence on the left for its "hate group" designations, pushes millions of dollars to offshore entities as part of its business dealings, records show.  Additionally, the nonprofit pays lucrative six-figure salaries to its top directors and key employees while spending little on legal services despite its stated intent of "fighting hate and bigotry" using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy.

George Soros Floods Local DA Races With $1.7M in Philadelphia.  Liberal billionaire George Soros gave nearly $1.7 million to a political action committee run by his longtime treasurer to aid a Democrat who is running for the district attorney position in Philadelphia, Pa., the latest in a series of such expenditures.  Soros has generously funded a number of district attorney races throughout the United States in recent years via political action committees that tend to shut down after each election.

Elizabeth Warren Uses Legal Loophole to Raise Big Cash.  As she was gearing up for her re-election campaign — and a potential presidential bid — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in January quietly set up a joint fundraising committee that allows wealthy donors to write five- and six-figure checks.  As a candidate, Warren can raise a maximum of $5,400 from any individual contributor — $2.700 [sic] in the primary and $2,700 for the general election.  By combining her campaign fund with the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee and her political action committee, PAC for a Level Playing Field, the Elizabeth Warren Action Fund can raise cash in much larger increments.

Barack Obama Pushes Communism in Italy to a Receptive EU Crowd.  The Sentinel posted two articles about former president Obama's speech in Italy last week during which he exposed his statist goals for the world.  Obama openly espoused, what the Sentinel originally characterized as socialism but what Conservative Treehouse describes as communism.  In any case, people should be very concerned about this speech because the forces behind Barack Obama are powerful and some of these leftists are embedded in our government.  The speech in question took place in Milan at the food security conference organized by "Seeds and Chips".  Obama received a reported $2.7 million for his attendance.

Can New York City Be Saved?  Fortunately, the city made a huge comeback with Republican Rudy Giuliani's administration and New York City became one of the safest large cities in the country.  Mayor DeBlasio has whittled away at his quality-of-life law enforcement programs by now allowing public urination and other previous offenses to be reduced to meaningless incidents.  The squeegee wipers are back, the homeless and illegal immigrants are attacking innocent citizens; subway crime is at an all time high and our Marxist Mayor trots off to Germany to join anti-US protesters the day after an NYPD cop is assassinated sitting in her patrol car.  When a reporter confronted him about news that the homeless were cleared off the subway for a photo op with the mayor, he had the audacity to say, "Read my lips.  I don't care."

The 'Anti-Fascist' Fascist.  The so-called "antifascist" movement in America today bears a strange resemblance to the very fascism it purports to combat.  When we see masked Antifa protesters in black, carrying weapons, disrupting public events and blocking speakers from campus, this looks more like fascism than its opposite.  The close relationship between self-styled antifascism and fascism itself can be seen in some little-known aspects of one of Antifa's main financial sponsors, George Soros.  The Hungarian-born Soros became a billionaire through shrewd global investments and currency manipulation; his Quantum Fund is one of the world's first private hedge funds.  Soros is the main funder of some 200 leftist groups, including Planned Parenthood, MoveOn.org, and Black Lives Matter.  Soros also backs self-proclaimed antifascist groups — this year the Soros-backed group Alliance for Global Justice gave $50,000 to the militant thugs associated with the group Refuse Fascism.  Soros doesn't merely fund activism; he also funds disruptive violence.

Homeless booted from subways so de Blasio could have 'clean' ride.  Mayor Bill de Blasio ventured into the city's decrepit subway system Sunday — but didn't have to face the foul-smelling and often crazy vagrants whom ordinary New Yorkers are forced to contend with every day.  That's because police were ordered to roust all the homeless people from two stations ahead of the mayor's four-stop press event as he rode from his Park Slope gym to his new re-election headquarters in downtown Brooklyn, law enforcement sources told The [New York] Post.

Kamala Harris meets with Democratic elite in Hamptons.  The Democrats' "Great Freshman Hope," Sen. Kamala Harris, is heading to the Hamptons to meet with Hillary Clinton's biggest backers.  The California senator is being fêted in Bridgehampton on Saturday [7/15/2017] at the home of MWWPR guru Michael Kempner, a staunch Clinton supporter who was one of her national-finance co-chairs and a led fund-raiser for her 2008 bid for the presidency.  He was also listed as one of the top "bundlers" for Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, having raised $3 million.

Chelsea Clinton and unemployed husband Marc Mezvinsky enjoy a sunny stroll in the Hamptons on weekend vacation.  Chelsea, 37, was taking a break after promoting her bestselling book 'She Persisted' for the past month.  Her husband, 39, does not currently have a job, so was taking a break from his days of taking a break in New York City.

Imposter Mayor.  Mayor de Blasio made a surprise departure from New York City yesterday — just one day after the assassination of NYPD officer Miosotis Familia while she guarded a violence-plagued Bronx corner — in order to attend anti-capitalist protests in Hamburg, site of the G-20 summit. [...] The mayor has indulged his inflated sense of his own importance before:  he loves to attend summits, conferences, rallies, and protests where he can pontificate about inequality.  He particularly enjoys hobnobbing with international mayors.

Maxine Waters as Resistance Leader?  What a Joke.  Thirteen-term Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters, Beltway barnacle permanently affixed to USS Government, is now the fresh-faced "rock star" of the Democratic party. [...] Waters has spent 37 years in office — many of those years as head of the Congressional Black Caucus — promising to make life better for constituents in economically ravaged South Central Los Angeles.  What do the denizens of her district have to show for it?

Here's why the feds are investigating Bernie Sanders' wife Jane.  Because [Bernie] Sanders hasn't ruled out a presidential run in 2020, any federal investigation has the potential to become disastrous or, at the very least, politically embarrassing.  And because the scandal touches on the themes of education costs and six-figure severance packages — two issues that were central to Sanders' populist message — discussing the investigations at all could tarnish his brand as a champion of the little guy.

The Obamas take a private jet from Bali to Java.  Former President Barack Obama and his family wrapped up their five-day vacation on Indonesia's resort island of Bali and headed to the historic city of Yogyakarta on Wednesday [6/28/2017] during a nostalgic trip to the country where Obama lived for several years as a child.

Obamas under fire from the left for never ending, sizzling ultra-luxury vacations.  Ex-presidents, understandably and un-controversially, go on vacations immediately after leaving office.  But the level of luxury the Obamas enjoy on their vacations is unprecedented for a modern-day president, say travel experts.  Since leaving office in late January, Obama has visited late actor Marlon Brando's private island; the Four Seasons in Bali — where rooms cost upward of $2,000 per night; a Palm Springs estate; Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island; the exclusive Mid Pacific Country Club in Oahu; the 13th-century Borgo Finocchieto in Tuscany; and the Rising Sun, Hollywood studio mogul David Geffen's private yacht.

What Is the Alternative to Trump Derangement?  Barack Obama [...] recently remonstrated about the evils of inequality and the need for more diversity — at $10,000 a minute to largely white, Wall Street audiences, while whining about the ongoing recalibration of his failed Obamacare project.

Teachers Union Boss Randi Weingarten:  My Salary's Only $360K.  American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, who was paid $543,150 last year, defended her compensation by claiming her pay is $360,000 and other reported expenses simply prove the union's "transparency."  As part of a series of April 28 Twitter posts demanding Congress hike the federal minimum wage to $10.10, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) District 1199 quoted from a January column Weingarten wrote for The Huffington Post.  "Justice means that hardworking people must have access to a living wage," Weingarten wrote.  AFT paid Weingarten $556,981 in 2012 and $543,150 in 2013.

How The Dems Burned $40 Mil To Lose 4 Elections And Scam Supporters.  "It's a bellwether for what the Democratic Party is going to be about," Democratic National Committee boss Tom Perez boasted.  That was back in March and the Dems had just begun their frantic spending spree in Georgia's Sixth.  By the time it was over, Jon Ossoff, an awkward immature hipster who didn't even live in the district, had raised $23.6 million and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had burned through another $5 million.  Other groups threw in around $2.6 million to achieve absolutely nothing.

The DNC Scams the Suckers and Contradicts the Feds on 'Hacking'.  There was a great deal of press this week about the District 6 Georgia Congressional race in which once again — for the fourth time — the hyped "referendum on Trump" produced a Republican victory over a Democratic challenger in a special election. [...] It was never likely that Jon Ossoff, a pajama boy who didn't even live in District 6, was going to beat Karen Handel, a well-known and respected District 6 resident, no matter how much money the Democrats spent there.  So why did the Democrats pour $31 million down the drain to advance his doomed candidacy?

The Obamas fly into Indonesia for a $2,500-a-night stay at the Four Seasons.  Barack and Michelle Obama, along with their two daughters, are taking a luxury vacation to Indonesia — where the former president lived in the 1960s.  Soldiers fell into formation in the popular tourist destination of Bali on Friday [6/23/2017] in preparation for the Obamas' five-day vacation at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Ubud, where villas cost upwards of $2,500 a night.  The former president is then scheduled to travel to the island of Java to speak at the 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress in Jakarta, where he spent his childhood after his mother Ann Dunham married second husband Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian man.

Democrats Lose Again:  Suffer Crushing $26 Million Georgia Defeat.  The Democrats lost two more special elections Tuesday, making The Resistance 0 for 4 in attempts to flip Republican-held House of Representatives districts. [...] The massive amount of money spent by the candidates and outside groups — $50 million or more — succeeded in motivating voters on both sides.

Wealthy California Liberals Fail To Buy An Election In Georgia.  Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff lost the Georgia special election Tuesday despite the fact that his campaign received unprecedented funding from the deeply liberal state of California.  The young Democrat received 8.9 times as many many donors from California than from any other state in the union, including all of the totals from Georgia itself.  The failed Democrat received 7,218 private donations from California residents.  He benefitted from only 808 donations from inside of Georgia's sixth congressional district.

6th District Defends the Wall, Jon Ossoff Invasion Fails.  Georgia's sixth district was flooded with record levels of spending for the special election to fill Republican Tom Price's congressional seat.  The spending was not enough to overcome Republican criticism of Ossoff, who was branded by Handel as the Democratic establishment's hand-picked candidate and criticized frequently for not living in the district they were competing to represent.  Ossoff was also criticized for collecting nearly 97 percent of his fundraising haul from out-of-state donors.

Out-of-state money is buoying Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff's bid.  Bipartisan love may be on display in Washington, but farther down the coast, a vicious political battle is underway for Georgia's 6th District.  Groups hoping to influence the election have spent nine times more money attacking the candidates than they have running positive ads since the jungle primary in April, a Roll Call review on Friday of Federal Election Commission filings found.

Don't Let the Door Hit You, Elon.  While [Elon] Musk portrays himself as a visionary figure à la Nikola Tesla (even going so far as to name his famous company for the father of alternating current himself), arguably the only thing that the company Tesla has in common with the famous inventor is that it works anyone who bears its name to death.  Just last month, a report by the Guardian revealed that one Tesla factory was visited by ambulances 100 times in the past three years just to deal with stress-related medical incidents, with hundreds more visits occurring because of injuries and other medical issues.

Obama Complains About Income Inequality — While Making $13,000 A Minute!.  Bill Clinton has banked more than $100 million since he left office in 2001, and he still commands up to $500,000 per speech (wife Hillary is on her way to banking $100 million, too).  George W. Bush cashed in with some huge paydays for a couple of books.  And Barack Obama has already signed a book deal for $25 million.  He's only 55, which means he'll no doubt soar past the $100 million mark in no time.  So it's always a little weird when former presidents are talking about us regular people, and especially — as Democrats and Socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders like to do — when they go on a rant about "income inequality."

George Soros Gives Additional $250k to Tom Perriello for Virginia Primary Bid.  Liberal billionaire George Soros gave an additional $250,000 to Virginia Democrat Tom Perriello in May, bringing his total contributions to the former one-term congressman's primary to $500,000, according to a campaign finance report filed on Monday [6/5/2017].  Together with $50,000 that was given to Perriello from Soros's son Gregory, money from the Soros family accounted for 16 percent of the money the campaign brought in between April 1 and June 1 of this year.

Amazon Fights Wal-Mart for Low-Income Shoppers.  Amazon.com Inc [...] said Tuesday [6/6/2017] that it will offer a nearly 20% segment of the U.S. population — people who obtain government assistance with cards typically used for food stamps — a $5.99 monthly Prime membership, less than the $10.99 a month or $99 annual plan for other consumers.  The membership buys access to unlimited two-day shipping, video and music content, photo storage and other perks.

Jeff Bezos wants food stamps.  Jeff Bezos, the second-richest man in the history of the world, wants food stamps.  The mega-millionaire who owns the Washington Post and founded Amazon is now marketing directly to food stamp recipients to make him richer.  Well, a limo lib does what a limo lib does to capitalize on socialism.

Amazon Is Now Offering Half-Price Prime Membership to People With Valid EBT Cards.  People who receive government assistance are now eligible for a discount on Amazon Prime, the online retailer announced Tuesday [6/6/2017].  Customers who have a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card qualify for the discounted $5.99 monthly membership, half the regular price, for one year.  It includes free two-day shipping on more than 50 million eligible Amazon items and same-day delivery options as well as unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Video, photo storage and subscription savings features.  EBTs, a card commonly used to disburse funds for government programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC), can't be used to pay for membership.  Amazon says it plans to expands its discount offering in the future to benefit people on government assistance programs that do not use EBT cards.

Sanders takes in $1,042,000 in 2016 — and buys his THIRD house in a trust just like the super-rich.  Sen. Bernie Sanders loves to rail against the billionaires, but he made it into the millionaire class in 2016.  His new Senate financial disclosures, first reported on by Vermont alt-weekly Seven Days, show that in 2016 Sanders brought in about $1,042,000, mostly thanks to a hefty book advance for his newest tome, 'Our Revolution:  A Future to Believe In.'  Following in the footsteps of wealthy Republicans, the 2016 purchase of Sanders' third home — a lake front four-bedroom located in the Champlain Islands, that cost the senator $575,000 in August 2016 — is hidden behind a family trust.

Seven Jaw-Dropping Revelations from Hearings on the Motion to Dismiss the DNC Fraud Lawsuit.  [#2] The Democratic Party views itself as having authority to favor a candidate without any legal repercussions.  Without any pretense the Democratic primary nominating process should be expected to be conducted fairly, lawyers for the Democratic Party tell Judge Zloch the lawsuit should be thrown out because the Party has the freedom to determine its nominees by "internal rule", not voter interests, and thus the party "could have favored a candidate".  Lawyers for the Democratic Party suggest the lawsuit "can't be resolved" by the Court because it is based on an internal rule that "cannot be enforced".  This statement by lawyers for the Democrats to a Federal judge is a damning indictment the Party may never recover from:  the party views itself in no way beholden to voters' interest whatsoever.

Greatest Hillary / Huma Email Exchange Ever.  This email exchange between Hillary Clinton and her best friend Huma Abedin is entertaining on several levels. [...] The Democrats can't figure out why working class voters no longer identify with them.  Maybe the sense of entitlement to separate airplanes expressed by Mrs. Clinton provides a clue.  Of course, neither Hillary nor Michelle Obama paid for her own trip; both airplanes (assuming two were taken) were at taxpayer expense.  But worrying about that sort of thing is for the little people.

Obamas buy $8.1 million fat cat home — their second.  Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their two kids have a new home — an $8.1 million dwelling, the same one they've been renting in Washington, D.C., these past few months.  The fat cat's come home to roost.  After years and years of paying lip service to the utter detestability of Wall Street types, big bankers, financial wheelers and dealers and yes, the rich and wealthy of the nation who just don't ever seem to pay their fair shares — Obama's embraced his own inner capitalistic greed.

Report: Obamas purchase DC house for $8.1M.  Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have purchased the home they've been renting in Washington, D.C. for $8.1 million, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.  The Obamas reportedly closed on the home Wednesday [5/31/2017].  "Given that President and Mrs. Obama will be in Washington for at least another two and a half years, it made sense for them to buy a home rather than continuing to rent property," Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis told the Sun-Times.

Obamas buys [sic] D.C. home for $8.1 million; keeping house in Chicago.  Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle purchased the home here they have been renting, the Sun-Times has learned, closing on the $8.1 million purchase on Wednesday [5/31/2017].

John Podesta in a frenzy converting $40B Clinton Foundation assets into gold, diamonds & artwork.  Independent journalist George Webb says that after President Trump fired FBI director James Comey, longtime Democrat operative and Clinton loyalist John Podesta is in a frenzy to unload $40 billion from the Clinton Foundation — by buying up art, gold and diamonds, and spreading them out all over the world — before those assets are seized by a new FBI director.

George Soros Still Quietly Buying District Attorneys' Seats.  George Soros has all but bought another district attorney's seat.  The left-wing billionaire turned the Philadelphia district attorney's race on its head by giving $1.45 million to fund a super PAC in support of his preferred candidate, Larry Krasner.  Krasner, a progressive lawyer who has never worked as a prosecutor, sailed to an easy victory in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.  Because Philadelphia is a Democratic stronghold, Krasner's primary victory all but guarantees him to win the general election in November.  The influx of money from Soros gave Krasner a significant leg up over his opposition.

Maxine Waters Gets Brutal Karma In Front Of Her $4.5 Million House.  Maxine Waters makes $174,000 per year, but she has a $4.5 million mansion in Los Angeles in addition to two other homes worth around $1 million.

Obama speeches revive GOP bid to target his pension.  As former President Barack Obama hits the speaking circuit, Republican lawmakers say they plan to reintroduce a bill that would directly target pensions for ex-presidents raking in more than $400,000 after leaving the Oval Office.  House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, plan to dust off the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act later this month, according to USA Today.  The push comes after Obama decided to accept a $400,000 speaking fee — the same amount as his White House salary — for a speech at a health care conference run by Wall Street investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald in September.

Congress plans to cancel Obama's $200,000-a-year government pension following news of $400,000 speaking fees and a $65 million book deal.  Congress could soon throw a monkey-wrench into Barack Obama's retirement finances, yanking his presidential pension since he is reportedly cashing in with six-figure speaking fees.  Former presidents currently receive $207,800 per year, the same amount cabinet secretaries are paid.  But lawmakers are considering a move to shrink that payment — dollar for dollar — for Oval Office retirees who collect more than $400,000 in income.  Last year Obama vetoed a bill that did just that.

George Soros battles $10B lawsuit, familiar charges of wielding political influence.  A $10 billion suit against George Soros accuses the self-styled humanitarian of meddling in the politics of a poor African country in order to settle his own scores, a charge the billionaire's critics say reflects his longtime modus operandi.  The 86-year-old investor, who controls a web of international nonprofits in addition to his vast financial empire, used his sway with the government of Guinea to freeze Israeli company BSG Resources out of the West African nation's lucrative iron ore mining contracts, according to the suit filed last month in New York Federal Court by BSG Resources.

The Real Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Lost In 2016.  [Scroll down]  For Democrats, it should be disquieting that the findings completely contradict their own carefully-managed self-image as champions of the underdog:  Some 50% of those who voted for Obama and then defected to Trump said their incomes are lagging behind the cost of living, while another 31% said they were just treading water, the Washington Post's The Plum Line blog noted.  Most devastating of all, 42% of these former Obama voters who moved over to vote GOP said congressional Democrats' economic policies favor the rich.  That compares with 21% who said the same thing about Trump.

Obama's questionable $400,000 speech.  Obama once said that at some point, rich people have "made enough money."  But that didn't stop him from charging $400,000 for a speech on Wall Street that riled up some Democrats, who said it looked bad at a time the party is trying to rebuild from the disastrous 2016 election.  Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., admitted that Obama's speech "just does not look good."

Barack Obama seemed different, but he's just another money-grubbing politician.  Et tu, Barack?  That was my reaction when I heard the news that former US President Barack Obama has agreed to a speaking gig on Wall Street for which he will be paid $400,000.  Not bad coin in anyone's language.  It's twice what Bill Clinton commanded when he went on the post-presidential speaking circuit.

The people's billionaire:  George Soros gave $36M to groups behind People's Climate March.  The People's Climate March scheduled for Saturday [4/29/2017] has a powerful billionaire behind it:  Democratic Party donor George Soros.  Mr. Soros, who heads the Open Society Foundations, contributed over $36 million between 2000 and 2014 to 18 of the 55 organizations on the march's steering committee, according to an analysis released Friday by the conservative Media Research Center.  Six of the groups received during that time more than $1 million each:  the Center for Community Change, the NAACP, the Natural Resources Defense Council, People's Action, Public Citizen and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Greedy Grifters Barack & Michelle Obama Robbing Blind the Party That Made Them.  Wake Up Call for all the OWS (Occupy Wall Street) activists:  You can't Occupy Wall Street, because greedy grifters Barack and Michelle Obama are already squatting on it. [...] In other words, remaining true to "progressive values" means taking money from Wall Street is not the same as being bought by Wall Street.  How about being owned by Wall Street while being the de facto leader of the OWS activists?

Obama [was] Paid $800,000 From Wall Street In One Week For A Job Well Done.  Seems there is a great deal of money to be made giving speeches about caring for the poor.  Ironic.  The first speech the president signed up for is a banking summit where he will earn a quick $400,000 speaking and schmoozing with the very people he convinced voters he was against:  [Video clip]  The second speech was a 90-minute giggle and nod affair given in front of a roomful of Wall Street media advertisers.  These paid speeches are but the first of many likely to come from the Obama Machine.

Obama scores another $400K speaking fee amid criticism.  Even as President Obama faced criticism for getting $400,000 for a speech to a Wall Street bank, he pocketed the same amount of money for a second speech, The [New York] Post has learned.  Obama made another $400,000 on Thursday when he appeared at the A&E Networks advertising upfront at The Pierre Hotel.  He was interviewed over 90 minutes at the Midtown Manhattan event by presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin in front of the cable network's advertisers.  Out of office just 98 days, Obama caught some flack earlier this week when it was learned that he had agreed to speak in September at a health care event sponsored by Wall Street bank Cantor Fitzgerald.

Obama Turns Out to be a Greedy One-Percenter.  President Obama's devotees no doubt had hoped he would come out swinging against President Trump.  Instead, the only thing he's done so far is cash in on his presidency with a massive book deal and a six-figure speech gig.

Slate Jabbed Romney For 2012 Speaking Fees; Defends Obama's in 2017.  Slate took then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney to task in early 2012 over his claim that $360,000 in speaking fees in one year was "not very much."  Five-plus years later, the liberal website is now brushing off the one-time, $400,000 speaking fee former President Barack Obama is receiving from investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.  Matt Yglesias (who is now at Vox) zeroed in on Romney's hesitance to releases his tax returns in a short January 2012 item for Slate's Moneybox blog, but soon underlined that the Republican candidate "lacks perspective on what constitutes 'not very much' income."  Romney emphasized at the time that "my income comes overwhelmingly from some investments made in the past, whether ordinary income or earned annually.  I got a little bit of income from my book, but I gave that all away.  And then I get speaker's fees from time to time, but not very much."

Obama's $400G Wall Street speech leaves liberal base stunned.  Former President Obama's upcoming speech to Wall Streeters is putting $400,000 in his pocket — and putting longtime supporters in a difficult situation.  Democratic Party leaders and grass roots activists alike are at a loss to explain how the onetime champion of the 99 percent could cash in with a September address at a health care conference run by investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald.  "Spiritual leader of the people's #Resistance cashes in with $400k speech to Wall Street bankers," read one tweet.

Obama spokesman defends reported $400,000 Wall Street-backed speech.  A spokesman for Barack Obama spoke out Wednesday [4/26/2017] against critics who called out the former president for reportedly accepting a $400,000 speaking fee, backed by a Wall Street bank.  Eric Schultz, the spokesman, said that in 2008, then-candidate Obama pulled in more money than any candidate in history, and went on to "implement the toughest reforms on Wall Street since FDR."  Fox Business reported that Obama has agreed to speak at a Wall Street conference run by Cantor Fitzgerald LP.  The speaking fee will be $400,000, which is nearly twice as much as Hillary Clinton, his secretary of state, and the 2016 Democratic Party candidate, charged private businesses for such events.

4 reasons Obama's $400,000 Wall Street speech is a bad idea.  Former president Barack Obama reemerged this week for his first formal public event since leaving office, but all people can talk about is a future event — specifically, one for which he will be paid his old annual salary for one speech.  News broke Monday [4/24/2017] that Obama would be paid one of those exorbitant speaker's fees that Hillary Clinton received:  $400,000 for speaking at a Wall Street conference put on by the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

The Editor says...
Barack H. Obama can't run for president again, it's true.  Unless his wife runs as a placeholder.  (Much like Lurleen Wallace of Georgia, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, and Ma Ferguson of Texas.)  And as president, Michelle Obama would probably report directly to Valerie Jarrett, just like Barack did.  So (follow the money!) there is reason to believe that Mr. Obama is getting $400,000 per speech because the buyers hope to acquire much more than a mediocre speech.

Obama Cashes In:  Set to Take $400,000 for Speech to Wall Street Firm.  Barack Obama has agreed to a $400,000 fee for speaking to a prominent Wall Street firm, according to Charlie Gasparino of the Fox Business Network.  Former president Obama will speak to a health care conference sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald in September, Gasparino reports.

After his billionaire vacay, Obama cashes in at the speech trough.  For ordinary Americans, the one way you draw a $400,000 paycheck is to do something to create value.  This is the story of very hardworking small businesses everywhere.  As one wag put it several years ago in a book title, the first $20 million is the hardest.  Then there's Obama, fresh off his billionaire vacation over in Tahiti at Marlon Brando's exclusive hideaway estate, now drawing his first $400,000 paycheck for a speech, from Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald. [...] The bigger question to ask may be what Cantor Fitzgerald got in return for its $400,000.  Was it an expectation that Obama's minions would be returned to power, and an expectation of being remembered for their emoluments, or was it a payoff for some favor the Obama administration did during his presidency?  A good investigative reporter should probably check into this.

The Editor says...
One could easily suspect that the payoff is part of a long-term influence-peddling plan connected to Michelle Obama's upcoming presidential campaign.  Obama's speech couldn't have been that good.

After four months of vacationing...
Obama cashes in with $400,000 payday for a speech to Wall Street bankers.  Obama is being rewarded for his eight years of faithful service to the bankers on Wall Street and the warmongers in the Military Industrial Complex.

George Soros Funds Over 200 US Organizations - Here's the List.  Self-professed Nazi war criminal George Soros continues to go free and influence American politics and society.  However, part of the weapon in the war against him is to openly identify those he funds.  Both Soros and his Open Society Foundations provide funding directly or indirectly to over 200 US organizations.

Barack and Michelle Obama pose on billionaire David Geffen's superyacht with Oprah, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks in French Polynesia.  They've spent the last month quietly recuperating in French Polynesia since leaving the White House earlier this year.  But Barack and Michelle Obama interrupted the quiet island life they've become accustomed to this weekend with a star-studded jaunt out to sea.  The former First Couple joined Bruce Springsteen Tom Hanks and their wives on music mogul David Geffen's superyacht Rising Sun on Friday [4/14/2017], making quite the splash as they arrived at the vessel off the island of Mo'orea in a spruced up speedboat.

Susan Rice Worth Almost 50 Million.  Actually, the truth should shock Obama lovers.  Remember the official energy policy of the Obama administration?  Creating new "clean energy" jobs and technologies, making America more energy independent, and reducing carbon emissions.  Susan Rice didn't get the memo. [...] While Rice was busy unmasking officials and trying to sabotage the current administration, she made more money in oil than the Beverly Hillbillies.

The Soros-Obama Axis of Chaos.  Following the massive destruction inflicted on Baltimore by Black Lives Matter in 2015 associated with the death of Freddy Gray, Soros's organization, Open Society Institute, donated $650,000 to BLM.  And Soros's organizing mass demonstrations to oppose a conservative government is also something we've seen close to home.  According to no less an authority than the New York Times, Soros funded 50 "partner" organizations to protest the election of Donald Trump in the "Women's March on Washington."

Chelsea Clinton Doles Out Advice on Success, Despite Never Having Had Any.  Chelsea Clinton says if you want a raise, you should ask for one.  And if you need time to yourself, take it.  In fact, she's gotten very far in her life without ever having to worry about being turned down or told no, so why should you worry about getting fired from your job for being greedy?  Chelsea sat down with Levo, a female-oriented online leadership training and mentoring program that connects women in business with other, more famous women in business.  Naturally, Chelsea, who has achieved most of her success on the cache associated with her last name, was the perfect fit to give advice to young, up and coming female leaders.

We Don't Have to Choose Between Putin and George Soros.  [Scroll down]  Soros does throw his money around, which he can afford to do.  Forbes puts his fortune at $25 billion, making him the world's 22nd richest man. [...] But here's another way to describe the world's richest hedge funder:  He spends his billions to legalize abortion in Ireland and Mexico, to decriminalize drugs in Indonesia, to promote a peace accord with narco-Marxist rebels in Colombia that the citizens of that country rejected in a referendum, to push for transgender rights in Guatemala, to portray Israel as a violator of human rights, and to legalize prostitution all over the world.

Don't cry for Chelsea.  Last week, in the Los Angeles Times, someone named Ann Friedman laid out the former First Spawn's credentials as a modern Democrat in good standing.  Chelsea is oppressed, as opposed to, say, another first daughter with blond hair.  "Chelsea," Friedman wrote, "like her mother, never gets a break — unlike Ivanka and her father."  You don't say.  Now that I think about it, it really must be arduous being Chelsea Clinton.  This L.A. Times op-ed appeared a day after it was reported that after a nationwide search, she'd been added to the board of Expedia, a travel company owned by Clinton-connected billionaire Barry Diller.  The pay:  $250,000 a year in stock options, plus $45,000 cash.  It's her second no-heavy-lifting director's gig at a Diller company — she also grabs $299,936 a year for sitting on the board of something called IAC Interactive.  Nice work if you can get it.

George Soros-aligned group weighs funding anti-Trump activists.  A network of some of the nation's wealthiest Democratic donors is weighing providing money and support to several of the new activist groups that have cropped up since Election Day to challenge President Trump and his agenda. [...] The alliance, aligned with billionaire financier George Soros, also is weighing building a pool of money that can be deployed for "rapid response" work by other liberal groups on an array of issues, such as challenging the Trump administration on the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Barack Obama is probably lying on a beach in a deserted paradise right now.  He's been to sunny California for some golf, a private island in the Caribbean, where he kite-surfed with billionaire Richard Branson; he went to New York to take in a Broadway play, and then again, to dine with U2's Bono.  He lunched in Omaha last week with Warren Buffett and then hopped a flight to California, and then on to Hawaii (more golf). And today, Obama may be sitting pretty, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on a tiny French Polynesian island called Tetiaroa.  There are reports, unconfirmed by CNN, that Obama is going to spend a month on the island, which is north of Tahiti and features only one luxury hotel, aptly named "The Brando" because the Island was once owned by Marlon Brando.

Obama jets off to paradise:  Ex-President travels to Marlon Brando's private Polynesian island to unwind.  Former President Barack Obama has arrived in French Polynesia where he will spend a month at a luxury resort frequented by Hollywood stars.  He landed on the tourist island of Tahiti this week without his family before going to Marlon Brando's privately owned retreat Tetiaroa atoll, which the Oscar-winning actor bought in the 1960s.  Obama then checked into the eco-friendly Brando resort, whose villas boast their own plunge pools and cost between 2,000 euros ($2,150) and 12,300 euros per night.  It is unclear if Obama's family will join him for the tropical holiday.

Obama checks into a luxury eco-friendly resort near Tahiti.  Former President Barack Obama is spending a month at a luxury resort near the tourist island of Tahiti.  He checked into the Brando, a luxury resort on French Polynesia's atoll of Tetiaroa according to local TV channel Tahiti Nui TV, AFP reported.  Not much is known about the nature of Obama's visit.  He arrived without his family and has no political meetings planned.  Rates at the villas on the atoll, purchased by Hollywood star Marlon Brando in the 1960s, run anywhere between 2,000 euros (about $2,150) to 12,300 euros ($13,241).

Another American City Destroyed by the Democrats.  [As Peter Collier] points out, the vast majority of America's voiceless, powerless, and impoverished people are concentrated in cities that have been run exclusively by Democrats for decades — even generations — without interruption.  These are cities where stratospheric rates of crime, poverty, unemployment, out-of-wedlock births, homes without fathers and failed school systems have become a way of life — along with oppressive and confiscatory taxes whose only discernible achievement is to keep the leaky ship of city government afloat for as long as possible before it is inevitably capsized by economic and social calamity.  Minneapolis, Minnesota is perhaps the least likely case in point.  Camouflaged by the state as a whole, a synonym for plainspoken stability, it is just one of the many American cities that were once thriving centers of industry, prosperity and optimism — until Democrats took them over.

New York Public Schools Prefer Illiterate Teachers.  Today, one of parents' greatest fears is making certain their kids receive a good education.  It's gotten so ridiculous in some sectors of society that expecting parents are interviewing and reserving space in the finest kindergarten long before the child is born.  Liberal elitists are especially susceptible to this inter-parent peer pressure — to get their children into the finest schools.  And of course the elites, in places like Washington D.C, San Francisco, L.A. or New York, would never stoop so low as to allow little Penelope or Reginald to attend a public school, where they might have to interact with the serfdom class.  The country club class insists on the finest education for their offspring, and despite their rhetoric, don't believe this can be achieved in a public school.

Chelsea Clinton Is Not the Great Democratic Hope.  Why is Chelsea Clinton news?  She's the scion of America's most famous Democratic dynasty, sure, but her own accomplishments in public life are meager.  When can we stop pretending that hers is a voice worth listening to?  In fact, she's pretty much the worst possible person to be speaking on behalf of Democrats right now.  At a time when one of the preeminent problems in American life is a sense of declining economic opportunity and social mobility, she's the living embodiment of inherited privilege.

Soros Funded 100 Groups Behind 'Day Without a Woman' Protest.  Left-wing billionaire George Soros has given nearly a quarter of a billion dollars over the past fourteen years to groups that sponsored Wednesday's "Day Without a Woman" protest, according to the Media Research Council.  Soros gave $246 million to 100 prominent left-wing groups that partnered with the Women's March, including Planned Parenthood, the Center for American Progress, and People for the American Way (PFAW).

The Women's Strike Is A Self-Indulgent Day For Privileged Females.  This event, "A Day Without A Woman," is the latest in a string of public events and personal efforts organized by the Women's March folks to ostensibly raise awareness of the value of women. [...] This is a self-indulgent day for academics and professional women who are fortunate enough to hold positions requiring a relatively specific skill set and bear no real risk of harm from taking a day off.  It assumes the privilege of being able to pause one's work at will, and the privilege of being able to shuffle duties like child or elder care to someone else.  It categorically demands more risk of women in lower-income brackets, in jobs requiring low-specificity skill sets, and without a support system.

Barack and Michelle close to signing record-breaking deal worth over $60 Million for the rights to their new memoirs.  Barack and Michelle Obama whipped the literary world into a frenzy with the news that the former president and first lady were getting to work on new books, and now they have found a publisher.  Just a few hours after multiple people with knowledge of the joint publishing deal told the Financial Times that bidding had surpassed $60million, The New York Times reveals that the couple has inked a deal with Penguin Random House.

Publishers in a $60 million bidding war over Barack and Michelle Obama's book rights.  A bidding war for the rights to books by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama ended Tuesday [2/28/2017] with Penguin Random House winning the fight, according to reports.  Bidding surpassed $60 million, more than four times what the second-highest president's book rights were auctioned off at, though they only included the former leader, not his wife.

"I do think at some point you've made enough money": Obama Book Deals to Net $60 Million.  Publishing rights to two books written by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama could go for $60 million in an ongoing global auction.  The former president and first lady wrote the books separately, but are auctioning off the publishing rights simultaneously, The Financial Times reports.  If the books secure the projected $60 million price-tag, it would greatly surpass original expectations.  Researchers originally estimated the two memoirs would net the couple $40 million, according to business analytics data from American University.

Billionaire Pritzker Tells Men to Use Women's Bathrooms to Protest Trump.  A billionaire Democratic megadonor, who is exploring a run for governor, encouraged men to use women's bathrooms on Wednesday sparking criticism from transgender advocates and politicians.  J.B. Pritzker, the billionaire heir whose father co-founded Hyatt hotels, floated the idea of switching bathrooms in the wake of President Donald Trump's executive order reversing an Obama policy that could have stripped federal funds from schools that maintain separate bathroom facilities based on sex.

Michelle Obama in Washington DC after family returns home via private jet from long weekend ski trip to Aspen.  [Scroll down]  All good things must come to an end however, and following a four-week span in which members of the Obama family were seen soaking up the sun in Palm Springs, kitesurfing in the Caribbean, protesting at Sundance and partying with the girls of Girls in NYC, everyone is finally back home.  Sasha and her parents are together in DC after returning from Aspen on a private plane Wednesday [2/22/2017], while Malia is busy working in New York as an intern for film producer Harvey Weinstein.

It's Official:  Liberals Only Care About Illegals and Muslims.  A couple of weeks ago I penned a comprehensive and mandatory piece that I modestly titled "A General Theory of Leftist Politics." I argued that leftist politics has always been about representing the unrepresented, the people outside the system.  Think workers in 1850, African-Americans in 1950. [...] Liberals now demand the right to represent the only people left in the world that are not properly represented by the system: illegal Hispanic aliens and violent Muslim jihadis.  And they are signaling their virtue with mass-produced signs outside their wealthy homes in their wealthy fashionable neighborhoods.

A George Soros-Led Mutiny.  For the last few decades George Soros and his Open Society Institute have organized and financed a seditious movement to destroy our Constitutional Republic and monetary system.  Their mission appears to be to replace it with a One World borderless government under the jurisdiction of the United Nations.  Soros, a native of Hungary, made his multibillion-dollar fortune by manipulating currencies. [...] He has openly stated that he sees himself as a messianic figure that fancies himself as some kind of god while making his fortune betting on the collapse of national economies and currencies.

Barack and Michelle Obama Are About to Get Even Richer.  The White House doors may have closed on former President Barack Obama's presidency, but for him and his wife Michelle, the path to lucrative new book deals and paid speeches is wide open.  The Obamas recently hired top-dollar attorneys Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell to handle their book contracts, and a high-profile public relations agency — known for repping the Clintons and Mia Farrow — to coordinate speaking appearances.  The Obamas haven't yet set book-release dates or announced any scheduled speeches.

Clinton Foundation Partner Hiked Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug Price By 680 Percent.  The head of a pharmaceutical company, who partnered with the Clinton Foundation, has increased the price of an auto-injector used to treat opioid overdoses by 680 percent over the course of three years.  Spencer Williamson, the president and chief executive officer of the Richmond, Virginia-based Kaleo Pharmaceuticals, is under fire after the price of a two-pack of Evzio, a device that treats life-threatening opioid overdoses, skyrocketed from $690 in 2014 to $4,500 today.  Thirty-one Democratic senators are now demanding answers on the price hike.

'Indivisible,' With Ties to George Soros, Sows Division Against Trump, GOP Lawmakers.  Democrats who used to work on Capitol Hill are helping to disrupt Republican lawmakers' town hall meetings across the country through a nationwide effort to oppose and "resist" President Donald Trump's agenda.  They call their group Indivisible Guide, a name that came from an actual guide posted online telling activists how to pressure members of Congress.  Among topics:  what to say when going to town halls and calling or visiting a member's office.  Leaders of the organization have loose ties to George Soros, the billionaire hedge fund manager who bankrolls liberal causes, according to the Capital Research Center, a conservative think tank that investigates nonprofits.

What to Do About George Soros.  [George] Soros is a man of the deep Left whose campaign to destabilize the U.S. is powerful and pervasive.  Should he be allowed to operate freely, he will continue to wreak enormous damage, aided by a large constituency composed in part and at various removes of the individuals and groups he has subsidized.  There is no doubt about the extent of his interference in domestic affairs.  And there is no doubt that something needs to be done about it, certainly before his likeminded son Alex inherits his empire and persists in advancing the father's regime-change and conflict-creation agenda.

Four reasons why Betsy DeVos will be a welcome remedy for our nation's education woes.  As opinion pieces in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have argued, the overheated Democratic opposition is motivated by:  [#1] Some of their party's most deep-pocketed and powerful interest groups — teachers' unions — who realize that they will no longer have a near-monopoly on education.  [and #2] Their party's upper-middle-class suburbanite constituency, who understand that DeVos' charters and vouchers will be attractive to families with financial disadvantages, ethnic minority heritage, or ideological and religious convictions that differ from the mainstream.  In other words, private schooling will be accessible to children who are very different than the Democratic Party's upper-middle-class suburbanites.

Ordinary people are sick of hearing men like Branson and Obama lecturing us from sunloungers on a private island.  They're the sort of holiday snaps that could make you choke on your Coco Pops.  I mean the ghastly photos of Richard Branson and Barack Obama having their kite-surfing holiday together on Beardie's secret hideaway island of Necker in the Caribbean.  In one of the photos it really does look like the ex-President and the Virgin boss are — how can we put this delicately? — in a relationship.  Like a honeymoon couple frolicking with each other in the balmy Caribbean wavelets, or play-fighting like puppies on board Branson's high-powered speedboat.  At least when Tony Blair holidayed at Cliff Richard's place in Barbados they had the dignity not to be photographed horsing around in the swimming pool.

Obama accepted $30K in gifts during his last year in office.  President Obama accepted personal gifts worth $30,000 during his final year office, newly released disclosure forms reveal.  Obama took in eleven gifts, including including a five-volume set of his family genealogy from the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — at a value of $8,300, the most expensive present of the bunch, the forms reveal.

DeVos Critics' Hypocrisy on Public Schools.  "The basic reason I'll oppose her nomination is that I don't think she is committed to public education," Senator Robert Casey (D., Pa.) declared about DeVos.  This could be easier to take from Casey, if he were the product of public education.  "Casey and his father are regarded as the most famous alumni of Scranton Preparatory School, a Catholic Jesuit preparatory day school in Pennsylvania," the Daily Signal reported last month.  "Casey's daughters, Caroline Casey and Julia Madeline, also attended Scranton Prep."  Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) announced that "I have received thousands of letters, calls, and emails in opposition to her nomination, many of them citing the school voucher and privatization agenda Mrs. DeVos and her allies imposed in Michigan."  He also addressed government-education advocates in Providence in December.  As WPRI reported, "The senator also questioned whether DeVos had ever entered a public school, drawing laughs from the supportive roundtable."  While Whitehouse surely has entered a public school, he never studied in one until he had graduated from Yale and entered the University of Virginia Law School.  Whitehouse is an alumnus of St. Paul's School, a private boarding institution set on 2,000 bucolic acres in New Hampshire.  Whitehouse's daughter, Molly, studied at Providence's Wheeler School.  His son, Alexander, also attended a private boarding school, as the Daily Caller discovered.

Eric Holder Is Getting Paid a Boat Load of Money by California Taxpayers to Oppose President Trump.  According to documents obtained by Judicial Watch, former Attorney General Eric Holder is being paid a boat load of taxpayer money to fight and oppose President Donald Trump's agenda in California.  "We will render our statements to you monthly.  For the initial three-month phase of our engagement, we have agreed to charge the Legislature a fixed fee of $25,000 per month," the agreement between Covington & Burling Law Firm, where Holder now works, and the California Legislature states.  "This fee will include a maximum of 40 attorney or advisor hours per month."

Exclusive: George Soros Invested In 11 Fossil Fuel Firms in 2016.  Billionaire George Soros in 2016 invested $238 million in 11 oil and gas companies, according to his federal financial filings, The Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group has learned.  The total value of his family-owned Soros Fund Management is estimated at $2.7 billion.  He has 207 stocks in this fund with a high 33 percent turnover.

Soros Bankrolling Effort to Stop Trump's Temporary Refugee Halt Order.  The flurry of anguished news stories and protests surrounding President Trump's executive action temporarily suspending "immigrants and non-immigrants" from "countries of particular concern" appears to be part of a coordinated PR effort financed by left-wing billionaire George Soros.  Rather than a complete "Muslim ban" as promised during the campaign, Trump's executive order contains moderate refugee restrictions, similar to those that have been implemented by President Obama.  If reports are true that restrictions are being applied even to green-card holders, that is an unfortunate misapplication of the law that will likely soon be corrected.

Soros's bad bet against Trump cost his clients $1bn.  George Soros's hedge fund was one of the biggest losers of 2016, as the Hungarian-born billionaire's misplaced investments turned into a $1 billion loss for his clients, according to a report by hedge fund investor LCH Investments, cited by Bloomberg.

    "What kind of genius loses a billion dollars in a single year?"

— Hillary Clinton,        
Toledo, Ohio, October 3, 2016.        

Obama is set to cash in on presidency with a reported $20Milllion advance for his memoirs.  Former President Barack Obama could rake in more than $20 million in advance for a memoir.  Esther Newberg, co-head of ICM Partners' publishing unit, claims that an Obama memoir would 'go for more than any president's memoir has ever gone'.  Obama, 55, went into the White House as a bestselling author for his book Dreams of My Father, which was published in 1995.  The only other presidents to enter office as bestselling authors are Dwight D Eisenhower, for his 1948 book, Crusade Of Europe, and Donald Trump for his 1987 book, The Art of The Deal.

Former first family end Palm Springs vacation - with Michelle boarding billionaire Richard Branson's private jet.  An eight-vehicle motorcade left the home of Spanish Ambassador James Costos and his partner Michael Smith, where the Obamas had been staying, around 10am and headed to a private terminal next to Palm Springs International Airport.  A Riverside County Sheriff's Department vehicle blocked traffic in both directions on Highway 111 as the motorcade sped to the airport.  Once there former First Lady Michelle was seen boarding a private jet owned by Sir Richard Branson.

Soros' Son Quietly Steps Up as Major Liberal Donor.  Alexander Soros, the son of liberal billionaire George Soros who acts as the managing partner for Soros Brothers Investments, has quietly emerged as a major donor to Democratic campaigns and causes.  Alexander has remained relatively unknown in the world of political giving thanks to his father garnering a bulk of the family's attention.  However, Alexander has stepped up his political contributions even as his father continued to pour tens of millions into the coffers of Democratic campaigns and political action committees.

The Democrat money machine.  Building a titanic campaign war chest was the paramount concern of the Democrats in 2016, because they thought it — and their media allies — would give them an unbreakable headlock over the public debate.  So Joe Biden was told he could not afford to get into the race.  Same for Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who barely raised enough cash to pay for a Philly cheese sandwich.  Their financial kneecapping allowed Clinton to suck up hundreds of millions in campaign cash, sometimes in legally questionable ways, even as she railed against the influence of money in politics.

Chaffetz Wants To Relocate Federal Agencies Away From Washington, D.C.  Four of the five richest counties in the U.S. are Washington, D.C. suburbs — Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington in Virginia and Howard in Maryland — so it is unsurprising that many Americans question the federal government taking money to prop up far-off elites?  One solution to the federal government being too expensive and out-of-touch is moving parts of it away from Washington, D.C., according to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz.

It's Still a Mad, Mad California.  Hypocrisy, when coupled with sanctimoniousness, grates people like few other human transgressions:  Barack Obama opposing charter schools for the inner city as he puts his own children in Washington's toniest prep schools, or Bay Area greens suing to stop contracted irrigation water from Sierra reservoirs, even as they count on the Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy project to deliver crystal-clear mountain water to their San Francisco taps.  The American progressive elite relies on its influence, education, money, and cultural privilege to exempt itself from the bad schools, unassimilated immigrant communities, dangerous neighborhoods, crime waves, and general impoverishment that are so often the logical consequences of its own policies — consequences for others, that is.  Abstract idealism on behalf of the distant is a powerful psychological narcotic that allows caring progressives to dull the guilt they feel about their own privilege and riches.

The Obamas set for a $40 million payday.  President Obama has made more than a tidy $15 million from his books since he published his first — Dreams from My Father — in 1995, and now he's set to earn another $15 to $20 million — or even more — from his forthcoming presidential memoir, top publishing insiders tell DailyMail.com.  And high-ranking publishing insiders are talking at least another '$20 million' in an advance paycheck for First Lady Michelle Obama's long-awaited — and highly anticipated — memoir about her eight White House years.  A source claims she's been quietly working on her book already.

How George Soros Destroyed the Democratic Party.  In 2016, Republicans control both legislative chambers in 32 states.  That's up from 16 in 2000.  What happened to the big donkey?  Among other things, the Democrats decided to sell their base and their soul to a very bad billionaire and they got a very bad deal for both.

Top Clinton Fundraiser Selected For Key Democratic Post.  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced a new finance director for the 2018 election season, according to a Wednesday report in Politico's Playbook.  Mike Smith previously served as finance chair of the campaign to elect Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, where he reportedly managed a 5,000-person high-profile donor list.  Smith served in the DCCC previously, first as deputy DC finance director, then as DC finance director before coming to the Clinton campaign.

Obama's Hawaii Christmas vacations cost taxpayers $35 million over 8 years.  For the last time, taxpayers are paying for a Hawaiian Christmas vacation for President Obama and his family, an annual luxury getaway that has cost the Treasury easily more than $35 million over eight years.  Golfing on oceanside courses, dining at high-end restaurants and frolicking on stunning white-sand beaches where security guards keep other tourists at bay, the president and his family are in the midst of a 17-day holiday that requires dozens of Secret Service agents, military personnel and other government employees to guarantee their safety and ease of travel around Oahu.  The Obamas are once again renting a multimillion-dollar oceanfront home in Kailua, a town on the northeast side of the island where houses in the neighborhood fetch around $10 million.  It's near golf courses and a Marine Corps base where the president goes for morning workouts at the gym.

Running For That Okidoke, and Shave Ice.  [L]et the record reflect that BHO is one of very few Presidents whose golf game has actually improved during his time in office.  And in case you're interested, we had dinner last night at the exclusive Vintage Cave Club, which is not just a restaurant it's a concept.

The 'Staggering' Campaign of Liberal Billionaire George Soros to Swing Local Prosecutor Elections.  As part of his quest to overhaul the American justice system, liberal billionaire George Soros is targeting local prosecutor races like the one in Harris County, a large jurisdiction that includes the city of Houston. [...] Soros, 86, an American hedge fund manager and philanthropist, is No. 22 on the Forbes list of the world's billionaires, with a net worth estimated at $20 billion.  He finances a variety of liberal political causes, including ones related to education, immigration, climate change, and the environment.

Hope and humility.  [Scroll down]  Humility is the polar opposite of what Michelle Obama displayed to Oprah and what the president has mirrored during his eight years in office.  Throughout his presidency, you might have thought the pronoun "I" was his first initial for all the times he referred to himself.  The Obamas could have offered real hope, especially in the hearts of African-American children, by leading the poor among them out of failing inner-city schools and giving their parents a choice of where to send them for a better education, which would have led to a better life.  They rightly sent their daughters to elite private schools, rather than bad D.C. Public Schools, but denied that choice to those less affluent, thus perpetuating a spirit of hopelessness in those voters who had hoped for something beyond a "let's move" exercise program and a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.

Census Bureau: 4 Richest Counties in U.S. Are Suburbs of D.C.  The four richest counties in the United States, when measured by median household income, are all suburbs of Washington, D.C., according to newly released data from the Census Bureau.  They are Loudoun County, Va., where the median household income was $125,900 in 2015; Falls Church City, Va., where it was $122,092; Fairfax County, Va., where it was $112,844; and Howard County, Md., where it was $110,224.  The Census Bureau treats independent cities such as Falls Church, Va., as the equivalent of a county when calculating its median household income statistics.

Hillary to celebrate dismal failure with ritzy party for rich donors — paid for by campaign funds.  An essential companion piece to the other big Hillary story this morning, detailing just how inept her mega-bucks campaign was when it counted.  The fact that she's throwing a party for her biggest contributors tomorrow to toast to her squandering their money was already public knowledge.  What wasn't known until now, I believe, was that that party will itself be paid for with, um, their squandered money.  For all the heat Jill Stein has taken for fleecing dumb liberals to pay for a doomed recount, Hillary was and apparently will remain the master at getting Democrats to chip in for hapless political vanity projects.

Hillary Clinton Donors Who Gave Less Than a Million Booted from Party Invite List.  Hillary Clinton campaign donors who gave less than a million were left off the guest list for the Democratic nominee's glitzy "thank you" party — and they're not happy.  Clinton will fill the iconic "grand ballroom" at New York's posh Plaza Hotel — one of the ritziest event spaces in the city — but with just a few hundred of her top bundlers (those donors who maxed out on individual contributions and then began soliciting million dollar checks from their friends and family).  Invitations to the party went out last week, and the "Clinton campaign has been fielding complaints ever since."  Because if you made less than a million for her campaign, or aren't one of Clinton's favored few mega-donors, you were bumped from the party.

Hillary Clinton throwing party to thank millionaire donors.  Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine are throwing a party at the Plaza hotel on Dec. 15 to thank those who donated millions to the campaign.  The party will be held in the Grand Ballroom on the third floor, to honor the Hillary for America finance leadership council.

Obama's last White House Thanksgiving:  Turkey, prime rib, six kinds of pie.  The White House on Thursday [11/24/2016] released the menu for President Obama's last Thanksgiving as president, which includes a half dozen hors d'oeuvres, turkey, prime rib, lots of side dishes and six kinds of pie.

The Obamas 'have bought a mansion at a California golf mecca as well as leasing a $4.3 million DC home' for life after the White House.  When President Obama leaves the White House this January, his family is expected to become bi-coastal, with homes in both DC and California.  Sources told the New York Post that the Obamas have purchased a home in Rancho Mirage, California.  The Obamas are also leasing a $4.3 million home in the Kalorama neighborhood of DC, which will be their main home — at least for the next two years.

Obama's transition from 'man of the people' to 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'.  Barack Obama grew up among much richer people than his family, in Jakarta and at the Punahou School in Honolulu.  Whatever resentment he may have developed was directed at getting a heaping helping for himself at least as much as redistribution.

Hillary and friends are shocked to learn radical fringe politics is NOT the new normal.  It used to be that Democrats abhorred the role of big money in politics.  But Clinton outspent Trump 3-1 and raised more than a billion dollars.  The plutocracy — Wall Street, Silicon Valley and the great American gilded fortunes of Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, Facebook and Google — were not just Clinton supporters but often strident ones.  The old idea of a liberal populist underdog had morphed into a haughty moneybag, with a huge staff, lots of opposition researchers and internal pollsters, surfeits of questionable cash donations, and politically correct endorsements that the left used to find plastic and inauthentic.

Democrats: The party of the little guy no more.  The Democratic Party has historically stood for the little guy — defending low-wage workers from inhumane conditions, and later protecting women and minorities from institutional discrimination.  But times have changed. [...] Wherever you look, you find Democrats abandoning their traditional role as defenders of the little guy and embracing the big guy.  The biggest PACs, unions and Wall Street bankers support Democrats, including their presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.  The Democrats often pursue polices that are at odds with small business, law enforcement, the church — institutions that were once revered and powerful but that now have considerably less influence and stature.

NYT: 'Vibrant Washington Fears Trump Will Drain Its Culture'.  Jason Horowitz writes in The New York Times that the Beltway elite fear that President-elect Donald Trump's "drain the swamp" mentality will greatly reduce the posh culture of Washington, D.C., which expanded under Barack Obama's presidency.

About those rioters.  [Scroll down]  This is why Trump won.  Those millions of people across the nation are sick to death of being ignored, mocked, and dismissed as annoyances by the people they elected to serve their interests.  Our elected officials get to send their kids to the best schools in the nation but deny their constituents school choice because they are beholden to the teacher unions.  They eat in the finest restaurants while millions of their constituents do not eat out at all.  The men and women in Congress have great health insurance while Obamacare is imposed on the folks back home and they cannot afford it.  Their doctors cannot afford it.  Obama still talks as though he did American citizens a favor!  He did not.  He has been increasingly despotic, going around Congress to regulate more and more aspects of all our lives.

RT visits Obama's post-presidential $5.3 mn Washington mansion.  RT traveled to Kalorama, Washington DC — the opulent embassy district which, like five US presidents before him, Barack Obama has chosen as his new home.  We spoke to his future neighbors, were stared down by his security detail, and even tried to rent a house next door.  Like other former leaders dealing with the chaotic and often testing transition out of office, Obama did not buy his new residence — a 8,200-sq ft, nine-bedroom, eight-bathroom 1928 Tudor-style brick house — renting it instead from Joe Lockhart, Bill Clinton's former press secretary, and his wife Giovanna Gray, a Glamour journalist, who previously profiled Michelle Obama.

Wikileaks: Here's How The Clinton's Free Private Jet Scam Works.  Ira Magaziner, the CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, asked former President Bill Clinton to thank Morocco's King Mohammed VI for "offering his plane to the conference in Ethiopia."  "CHAI would like to request that President Clinton call Sheik Mohammed to thank him for offering his plane to the conference in Ethiopia," Magaziner gushed in a November 22, 2011 email released by WikiLeaks.  Clinton frequently has expected free, luxurious private jet travel during his post-presidential life.  Clinton, his wife and daughter have artfully secured free air travel and luxurious accommodations since they left the White House.  It's an effective way to accept gifts of great value without declaring them for the Clinton Foundation.

Forget the FBI cache; the Podesta emails show how America is run.  They are the comfortable and well-educated mainstay of our modern Democratic party.  They are also the grandees of our national media; the architects of our software; the designers of our streets; the high officials of our banking system; the authors of just about every plan to fix social security or fine-tune the Middle East with precision droning.  They are, they think, not a class at all but rather the enlightened ones, the people who must be answered to but who need never explain themselves.

Ukraine stunned as vast cash reserves of political elite are made public.  Two years after angry Ukrainians deposed Viktor Yanukovych and broke into his vast, opulent residential compound outside Kiev, revelations thrown up by a new system that requires government officials to declare their wealth and property online have led many to suspect the new elite are no better.  The declarations, which all officials were required to file by Sunday evening, have made public many curiosities, including politicians who own multiple luxury watches, Fabergé eggs and large collections of weapons.  One politician declared that he owned a personal church.  By far the biggest shock, however, has been just how much money Ukraine's politicians seem to stash away in hard cash.  The prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, declared $1.2m (£980,000) and €460,000 (£410,000) in cash, as well as a collection of luxury watches.

Hillary Clinton: 'I Love Having the Support of Real Billionaires'.  Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton says she loves having rich people support her.  "You know I love having the support of real billionaires," Clinton said, during a speech in Florida.

University of California is Hillary Clinton's top source of campaign cash.  Individuals working for the University of California were the biggest source of cash for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.  Individuals affiliated with the University of California system gave nearly $1.2 million to Clinton's campaign committee, the largest bloc of contributions she received for her presidential run.  The second biggest giver to Clinton was another California entity, Alphabet Inc., the Mountain View-based parent company of Google.  Donors associated with Alphabet gave Clinton $1.1 million

Exclusive: An Inside Look At An Opulent Clinton Foundation 'Site Visit'.  Former President Bill Clinton and 11 wealthy Clinton Foundation donors generously served meals to 250 underprivileged children July 16, 2014, at the Akshaya Patra kitchen in Jaipur, India, as TV cameras recorded the moment.  Clinton's group then quietly retired to Oberoi Rajvilas, a five-star "royal resort" where the former chief executive booked into Kohinoor Villa, an 11,377-square foot luxurious villa with a 60-foot swimming pool, according to the hotel's management.  The same villa today goes for $13,900 per night, not including the 21 percent government tax.  Clinton's villa was five times as big as the average American home, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Soros Gives $61 Million to Media Groups Promoting Clinton's Liberal Agenda.  As U.S. citizens prepare to select the next president, one liberal donor spent more than $103 million on media over the last 14 years to promote his own progressive agenda.  Liberal billionaire George Soros pledged to give at least $25 million to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and other Democratic candidates and causes, according to Politico.  And emails exposed by WikiLeaks showed Clinton staffers going out of their way to "make Soros happy" before the 2016 campaign even started.  But that's just a small slice of the pie.  Media groups in the U.S. promoting the same liberal platform as Clinton got more than twice as much Soros money.

High-rollers have given at least $113M to Clinton and the Dems.  Hillary Clinton has built the largest big-donor operation in history, with 1,133 high-rollers pledged to raise at least $100,000 each for her campaign.  That's almost twice the number of "bundlers" that President Obama had four years ago, Politico reported.  It means that at least $113 million — and maybe much more — of the money raised for Clinton and the Democratic Party has come from big-money hedge funders, tech investors and celebrities like George Lucas, Anna Wintour and Will Smith.  Clinton raked in $526 million in campaign and super-PAC donations through mid-September, according to federal campaign records.

Chelsea and Bill join dozens of Hollywood A-listers led by Julia Roberts for $10,000-a-head New York fundraising show.  Dozens of Hollywood and Broadway stars performed and urged Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton at a fundraising concert where tickets went for up to $10,000-a-head.  The 'Broadway for Hillary' concert was held at the St James Theatre in New York City and hosted by Billy Crystal on Monday night, with proceeds going to the Hillary Victory Fund.  Ticket options ranged from $45 for balcony seats to a staggering $100,000 for ten premium orchestra seats as well as two tickets to the wrap party.

Leaked emails reveal Hillary Clinton's life of deceit.  It's all in a day's work for a woman who claims to be for the Little Guy but spends most of her time frolicking with the political and financial elites.

Obamas' Next Home: 9 Bedrooms in a Wealthy Washington Neighborhood.  President Obama and his family plan to move to a mansion in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, a mere two miles from the White House, when he leaves office in January, according to people familiar with his plans.  Mr. Obama, who has said his family will remain in the capital until his daughter Sasha completes high school in 2018, will rent the 8,200-square-foot, nine-bedroom home, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal his plans.

State Department-Funded Nonprofit That John Kerry Had 'No Role' In Was Founded In His Home.  News reports show that's Kerry's home address, which Zillow estimates is worth nearly $18 million.  Kerry's wife, Teresa, is an heir to the Heinz family fortune.  Beacon Hill is the most expensive block in Boston, with median home values estimated at $6.7 million in 2015, a Boston Globe affiliate reported.  The Boston Business Journal ranked Kerry's house the third most valuable home in the city in 2013.

America's Versailles Set.  Chelsea Clinton, for example, is married to hedge-fund operator Marc Mezvinsky (whose suspect Greek fund just went broke), and she once made over $600,000 for her part-time job as an NBC correspondent.  She serves in a prominent role and is on the board of the non-profit billion-dollar Clinton Foundation, which has been cited for donating an inordinately small amount of its annual budget (often less than 15 percent) to charity work, while providing free jet travel for the Clinton family and offering sinecures for Clinton political operatives in between various Clinton campaigns.  Explaining why she works at the Clinton Foundation and for other non-profits, Chelsea confessed, in Marie Antoinette style, that "I was curious if I could care about [money] on some fundamental level, and I couldn't."  She cared enough, though, to purchase a $10.5 million Manhattan apartment not long ago rather than, say, rent a flat in the Bronx.

America's Versailles Set.  Take the case of Colin Kaepernick, the back-up quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers who makes $19 million a year (or about $20,000 per minute of regular season play).  He has been cited by National Football League officials in the past for his use of the N-word, yet he refuses to stand for the pregame singing of the national anthem because he believes that his country is racist and does not warrant his respect.  His stunt gained a lot of publicity and he now sees himself as a man of the revolutionary barricades.  A number of other NFL athletes, as well as those in other sports, have likewise refused to stand for the national anthem to express solidarity with what they see as modern versions of the oppressed peasantry.  But Kaepernick and his peers make more in one month than many Americans make in an entire lifetime.

Finally! The Clinton Family has a compound.  As every Godfather fan knows, you've got to have a compound when your famiglia hits the big time.  I am sure we are supposed to associate "family compound" with the words "Hyannis" and "Kennedy," but for me, "Corleone" comes to mind.

Bill and Hillary Clinton buy the house next door — their third $1 million manse.  Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is seeking a job that comes with a house, but she and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, have many options if the White House thing doesn't work out.  The couple have purchased a home next door to their primary residence in Chappaqua, N.Y., according to real estate records.  That makes three homes worth north of $1 million owned by the Clintons, including a stately mansion near the British Embassy in Washington that Clinton used when she was a senator.

Mrs Clooney's worn £34,000 of clothes in 14 days while grandstanding as a champion of the downtrodden.  With silk dresses, £1,000 designer bags and skyscraper heels, Amal Clooney's outfits are glamorous enough to grace a red carpet.  Yet the glossy-haired human rights barrister, 38, has spent the past fortnight parading her wardrobe at events linked to issues ranging from sex slavery to the refugee crisis.  Amal wore a different designer label — often several designer labels — each day.  But given her worthy role, some of her haute couture fashion seems out of place.  Even saving the world, it seems, is better done in designer clothes, be they bought or borrowed.

Hillary Absent Again:  We Don't Need Another Part-Time President.  Hillary Clinton postponed a lunch fundraiser in Chapel Hill with some of the state's wealthiest and most prominent Democrats.  No reason was given for postponement of the Clinton event, according to CBS North Carolina.  It was expected to take place at the home of Betty Craven and Michael Warner.  The event was billed as "lunch with Hillary Rodham Clinton" and costs ranged from $2,700 to $100,000.

Bill Clinton's swanky birthday bash proves the Clintons just can't stop influence-peddling.  For a giant, flashing sign that the Clintons' influence-peddling will never end, look no further than Bill's 70th birthday party Friday night at the Rainbow Room — which of course is a Clinton Foundation fund-raising bash.  Yup, that's right; show 'em the money, money, money:  Donors must give $250,000 to be a "chair" of the party, six figures to be a co-chair, 50 grand to be a vice-chair.  True, buying a ticket will get you some glam — Barbara Streisand, Jon Bon Jovi and Wynton Marsalis are all to perform.  But how many others hope their gift will at least get them onto some future White House guest list, and possibly buy even larger favors?

Where is Hillary Clinton?  Campaign 'Postpones' North Carolina Fundraiser.  Hillary Clinton postponed a lunch fundraiser in Chapel Hill with some of the state's wealthiest and most prominent Democrats.  No reason was given for postponement of the Clinton event, according to CBS North Carolina.  It was expected to take place at the home of Betty Craven and Michael Warner.  The event was billed as "lunch with Hillary Rodham Clinton" and costs ranged from $2,700 to $100,000.

Hillary Clinton Campaign Systematically Overcharging Poorest Donors.  Hillary Clinton's campaign is stealing from her poorest supporters by purposefully and repeatedly overcharging them after they make what's supposed to be a one-time small donation through her official campaign website, multiple sources tell the Observer.  The overcharges are occurring so often that the fraud department at one of the nation's biggest banks receives up to 100 phone calls a day from Clinton's small donors asking for refunds for unauthorized charges to their bankcards made by Clinton's campaign.  One elderly Clinton donor, who has been a victim of this fraud scheme, has filed a complaint with her state's attorney general and a representative from the office told her that they had forwarded her case to the Federal Election Commission.

Michelle Obama, 'Woman of The People,' Wears $4,200 Gucci Dress to Co-Host 'Ellen'.  US Magazine says Michelle looked "out of this world" in her Gucci number.  Agreed:  She looked like a visitor from the planet Krypton.

Last Chance for the 'Deplorables'.  Speaking to 1,000 of the overprivileged at an LGBT fundraiser, where the chairs ponied up $250,000 each and Barbra Streisand sang, Hillary Clinton gave New York's social liberals what they came to hear.  "You could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.  Right?" smirked Clinton to cheers and laughter.  "The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it."  They are "irredeemable," but they are "not America."  This was no verbal slip.  Clinton had invited the press in to cover the LGBT gala at Cipriani Wall Street where the cheap seats went for $1,200.

Deplorable me and disgusting Hillary.  [Scroll down]  Now I won't call people names but wannabe president Hillary Clinton's remarks, made at a fundraiser, certainly found an appreciative audience, laughing and applauding her.  So yes, they got their $50,000 worth; [...] Clinton made the comments before introducing Barbra Streisand at an LGBT fundraiser in downtown New York.  According to average ticket prices and attendance figures provided by the campaign, Clinton raised around $6 million at the fundraiser, at which some attendees paid $50,000.

Obama will likely become the first ex-president billionaire.  Ah, the riches of public service.  We are now assured the Obamas will be able to finance their post-White House lives with record-breaking book deals. [...] According to various book agents, it appears private citizen Barack Obama should expect to be handed a book deal in the range of $45 million.  His wife, the woman whose mission as first lady was to make sure your kids never got enough to eat at school, is also said to be worth a book contract of at least $10 million.  Public service now gets you filthy, fabulously rich.  And as we've seen with the Clintons, is now a game for grifters, selling access and influence, with the highest bidder rewarded with the most influence.

Where Has Hillary Clinton Been?  Ask the Ultrarich.  Mr. Trump has pointed to Mrs. Clinton's noticeably scant schedule of campaign events this summer to suggest she has been hiding from the public.  But Mrs. Clinton has been more than accessible to those who reside in some of the country's most moneyed enclaves and are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to see her.  In the last two weeks of August, Mrs. Clinton raked in roughly $50 million at 22 fund-raising events, averaging around $150,000 an hour, according to a New York Times tally.

Hillary Takes Questions From Children — For *Only* $2,700 Each!.  Who says Hillary has not been busy this month?  She's been raking in millions of dollars from the ultra-rich.  And the NYT reports that Hillary attended a $100,000-per-couple lamb dinner at the Martha Vineyard's mansion of Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild.  Mrs. Rothschild told the guests:  "Let's make it a nice night for her and show her our love."

Lucrative book deals might finance the Obamas' post-White House life.  After he is out of the White House, President Barack Obama has said that he wants to become a venture capitalist, own part of an NBA franchise and avoid taking off his shoes during security screenings at commercial airports.  All of those goals, serious or not, might soon be achievable if Obama and his wife, Michelle, sign post-presidency book contracts for what literary agents and major publishers say could amount to $20 million to $45 million — more than enough to pay the estimated $22,000 monthly rent for the nine-bedroom home they will occupy in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington and foot the bill for flights on private jets.  (Obama has said he would like to avoid commercial flights once he surrenders Air Force One.)

Soros Spends Millions in DA Races, Supported Potentially Criminal Candidate.  George Soros has been busy pumping money into district attorney (DA) races across the country, according to reports.  Soros-funded shell groups called "Safety & Justice" PACs dominate DA races in Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas, Politico reports.  Soros spent much of 2014 and 2015 giving substantial sums of money to Black Lives Matter (BLM) and affiliated groups, and is now pushing candidates at the local level as part of his "criminal justice reform" agenda.  One beneficiary of Soros money is Kim Foxx, who won the Democratic March primary for Cook County, marking a major victory for BLM.

Clinton wraps up Hamptons fundraising swing.  The Democratic presidential nominee hopped from mansion to mansion in the tony New York oceanfront vacation destination, appearing at parties and dinners where the contributions ranged from $1,000 to $100,000 for guests and hosts.

Hillary collected $270,000 per HOUR in secretive three-day California celebrity fundraising blitz.  Hillary Clinton mingled with Hall of Fame basketball player Magic Johnson and Apple CEO Tim Cook, vamped in a photo booth with actor Justin Timberlake and dined with some of California's richest families on what was likely the most lucrative fundraising swing of her presidential campaign.  The Democratic presidential nominee raised $18 million on a three-day trip through California, or roughly $270,000 an hour.

Hillary Raises Over $1 Million At Martha's Vineyard Home of Economist Magazine Owner.  Hillary Clinton raised more than one million dollars over the weekend at a Martha's Vineyard house party given by top supporter Lynn Forester de Rothschild.  Unmentioned in major media coverage of the fundraising event is that de Rothschild is a member of the Economist Group and also owns a major stake in the group, which has controlling ownership of the Economist magazine.

Cash Scramble:  Hillary Closes August With 21 Fundraisers, One Campaign Event.  Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is spending that last days of August raising cash before heading into the busy post-Labor Day weekend campaign season.  According to ABC News, Clinton attended five fundraisers in Martha's Vineyard last weekend and is leaving today for California where she will host seven more fundraisers in just three days.  Later this week, according to Politico, she will head to the wealthy East Coast Hamptons area where she will hit nine additional fundraisers.  In California, Clinton will attract the wealthy and powerful members of the Hollywood and Silicon Valley communities.

Hillary Clinton Flies 20 Miles In Private Jet To Attend Rothschild Nantucket Fundraiser.  As we reported a few days ago, Bill and Hillary Clinton spent Friday night [8/19/2016] in Martha's Vineyard celebrating Bill's 70th birthday.  We're sure it was a grand affair, well worth the heat Obama had to take from Louisiana flood victims to attend.  Turns out the following morning, Hillary, not one to be bothered with traditional peasant forms of travel, awoke and took her private jet just 20 miles over to Nantucket where the Rothschilds will be hosting a fundraiser.  The event is open to all... well anyone who can afford the $100,000 per person price tag.

'Rigged system' crusader Bernie Sanders conveniently never got around to releasing his personal financial disclosure form.  Vermont Sen.  Bernie Sanders almost giddily hit Hillary Clinton for giving paid speeches to Wall Street during the Democratic primary, but yet he never filed a personal financial disclosure form of his own.  The non-profit Center for Public Integrity discovered that Sanders, amid a tough primary campaign, asked for an extension twice and then never provided the documents to the Federal Election Commission as his presidential campaign wound down.  Meanwhile both Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump filed their forms by the mid-May deadline.

What happened to those $ millions from the Bernie Sanders campaign?  For those who want to get rich off of politics, the surest racket is to become the media buyer for a major campaign.  For the underwhelming task of actually buying television airtime and print space, one receives a huge commission of 15%.  If a campaign spends ten million bucks on television advertising, the buyer gets a million and a half.  For the Bernie Sanders campaign, which raised over $90 million, who received this generous bounty?

Obama golfs 'organic' on Martha's Vineyard, $350,000 initiation fee.  President Obama is golfing organic Wednesday, taking his clubs to one of the most exclusive venues in New England, and one famously known as the nation's first "organic" course.  Obama, who has golfed several times during his annual summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard, steered his motorcade to Vineyard Golf Club, where the initiation fee is $350,000 and annual dues $12,000 for the 305 members.

It must be nice to have so little to worry about.
Obama from Martha's Vineyard: 'Climate Change... Is a Genuine Existential Threat That We All Face'.  Speaking at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser at a private home on Martha's Vineyard on Monday night [8/15/2016], President Barack Obama said that climate change "is a genuine existential threat that we all face."  "Despite the extraordinary work that we've done in mobilizing 200 nations to, for the first time, tackle climate change in a comprehensive, aggressive way, we've still got a long way to go before we're out of the woods on that one," Obama said, according to a White House transcript.  "And that is a genuine existential threat that we all face and, more importantly, our children and our grandchildren face."  The Associated Press reported that people attending the fundraiser paid between $10,000 and $33,400.

Obama urges Democrats to campaign aggressively for Clinton.  About 60 Obama and Clinton supporters paid between $10,000 and $33,400 to attend the event that was held in a tent on the sprawling property.

Soros Paid Al Gore Millions To Push 'Aggressive US Action' On Global Warming.  Liberal billionaire George Soros gave former Vice President Al Gore's environmental group millions of dollars over three years to create a "political space for aggressive U.S. action" on global warming, according to leaked documents.  A document published by DC Leaks shows Soros, a Hungarian-born liberal financier, wanted his nonprofit Open Society Institute (OSI) to do more to support global warming policies in the U.S.  That included budgeting $10 million in annual support to Gore's climate group over three years.

Video:  Hillary Clinton's cribs shock young people.  Hillary Clinton has vowed to be a champion for "everyday Americans."  The former Secretary of State — who once described herself and husband Bill Clinton as "dead broke" — kicked off her campaign on June 13 and in her 45-minute speech on New York City's Roosevelt Island, Clinton delivered a message similar to her initial presidential announcement.  "Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times," Clinton said in the video announcement on April 12.  "But the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top."  So what do Millennials think of a candidate who criticizes the "1 percent," but simultaneously owns multi-million dollar properties in Washington, D.C. and New York and spends her summers in the Hamptons?  [Video clip]

Black Lives Matter cashes in with $100 million from liberal foundations.  For all its talk of being a street uprising, Black Lives Matter is increasingly awash in cash, raking in pledges of more than $100 million from liberal foundations and others eager to contribute to what has become the grant-making cause du jour.  The Ford Foundation and Borealis Philanthropy recently announced the formation of the Black-Led Movement Fund [BLMF], a six-year pooled donor campaign aimed at raising $100 million for the Movement for Black Lives coalition.  That funding comes in addition to more than $33 million in grants to the Black Lives Matter movement from top Democratic Party donor George Soros through his Open Society Foundations, as well as grant-making from the Center for American Progress.

Bill Clinton netted $1.6 million from for-profit colleges.  Bill Clinton netted $1.6 million last year from a pair of for-profit education companies that caused controversy for the future president during Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state.  Laureate Education paid Bill Clinton nearly $1.1 million in 2015, according to tax returns released by his wife's campaign Friday.  GEMS Education, a Dubai-based firm, paid him more than $560,000.  Both companies are major donors to the Clinton Foundation.  Bill Clinton's lucrative consulting contracts with the corporations have raised questions about how closely his personal fortune is linked to his philanthropic activities.

Clintons Made $6,725,000 in Speaking Fees in 2015.  Hillary Clinton's 2015 tax returns show that Hillary and Bill Clinton combined to make $6,725,000 from speaking engagements last year.  According to the returns, which were released at noon on Friday [8/12/2016], Hillary Clinton was paid $1,475,000 for speaking last year while Bill Clinton pulled in $5,250,000.

Clinton releases tax returns; earned nearly $240M since leaving White House.  Hillary Clinton's income took a huge hit as she ran for president last year, dropping to less than half of what she made the year before, according to tax returns her presidential campaign released Friday [8/12/2016].  Mrs. Clinton hoped the release would embarrass GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has refused to release any of his, while also shining a light on the high rate she and her husband paid in their own taxes.  The power couple reported earning $10.7 million in income in 2015, and claimed a tax liability of $3.6 million.

Bernie Sanders Pays $600,000 For New Summer Vacation Home.  Bernie Sanders proved capitalism is alive and well when he paid a whopping $600,000 for a lakefront home in Vermont this week.

One in 10 DNC superdelegates were registered lobbyists.  Nearly one in 10 superdelegates who voted in the Democratic presidential primaries were registered lobbyists, according to a new report, adding some support to Bernie Sanders's claim that "the system is rigged."  At least 63 of 712 superdelegates were registered at some point as lobbyists on the state or federal level, according to an analysis conducted this year by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Sunlight Foundation.  These individuals represented interests that span across big banks, healthcare insurers, the telecommunications industry and unions, including Goldman Sachs and Planned Parenthood.

Americans' sense of 'alienation' at an all-time high: poll.  While a contentious presidential election dominates the media, a new survey finds that a sense of "alienation" among average Americans is at an all-time high.  For decades, the Harris Poll has gauged how much, or how little, people feel their interests are heard and addressed by those with power and influence.  The latest survey found that 82 percent of Americans believe that the people running the country don't really care what happens to them.  Another 78 percent say the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer while 70 percent believe that most people in power try to take advantage of people like them.

The Everyday Woman:  Ivanka's $138 Dress versus Hillary's $12,495 Jacket.  Ivanka Trump reportedly wore a $138, blush-colored dress from her own fashion line — sold at Macy's and Nordstrom — when she introduced her father Donald Trump on Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where he accepted the Republican Party's nomination for President of the United States.  The 34-year-old fashionista also wore her own dress on Wednesday night [7/20/2016]. [...] Trump's decision to adorn her reasonably priced clothing line makes her relatable to every woman and it's in stark contrast to presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's decision to wear a $12,485 Giorgio Armani jacket during her New York primary win in April.

Dead Broke:  Forbes Says the Clintons Pulled in $229 Million Between 2001 and 2014.  Remember when Hillary Clinton claimed she and Bill were "dead broke" when they left the White House?  Hey, I know this will startle you, but it turns out that's [not true].  Because even before they left the White House, the Clinton had purchased both a "...a five-bedroom home in Chappaqua, N.Y., for $1.7 million [and] a seven-bedroom house near Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. [for] $2.85 million."

Michelle Obama Lectures the World on Girl Power.  First lady Michelle Obama has wrapped up her six-day "Let Girls Learn" tour of Liberia, Morocco and Spain.  Together with her mother Marian and two daughters Sasha and Malia, the FLOTUS, under the guise of promoting access to education for 62 million girls worldwide, embarked on a multimillion-dollar excursion where she ate great food, wore great clothes, hung out with celebrities, and spent $600,000 for one night in Marrakesh.

The Worst Smear Site In America.  The far-left Southern Poverty Law Center relentlessly promotes the Big Lie, wildly popular in the media, that conservative Americans are racists and the real threat to the nation rather than Islamic terrorists.  The group claims the principal enemies of the American people are presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, conservatives like David Horowitz, and the Tea Party movement.  The SPLC is a shamelessly hypocritical leftist attack machine funded by radical speculator George Soros and a rogue's gallery of rich people and established philanthropies that want to fundamentally transform America.  The fabulously wealthy 501(c)(3) nonprofit has an astounding one third of a billion dollars ($338 million) in assets, as well as investments in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, two offshore tax havens the Left loves to attack (but only when non-leftists stash cash there).

Here Are The Two Multi-Million Dollar Mansions Hillary Says She "Struggled" To Pay Mortgage On.  In an interview with Diane Sawyer, Hillary Clinton claimed that after the White House their family "struggled... to piece together the resources for mortgages, for houses."  The "we struggled to get by" defense from a multi-millionaire might be tough to swallow for Americans actually struggling to pay their mortgage.  Hillary, after-all, left the White House having spent 20 years living in gratis government mansions in Little Rock and Washington D.C.  Additionally, lets not forget that Bill Clinton's annual salary was $200,000/year as President and he was able to cash-in on a $50,000 expense account.  The Clintons made roughly FOUR times what the average American made and "struggled to get by."  After leaving the White House, the Clintons bought two multi-million dollar mansions.

Obama girls land in windy Madrid after jaunt to Liberia and Morocco.  It was a windy day in Madrid as they landed at Torrejon air base, forcing Malia to have a Marilyn Monroe moment with her stunning $78 wrap dress.  Flying in from a jaunt in Morocco and Liberia, Sasha was sporting a henna tattoo that spiraled up her arm.  And Michelle wore Spanish-style espadrilles with her $1,800 Proenza Schouler summer dress to greet officials and members of the public waiting on the tarmac.

Michelle Obama Pledges $100M of U.S. Tax Dollars to Educate Girls — in Morocco.  FLOTUS must be unaware of all the black kids in DC and Chicago that could really use $100M for their failing public schools, since her daughters attend the super-fancy Sidwell Friends private school, where tuition is $34,268 a year.  But that includes hot lunch!  Truly, a bargain.

Common Core Fails Students.  What if someone who was really rich got together with some people who were really smart and discovered what was best for everyone?  What would happen if they all used the power of government to nudge (that is, to coerce) people to adopt their program... because it was for the best, even if no one knew it?  You would get Common Core educational standards, a one-size-fits-all curriculum reform program that has been forced down school districts around the nation.  The reigning genie behind all this is Bill Gates.  After all, he is richer than everyone else, so therefore he must be smarter than everyone else.  Better yet, he suffers from a malady that seems to inflict nearly all tech oligarchs — they believe that they constitute a class of Platonic philosopher kings or guardians who know what is best for everyone because they have a clearer vision of the Ideas.

Hillary Claims To Be Everyday American, But Look What She Was Carrying In NY.  Although Hillary Clinton likes to pretend that she's "just like every other American," there's some strong evidence to the contrary.  Take, for example, what she had in her hands during a recent stop in New York, and you'll see the serious issue with such a sentiment. [...] According to Mail Online, she had a sold out, Alexander McQueen handbag, which is valued at a whopping $1,500 — $1,645 depending on the source.

Hillary Clinton shows off her $1,600 Alexander McQueen handbag.  Hillary Clinton arrived for her interview on The View carrying a stylish — and sold out — Alexander McQueen handbag that costs $1,645.  As voters headed to the polls in Wisconsin on Tuesday, the presidential hopeful returned to her native New York, where she was twice elected by the state's voters to represent them in the Senate.

The surprising strategy behind Hillary Clinton's designer wardrobe.  Hillary Clinton's New York primary victory speech in April focused on topics including income inequality, job creation and helping people secure their retirement.  It was a clear attempt to position herself as an everywoman.  But an everywoman she is not — she gave the speech in a $12,495 Giorgio Armani tweed jacket.  The polished outfit was a stark contrast to the fashion choices Clinton has made in the past.  As first lady, Clinton wore frumpy pastel skirtsuits.  As New York senator and secretary of state, she attempted a more serious look, wearing pantsuits in a rainbow of colors — so mocked that they sparked memes.  In comparison to Michelle Obama, who's become known as a style icon during her time in the White House and appeared on the cover of Vogue twice, Clinton has never been able to nail down a personal aesthetic that works for her.

Hillary Clinton wore $12,495 Armani jacket during speech on inequality.  You just can't make this stuff up anymore.  Hillary Clinton, dead broke as she claimed after leaving the White House with rapist Bill Clinton wore a $12,495 priced Armani jacket while giving a speech about inequality back in April.  Some people struggling today don't even make that in a year.  Others are lucky if this is 1/3rd of what they make in a year.  No matter to 'dead broke' Hillary.

Hillary Clinton wore a $12,495 Armani jacket during a speech about inequality.  Hillary Clinton took a lot of flak on Monday after a report surfaced that the presidential candidate wore a Giorgio Armani jacket worth more than $12,000 during a speech in April about inequality.  Clinton, who was well-known for her vast pantsuit collection, has upgraded her wardrobe during her most recent bid for president to appear more relatable, according to the New York Post.

Obamas' Next Home: 9 Bedrooms in a Wealthy Washington Neighborhood.  President Obama and his family plan to move to a mansion in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, a mere two miles from the White House, when he leaves office in January, according to people familiar with his plans.  Mr. Obama, who has said his family will remain in the capital until his daughter Sasha completes high school in 2018, will rent the 8,200-square-foot, nine-bedroom home, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal his plans.  The house — valued around $6 million, according to several real estate websites, with an estimated monthly rent of $22,000 on Zillow — is owned by Joe Lockhart, a former press secretary and senior adviser to Bill Clinton.  Mr. Lockhart was until this year the managing director of a communications and political consulting practice he founded, the Glover Park Group, but has moved to Manhattan to become executive vice president for communications for the National Football League.

The $5 Million D.C. Mansion Where The Obamas Will Live After Leaving The White House.  After President Obama leaves the White House, his family has plans to move to a $5 million mansion in Washington D.C.  According to Politico's Mike Allen, Obama will lease the mansion from former Bill Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart and Giovanna Gray.

Here's the mansion the Obamas will live in starting in 2017.  President Obama and his family will reportedly lease an 8,200-square foot mansion in Washington, D.C.'s Kalorama neighborhood after they leave the White House.  Sources confirmed Wednesday to Politico that the Obamas will rent the mansion owned by Joe Lockhart and Giovanna Gray a day after it was reported by National Journal that they had settled on the Kalorma neighborhood.

The Editor says...
With what money will the Obamas pay the lease on this house?

Obamas 'choose upmarket suburb of Karolama, DC, as their post- White House home.  The Obamas are choosing the manicured gardens and marble fountains of Kalorama, Washington DC, as their new home, according to reports.  The soon to be former leader of the free world has eschewed Embassy Row, which he had apparently been toying with, and decided upon the salubrious Karolama, according to the National Journal.  Its streets are lined with distinguished colonial homes, and its residents range from ambassadors to statesmen.

The Editor says...
This maneuver probably indicates one of several scenarios, for example: [#1] The Obamas will embark on fresh new careers as lobbyists, or [#2] The Obamas are staying close to Washington in case Michelle runs for the White House.

Report:  Obamas choose DC neighborhood to live at after presidency ends.  Back in March, President Barack Obama said he and his family will be sticking around the nation's capital after he leaves office in January.  It appears they have chosen which neighborhood they plan on living in after his second presidential term is over.  According to the National Journal, the Obamas plan to rent a home in the Kalorama neighborhood of Northwest D.C., just east of Massachusetts Avenue.

You Too Can Live Like Chelsea Clinton For A Mere $6 Million.  The former first daughter and Marc Mezvinsky's starter home is on the market again after the couple sold it in 2013 for $5.9 million.

Obama foundation donors at the White House.  A new study details how President Barack Obama has been inviting his Obama Foundation donors to events at the White House, a venue that obviously won't be available to him to entertain mega contributors in a few months.  The Obama Foundation, created on Jan. 31, 2014, has to date only 39 contributors, with the money coming either from individuals or foundations controlled by Obama supporters.

Hillary reveals she earned $1.5 million from just six speeches last year and $5 million in book royalties.  Hillary Clinton filed financial documents Tuesday [5/17/2016] showing that in 2015 she earned more than $5 million in royalties from her book 'Hard Choices' and about $1.5 million in speaking fees before she launched her presidential campaign.  Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, continued his lucrative speaking tour through last November, more than six months after his wife entered the race, reaping more than $5 million from banking, tech and other corporate interests.

The Progressive Lust For Power.  Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been talking a lot about "fairness" and "equality" during their primary campaigns.  Like most progressives, they pass themselves off as the champions of the ordinary people who are suffering beneath the boot of rapacious capitalists and the plutocratic "one percent."  Give us power, they say, and we will create "social justice" for all the victims of "white privilege" and capitalist greed, not to mention redistributing even more money from the selfish "rich" in order to finance such utopian goals.  Promiscuously displaying their hearts bleeding for the oppressed has long been the progressive camouflage that hides their real motive:  the lust for power.

Hillary and Bill Clinton Made $6.7 Million from Speeches in 2015.  Hillary and Bill Clinton raked in a combined $6.725 million in paid speeches in 2015, a decrease from the year before, according to a personal financial disclosure form released late Tuesday night [5/17/2016].  As a presidential candidate, Clinton has come under fire for paid speeches she gave, particularly to big banks and Wall Street, after leaving the State Department.  Her Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders, and his supporters have called on her to release the transcripts of these speeches, which she has thus far refused to do.

Rift Between Labor and Environmentalists Threatens Democratic Turnout Plan.  Two of the Democratic Party's most loyal constituencies, labor and environmentalists, are clashing over an effort to raise tens of millions of dollars for an ambitious voter turnout operation aimed at defeating Donald J. Trump in the November election.  The rift developed after some in the labor movement, whose cash flow has dwindled and whose political clout has been increasingly imperiled, announced a partnership last week with a wealthy environmentalist, Tom Steyer, to help bankroll a new fund dedicated to electing Democrats.

The Greens' Daddy Warbucks Helps Himself.  Any comprehensive review of green energy and its politics and policies has to include the name of wealthy liberal Tom Steyer — who has been called the environmental movement's new "Daddy Warbucks."  Having made his billions from his tenure atop Farallon Capital Management — much of it from coal projects around the world — Steyer apparently had an environmental epiphany and now wants to atone for his past sins by trying to save the planet from manmade climate change.  He is using his wallet to try to elect candidates who will promote policies and energy plans that agree with him.  And that plan is "green."

NY Democrats selling national convention access to big donors.  Despite federal and state probes into government pay-to-play schemes, New York's Democrats are offering fat-cat donors access to bigwigs at the party's national convention in exchange for contributions, The [New York] Post has learned.  In their pitch for cash, state Dems promise to grant a dizzying array of perks to top donors at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July.

The Great Culture War.  [Scroll down]  Normal Americans are the ones paying the price for gesture politics.  John McCain can be generous on immigration because he never experiences it.  He lives in one of his wife's 23 mansions, rides in government limousines and works in fortified government facilities.  Men like John McCain live as strangers in this country.  What they see of it is from a safe distance.  Similarly, the chattering skulls on television pull down six figure salaries and live in bunkered, whites-only communities.  It is not an accident that they are crowded into the richest counties on earth, all of them around Washington DC.  They are the petty royalty of the ruling class.  To these people, normal Americans are aliens, indistinguishable from the people sneaking over the border.

John Kerry, Teresa Heinz Family Trusts Invest Heavily In Fossil Fuels.  Despite Secretary of State John Kerry's outspoken demand that America drastically reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, his family investments heavily favor oil, coal and natural gas companies while giving scant attention to renewable energy firms, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation analysis.  In his latest 2015 financial disclosure report obtained by TheDCNF, Kerry listed family trust investments in 94 companies involved in the exploration, extraction, storage and transportation of oil, natural gas, coal and liquefied natural gas.  Several of the investments are in companies that use hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, which is passionately opposed by environmentalists.

Kerry, Heinz Family Have Millions Invested In Offshore Tax Havens.  Secretary of State John Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz have invested millions of U.S. dollars through family trusts in at least 11 offshore tax havens, according to The Daily Caller News Foundation's Investigative Group.  The revelation comes on the heels of the release of the Panama Papers, a treasure trove of 11.5 million legal and financial records documenting how some of the world's richest and most powerful people have used offshore bank accounts to conceal their wealth and avoid taxes.

One Law for the Rich, Another for the Average.  Somewhere, Big Tim Sullivan might be laughing.  Over 100 years after the enactment of New York City's handgun licensing law (commonly referred to as the Sullivan Act), the measure is still working as the political boss intended.  That is to say, it is ensuring that New Yorkers who are well-connected, either by status or more nefarious channels, are able to arm themselves with handguns, while average residents remain at the mercy of the criminal element.

Hillary's State Department Stopped Haiti From Increasing Its Minimum Wage to 61 Cents.  The #FightFor15 movement is continuing to make gains.  After steamrolling through large urban centers such as Seattle, San Francisco, and New York, now it may be coming to entire states near you.  New York and California recently adopted a $15 statewide minimum wage, and both Democratic presidential candidates have advocated extending the policy nationwide.  While Bernie Sanders has made political hay out of Hillary Clinton's seeming reluctance to fully embrace his rush to $15, she has been coming around to the same talking points of late.  Of course, when the rubber meets the road, Hillary seems to have a different take on drastic wage hikes.  When she was running the show, the State Department helped block Haiti's efforts to increase its minimum wage from 27 cents to 61 cents per hour.

Surprise! Socialist Bernie Sanders' Free-College Plan Would Help Rich People Most, Study Says.  The proposal by self-proclaimed socialist Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to make tuition free at America's public colleges and universities would provide almost $17 billion in free handouts to already-comfortable American families in the upper half of income distribution.  Meanwhile, Bernie's plan would cause just $13.5 billion to trickle down to families in America's poor half — the ones who would have considerably more trouble covering room, board, textbooks, travel and other non-tuition costs.

Billionaire-Bashing Bernie Sanders Is a Millionaire With Three Homes.  Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders rails against the "billionaire class" and has called income inequality "the greatest moral issue of our time," but the senator from Vermont is "not exactly a man of modest means," according to an article written by Kerri Anne Renzulli for the TIME magazine website.  However, "nothing about Bernie's net worth devalues his progressive beliefs," stated Peter Daou, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton who responded on the Blue Nation Review website to reports that Sanders and his wife, Jane, could retire with an "effective retirement nest egg" valued at "nearly $2 million."

Hillary's Haircut Inequity.  The Clintons claim that in 2001 when they left the White House in a moving van stuffed to the rafters with $190K worth of stolen items, they were poverty stricken.  Then, between 2001 and 2012, on speaking fees alone, the destitute couple managed to stockpile approximately $160 million dollars.  With that kind of haul, who needs commemorative china and cutlery?  Anyway, now it's 2016 and, thus far, Hillary watchers haven't seen the former penniless first lady/current prosperous presidential hopeful wear the same outfit twice.  In fact, every time Hillary Clinton's bulging eyes approach the podium, if you listen closely, besides the signature squawking and screeching, you'll hear a cash register ring up $1,400 for each and every Nina McLemore power pantsuit she shows up in.

Hillary Clinton's entourage blocks up traffic in New York as she gets $600 haircut.  She has been out and about in New York trying to woo voters in Harlem.  But before hitting the campaign trail [3/31/2016], Hillary Clinton's entourage reportedly blocked up traffic on Fifth Avenue as she enjoyed an early morning hair appointment at luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman.

Gridlock In NYC So Hillary Can Get a $1,200 Haircut.  Hillary Clinton's oversized motorcade gridlocked Manhattan traffic this week so she could, eh, get a coiffe.  Looks like the cut and color cost a mere $1,200.  But she's for the little people!

The $50 Billion Hypocrite.  Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a net worth that exceeds $50 billion, but he really wants you to know that he's a Champion of the proverbial "little guy."  How does he prove this?  By promoting the notion that America would benefit greatly from the swift legalization of countless millions of illegal aliens — you know, "little guys" — who are highly likely to become permanent wards of the welfare state and, most importantly, permanent Democratic voters.  In 2013 Zuckerberg visited Capitol Hill, where he pressed members of Congress to support an amnesty bill designed to confer citizenship to millions of people residing unlawfully in the United States.

The Apology Tour of Our Next President.  In Havana recently, President Obama talked of the similarities between Cuba and the United States, as if a constitutional republic of some 240 years and a thuggish and murderous communist dictatorship were kindred souls.  In Argentina, Obama both tangoed and then apologized for the nth time for his country while abroad, this time supposedly for not opposing the brutal Argentine military dictatorship at the height of the Cold War.  He also advised young people that there was not that much difference between communism and capitalism — without giving them a glimpse of his own retirement plans that will make the Obamas fabulously rich by following the hyper-capitalist post-presidential get-rich program of the Clintons.

Bernie Sanders calls George Clooney's $33,400-a-ticket Hillary Clinton fundraiser 'obscene'.  Bernie Sanders took a shot at Hollywood on Sunday [3/27/2016], calling two upcoming Hillary Clinton fundraisers organized by George Clooney 'obscene'.  The actor is hosting a fundraising dinner for the Democratic candidate in San Francisco on April 15, where two seats at the head table with Clinton, Clooney and his wife Amal cost $353,400.  The following night, Clooney is hosting yet another event at his home in Los Angeles where tickets are $33,400 each.

Michelle Obama's Floral Outfits Cost 23 Times Average Annual Salary in Cuba.  The two floral dresses that first lady Michelle Obama sported in Cuba this week would not be affordable for the wide majority of individuals living in the repressive country.  US Weekly recently spotlighted two outfits that Obama wore during appearances in Havana on Sunday and Monday that, according to a [Washington] Free Beacon analysis, together cost more than 23 times the average annual state salary in Cuba recorded in 2014.

Hillary Clinton to Miners: Let Them Eat Coal.  By now, most people probably know about one of Secretary Hillary Clinton's biggest campaign gaffes to date:  "we're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."  As soon as I heard it, I tweeted:  "Imagine a presidential candidate running for office based on putting people out of work?"  I wasn't the only one shocked by the uncharacteristic clarity of her statement.

40 Reasons Not To Vote For Donald Trump.  [#22] Eminent domain:  Not only is Donald Trump in favor of having the government use the power of eminent domain to take property from private owners so it can be given to fatcats like him, he tried to use eminent domain to take a widow's home away from her so it could be used as a limo parking lot.  If you think Donald Trump is for the little guy, you're a sucker.

Wage gap: One Hillary Clinton speech more than average CEO salary.  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton's charge that corporate CEOs earn 300 times more than their workers isn't just wrong.  It hides another very real wage gap:  She earns more in just one speech than the average American CEO in a year.

White Lady with $650K Speaking Fee Wants Black Americans to Know She's Down with Their Struggle.  [Scroll down]  I'm glad we are finally getting around to airing out a subject that's been put on the back burner for so long.  After the Democrats got a free pass on making the African-American citizens of Detroit significantly poorer for almost half of a century, Hillary probably rightfully feels that there is no level of Demspeak feel-good pandering that she can't get away with now.

Obama dines privately with DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, actor Will Smith.  As he is wont to do when he visits Los Angeles, President Obama dined secretly with moguls and stars.  Mr. Obama had dinner at a hotel Thursday night [2/11/2016] with Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks CEO and a major campaign donor; Alan Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios; and actor Will Smith, most recently in "Concussion."  The White House didn't disclose the dinner, nor was it on Mr. Obama's public schedule.  It was first reported by Deadline.com.

Obama hits golf course in California.  While Washington was facing a deep freeze Friday [2/12/2016], President Obama was eager to hit the links on the West Coast.  Fresh off a Thursday fundraising swing through San Jose and Los Angeles, Obama flew to Palm Springs, Calif., for a weekend golf getaway.  Obama's motorcade arrived at Porcupine Creek golf course, owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, in nearby Rancho Mirage just over 20 minutes after Air Force One landed on Friday [2/12/2016].

Financial Scandals Follow Socialist Millionaire Sanders.  Responding to one of Anderson Cooper's softball questions, socialist Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told the CNN Town Hall on Wednesday night [2/3/2016] that he lives a frugal life and indicated that he doesn't care about money or status.  "I have a small Chevrolet," he said.  "It is one of the smallest Chevys that they make."  He said it was about five years old.  But James O'Brien, a political consultant and former publisher of Campaigns & Elections magazine, says the career politician, who has been a mayor, member of Congress and U.S. senator, has achieved the financial status of a millionaire.  O'Brien has analyzed the financial status of Sanders and his wife, including their financial disclosure report, and has concluded they have a net worth in the range of $1.2 to $1.5 million, not the $700,000 or less that is usually reported by the media.

The many contradictions of Hillary Clinton.  [Scroll down]  Clinton has also vowed to raise taxes on hedge fund managers.  Is that a way of expressing displeasure with her son-in-law, Marc Mezvinsky, who operates a $400 million hedge fund?  For that matter, how did Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, who worked for a consulting firm and a hedge fund despite having no background in finance — reportedly become worth an estimated $15 million?  Hillary Clinton recently proposed a new $350 billion government plan to make college more affordable.  Certainly, universities spike tuition costs, and student-loan debt has surpassed $1 trillion.  Colleges spend money indiscriminately, mostly because they know that the federal government will always back student loans.  Yet, since she left office, Clinton routinely has charged universities $200,000 or more for her brief 30-minute chats.  Her half-hour fee is roughly equal to the annual public-university tuition cost for eight students.

The Tet Offensive: European Union Edition.  [Scroll down]  Over on the Fourth Estate, the global mass media have been almost entirely subverted, scripted and stage-managed for decades by these über-wealthy elites through a thousand channels greased with kickbacks, no-show jobs, and secret payoffs that are disguised as special stock offerings and private land deals.  Media figures morph seamlessly into senior political advisors and corporate board members, adding millions to their portfolios with each well-timed transition.  Even many retired generals and admirals eagerly wallow in this swamp of sell-out and sleaze.  It should not be a surprise to anyone that so many politicians leave Washington or Brussels as millionaires.  Just as it should not be a surprise that long-time CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, "the most trusted man in America," was for his entire adult life secretly a leading member of the World Federalist Association, a fact he proudly revealed only after his retirement from in front of the camera.

Clinton donors use Maine Democrats to skirt campaign cash limits.  A Cuban-born sugar tycoon.  A California-based registered foreign agent for the government of Sri Lanka.  A Chicago billionaire.  All of them are recent large donors to the Maine Democratic Party via a complex fundraising scheme called the Hillary Victory Fund.  The fund exploits recent court decisions and weakened campaign finance laws to maximize political contributions and funnel them to the Democratic National Committee.

Hillary Clinton pocketed $37 million in campaign cash in 4th quarter; $112 million in 2015.  Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign said Friday [1/1/2016] it raised $37 million in the past three months and more than $112 million in all of 2015 to support her bid for the Democratic nomination.

Elitist President Obama Back To Familiar "Bitter Clinger" Remarks Ridiculing The "Blue Collar" Middle Class.  You could not time a more damaging contrast than presidential candidate Donald Trump rallying with thousands of middle-class patriotic Americans, while the Democrat President of the country pokes them in the eye and heads off to Hawaii for a golf-filled Christmas vacation.

President Barack Obama and his family to spend Christmas in Hawaii for eighth consecutive year.  President Barack Obama and the first family will return to Hawaii for their Christmas vacation next week for the eighth year running.  The White House confirmed Friday [12/11/2015] that the Obamas are due to leave Washington for the island on December 18, the Huffington Post reports.  It is not yet known where they will stay this year, though they have traditionally rented out a property in the upscale Kailua area on Oahu island.

In Paris for Climate Summit, Obama, Susan Rice, John Kerry Dine at Fancy French Restaurant.  While in Paris for the Cops21 climate change summit, President Obama took some time off to enjoy a fancy meal at L'Ambroisie with French President Hollande. [...] According to an estimation from Zagat, a meal at L'Ambroisie costs about $200 and is described as "a jewel of French gastronomy" on the restaurant's website.

Ex-NYC mayor with multiple mansions, jets: 'Crazies' like Ted Cruz don't accept climate change reality.  According to the New York Times in 2012, [Michael] Bloomberg has eleven homes.  Eleven.  ELEVEN!  He also has a fleet of private planes that he uses to get to and from those homes, as well as to arrive at "climate change" summit meetings in style.  That's the guy accusing others of not believing what they're saying.  Here's just one of Bloomberg's places:  A 22,000-square-foot mansion with 11 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms with hot and cold running hypocrisy.

Green Tech and the climate crisis syndicate.  Renewable Portfolio Standard advocates recently held their 2015 National Summit.  The draft RPS agenda suggests it was quite an event — populated by bureaucrats, scientists and consultants who have jumped on the climate and "green energy" bandwagon, to follow the money.  Indeed, they are no longer content with 10% corn ethanol in gasoline, or some wind and solar power in the electricity mix.  Now they want to convert the entire electrical grid from fossil-fuels to renewable sources and, if Catholic bishops get their way, totally eliminate hydrocarbons by 2050, despite the horrendous impacts that would have on workers, families and the world's poorest people.  There's certainly a lot of money to be made.  The green revolution is estimated at $1.5 trillion per year, which means potentially huge profits for those with political connections.

Top 10 reasons George Soros is the most dangerous man in America.  [#1]  Gives billions to left-wing causes:  Soros started the Open Society Institute in 1993 as a way to spread his wealth to progressive causes.  Using Open Society as a conduit, Soros has given more than $7 billion to a who's who of left-wing groups.  This partial list of recipients of Soros' money says it all:  ACORN, Apollo Alliance, National Council of La Raza, Tides Foundation, Huffington Post, Southern Poverty Law Center, Soujourners, People for the American Way, Planned Parenthood, and the National Organization for Women.

Resettlement Contractors Lie to Protect Their Franchise.  In the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, and the revelation that at least two of the terrorists were Syrian refugees, the governors of Texas, Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, and even Massachusetts, have announced they will seek to bar Syrian refugee resettlement in their states.  More are likely to join them.  Good for them!  But the resettlement contractors have fired back.

Politico: Big-money leftists considering major funding for #BlackLivesMatter.  Oddly enough, the MSM denouncers of "big money" in politics are never concerned with the cabal of left-wing billionaires who manipulate public opinion from behind the scenes by funding the Astroturf-ish movements like #OccupyWallStreet in the last presidential election cycle and now #BlackLivesMatter.  Operating under the ironic name of "Democracy Alliance," a cabal of billionaire and mere centi-millionaire leftists meets in secret to decide where to spend their money to keep the left powerful.  George Soros, the financier whose billions mostly reside overseas in banking secrecy havens, already is known to have spent tens of millions of dollars funding Ferguson protests and spin-offs like BLM, according to the Washington Times.  Now his colleagues in the Democracy Alliance are reportedly ready to up the ante with many millions more to fan racial resentment.

Democrats Decry Income Inequality That Their Own Policies Make Worse.  [Scroll down]  Under Obama, the poor have gotten poorer and the rich richer.  Incomes for the bottom 20% have fallen in each of the past four years and are now 8% below where they stood when Obama took office.  Meanwhile, incomes of the wealthiest 5% have climbed under Obama, after adjusting for inflation.  Then there's the report published in September by the European Central Bank, which examined the correlation between welfare spending and income inequality in European countries.  It found that the higher the welfare spending, the higher the income inequality.

Bloomberg targets states suing over climate rules.  Billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg will begin shelling out millions of dollars to counter the 26 states suing the Obama administration over its climate rules, and Democrats aren't immune.  Bloomberg advisers said Friday that the $10 million campaign will target state attorneys general who are part of a multi-state suit comprising more than half the nation, including the Missouri attorney general who is running for governor.

Hillary's 'everyday Americans' base is questioned as ZIP codes at the top of her donor list are among America's richest.  Hillary Clinton's donors have something else in common other than their support for the Democratic candidate.  Turns out, they're neighbors.  The top 10 zip codes of her donor list represent some of the richest neighborhoods in the country, and they're all clustered in Manhattan or near Northwest Washington, D.C.

How The Clintons Have Made $230 Million Since Leaving The White House.  Less than a week before the Clintons left the White House in 2001, they bought a replacement house 15 minutes down the road for $2.85 million.  It was a pricy purchase for a couple who had more than $1 million in legal debt and a net worth of nearly nothing at the time.  But the Clintons had little reason to worry — they were poised to make a fortune.  Over the next 15 years, they earned more than $230 million before taxes.

Lobbyists for Clinton's 'Enemies' Are Bankrolling Her Campaign.  Asked to name the enemies that she is most proud of during Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton cited industries represented by lobbyists who are among her top campaign fundraisers.  In addition to Iran and the Republican Party, Clinton said she was proud to count "the health insurance companies" and "the drug companies" as her enemies.  Those industries' lobbyists do not appear to share that enmity.  By mid-July, seven of them had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for her presidential campaign, according to campaign finance records.

Clinton Promises to 'Make the Wealthy Pay' and Make 'Companies Share Profits'.  At the very beginning of the debate, Clinton introduced herself as "the granddaughter of a factory worker" to establish her credibility with the middle class.  Later, debate moderator Anderson Cooper challenged her on that point, noting that Hillary and her husband Bill "are part of the one percent."  "Well, you know, both Bill and I have been very blessed," Clinton responded.

The Editor says...
I suppose "blessed" is a code word for greedy.

Hillary Clinton's Hidden Big Business Agenda Exposed.  Despite all this anti-corporate rhetoric, the fact is that [Bernie] Sanders and [Hillary] Clinton will be the best friends big business could ever hope for, since their regulatory agenda will invariably help big, established businesses at the expense of small, entrepreneurial competitors.  That, after all, is their legacy in the banking and health care industries.  Both Sanders and Clinton are big boosters of the Dodd-Frank financial reform.  But a recent Harvard study found that the massive regulatory scheme that it imposed has hurt small community banks the most.

President Obama's mysterious trip to San Diego.  Those attending the Democratic National Committee fundraiser paid between $250 and $10,000.

Obama to party with Jamie Foxx at $10K a ticket fundraiser hosted by the DNC in Southern California.  President Barack Obama is reportedly hosting yet another big ticketed star-studded event in Southern California on Saturday, that will include entertainment from singer Jamie Foxx.  According to TMZ, the Democratic National Committee is throwing the ritzy $10,000 a ticket fundraiser in Pacific Palisades at a private home.  The original invitation to what is expected to be an all night affair, said that the musical guest had not yet been determined.

Planned Parenthood Got $528M In Tax Dollars, Paid Cecile Richards $523,000.  Planned Parenthood received $528 million in government health services grants and reimbursements or 41 percent of its total revenue for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2014 and gave its president, Cecile Richards, $523,000 in annual compensation.  "My annual compensation is $523,000 a year," Richards told House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).

Because they both care so much about the poor and unfortunate...
Michelle Obama Wears $2300 Dress To Greet Pope.  Politico reports that First Lady Michelle Obama, looking lovely and classy, greeted Pope Francis Tuesday while wearing a $2,290 dress.  While the Obamas are not Catholics, this is still a finger-in-the-eye to a White House guest who frequently speaks out — to wild Democrat applause — about the evils of excessive capitalism. [...] According to WorldVision, you can feed a child for just $35 a month.  Michelle Obama's dress would feed over 80 children for that month.  This choice obviously is contrary to the values of Pope Francis.  But the Obamas' religious values come from elsewhere, a divisive and disturbing place, not a charitable or unifying one.

Michelle Obama Wears $2300 Dress To Greet Pope.  Both President and Mrs. Obama are disciples of Jeremiah Wright, a racist Jew-hating Chicago-based preacher.  Not long after Obama ascended to the presidency, Wright, Obama's religious mentor for 20 years, retired to a $1 million, 10,400 square foot mansion located next to a country club and golf course.

Obama rubs elbows with Harry Reid's corporate welfare lobbyists.  The crowd cheered the President's toast to their taxpayer-provided profits, and soon Obama headed off to a $33,000-a-head fundraiser at the mansion of the billionaire owner of the local newspaper.  You, the taxpayer, paid for Obama's flight to Vegas.  This is what Hope and Change looks like seven years after Obama accepted the Democratic nomination.  Obama was the keynote speaker at the National Clean Energy Summit, an annual confab organized by outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid — which tells you a lot about the nature of the event.

Hillary Clinton plans to spend break from campaigning among 'ordinary Americans' in $50,000-a-week Hamptons home.  Her campaign has centered on her claim that she will be the champion of the middle class if she is elected to the White House.  So the average person will no doubt find it easy to relate to the beachfront mansion that Hillary Clinton is renting for her summer vacation in The Hamptons.  Exclusive pictures obtained by Daily Mail Online show what exactly the Democratic Presidential candidate is getting for her $100,000 — which covers just a two week rental.

Bill and Hillary Clinton spending $100K on Hamptons rental.  Following Hillary Clinton's recently announced plan to help the middle class, she and Bill are again renting a house in the Hamptons for the last two weeks in August for a rumored $100,000.  The Clintons are renting a four-bedroom home from Republican art collector Andre Nasser and his real estate guru wife, Lois, at 44 Broadview Road — a hidden cul-de-sac in Amagansett that boasts wealthy neighbors, including Harvey Weinstein.

Obama Leaving For Vacation But Troubles May Follow.  [Scroll down]  Reportedly staying at the same location they rented last year, the secluded 8,100 square foot estate boasts seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a pool, a hot tub and dual tennis/basketball court.  Zillow estimates the property at more than $13 million.

Obama's Martha's Vineyard Sojourn Four Times Longer Than Average American Vacation.  The Associated Press reported that the Obama family moved up the date of departure, extending their summer vacation to 17 days, more than four times the length of the average American vacation.  In fact, Obama's summer break is one day longer than the total amount of vacation time the average American worker is allotted for an entire year.  The first family will reside in the same $12 million mansion in Chilmark that they rented last year.  Positioned on 10 acres of land, the 8,100-square-foot home houses seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.  The estate is enhanced by a dual basketball/tennis court and an infinity pool.

Progressive liberals reveal their true character.  Liberal Democrats love to run for office wearing missionary robes.  They proclaim that they will help the poor, that they want the minimum wage raised, and that they want the sick, helpless, and elderly to receive money that they will take from the rich.  Republicans are not qualified to run government, Democrats say, since they are mean, selfish corporate types who want to do nothing but grab money from the working class and keep it to themselves.  Oh, really?  Look what Democrats do in Chicago, a crucible of Democratic rule.

Obama's big $1 million take in the Big Apple.  President Obama raised nearly $1 million for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and other Democrats' re-election efforts in Manhattan Friday night [7/17/2015] at the uptown home of a British shipping magnate.  The president headlined a Democratic National Committee "roundtable" with some 30 donors who paid $33,400 each to attend the event held at the east side four-story brownstone of George Logothetis and his wife Nitzia.  The event was closed to the press and the White House provided only a read-out of the name of the hosts and the amount each person paid to attend.

Hillary's coming out speech.  [Scroll down]  Lest anyone think Hillary has changed her mind since 1993, it's now clear that she is competing with Bernie Sanders for the office of socialist-in-chief.  Her speech at the New School for Social Research focused on the failings of capitalism. [...] Hillary hit all the right notes in her coming out speech on Monday, with appeals to working women, unions, illegal immigrants, the LGBT community, environmentalists, and other Democratic constituencies.  But underneath it all was a tired old vision of Big Government coming to the rescue of helpless citizens victimized by the rich.  That has been the orthodox progressive line in this country and elsewhere for over a century, and everywhere it has been tried it has failed.

Obama and daughters set to attend $33K a head private soirée on Manhattan's upper east side.  President Barack Obama's motorcade will bring Manhattan to a standstill tonight as he heads to the uptown home of a British shipping magnate for a $33,400-a-head fundraiser.  Obama and some 30 Democratic faithful will head to the luxury east side brownstone of 40-year-old George Logothetis and his wife Nitzia for the meet-and-greet that will boost Democratic Party funds by a cool million dollars Daily Mail Online has learned.  Logothetis, who comes from a wealthy Greek family, is a strong supporter of Obama's attempts to reform the nation's immigration rules to allow a path to citizenship for those who entered the country illegally.

Michelle Obama Arrives in London Wearing a $1,795 Designer Dress.  It's First Lady Michelle, the one that wears J. Crew and shops at Target just like all of us...

Obama's secret dinner with Hollywood moguls.  Tinseltown is emerging as a transparency-free zone for President Barack Obama, where for the second time he appears to have given his pool the slip to have a private, off-the-schedule dinner with movie moguls.  Deadline Hollywood reported that Obama dined at his Beverly Hills hotel Thursday night with Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and director Steven Spielberg.  White House spokesman Eric Schultz would only confirm that "the president did have dinner with two of his friends last night in Los Angeles," adding, "I believe they've been supporters of the president in the past."

Hillary Clinton's Hamptons Quandary.  For the past several summers, Bill and Hillary Clinton have done what New York City's moneyed residents have done for decades: They spent their vacation amid the prime beachside real estate of Long Island.  In 2011 and 2012, there was the eight-bedroom, 12,000-square-foot East Hampton rental with a heated pool that the couple took for part of August, the kind of house that typically goes for $200,000 per month, according to local real estate listings.  Then, in 2013, they opted for an equally pricey six-bedroom mansion in Sagaponack with a private pathway to the beach.  (Mrs. Clinton worked on her memoir, "Hard Choices," from a sunny office with an ocean view.)

Someone Tell the Pope: Environmentalism Crushes the Poor.  Yesterday [6/16/2015] the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity released a report that documents how the Obama administration's war on coal (and on cheap energy generally) has hurt poor and middle-class Americans.  While I can't vouch for the calculations, the report is an impressive piece of work, based on energy consumption and price data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, along with data from the Census Bureau and the Congressional Budget Office.  Energy costs consume a substantial portion of the budgets of lower-income Americans.  This simple chart tells the story:  while energy costs account for only 7% of expenditures by those who earn over $50,000 per year, those making less than $30,000 pay an astonishing 23% of their after-tax income for energy.

Bankroller of Democratic Voting Rights Cases? George Soros.  A Democratic legal fight against restrictive voting laws enacted in recent years by Republican-controlled state governments is being largely paid for by a single liberal benefactor:  the billionaire philanthropist George Soros.  Mr. Soros, the Hungarian-born investor whose first major involvement in American politics was a voter-mobilization drive in the 2004 presidential race, has yet to commit the many millions of dollars that Hillary Rodham Clinton's allies hope he and other like-minded billionaires will pour into the "super PAC" directly aiding her campaign.

40 Years of Democrats Saying How Much They Want to Get Money Out of Politics.  Democratic Party platform, 1992:  It's time to reform the campaign finance system, to get big money out of our politics and let the people back in.  We must limit overall campaign spending and limit the disproportionate and excessive role of PACs.  Jimmy Carter, accepting the Democratic nomination, July 1976:  Too often unholy, self-perpetuating alliances have been formed between money and politics, and the average citizen has been held at arm's length.

The Democrats: America's Poor Little Rich Party.  Something deep in the psyche of the Democratic Party prevents it from acknowledging that it, and its candidates, are awash in cash.

What is wrong with Democrats?  I see unions corrupt politics and teachers' unions protect their interests and the future of their pensions over protecting the future of our children we place in their care.  The work ethic is being eviscerated.  People who build things are derided by President Obama as having not built things or dismissed as "lottery winners."  Doctors do not heal, they are greedy people who yank out tonsils and lop off legs solely for profit — or so says the Democrats' leader, Barack Obama, and the Democrats who cheer him.  People who work in finance are "fat cats" and "one-percenters" who must be "toppled" — or so sayeth the one percent of one percenter, Hillary Clinton, probably the most hypocritical person in America.  Why do Democrats worship her?

Inside the war on coal.  Beyond Coal is the most extensive, expensive and effective campaign in the [Sierra] Club's 123-year history, and maybe the history of the environmental movement.  It's gone largely unnoticed amid the furor over the Keystone pipeline and President Barack Obama's efforts to regulate carbon, but it's helped retire more than one third of America's coal plants since its launch in 2010, one dull hearing at a time.  With a vast war chest donated by Michael Bloomberg, unlikely allies from the business world, and a strategy that relies more on economics than ecology, its team of nearly 200 litigators and organizers has won battles in the Midwestern and Appalachian coal belts, in the reddest of red states, in almost every state that burns coal.

The Green Behind California's Greens.  [Scroll down]  Since the deaths of HP's cofounders, their heirs have pushed the two foundations' philanthropy ever-leftward, and activist environmentalism is a prime beneficiary.  Under the direction of Packard's three daughters, the conservative Republican's philanthropic wealth has gone to the National Abortion Rights Action League Foundation, the Feminist Majority Foundation, and the very green Earth Action Network.  This liberal giving has prompted Packard's son, David, whose political views are closer to his father's, to withdraw his money from the foundation and form his own nonprofit, which gives to more traditional and nonpolitical causes.  In a signature moment in green giving, the Packard and Hewlett Foundations decided in 2007 to boost their spending on climate-change issues, funneling the money into a new, San Francisco-based nonprofit, ClimateWorks, led initially by the former head of environmental programs at Hewlett.  The Hewlett Foundation, according to the Columbia Journalism School report, agreed to put $500 million into ClimateWorks, with the Packard Foundation adding approximately $390 million since 2008.

New Clinton speech disclosures reveal foundation's take.  Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton brought in more than $12 million in speaking fees since 2002 that was donated directly to their family foundation, covering a a total of 97 speeches across the U.S. and around the world, according to data made public for the first time Thursday night [5/21/2015].  The new list of paid speeches gives a more complete financial picture of the Clintons' high-dollar public appearances.  A personal financial disclosure filed last week by Hillary Clinton shows that the couple made over $25 million in personal income on public speeches since the beginning of 2014.

By the Way, Bill and Hillary Have Banked More than $30 Million Since Last January.  She's running for president as a "topple the rich" champion of "everyday Americans," and he's just tryin' to pay the bills, y'all: [...] "The former President was even paid $175,000 for a speech in Miami where he appeared via satellite."  Hillary also made six figures for addressing a gathering she didn't physically attend.

Clintons report making $25M for speeches since Jan. '14.  Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton earned more than $25 million combined in speaking fees since January 2014, Fox News confirmed Friday [5/15/2015]. [...] Clinton has started her campaign for president by painting herself as a champion for the middle class.  However, Republicans have scrutinized her about the wealth she and Bill Clinton have amassed since she left the White House.  That includes their ability to command six-figure fees for delivering speeches and the finances behind the Clinton Foundation because of its acceptance of donations from foreign governments.

$1.3M loophole for Elizabeth Warren.  Federal law requires members of Congress and other federal officials to annually disclose their financial assets and liabilities, including mortgages.  In a form filed last week, Warren stated she and her husband, Bruce Mann, had no debt liabilities in 2014.  But according to a Middlesex South Registry of Deeds record, Bank of America holds a $1.3 million mortgage on the Cambridge home owned by Warren and Mann.  An aide for Warren said the amount represents a home equity line of credit, not a mortgage.

Dem. Congressman With Millions in Legal Bills Demands Pay Raise.  A Democratic congressman who still owes millions of dollars in legal bills racked up while fighting corruption allegations said on Monday [5/18/2015] that members of Congress need a raise in order to cope with the District of Columbia's rising cost of living.  Rep. Alcee Hastings (D., Fla.) said at a Monday Rules Committee hearing that members of Congress, who make an average of $174,000 per year, "aren't being paid properly."  "Members deserve to be paid, staff deserves to be paid and the cost of living here is causing serious problems for people who are not wealthy to serve in this institution," he said.  Observers scoffed at the comments, saying congressional pay and benefits are quite generous.

George Stephanopoulos' future — and $105M contract — in danger.  The "Good Morning America" and "This Week" anchor renewed his contract last year for $105 million, TV industry sources told The [New York] Post Monday [5/18/2015].  The seven-year deal — which dwarfs the five-year, $50 million contract scored by since-suspended NBC rival Brian Williams — was supposed to keep Stephanopoulos in front of ABC's cameras through 2021.  But now his credibility, and future, have been called into question since he admitted Friday that he had donated $75,000 to the Clinton Foundation since 2011, just as the presidential race gears up with Hillary Rodham Clinton the leading Democrat.

Obamas worth millions, disclosure forms reveal.  President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama's assets total somewhere between $1.9 million and $6.9 million, according to financial disclosure forms released Friday [5/15/2015] by the White House.  The bulk of the Obamas' wealth is invested in U.S. Treasury bills and notes, the total being estimated between $1.25 million and $5.25 million.

Obama Disapproves: 'Kids Start Going to Private Schools... Private Clubs'.  President Barack Obama told a gathering at Georgetown University on Tuesday that the problem isn't racial segregation, it's wealth segregation, manifested by "elites" who "are able to live together, away from folks who are not as wealthy."  "Kids start going to private schools," he said.  (Just as he did and his own kids do.) [...] Even before he was elected president, Obama campaigned on the promise of wealth redistribution.  Throughout his presidency Obama has been a champion of the middle class and an adversary of the wealthy.  When he called for tax hikes on the wealthy in September 2011, he insisted it was "not class warfare," but "fairness."

Barack and Michelle the Poverty Pimps.  Obama was never poor.  He lived a charmed and privileged life, including the photographed chapter where he was the spoiled and spiffy little darling of his well-heeled maternal grandparents.  Ditto for the woman he was later to make his wife.  Crying poor mouth by the Obamas has about as much validity as the rich-by-billions Clintons trying to get away with crying poor mouth.

Michelle Obama Needs To Get Over Herself.  [Scroll down]  I don't know who was far-fetched enough to say Mrs. Obama was "uppity."  I think it's perfectly normal to travel the world on the super-generous taxpayer's dime to places like Ireland and Africa, to the tune of approximately $10 million.  A date night in New York for $11,000?  Chump change and so truistic.  They probably ate at dumb, cheap places like Per Se or Le Bernardin and just drank water and nibbled on a bread basket, you know?  And it's totally not cronyism to hang out with Gwyneth Paltrow, Jamie Foxx, or George Clooney.  Those people are so pedestrian and dreary.  You know what baby mamas cannot do?  They cannot afford to purchase and wear designers like Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu.

Earth to Chuck Todd: George Soros Backs New 'Progressive Agenda' with $159 Million.  According to Rolling Stone, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio held a closed-door meeting at his mayoral residence on April 2, 2015, to create the Progressive version of the 1994 Republican "Contract with America."  De Blasio called his update the "Progressive Agenda" and its stated purpose was to address "income inequality" in the U.S. A dozen far-left leaders attended the closed-door meeting, including George Soros' son Jonathan Soros.  Jonathan claims to support removing money from politics, yet hypocritically serves on several boards at the Open Society Foundations (OSF).  OSF has given more than $550 million to liberal organizations.

Fidel's Millions and Streisand's Lawn.  The routine is as simple as it is ageless.  Divide people by class and race, convince the don't-haves that somehow they have been robbed by the haves — and when the don't-haves aren't looking, take every last dime you can get out of manipulating the system for yourself and your friends.  Then buy yourself an island off of Cuba, light up a good Cuban cigar, pour a glass of fine whiskey, and sit on the fan tail of your yacht and laugh.  Or if you're a rich liberal celebrity in Southern California?  Just turn on the sprinkler and let it rain.

Hillary Clinton the Populist Begins Courting the Plutocrats.  One of Hillary Clinton's biggest applause lines in her early days on the campaign trail has come when she talks about getting big money out of politics — even when she's talking to the big-money donors.  It's one of the paradoxes of a campaign that regularly employs populist rhetoric while courting plutocrats.  Clinton can't change the system unless she wins the election, a campaign official argued, and the only way to win the election is with the help of deep-pocketed allies.

Grifter Granny Clinton Favorite in Poll of Millionaires.  The party of old, rich white people.  Can you imagine the media reaction if a Republican candidate was the darling of millionaires?  We'd never hear the end of it.

Is Mr. Sanders going to speak about the wealthy Clintons?  The Clinton Foundation controversy is getting more controversial by the minute. [...] Yesterday [5/1/2015], Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he is running for president.  He spoke about millionaires and billionaires.  He attacked the Koch Brothers but did not mention the Soros group.  I hope that Mr. Sanders, and Mr. O'Malley, start talking about how the Clintons got rich over the last decade.  Otherwise, their attacks on the rich will be just pathetic class warfare!

Granny Clinton Ditches 'Common American' Ruse, Flies 1st-Class Back to DC.  She must have been seething to have to drag her baggage (and boy howdy, does this woman have baggage) through Logan Airport under the glare of television cameras and gazes of the average schlubs.  This woman has spent the better past of the past quarter century flying on Air Force One or private jets and now she has to lower herself to fly commercial.

Hillary Clinton Flies First Class Back to Washington.  With her first campaign trip drawing to a close, Hillary Clinton traded the Scooby road-trip van for a first-class airplane seat to make the trip back to Washington.  The Democratic presidential candidate flew from Boston's Logan Airport to Ronald Reagan National Airport on Tuesday night [4/21/2015], sitting in row one of the U.S. Airways' first-class section.

Hillary at meeting with economists: We need to "topple" the wealthiest one percent.  It takes a net worth of around $8 million to join "the one percent."  The Clintons' net worth is estimated at $55 million; Hillary alone got a cool $14 mil as an advance for her dismal memoir "Hard Choices."  The electorate's usually willing to let populists slide on their personal wealth — FDR is the ultimate example but John Edwards was a lefty heartthrob for a time as recently as 2008 — but I wonder if they'll be so forgiving for Hillary.

Demagoguery:
Wealthy Hillary Clinton Lambasting CEOs For High Pay is, Well, Rich.  Hillary Clinton apparently plans to base her presidential campaign on the noble goals of greater fairness and shared sacrifice.  She has already lambasted vast differences in compensation.  "The average CEO makes about 300 times what the average worker makes," Clinton warned.  She is right — but can best appreciate that fact from her own career and family.  Recently, Clinton has demanded up to $300,000 for brief 30-minute speeches.  She apparently believes in the free-market theory that on the lecture circuit, speakers — like CEOs — should be paid as much as the market can bear.  At UCLA recently, Clinton's fee worked out to about $165 per second.  In three minutes of autobiographical chitchat, Clinton pulled in more than the average full-time fast-food worker makes in a year.

Why are Democrats Talking about Income Inequality in the 7th Year of Obama?  Did you catch Senator Bernie Sanders on the Fox Sunday Show?  Or Governor Martin O'Malley on NPR?  It's a bit strange, but they are talking about the state of the middle class and the nation's inability to create good-paying jobs.  They say that the jobs are going overseas and that wages are under siege.  They say all of these things in the seventh year of "hope and change" and after six years of a U.S. Senate Democrat majority (2009-15).  Am I the only one who finds all of this a bit surprising?

No one is buying that Hillary is anything other than the candidate of Wall Street.  It was only a few short years ago that Democrats in high office were openly embracing the anarcho-communist, semi-criminal Occupy Wall Street movement.  There is no small amount of irony in the realization that the Democratic Party is today prepared to nominate a presidential candidate with a history of defending the interests of the financial classes.

Greens against the poor.  Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren and the whole gang of Democratic leaders claim that one of their highest priorities is to lift up the middle class and reduce the income gap between rich and poor.  That goal collides with what they admit is their very highest priority:  stopping climate change.  Their agenda is driven by the millionaire and billionaire Democratic donors who make the party possible.  But the agenda also involves making energy, home heating, transportation and just about everything else less efficient and more expensive to the middle class and poor.  The people who lose their jobs when the climate-change Stalinists prevail are the people at the bottom and the middle of the income ladder.  The billionaire club members don't seem to mind this collateral damage.

By one measure, Hillary earned more than America's top 10 CEOs.  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is drawing a populist bead on lavish Wall Street pay packages as she revs up her march to the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, but in some respects the fat-per-speech fee she can charge puts her far ahead of the top 10 highest-paid American CEOs.

Chipotle Manager: Hillary Clinton Didn't Leave Anything in Tip Jar.  "Her bill was $20 and some change, and they paid with $21 and left" without putting anything in a tip jar on the counter [4/12/2015], Charles Wright, the manager at the Maumee, Ohio, Chipotle restaurant told Bloomberg.

Hillary Has A History of Stiffing Waitresses, Hair Stylists.  While the revelation that Hillary Clinton failed to leave a tip during her stop at a Chipotle earlier this week fell flat — few customers tip at the fast-casual Mexican restaurant — a deeper look at the former First Lady's tipping habits shows she does have a history of stiffing people who depend on tips to make ends meet. [...] Clinton's tipping habits were put front-and-center on Wednesday [4/15/2015] when Bloomberg News reported that Clinton and her aide, Huma Abedin, did not leave money in a tip jar after ordering at a Chipotle in Maumee, Ohio.

MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry and Husband Owe IRS $70K in Delinquent Taxes.  According to The Winston-Salem Journal, Wake Forest University professor and MSNBC weekend host Melissa Harris-Perry and her husband James Perry owe the Internal Revenue Service $70,000 in delinquent taxes.  A notice filed this month in the Forsyth County Hall of Justice indicates the IRS has placed a lien on the Perrys.

'Middle Class Champion' Hillary Plans To Raise $2.5B.  You could feed a lot of 'hongry' childrens for $2.5 billion dollars.  (And who knows how much of this money will have ultimately come from her  slush fund  'foundation'?  So it could be taking the food right out of the mouths of the poor.)  And don't worry, in any case she will spend far more than she raises.  (As her last campaign did.)

A breakdown of every scandal swirling around Hillary.  [Scroll down]  Clinton will likely position herself as the champion of the middle class.  Yet in 2014, it was revealed that Clinton, who charges a minimum of $300,000 per speech, also had an extensive list of demands.  Most anyone who hires Hillary to speak must also provide a private jet — a $39 million Gulfstream G450 or better — and put her up in presidential suites.  Her standard agreement requires her presence for only 90 minutes, and 50 photos with 100 attendees — no more.  Hillary has defended her enormous speaking fees by saying she and Bill were "not only dead broke, but in debt" when they left the White House.  In 1999, Bill and Hillary bought their house in Chappaqua for $1.7 million, and in 2000 purchased a seven-bedroom in Washington, DC, for $2.85 million.

Woman with $14 million book advance attacks CEO pay.  [Scroll down]  First, she takes in six times the annual average household income per hour for her speeches, at $300,000 a pop.  It would only take her 50 speeches to get to the same 300x metric she decries here.  Furthermore, Hillary signed a deal in 2013 for a $14 million book advance for the memoir she released last year, which sold unimpressively for such a marquee advance.  On top of that, she'd already received an $8 million advance for her first memoir, "Living History."  That totals $22 million in advance of any work at all, or roughly 440 times what average American households gross in a year.  In the years since the Clintons left the White House, they've earned well over $100 million.  And unlike CEOs at that level, they don't employ many people, and don't produce anything except income for their own benefit.

Hillary Clinton's road from riches.  The economic gap between Hillary Rodham Clinton and an average, "everyday American" is wide enough to drive a Scooby van through.  On Monday [4/13/2015], the newly minted Democratic presidential front-runner had nearly completed her 1,000-mile journey from her mansion in Chappaqua, N.Y., to a first campaign event in Iowa, in the van her staff has likened to the rattletrap "Mystery Machine" from the 1960s cartoon "Scooby-Doo."  The trip was intended, in part, to rebrand the former secretary of state, a 67-year-old multimillionaire accustomed to private jets and presidential suites, as a warrior for the middle- and working classes.

Obama golfs with big money, oil moguls in Florida.  Obama was joined for his round of golf Sunday [3/29/2015] by Jim Crane, who owns the Floridian [National Golf Club].

Rain Dances in California.  On February 14, 2014, President Barack Obama arrived on Air Force One in Fresno, California, with Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein aboard. [...] Air Force One took off again from Fresno Airport, mission accomplished, heading toward a Palm Springs golf holiday in the super-irrigated Coachella Valley.  Obama met that evening with King Abdullah II of Jordan at Sunnylands, the legendary Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage, to discuss the Syrian crisis and then emerging ISIS threat.

Hillary, Obama, and the Democrats' Vices.  Since 1992, the Clintons have had exceptional, almost unparalleled political power.  From the point of view of most Americans, they've been wealthy.  But not super-wealthy.  In 1992, they listed their net worth at nearly $700,000.  Yes, they had to spend quite a bit of money on lawyers during their time at the White House.  But even before President Clinton gave his first post-presidential speech or signed his first book deal, he was going to get a pension of about $199,000 per year, plus a taxpayer-funded office, etc.  She was elected to the Senate, with a salary of $141,300.  Hillary Clinton famously declared she and her husband were "dead broke" when they left the White House; of course, around that time they bought a $2.35 million home in Chappaqua.  Between leaving the White House and beginning her Senate term she signed the $8 million book deal for "Living History"; years later, she got a $14 million advance for "Hard Choices."

On Ex-Im Bank, the Democrats Are the Real Corporate Shills.  The [Export-Import] Bank has been around for decades.  Its primary activity is to extend cheap loan guarantees and direct loans to foreign companies to buy U.S goods under the pretense of boosting exports and creating jobs.  Don't buy it.  Economists have shown that these kinds of export credit subsidies will never raise the overall level of trade.  The subsidies are also hurtful (PDF) since they simply redistribute wealth away from unsubsidized American firms, employees, and consumers and direct it toward a tiny number of beneficiaries.  And that is where Democrats have some explaining to do:  The bank's data show that it overwhelmingly benefits some of the biggest, most politically connected firms in America.

The First-Class, Five-Star Rev.  When he speaks at public colleges and universities, Al Sharpton flies first-class, stays in upscale hotels, travels to events in a chauffeured vehicle, and often brings a bodyguard or aide with him.  He makes these demands on taxpayer-funded institutions, despite owing as much as $4.5 million in unpaid taxes and penalties.  "In terms of travel, Rev. Sharpton travels first class on flights and will require a large black SUV for transportation and, if the trip requires lodging, he will require a suite in a four/five star hotel," wrote Sharpton's assistant, Abyssinia Tirfe, in an August 14, 2014, e-mail to Michigan State University (MSU) obtained by National Review.

Clinton has received $16 million in post-presidency benefits.  Former President Bill Clinton has received nearly $16 million in taxpayer funds since leaving the White House, covering everything from his pension to personnel to benefits — and renewing questions over how much taxpayers really should spend on ex-presidents who make millions after leaving office.  A new Politico report and analysis examined the payments since he left office in 2001, and claimed it amounts to more than any other ex-president has received.  Meanwhile, Politico points out, Clinton has a personal annual income that beats all the other living former presidents.

Won't you please not donate $1 million to Jeb Bush's campaign.  [T]his month the fundraisers for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush have a real problem: Too much money coming in.  So much money coming in that they're worried people may get the idea that these presidential candidates are somehow beholden to mega-donors.  You know, like Bill Clinton renting out the Lincoln Bedroom or Barack Obama making his finance chair a Cabinet secretary.  Money = access.  Big money = Big Access.

Awash in cash, Bush asks donors not to give more than $1 million — for now.  An unusual request has gone out to wealthy donors writing large checks to support former Florida governor Jeb Bush:  Please don't give more than $1 million right away.  The requested limit, confirmed by multiple people familiar with the amount, may mark the first time that a presidential hopeful has sought to hold off supporters from contributing too much money.  The move reflects concerns among Bush advisers that accepting massive sums from a handful of uber-rich supporters could fuel a perception that the former governor is in their debt.

The Editor says...
Almost everything else on this page refers to wealthy liberal Democrats, but for the article above an exception was made, since Jeb Bush (in my estimation) is about as liberal as a Republican presidential candidate could ever be.

Hillary Clinton's soapbox.  It's one thing when Hollywood stars dripping in couture get up on their soapboxes and make political statements at awards ceremonies, but quite another when an all but announced presidential candidate earning more for a speech than most Americans will in several years trumpets wage equality, when it already exists and she knows it.

The real Hillary Clinton.  If you want to know why Hillary Clinton thought she could get away with violating federal regulations in order to conceal her emails when she was secretary of state, take a look behind the facade.  Mrs. Clinton pretends to be a compassionate woman who cares about the little people and will champion the middle class if elected president.  The reality is that behind the scenes, she is abusive to those same people.

Democrats don't know how to tell environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyer to stop helping.  We all have one:  The well-meaning relative or friend who is perhaps so zealous in the pursuit of your best interests that they end up doing more harm than good in the process.  Despite their best intentions, they end up making a bad situation worse.  More often than not, you wish that they would just stop helping and, instead, maybe just write you a check.  For the Democrats, that's Tom Steyer.

Meet Hillary's Welfare Queens.  Sixty companies that lobbied the State Department between 2009 and 2013, while Hillary was secretary of state, donated more than $26 million to the Clinton Foundation over that time period.  At least 44 of the 60 participated in $3.2 billion worth of philanthropy projects by the Clinton Global Initiative, while at least 15 were part of Clinton-created public-private partnerships.  It's not clear that any of this was illegal and it's possible that some of this supported worthwhile projects.  But it illustrates the nexus between crony capitalism and modern American liberalism as we know it.

President Barack Obama Raises Money, Dines With Elon Musk In San Francisco.  During his visit to the Bay Area, President Barack Obama spent a night on the town Friday [2/13/2015], raising money and enjoying dinner in Presidio Heights with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Hillary's Million-Dollar Air Travel.  Hillary Clinton is, maybe not best know[n] for her utter destitution upon her husband leaving office in the early 2000s, but may be most recently known for her claim that she and Bill struggled desperately to make ends meet once they were relegated to only two homes and lucrative speaking tours that paid in the six figures per appearance.  It now seems that those hard times were even shorter than previously imagined.

Hillary Clinton Spent a [Lot] on Private Plane Fare for 2008 Campaign.  How much plane did Hillary Clinton do during the 2008 campaign?  According to documents from her campaign, she spent roughly $19.2 million on private, chartered flights around the country — more than nine times the amount her next competitor, noted rich person Mitt Romney, spent on private flights.  The National Review, which unearthed the documents, pointed out that the wild discrepancy between the two numbers was partially due to the length of their respective primary campaigns — Romney dropped out four months before Clinton did — but even then, Hillary still managed to spend $6.7 million on flights during that time, while Romney spent $2.2 million.

Why Obama's Tuition Proposal Got Torched.  To understand the backlash President Obama received after proposing to remove the tax exemption for college savings accounts, it's essential to recognize how closely it struck at the political heart of his own party.  Contrary to popular stereotypes, Democrats depend nearly as much on upper-class voters as Republicans do.  Democrats represent seven of the 10 wealthiest congressional districts in the country, and Obama also won those districts twice.

'Fruit Loop' Obama's Peculiar Priorities.  Barack Obama is a man who painstakingly sets his priorities.  Take, for instance, the recent funerals of two NYPD officers who were shot in the head by a radical Islamist thug as they sat in their parked police cruiser.  Sadly, the president was not able to attend either Officer Ramos's or Liu's funeral.  However, while the Big Apple was steeped in unbearable heartache, with a heavy heart about being otherwise committed and under much emotional duress, a greatly shaken Obama and the first lady did manage to soothe their grief with a $1,000-a-couple dinner at the swanky Hawaiian Vintage Cave.

Center for American Progress Donors Buy Clinton Access, Experts Say.  Supporters of an independent pro-Hillary Clinton Super PAC are pouring money into the Center for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank expected to be the ideological nerve center of a Clinton presidential campaign and, possibly, White House.  High-dollar Democratic donors that have publicly backed Clinton's long-expected presidential bid and donated funds to the effort featured prominently on donor lists released by CAP on Wednesday [1/21/2015].  Even before Hillary Clinton declares a presidential run, experts say, donations to CAP can serve as a means to influence its eventual policy platform and to gain access to Clinton's secretive and powerful inner circle.

Brian Williams Earns 350 Times More Than The Average TV News Anchor.  The perceived disparity between a company's CEO and its average worker has been a trope of the left and an obsession of the news media for decades.  The argument goes that a CEO's pay comes at the expense of rank-and-file workers, and fuels a level of animosity that necessitates a government response.  It is a canard that would be rightly ridiculed in any other sector of our society.  Television's top news anchor, NBC's Brian Williams, earns a reported $13 million a year to read the news.  His pay packet is 350 times the earnings of the average TV news anchor, reporter or correspondent, who pull in around $37,000 a year.  This disparity far surpasses the 150-1 ratio earned by the average CEO, according to Bloomberg.

U.S. Ambassador to France Jane Hartley is big fundraiser for President Obama.  Our woman in France got her job the old-fashioned way — raising boatloads of money for the president.  Ambassador to France Jane Hartley — the US's highest ranking representative at a rally in Paris on Sunday that brought out 40 world leaders — doesn't have much diplomatic experience, but put in plenty of time raising and bundling money for President Obama's campaigns.  Between 2007 and 2012, Hartley raised $2.2 million for Obama, the New York Times has reported.  She's also doled out plenty of cash from her own pockets to Democrats — including $54,000 in the 2014 campaign cycle, The Hill reported.

Liz Warren: Class Warrior With Heap Big Wampum.  Liberals hope that the populist-sounding Elizabeth Warren will run to the left of Hillary Clinton, whom they fear is now too rich and out of touch.  But Sen. Warren's financial records may dash their hopes.

Blue billionaires on top.  Democrats spent much of the 2014 campaign castigating Republican big money, but, it turns out, their side actually finished ahead among the biggest donors of 2014 — at least among those whose contributions were disclosed.  The 100 biggest donors of 2014 gave nearly $174 million to Democrats, compared to more than $140 million to Republicans, according to a POLITICO analysis of reports filed with the Federal Election Commission and Internal Revenue Service.

HHS execs living large, flying first class around the world.  Helping America's poor, aged and sick is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' reason for being, but hundreds of its top officials are traveling in style and luxury at taxpayer expense.  Records obtained by the Washington Examiner under the Freedom of Information Act show that HHS executives spent $31 million taking 7,000 first class and business class flights between 2009 and 2013, including 253 trips for which a one-way ticket cost more than $15,000.  Half the records listed the price of a coach ticket for comparison.  For that portion alone, the upgrade boosted the cost by almost $14 million, from $4.9 million to $18.5 million.

The Party of Snobbish Elites.  Snobbery's twin is hypocrisy.  For a liberal, when the poor waste money on $300 Air Jordans, such spending should not be criticized.  But for the middle class to supposedly squander cash on a shotgun or Jet Ski is gauche.  If an undocumented immigrant has seven children, it is not declared to be unwise family planning with the same disdain shown a Mormon blue-collar roofer with a comparably large family.

The Rich Liberals of Academe.  Beyond just being intellectual hypocrites wholly intolerant of thoughts or voices other than their own, there's something else college campus elites are:  rich.  Average total compensation for professors at elite schools is around a quarter million dollars a year, but that is just the starting point.  Books (it helps to assign your own textbook to students), outside lectures, and consulting fees not uncommonly double professorial salaries.  Consider MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber, whose consulting fees on Obamacare totaled into millions of dollars.  A drive through faculty parking lots at any major university in America is like taking a tour of luxury automotive dealerships.

Another night, another top restaurant: Obamas head to luxury Japanese eatery Nobu.  Just 24 hours after President Obama sat down for five-star dinner with the first lady, he was back in another renowned Hawaii restaurant for a luxury meal.  He took his family to Nobu, a Japanese restaurant inside the hip Waikiki Parc Hotel where meals cost around $180 per person.

Pearl Jam and lots of golf: Obama ends Hawaiian vacation.  It was Obama's sixth visit to Hawaii as President, and his routines on the island have become familiar to residents and his traveling entourage.  He prefers the beach at Bellows Air Force Station — which can easily be cordoned off to prevent any photographs of a body surfing President.  He's made annual visits to the collection of four-star kitchens near Waikiki:  Alan Wong's Morimoto and Nobu.  This year he added another restaurant to his repertoire:  Vintage Cave, a wine-and-dine club that charges $500,000 for a charter membership (one doesn't need to be a member to eat there).

Obamas drop $1K for meal at Hawaii restaurant that charges $500K for membership.  President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spent a leisurely couple hours at Vintage Cave Honolulu, dropping an estimated $1,000 on a meal with wine at an upscale restaurant that actually charges $500,000 for those who want to buy a membership.  Mr. Obama passed on the membership at the Vintage Cave Honolulu, but he did order the price-fix menu at $295 per plate, Mediate reported.  And, according to Honolulu Magazine, "the total bill for two, with wine, will approach $1,000."

Obamas welcome 2015 with $295-a-head dinner at Hawaii's most acclaimed restaurant.  The president and first lady treated themselves to a five star dinner on New Year's Day at renowned Honolulu, Hawaii, restaurant Vintage Cave, where a 15 course, prix fixe meal costs a cool $295 a person, wine pairings add another $130 a head and the total tab often nears $1,000 after taxes and tip.  Formally an Asian cuisine restaurant, Vintage Cave recently began serving contemporary French-American food after Jonathan Mizukami, of Napa Valley's The French Laundry fame, replaced the restaurant's founding executive chef, the Pacific Business News reports.  An example menu posted to YELP lists courses that include caviar, cabbage from Hirabara Farm, Jidori egg yolk, foie gras, King Crab, caramelized white chocolate and Candy Cap Cheesecake.

Hillary Clinton veers left in search of the Democratic base.  Hillary Clinton angrily condemned the bleakest results of Barack Obama's economy in a recent speech, but didn't dare say who was responsible for them.  "What would Robert Kennedy say about the fact that still, today, more than 16 million children live in poverty in the richest nation on earth," she said in an address to an elite, well-fed crowd in a Manhattan ballroom at an awards gala to honor the slain Democratic presidential candidate.

Obama Didn't Spread the Wealth, He Concentrated It, Pew Study Finds.  A Pew Research Center report released on Wednesday [12/17/2014] found that the gap in net worth between the country's wealthy and the middle class reached record highs in 2013 — the last year for which it has data.  According to Pew, which used data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, upper-income median net worth in 2013 was 6.6 times greater than the median net worth of middle-income families ($639,400 vs. $96,500).  That's up from 4.5 in 2007, the last year before the recession hit, and higher than it was in 2010, when the Obama recovery was just getting started.

US Commerce Secretary: Obama's Amnesty Will 'Help' Economy.  Commerce Secretary, Chicago native Penny Pritzker, penned an editorial in support of Obama's amnesty policy, claiming that the president's move would be a "source of economic opportunity" for the nation.  Pritzker, a Chicago socialite and heir to the Pritzker family fortune, began her piece equating the millions of legal immigrants in past decades to today's illegals and said that without past immigrants America would not have experienced the progress and prosperity it has realized.

Income Inequality Is Greatest In the Most Liberal States.  The list of worst-run states — compiled by the news site 24/7 Wall St. using things like pension funding, credit ratings, unemployment, poverty, crime and high school graduation rates — shows that three of the bottom five are liberal.  Illinois ranks dead last, followed by New Mexico, with Rhode Island coming in at No. 5.  At the other end of the spectrum, only one of the top 5 best-run states — Minnesota — is liberal.  North Dakota comes in first, followed by Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa.  Liberal states also show up, amazingly enough, as having the greatest levels of income inequality.

The secret list of requirements to get a Hillary speech (Not counting the $300K).  Hillary Clinton is going to have a real problem running for president as a woman of the people.  And the evidence mounts by the day.  First, you'll recall her hilarious claim of being "dead broke" upon leaving the rent-free White House in 2001 and confronting mortgages on two mansions.  We've all heard about her scores of strictly-controlled, quarter-million dollar speeches to every convention of scrap metal dealers and the like since jumping off the sinking S.S. Obama last year.  Now comes a most amazing compilation of regal needs and demands before the ex-first lady, ex-senator, ex-secretary of State will condescend to accept up to $10,000 per minute to address her countrymen.

Meet The Rich White Guy Who Is Running the Black Boycott of Capitalism.  There's a white, rich dude running the black boycott capitalism movement known as United Blackout.  His name is Michael Latt and he is the marketing director of United Blackout.  "Control how Black money is spent and you win the game," says United Blackout's campaign video.  And Latt seeks to deliver.

White House Thanksgiving; turkey, ham, 6 pies and more.  President Obama is spending a quiet Thanksgiving at the White House where the belly-stuffing menu featured all the holiday's basics.

Six pies on the Obamas' Thanksgiving menu.  Michelle Obama's campaign for healthier eating apparently has taken a holiday.  While schools across the country are offering skimpy lunches to comply with the first lady's initiative, the Obamas will be celebrating Thanksgiving with six pies.

Hillary's hummus.  When The Washington Post exposed Hillary Clinton's contract for a March speech at UCLA, the terms looked more like something a rock star might demand than something from a former senator and first lady.  Among the details Clinton negotiated were the color and style of the armchairs she would be sitting on, the plates of hummus and crudités she demanded and the number of photos she would be willing to pose for.  Oh, yes, she also told the school it would have to cough up a $300,000 speaking fee on top of all this to get her.  When a college representative asked if Mrs. Clinton would consider a discounted rate because it was a public university, her people quickly responded:  This was the discounted university rate.

Hillary Clinton charged $300k for UCLA speech, demanded crudité and diet ginger ale.  Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton charged $300,000 to speak to students and faculty at University of California Los Angeles in March, even after school officials tried to negotiate the deal.  According to new documents obtained by the Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act, the school asked for a reduced rate for public universities, but Mrs. Clinton's representatives said that $300,000 was the "special university rate."

America's Richest Counties 2014.  Want to live the good life? Move to Washington, D.C. Or, specifically, to its suburbs.  Six of America's 10 wealthiest counties lie within a stone's throw of the Beltway.  Plenty of lucrative jobs are available in tech contracting and other professional services, while other big sources of employment are local school systems and major federal agencies like the Department of Defense.

Obama's condescending stereotype of Mexicans.  It is unbelievable that the president of the United States would say something this elitist regarding the nation's largest minority group — and perhaps just as worse that it's gone virtually unreported. [...] Not all Mexicans do the type of work that Obama described, especially the ones who have been in the country for several generations and have gone to college.  This is just more of the same, sadly, to be expected from this arrogant president who jaunts around the world on luxury vacations, and whose favorite past time is golf, not charity and actually helping those less fortunate.

Wealth of Congress Jumps $150 Million.  Roll Call has for decades calculated the "50 Richest" members of Congress by poring through financial disclosure forms, and this year, we've taken the added step of tallying the minimum net worth of every member of Congress.  The combined minimum net worth of Congress jumped — up more than $150 million to $2.1 billion — according to a CQ Roll Call analysis of the financial disclosure forms for every member of Congress and delegate who filed one for 2013.

A $71,000 necklace for Michelle Obama from the queen of Brunei and a $10,000 falcon sculpture for Barack from Qatar.  The State Department reported Tuesday [11/11/2014] that the queen of Brunei gave Mrs Obama jewelry worth $71,468 in 2013.

Sharpton Guest Defends Hillary's Private-Jet Travel: 'American Royalty'.  Appearing on Al Sharpton's MSNBC show this evening [11/11/2014], [Chris] Witherspoon defended Hillary against an RNC email criticizing her for expensive private-jet travel billed to the campaigns of candidates for whom she made appearances.  Witherspoon generated this gem:  "they're the Clintons.  They're American royalty.  I don't want to see them flying on domestic Delta flights in first class.  I mean, they were flying on Air Force One for eight years.  How do you go from that to not staying on private jets and kind of having like that luxurious travel experience?"

Tailor: Obama prefers soft Italian fabric for his handmade suits.  In his new biography, Measure of a Man: From Auschwitz Survivor to Presidents, [Martin] Greenfield wrote that Obama aides brushed aside his request to measure the president and instead shipped him an old suit to copy.  "Martin Greenfield doesn't copy anybody's suits.  Everybody copies Martin Greenfield's suits," he said in the book provided to the Washington Examiner.

Democratic Candidates Spent At Least $700K To Fly In Clintons.  Bill and Hillary Clinton were the most sought after surrogates in the Democratic Party this year.  He campaigned for more than 47 candidates.  She for more than 26.  Supporters estimate that, together, the Clintons headlined 75 rallies and fundraisers — and logged roughly 50,000 miles jetting from state to state.  When the Clintons travel, they fly private.  This year, their airfare cost candidates at least $699,000, available state and federal campaign finance reports show.

U.S. Mid-Terms, Tom Steyer and the Death of 'Climate Change' As a Serious Political Issue.  [T]his is what is so good about the US mid-term results.  Not only did they personally cost Steyer many millions of dollars in wasted campaign expenditure — nearly $75 million of the funding for his Nextgen Climate superPAC came out of his own pocket [...] — but they represented the US electorate's comprehensive repudiation of the notion that "climate change" is the most pressing political issue of our age.

Tom Steyer, greens have rough night at the polls.  For Tom Steyer and other environmentalists, $85 million wasn't enough to help Democrats keep the Senate blue or win more than a single governor's mansion in Tuesday's toughest races.  The billionaire's super PAC and other green groups saw the vast majority of their favored candidates in the battleground states go down to defeat, despite spending an unprecedented amount of money to help climate-friendly Democrats in the midterm elections.

Democrat Billionaire Tom Steyer May Have Blown $74 Million on Elections.  Democrat hedge fund billionaire and global warming activist Tom Steyer spent $74 million on Tuesday's [11/4/2014] midterm elections, making him this election season's single-largest donor.  Almost $67 million of Steyer's campaign war chest was spent on his super PAC, NextGen Climate Action, reports Forbes.

Nancy Pelosi raises over $100 million.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has raised over $100 million for Democrats during this election cycle, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Monday [11/3/2014].  The California Democrat raised $101.3 million for her party, including $65.2 million raised directly for the DCCC — the campaign party arm for House Democrats.

Politicians live it up and have the lobbyists pay.  On any given weekend, lobbyists in Washington head for the airport to jet off to luxurious locations across the country.  Destinations include Napa Valley in California for wine tasting, Wyoming for fly fishing and any number of spas, golf courses, even exclusive hunting trips.  They are invited to these weekend retreats by members of Congress and their political action committees.  The cost of accepting the invite is a political donation of anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000.

Election Day looking like a referendum on competence.  The effect of the weakest recovery in two generations is reflected in President Obama's 13-point underwater ratings for his handling of the economy.  Moreover, here is a president who proclaims the reduction of inequality to be the great cause of his administration.  Yet it has radically worsened in his six years.  The 1 percent are doing splendidly in the Fed-fueled stock market, even as median income has fallen.

Grayson's Wife, Kids Now On Government Assistance.  The estranged wife and children of Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson have turned to government food stamps to support themselves, despite lawyers representing Grayson asserting that he provides them about $120,000 of assistance, WFTV 9 Orlando reports.  Grayson was named the 17th richest member of Congress this month by CQ Roll Call.

Likely Democrat Presidential Candidate Cozies Up to the Environmentalists.  As Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley considers a 2016 White House run, he's cozying up with groups key to positioning him as the anti-Hillary candidate.  The governor and billionaire Tom Steyer joined forces Wednesday night [10/22/2014] at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome in New Orleans to speak to thousands of architects, designers and central planners attending Greenbuild 2014, a conference for those interested in green living.  But the most important person in the audience for O'Malley was Steyer, the Democrats' new piggie bank.

Government Gold-Plating.  Just consider the following: the Speaker of the House currently receives an annual salary of $223,500, and will receive a payment of roughly that amount, depending on the years of service, for life.  An annual payment of this magnitude amounts to about five times the average annual wage in the United States.  But that's not all.  For those who have had different positions in Congress, their retirements can be augmented.  For example, Nancy Pelosi will not receive $223,500 for life, but roughly double that.  Why?  Because she is a member of Congress, currently the House of Representatives' Minority Leader, and a retired Speaker of the House.  For purposes of computing retirement pay, Congress adds and accumulates.  They do not net.

Obama Attends $32,400 Democratic Fundraiser As Ebola Hits NYC.  Obama's attendance at Rockefeller's $18 million palatial mansion marks the president's 62nd presidential fundraiser this year. Media were barred from Obama's one-percenter confab — the 28th such fundraiser wherein the "most transparent administration in history" blocked access to reporters.

Wealth of Congress Jumps $150 Million.  Roll Call has for decades calculated the "50 Richest" members of Congress by poring through financial disclosure forms, and this year, we've taken the added step of tallying the minimum net worth of every member of Congress.

Obama's Bully Tactics Force Campaign Donors to Give Secretly.  Democrats rail about the "secret money" flowing into political campaigns, alarmed that Americans are allowed to donate anonymously to political causes.  A recent front-page piece in The New York Times breathlessly reported that more than half of all campaign advertising was being funded by organizations that "disclose little or nothing about their donors."  They claim that such funds have "overwhelmingly benefited Republican candidates."  What they don't say is that Democrats are more than holding their own when it comes to shaking down wealthy contributors.

Party of the rich: In Congress, it's the Democrats.  In Congress, the wealthiest among us are more likely to be represented by a Democrat than a Republican.

Mary Landrieu: My Multimillion-Dollar Home Is Not a Mansion.  Democratic senator Mary Landrieu insists that her multimillion-dollar home in Washington, D.C., isn't a mansion.  At a campaign event in Bogalusa, La., this weekend, Landrieu called a woman up on stage to explain that the 7,300 square-foot house doesn't qualify as a mansion, and then interrupted the woman to add that she lives next to the cleaners and her home is only 36 feet wide.  "They say I live in a mansion," Landrieu said.  "It's a townhome, which I also have a home in New Orleans."  Landrieu reportedly lives in a 7,316 square-foot house in D.C. that boasts five bathrooms, four water heaters, and 82 fire sprinkler heads.  She claimed this $2.5 million residence as her address on her statement of candidacy, but listed her parents' address in New Orleans when she was qualifying for the ballot.

Top Dem Super PAC Gets Big Boost from Soros, Spielberg, Democracy Alliance.  The Democratic Party's top super PAC disclosed more than $9.2 million in September contributions on Monday [10/20/2014], listing a who's who of wealthy liberal donors, many associated with the secretive Democracy Alliance donor network.  New York City businessman Ian Cumming — who "was awarded the largest bonus for any CEO of a publicly traded company in New York" in 2012, according to Crain's — and a company called HFNWA LLC donated $1 million each.  It is not entirely clear what that company does, but it appears to be affiliated with Franklin Haney, a Democratic mega-donor who was accused of campaign finance violations in the 1990s.

Energy trade group, green bosses rake in green.  It pays to be a top dog in the energy and environment business — even in the nonprofit arena.  Big bosses at some of the most influential environmental nonprofits and energy trade associations are making comfortable salaries — from hundreds of thousands of dollars to several million per year — and many have racked up sizable raises recently.

White House caught tweaking official Obama transcript.  Usually, this White House is mopping up verbal messes left by its vice president.  But the latest wrinkle came in a bid to protect the president from his own mouth.  It occurred Monday evening [10/20/2014] at a South Side Chicago fundraiser for about 50 supporters who shelled out $10G's apiece to meet him in a private home not far from Obama's own Hyde Park residence.  Obama rarely returns to the Windy City anymore for anything but political money harvests.

Sen. Reid Won't Say Whether Americans Should Be Forcibly Barred From Asking Him a Question.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) did not respond to repeated questions from CNSNews.com about whether American citizens who try to ask him a question in the Capitol hallway should be physically barred from doing so by Capitol Police — as happened recently when reporter Jason Mattera introduced himself, shook Reid's hand, and asked him a question about how he became a millionaire on a government salary.

Hillary Hypocrisy Talks About Student Debt, Hits UNLV Foundation For $225K Speaking Fee.  Despite objections from a student body which faces the burden of 17% tuition hikes during the next four years, probable Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton spoke to the UNLV foundation Monday night [10/13/2014], drawing a speaking fee of $225,000.  Ironically, in her speech, she opined that more needs to be done to assure young people can achieve their dreams and free students from debt.  Ms Clinton delivered her remarks to a crowd of about 900 people gathered in a Bellagio resort ballroom for the annual UNLV Foundation dinner benefiting the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

It Cost $50,000 To Fly The Clintons To Iowa Steak Fry.  An annual steak fry held by retiring Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin forked out $50,000 to fly Bill and Hillary Clinton to the state last month to headline the event.  Bloomberg Politics discovered the line-item tucked into the Harkin Steak Fry 2014 committee's campaign finance disclosures.

From Comedy to Farce.  No president in recent memory has so hectored the American people on the dangers of elites, and no president in the last half-century has so enjoyed the perks and culture of the elite.  Unfortunately, this is not just mindless hypocrisy, but rather calibrated medieval exemption:  the more Barack Obama berates the high life of others, the more he feels he deserves it for himself.

Concierge Service for Obama Donors at the Department of Homeland Security.  That's the state of liberalism in the Obama era:  the President gets paid by some billionaires to say mean things about other billionaires.  Some are looted so that others can be subsidized.  Political connections are the most valuable resource in a controlled economy.

It's more expensive to live in D.C. than New York, study says.  The Washington region ranks as the most expensive place to live in the country, ahead of the pricey markets of New York and San Francisco, according to a government study.  The surprising statistic comes from a Bureau of Labor Statistics report that shows that — on average — Washingtonians spend more on housing and related expenses (utilities, furnishings and equipment) than New Yorkers and San Franciscans.

Not a Parody: Obama Fundraises with Rich Guy Named Rich Richman.  A terrible slaughter is coming in the Middle East, Ebola virus has invaded our shores, and President Obama is in the affluent Manhattan suburb of Greenwich, Conn., for a Democratic fundraiser at a $16 million estate owned by a rich guy whose actual name is Rich Richman.

Obama meets with rich Democratic donors, warns about 'interests of billionaires'.  President Obama raised money Tuesday [10/7/2014] from wealthy Democrats who have benefited from his policies and warned supporters in an email that if Republicans win both houses of Congress in the midterm elections, "the interests of billionaires will come before the needs of the middle class."  Mr. Obama attended private fundraisers in New York City and in Greenwich, Connecticut.  At the first event, about 25 donors paid up to $32,400 each to attend a closed-door discussion with the president.  The events brought to 56 the total number of Democratic fundraisers that Mr. Obama has attended this year.

In a week of crisis, Obama focuses on fundraising, gourmet meals, elite schmoozing.  Kicking off a week of travel to raise political money, yesterday [10/6/2014] President Obama pushed "immigration reform" at a $10,000 a plate fundraiser held at a restaurant belonging to celebrity chef Jose Andres.

Latte liberals, literally.  Remember those early mornings back in high school, waiting in the limo line, craving an organic vanilla apricot soy latte from your favorite artisanal coffeesmith, and thinking about how great it was to be a member of America's upper crust?  Those were the days.  Sidwell Friends, the elite D.C. private school where the Obamas send their kids, is hiring a barista to "prepare smoothies and espresso drinks" for children who are too rich to fail.  The position, which pays $125,000 a year*, could be a great opportunity for a young person suffering under the failed Obama economy.  Realistically, it will probably go to a former student who recently moved back in with his political consultant parents to pursue his dream of writing a Catcher in the Rye for the digital age.

Obama Heads Home — Without Family — for Night.  President Obama has arrived in Chicago, where he'll spend the night before two public events in his hometown.  The president did not travel with his family.  He's now dining out with top adviser Valerie Jarrett and various friends, according to the White House pool report.  They're at the steak house RPM Steak, where a nice cut can cost up tp $155, according to the restaurant's website.

What's Michelle Obama really campaigning for?  There's much more to come in the 31 remaining days.  The cover story is both Obamas are dutifully trying to help Democrats.  Because of his own unpopularity and that of his programs and scandals, the president's not being invited to do the hands-in-the-air joint campaign appearances that Mrs. Obama has.  He's bent on fundraisers, usually high-priced events ($32,400 on up to $100,000 per person) tacked on to to some official presidential appearance to help split the travel costs of Air Force One.

The anti-Mary Landrieu ad that is catching fire.  Republican Louisiana State Sen. Elbert Guillory in an ad this week savaged vulnerable incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., for living a life of luxury while many African-Americans in the Pelican State live in poverty.

Who Are You Calling the Party of the Rich?  One in four working-age Americans is out of a job.  Wages have stagnated.  Debt is off the charts.  Obamacare has increased the cost of health insurance.  Immigration reform is no longer popular.  Inequality, supposedly the holy grail of Democrats, has increased on Obama's watch.

Protect the Poor — From Climate Change Policies.  In a more rational, moral, compassionate, scientifically literate world, this Cornwall declaration would not be needed.  It assesses the "far-reaching, costly policies" that the world's governments are adopting, supposedly to prevent global warming and climate change.  It calls on governments to focus instead on protecting the poor, who desperately need the affordable energy that those policies circumscribe.

Obama Tells Fundraiser Islamic Terror Fight Not as Big of an 'Existential Threat' as Cold War.  Obama left the Waldorf Astoria hotel in the early evening [9/23/2014] to head over to a private home at West 90th and Central Park West for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee event, which was attended by DSCC Chairman Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. [...] That 40-minute meeting at the Waldorf included King Abdullah of Jordan, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.

Why Won't Democrats Talk About Obama's Fundraising?  Last week, President Obama headlined a $100,000-a-plate fundraiser at the swank Jefferson Hotel in downtown Washington on behalf of the Democratic Party's Senate campaign arm.  The ticket price was high — even by modern standards.  But beyond that, there was almost no information to be found about it.

Democrats Unfazed.  Obama hasn't lost one single billionaire donor.  They are holding firm.  It is only independents who are running away from the Democrat disaster — citing Obama's record on terrorism, foreign policy, immigration, the economy, and health care.  The puzzle is that 84% of Democrat voters are completely unfazed.

De Blasio has sent 1,412 homeless packing.  Mayor de Blasio has sent 1,412 homeless people packing since taking office in January — keeping pace with Mayor Bloomberg's bum-banishment program despite lambasting his Republican predecessor's homeless policies.  Liberal advocates for homeless New Yorkers slammed de Blasio for ignoring his own "Tale of Two Cities" campaign rhetoric to "push poor people out of the city."  "This is ridiculous," said Luis Tejada, former head of the Mirabal Sisters Cultural and Community Center in West Harlem.  "I worked for [de Blasio's] campaign.  We expected more from him.  This is a big surprise."

How Democrats Use the Minimum Wage Issue To Exploit The Poor.  The Democrat Party of the U.S. has gained and kept political power by portraying themselves to the masses of people as the only political party that cares about the working middle class and the vulnerable poor.  You need us, Democrats love to say at every election cycle, to help you achieve a better life.  And as the November election nears, they are once again bringing up the minimum wage issue.  Their position is that the Republicans are too insensitive to the needs of the poor to raise the minimum wage.  Voters must elect Democrats in order to see a minimum pay raise.  But at some point American voters, particularly the working middle class and poor, may begin to wonder whether or not Democrats are incompetent or something else is at play.

Top campaign donors mostly live in California, New York.  Labor Day weekend is over, which means one thing to political junkies:  The fall campaign season kicks into high gear.  Specifically, candidates and committees tap into all that cash they've raised over the last two years to inundate the airwaves with advertising for the final two-month stretch (yes, even more than they already have).

Obama Explains to the Very Rich.  At a fundraiser in the home of an occasional Obama golf partner and former president of UBS Investment Bank, Obama spoke before an audience paying $15,000 a couple to bask in his aura.  Let me tell you about the very rich.  They are different from you and me.  They want to hear more Obama, and they can afford his policies.

Landrieu claims parents' home as her own, raising questions of Louisiana residency.  In Washington, Sen. Mary Landrieu lives in a stately, $2.5 million brick manse she and her husband built on Capitol Hill.

5 Liberal Mega-Donors Nearly as Dangerous as George Soros.  As the 2014 midterm elections approached, the media were quick to criticize conservative donors like the Koch brothers for backing issues important to them.  But journalists largely ignored the incredible financial power being used to promote the liberal agenda.  Five top donors — Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Pierre Omidyar, Tom Steyer and George Soros's own son, Jonathan — are major funders of the left.  Together, they have contributed at least $2.7 billion since 2000 to groups pushing abortion, gun control, climate change alarmism and liberal candidates.  That's not how major media depicted them.  Broadcast networks applauded when billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer promised $100 million to influence environmental policy.  CBS News praised Steyer for "giving back" and ABC News called the billionaire an "everyman."

Bill Clinton Now Enjoys $1,000 Cigars.  Bill Clinton enjoys a Gurkha cigar, "the Rolls Royce of the cigar industry."  He "loves the Gurkhas," Gurkha chief executive officer Kaizad Hansotia, maker of the HMR cigar, which stands for His Majesty's Reserve.  It is, according to Hansotia, "the world's most expensive cigar."  One box is $25,000 — and the price will rise next year to $30,000.  "The cigars are close to $1,000 each," says the cigar boss to Bloomberg.

Kansas Democrat Senate candidate Dave Domina got rich — very, very rich — while "looking out for the little guy".  Democratic Senate nominee Dave Domina bills himself as a champion of the little guy, but his financial disclosure shows he is fabulously wealthy.  Domina is one of the most prominent trial lawyers in the state and worth between $20 million and $82 million, according to the financial disclosure forms he submitted to the secretary of the U.S. Senate. [...] He would rank 19th on Roll Call's list of the 50 richest members of Congress.

Fundraising, Or Hate Speech?  What is the point of being in power if you can't help your friends and screw your enemies?  That is the Democratic philosophy.  Thus, the Democrats hand out massive tax breaks, subsidies and mandates to their "green energy" supporters like Tom Steyer, who in turn pledge tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions to help the Democrats maintain control of Congress.  So they can continue to subsidize the businesses that make Steyer a billionaire.  Same thing with Wall Street, which supports the Democratic Party almost monolithically.  And, of course, while both parties use cash to "buy control of Congress" — i.e., try to persuade voters by putting ads on television — the Democrats always have more money to "buy control of Congress" than the Republicans.

For Hillary Clinton, Nothing Less Than A Gulfstream G450 Will Do.  Wherever Hillary Clinton is going, she needs at least a Gulfstream G450 to get there.  The once nearly "dead broke" former First Lady now makes steep demands when she gives speeches to corporations, groups and universities, according to emails between Clinton's agent and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where Clinton will earn $225,000 for a 90-minute speech in October.

Hillary Clinton requires 'presidential suite,' stenographer for speaking engagements, report says.  Hillary Clinton has not yet announced whether she will be running for president in 2016, but a new report suggests that she has a taste for luxury to match any world leader.  The Las Vegas Review-Journal obtained Clinton's contract and related documents related to a scheduled October 13 speech at a University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Foundation fundraiser.  The documents show that Clinton received $225,000 to speak at the fundraiser, a discount from her initial $300,000 asking price.  But the fee was only the first of Clinton's many stipulations.

10 Things You'd Have to Offer Hillary Clinton In Order to Have Her Speak at Your Event.  [#10] A speaking fee of between $225,000 and $300,000, depending upon the situation. [...] [#7] A TelePrompter.  [#6] A stenographer.  [#5] Meals and incidentals for Clinton, her travel aides and advance staff, as well as all phone charges.

Too rich for her own blood.  Numerous reports have revealed that top Democratic 2016 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is living a lavish, over-the-top affluent lifestyle befitting — you guessed it — a mean old One-Percenter.  She and her fellow Democrats pretend they're the party of the poor, the "hammered" middle class — the 99 percent.  Well sorry, Hillary, but average Americans don't vacation in the Hamptons in $18 million homes, fly private jets, get paid more than $200,000 a pop for speeches or stay in presidential suites while traveling.

Landrieu to reimburse taxpayers for private charter flight to fundraiser that may have broken federal law.  When you're in a tight race, it's never good to be billing the good people of Louisiana, many of whom will never see the inside of a chartered plane, $6,000 for your cushy seat and in-flight mimosa in an election year.

Nancy Pelosi Spearheads $1B Project Aiding Left-wing Mega Donor Tom Steyer; Networks Ignore.  A new report suggested that liberal billionaire Tom Steyer's hedge fund profited from a $1 billion San Francisco light rail project pushed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.  Steyer was also a big supporter of Pelosi.  Despite being quick to criticize conservative political donors, the morning and evening news shows on ABC, CBS and NBC have all ignored the allegation since the Washington Free Beacon broke the story Aug. 12.

Is Nancy Pelosi About to Break Campaign Fundraising Law?  According to Politico, Nancy Pelosi is holding a meeting in Napa Valley with a number of distressed Democrats.  Heavyweights like Google's Eric Schmidt are also on hand, along with billionaire leftist Tom Steyer.  If they were Republicans, Democrats would accuse Schmidt and Steyer of trying to buy elections. [...] House Majority PAC's presence is problematic.  As a super PAC, the Democrats are legally forbidden from coordinating with them.

Mission Bay Maps.  Brilliant work by Lachlan Markay at the Washington Free Beacon that highlights the corruption of D.C. and the ruling elites, especially the hypocrites in the Democrat Party.  I decided to excerpt some key graphs and illustrate just how diabolical these mega-wealthy oligarchs are, gorging on borrowed money as the federal government sinks into bankruptcy.

Obama Donor Sells Internship for Five Figures.  [Film studio executive Harvey] Weinstein is a major Democratic donor, giving thousands to Democratic candidates across the country during the 2012 election cycle, including $5,000 to President Barack Obama.  Weinstein also hosted a $35,800 a plate fundraiser for the president.  The fundraiser netted the president $2.3 million.

Obamas and Clintons Will Party Together on Martha's Vineyard.  President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton are apparently in the mood to party.  The foursome is expected to attend an event at the Farm Neck Golf Club on Martha's Vineyard this Wednesday [8/13/2014].  The Obamas are renting a vacation home on the island while the Clintons have landed in the Hamptons for some R&R.

[The] Bidens [are] in [the] Hamptons to Begin [their] Third Vacation in [a] Month.  The Hamptons are in Long Island.  Last week the Bidens were in Wyoming for another vacation.  "It's summer vacation time for the vice president," USA Today reported on August 7.  "Joe Biden and wife Jill began some time off Thursday in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, his office said, and will be there through Monday."  The week before that one, the Bidens vacationed in Rehoboth Beach.

Dems stand for poor, vacation like the wealthy.  The Obamas and Clintons sure know how to summer!  And you have to hand it to them, they aren't letting their position as standard-bearers of the party committed to end income equality get in the way.  While the president and his family enjoy a lavish getaway in tony Martha's Vineyard, the woman who wants his job is also indulging in a glitzy summer vacay.  Hillary and Bill Clinton spared no expense for their digs in the Hamptons — shelling out a cool $100G for a three-week stay in one of America's most exclusive summer destinations.

Obama claims US is 'stronger' than 'when I first came into office' as economy weakens, debt soars.  President Barack Obama claimed Monday night [8/11/2014] during a Democratic Party fundraising dinner that the United States is 'stronger' than it was when he assumed office in January 2009. [...] 'In all sorts of ways,' Obama told Democratic partisans who paid between $15,000 to $32,400 to hear him speak, 'we are not just stronger than when we — where we were when I first came into office.'

No Matter What Happens, Politicians Will Live Very Well.  For readers who perhaps missed it, an African economic summit that included a talk by President Obama was held in Washington, D.C. last week.  As one would expect, leaders of the 54 African nations were in attendance.  And if the Four Seasons lobby was at all indicative, many of the African leaders booked rooms for themselves and their staffs at some of D.C.'s finest hotels.  The scene in the lobby was perhaps more notable mainly because Africa is a tragically poor continent.

The Clintons downsize their summer home to pay $100,000 on $18m Hamptons property after 'dead broke' gaffe.  The Clintons are 'downsizing' their summer home to a simple, $18million house in the pretty Hamptons hamlet of Amagansett. [...] Sources tell MailOnline they are paying $100,000 for their three-week stay — saving $100,000 from last year's luxury rental in Sagaponack.

Fundraiser in chief breaks 400 donor events, while on vacation.  Vacationing President Obama is hosting his 401st fundraiser Monday night [8/11/2014] on Martha's Vineyard, Mass., continuing his record-setting pace that has had him collecting checks from donors at events on average every five days since becoming president.

Press Shunned from Obama's 400th Fundraiser Charged to Taxpayers.  As we celebrate President Barack Obama's 400th fundraiser since taking office five-and-a-half years ago, it should be noted that of all the thousands of people who have attended, one group has been barred from ever entering the events:  The press.  Now, fundraisers can be a dicey place for the media to be.  You (almost) never know what kinds of things are said in what is supposed to be behind closed doors — just ask Mitt Romney.  To that end, our current president — who greatly benefited from that infamous Romney recording — has barred the press from all fundraising events.  No pictures, no recordings, and no questions asked of the richest one-percent in the room paying for exclusive access to the most powerful person in the world.  And of course, no questions for the president, either.

No 'DREAMers' in Dem Disneyland.  The Vineyard is the dream destination of every carbon footprint-obsessed Democrat billionaire with his own private jet — an island, four miles out into the ocean, far, far removed from the foul breath of the plebeians.  Martha's Vineyard — the ultimate gated community.  Every imaginable amenity is at Obama's beck and call, except one.  There are no "DREAMERS" on Martha's Vineyard.  Oh sure, a handful of illegals may be lurking about the local resort spas, but the island has largely avoided, well, integration.  It's astounding, this lack of diversity, because we all know how sincerely Barack and his pals cherish the migrant urchins, who are "fundamentally transforming" America.

Inside Obama's Vineyard vacation rental.  The Obamas will unwind at a nearly $12 million property that features a seven-bedroom house along Vineyard Sound.  The home, on Gosnold's Way, is in a more secluded spot than the South Road house the first family rented last year, a location that caused traffic headaches.  This summer's 8,100-square-foot rental home has sweeping views of the Elizabeth Islands, a combination basketball and tennis court and an infinity pool, but is not located on a swimming beach.

Fair share: Al Sharpton and his organizations owe $4.7 million in unpaid taxes.  Sharpton [...] insists the actual sum he owes is "significantly less" than public records indicate, and that the debts are "being paid down."  The MSNBC host is, naturally, an ardent advocate for raising taxes on "the rich."

Robert Reich Sticks It To Poor People With $242,613 Salary For Teaching One Class This Semester.  Robert Reich, who served as U.S. secretary of labor for four years under Bill Clinton, is currently a public policy professor at the University of California, Berkeley.  The ultra-progressive economist — inasmuch as a mere law school graduate can be an economist — raked in an impressive income of $242,613 from the taxpayer-funded school in 2013, according to EAGnews.org.  For that sweet salary of $20,217 per month, Reich is slated to teach exactly one course this fall.

Senators spent $1 million on charter flights last year.  Last summer, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., embarked on what his office trumpeted as a four-day, 1,000-mile trip across his state, with press releases noting he "woke up early to hit the road," making stops at a minor league ballpark, a craft brewery and a Roanoke rail yard, among others.  But for several hundred of those miles, Warner was not hitting the road — he was flying a chartered plane at a cost to taxpayers of $8,500.  Warner was one of two dozen U.S. senators who flew taxpayer-funded charter airplanes to, from or around their home state last year at a total cost of just under $1 million, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Senate spending records compiled by the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation.

Secretive far left network uncovered.  Mediatracker, a website that tracks media stories and works for transparency in government, has uncovered a heretofore unknowm group made up of some of the most powerful and influential leftists in the country. [...] Like Journolist, the advantage of a group like this is that talking points and political attacks can be highly coordinated.  Most of the biggies on this list are frequent media guests, and being able to closely coordinate responses to news of the days amplifies the message.

$5 million, $50 million or even more — just how rich is Hillary Clinton?  Ever since Hillary Clinton drew attention to her finances by claiming her family was "dead broke" when they left the White House, speculation has focused on a seemingly simple question: Exactly how rich are the Clintons? [...] In 2010, then-Secretary Clinton's financial disclosures revealed a net worth totaling between roughly $10 and $50 million.  In 2012, the last year for which she disclosed finances, Clinton's net worth was estimated to be between $5 million and $25 million.

Senate Report Ties Soros Group to 'Billionaire's Club' Dictating EPA Actions.  An "elite group of left wing millionaires and billionaires" fund "the far-left environmental movement, which in turn controls major policy decisions," according to a U.S. Senate report released on July 30.  The report singled out, among other groups, the secretive Democracy Alliance, a group founded in part by liberal billionaire George Soros.  The report stated that "DA flouts transparency and public participation as the group emphasizes secrecy in all its operations."  It also said that the influence of the DA and groups like it could be traced through other liberal groups to environmental regulations mandated by the EPA.

Obama, Clinton could collide on Vineyard.  President Obama and Hillary Clinton will both be on Martha's Vineyard next month at the same time, The Boston Globe reports. [...] The trip by Clinton overlaps with Obama's Aug. 9-23 vacation at Martha's Vineyard.

Want A Real Anti-Poverty Plan? Stop Amnesty!  While cynical politicians prattle on about protecting the American Dream, they're working together to destroy it.  If these elected officials care so much about reducing poverty, why are they working so hard to import more of it from around the world?  Leaders in both political parties have thrown struggling Americans under the bus to feed the cheap illegal alien labor machine.  The working poor are the biggest losers in D.C.'s amnesty game.

Report: US, Foreign Elites Pay Greens To Push EPA Policies.  Environmental organizations are often portrayed as homegrown groups fighting back against the tide of corporate boogeymen like Big Business or Big Oil.  But this is not the case, according to a new congressional report.  A report by Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee says environmentalists are being backed by "an elite group of left-wing millionaires and billionaires."  This "Billionaire's Club" funnels money to environmental groups who then lobby on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency to help promote its agenda, in return, getting access to generous tax write-offs and federal funding.

What is Obama Hiding at His Wealthy Donor Fundraisers?  A common complaint about George W. Bush's second term is that he was "insulated" and cut off from the outside world, and increasingly so from what he perceived to be a hostile press.  This alleged isolation caused many liberal commentators to begin to derisively refer to President Bush as a "Bubble Boy."  It has taken considerably longer for the press to openly criticize Obama for the same tendencies given their largely shared ideological heritage but finally the Press is starting to carp openly about Obama's refusal to allow them basic access to Presidential events.

Michael Moore's class act.  The marriage was officially ended this week.  But in the process of securing their divorce, Moore and Glynn's filings have again confirmed that the filmmaker who styles himself a champion of the working class has wealth that would be the envy of many a Wall Street banker.  For all his proletarian pretenses, Moore is worth nearly $50 million, and doesn't seem to mind owning all this wealth.

Report: Obama Fundraiser Admission Price Slashed 80%.  A donor who attended one of two events at which the president spoke told the [San Francisco] Chronicle on condition of anonymity that he paid $5,000 instead of the initially-requested $25,000 donation to sit down with POTUS.  The event took place at the Four Seasons Hotel located on Market Street.

Between high end fund raisers, Obama talks middle class issues.  On Wednesday evening [7/23/2014], Obama appeared at a fundraiser at the Hancock Park home of television impresario Shonda Rhimes, creator of the hit ABC show "Scandal."  About 450 supporters there contributed up to $32,400 each to the Democratic National Committee.

Joining fundraising spree, first lady asks for 'biggest, fattest' checks.  First lady Michelle Obama jumped into the White House fundraising spree on Thursday [7/24/2014], prodding supporters in Chicago to hand over the maximum campaign contribution in an attempt to shore up Democrats' chances in upcoming midterm elections.

Michelle Obama says money in politics is bad, asks donors for 'big, fat check'.  First lady Michelle Obama on Thursday night [7/24/2014] urged Democrats to "dig deep" into their pockets and "write a big fat check" before the midterm elections, but minutes later complained of too much money in politics.

Democrats have no problem with people cutting them the 'biggest, fattest checks,'.  Michelle Obama spoke at the event, which cost between $500 and $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per couple, for maybe 20 minutes.  The first lady's fundraising plea is especially rich considering it comes at a time when Democratic lawmakers have complained often and loudly about the negative influences of money in politics.

Michael Moore's lavish property empire is revealed in court documents.  The lavish wealth of underdog-defending filmmaker Michael Moore has been laid bare in his divorce battle with now-ex-wife Kathy Glynn, and their breakup is the talk of their small Michigan community. [...] According to Celebritynetworth, Moore and Glynn are worth $50 million, much of his success coming from documentaries protesting capitalism.

Five Things You Need to Know About Chelsea Clinton.  [#3]  Chelsea began her business career making MBA degree salary, despite having no experience[.]  NBC was criticized for Chelsea's $600,000 "special correspondent" salary, but that is not the most absurd offer sheet that Chelsea has agreed to.  After deciding that various career paths weren't right for her, Chelsea settled at the age of 23 for a $120,000 a year salary at premier consulting firm McKinsey & Company.  She was their youngest hire that year and made as much as consultants with MBA degrees, even though her Stanford degree was in history.

The left's dark money.  Philip Gara LaMarche is a secretive political operative who funnels billions of dollars from undisclosed donors to nonprofits and astroturf groups.  But you won't hear unhinged Harry Reid railing Queegishly about him on the Senate floor.  Why?  Here's why:  LaMarche is a militant leftist philanthropist.  He's a protected elite — Columbia University grad, former ACLU leader and Human Rights Watch official — with ready access to the White House.  He and the left's other dark money managers preach transparency and openness, while plotting behind closed doors to secure power at every level of government.

Senators Blast Dem Mega-Donor Over IRS Investigation into Tax Avoidance Scheme.  A major Democratic donor who is funding some of the left's most politically active electioneering groups was subject to bipartisan condemnation this week in the midst of a federal investigation into his hedge fund's tax avoidance schemes.  Senators from both parties blasted efforts by Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund owned by Democratic mega-donor Jim Simons, to shield itself from federal income taxes during a Tuesday [7/22/2014] hearing.

First Lady Michelle Obama in Chicago to raise money for Dems.  Speaking to an estimated 150 people in the fifth-floor ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Chicago in the Gold Coast at a Democratic National Committee event, the First Lady repeatedly urged donors to "dig deep." [...] Donors paid from $500 per person to $20,000 per couple, and the First Lady asked them to give more.

On Multi-Million Dollar Fundraising Trip, Obama Proves He's a Comedic Genius.  The President is in the middle of a three-day fundraising trip to the West Coast, costing us taxpayers millions of dollars.  This practice is not new with him, to be sure, as it's become standard practice over the last 30 years for presidents to sprinkle official events amongst their money-seeking events.

Barack Obama locks out the press — again.  President Barack Obama went to the West Coast to meet donors from two top Democratic super PACs, but the press wasn't invited.  Tuesday [7/22/2014], the reporters and photographers traveling with the president on Air Force One and in his motorcade were left on the gravel path not even within sight of former Costco CEO Jim Sinegal's house in the Seattle suburbs where Obama sat for a Senate Majority PAC fundraiser with a $25,000 entrance fee.

Obama heads off to raise money on the West Coast.  Obama on Tuesday [7/22/2014] was starting a three-day West Coast trip, scheduled to attend at least five fundraising events in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles less than four months ahead of midterm elections that could change Washington's balance of power.

President To Dem Donors: 'You're Chronicling The Slow Deterioration Of Barack Obama'.  The luncheon, sponsored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, was hosted by real estate mogul George Marcus at his home in California's Los Altos Hills [7/23/2014].  Tickets started at $10,000, with a VIP option available for just $32,400 — the maximum amount an individual can contribute to the DCCC in one year.

Signs of donor fatigue at Obama's Bay Area fundraisers.  There was no listed price for tickets for Obama's morning appearance [7/24/2014] at a roundtable in San Francisco for the House Majority PAC — the type of intimate gathering for which admission is usually $32,400 per person, the legal maximum.  Some donors said tickets had been offered for a deep discount.

Obama set to rake in millions, despite criticism of fundraising during tumult.  Based on descriptions of Obama's fundraisers from Democratic officials, Obama could raise north of $6 million during the trip, which comes at the same time as an Israeli ground invasion into Gaza and international outcry over the downing of a jetliner over Ukraine.  That figure is based on estimates of attendance at Obama's five fundraisers, using the highest in a range of possible ticket prices.  The total sum could be far less.

Clinton Earns $12 Million Speaking, Writing After Service.  Hillary Clinton has earned at least $12 million in 16 months since leaving the State Department, a windfall at odds with her party's call to shrink the gap between the rich and the poor.  Clinton's income since her resignation as secretary of state in February 2013 is derived mostly from her latest memoir, speeches and paid appearances at corporate retreats, according to an analysis of data compiled by Bloomberg.

Obama Donor Fights to Keep Riff-Raff Away From Private Beach.  A wealthy venture capitalist and major Obama donor is fighting tooth-and-nail to prevent others from accessing his private Northern California beach, according to Bloomberg News.  Vinod Khosla's support for Obama has paid off in the form of millions in taxpayer subsidies for green energy companies in which he has invested.

Poor Hillary Clinton.  Is this really what "dead broke" looks like?  Seems like the Clintons should be just fine with their two multi-million dollar houses.  No need to add the "White House" to the list.

Obama Headlines Fundraiser for Democracy Alliance Group at DA Donor's Home.  A major donor to a secretive club of wealthy Democratic financiers hosted President Barack Obama at her home last week for a fundraiser benefitting one of that club's most politically active organizations.  The event came as the president faced withering criticism for raising money as international crises proliferate, and just days ahead of a hearing of Democrat-backed legislation to force "dark money" political donors to disclose more information about their finances.  House Majority PAC is one of the most nakedly political recipients of cash from the Democracy Alliance, a shadowy network of liberal millionaires and billionaires that doles out tens of millions of dollars to top left-wing groups each year.

Mogul shells out $500K for lunch with Bill and Hillary.  A mogul spent six figures to win lunch for two with Bill and Hillary Clinton at a charity auction benefiting the Clinton Foundation — but when the winner asked to bring his two kids along, he was told he'd have to double his bid to $1 million.

Clintons Demand $1 Million to Allow Donor's Kids at Benefit Dinner.  A Chinese businessman paid $500,000 to have dinner with Bill and Hillary Clinton.  But when he asked if his kids could join, the former first couple demanded another half-million, the New York Post reports.

Obama library raises at least $850,000.  The foundation planning Barack Obama's presidential library has raised between $850,000 and $1.75 million, the organization said Tuesday [7/15/2014].  The Barack Obama Foundation has pledged to release the names of donors that contributed more than $200 on its website on a quaterly basis.  Tim Collins, Cari and Michael J. Sacks, and Marilyn and Jim Simons each contributed between $250,001 and $500,000.  Lise Strickler and Mark Gallogly contributed between $100,001 and $250,000.  All of them raised money for Obama during his campaigns or have served on various baords.

Obama plans 16-day Martha's Vineyard vacation on $12m estate.  It's going to be hot tubs, basketball, tennis and golf for the first family this summer, having set plans for a 16-day vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Mass., on a $12 million, 10-acre forested estate on the southwestern corner of the island.  Reports from the Bay State indicate that President Obama and his family will vacation August 9-24 at the 8,100-square foot, beachfront home of a Democratic donor that includes a pool, hot tub, basketball and tennis court.

University at Buffalo paid $275,000 for Hillary Clinton speech.  When Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed to address the University at Buffalo, the largest campus of the State University of New York system, she negotiated a few requirements in addition to her pay of $275,000.  The potential 2016 presidential candidate's agent requested that the university provide "a presidential glass panel teleprompter and a qualified operator," that Clinton's office have "final approval" of her introducer and the moderator of any question-and-answer session, as well as "the sets, backdrops, banners, scenery, logos, settings, etc," and that the topic and length of the former secretary of state's speech would be at her "sole discretion."

Hillary Clinton's $275K Speaking Fee Comes with Diva Demands.  Former Secretary of State and almost-certain 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton not only demanded $275,000 to speak at the University of Buffalo, her nine-page contract is filled with the kinds of demands that Pop Divas like Madonna are regularly mocked for.

Keywords;  imperious, arrogance, control freak
Hillary's $2,777 PER MINUTE speaking contracts demand a 'presidential' teleprompter, let her cancel 'for any reason whatsoever'.  Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who is preparing to run for president on a populist platform of fighting income inequality, demanded $2,777 per minute for two university speaking engagements and insisted on contracts that cut off reporters' access to her and limited the number of photos she would take with well-wishers. [...] The once-and-maybe-future White House resident is routinely granted iron-grip control over the circumstances surrounding her speeches.

Jay Carney cashes in.  Jay Carney just left the White House podium and he's already joined the ranks of George W. Bush, Tom Brokaw and Mike Ditka in one profitable enterprise:  lecturing on the private speaking circuit.  The former Obama administration flack signed on this month with the Washington Speakers Bureau, a gig that came with a signing bonus and is likely to yield payments as high as $100,000 per speech to share his personal presidential anecdotes and analysis of the next two election cycles.

Here are some of the lobbyists and business PACs trying to drive Justin Amash out of Congress.  Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., is probably the most libertarian member of the U.S. House, which means he's made some enemies on K Street.  They are funding his primary opponent, Brian Ellis.  The latest campaign filing from Ellis's campaign shows some of the business interests that want Amash gone.

NY Times Columnist Slams Chelsea's Buckraking for 'The Rapacious, Gaping Maw of Clinton Inc.'.  Team Hillary is staring daggers at New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, the one journalist who actually won a Pulitzer (for commentary) on a Clinton scandal (Lewinsky).  Dowd had the audacity to knock Chelsea Clinton for giving speeches for $75,000 a pop, even if it went to the Clinton Foundation, which is designed for the further aggrandizement of the Clinton reputation.

The hypocrisy of Obama's 15-day Vineyard vacation.  One-third of people aged 18-29 have moved back in with their parents.  Millions of Americans this summer will enjoy yet another "staycation":  They just can't afford to go to the beach or the mountains, even for a week — again.  Swipe cut to President Obama:  He's eating shave ice in Honolulu; playing golf (some 180 rounds so far); jetting off to Martha's Vineyard for a 15-day vacation in a $12 million house on the beach.  He's playing pool in Colorado (he turned down an offer from a young heckler to smoke some weed); eating barbecue with a college student in Minnesota; hitting fundraiser after fundraiser across the country (at $228,000 an hour for his swank 747 super-jumbo jet).

Report: Obamas will return to Martha's Vineyard to vacation in $12 million home.  While an estimated 400 illegal immigrant children stream across America's southwest border every day in August, President Barack Obama will take a 15-day vacation in a $12 million home nearly as far away as it's possible to travel in the continental United States.  The pricey real estate belongs to a wealthy Connecticut widow whose late husband, then a General Electric executive, made $6,900 in donations to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008 — then the maximum allowed by law.

Obama to Take 15-Day Vacation in August.  President Obama will embark on a 15-day vacation next month, even as the nation and the world are engulfed in crises from the border with Mexico to the Middle East.  The Obamas will depart Washington on Saturday, August 9th and head for Martha's Vineyard, staying in a $12 million vacation home until Sunday, August 24th, reports the Martha's Vineyard Times.

Check Out Obama's Multimillion-Dollar Martha's Vineyard Vacation Pad.  President Obama and the first lady are planning a two-week vacation at a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home in Chilmark, the Martha's Vineyard Times reports.  The first family will travel to the island from Aug. 9 to Aug. 24, making the 15-day getaway the longest summer vacation of Obama's presidency.  While the location of their vacation home was supposed to be under wraps, neighbors confirmed to the local newspaper that the Obamas will be staying at a luxurious home owned by Joanne Hubschman, whose late husband, Henry, was a former executive at General Electric.

Hillary's Biggest 2016 Competitor: A Native American Millionaire Who Also Pretends Not to Be Wealthy.  A huge question in Democratic politics — other than "When is Hillary going to announce?" — concerns whether or not Senator Elizabeth Warren (D — Cherokee Nation) will run for president.  If Hillary does not run, it is almost certain that Warren will.  Well-known for her populist and Occupy-esque perspectives on healthcare, taxes, income redistribution and everything in-between, she is one of the rising stars of the Democratic party.  Anticipating that it could happen, we're getting out in front and establish her as a storyteller, to put it nicely, about her wealth.

Billionaires Call For Amnesty As Obama Plans To Legalize Millions of Illegal Aliens With Executive Power.  Billionaires Warren Buffett, Sheldon Adelson and Bill Gates have teamed up to call for amnesty for America's illegal immigrants as a solution to the ongoing crisis at the border as President Barack Obama mulls granting amnesty to millions via executive power.

The BBQ joint where NO ONE cuts the line... except Obama.  The president was seen cutting the line at Austin's Franklin Barbecue Thursday afternoon, while in town to raise money for the Democratic Party.  Lives at the eatery are infamously long, and have been known to stretch as long as three hours wait.  But Mr Obama did no waiting today, as he showed up at the restaurant, shook a few hands and made his way straight to the register to order more than $300 worth of meat.

Chelsea Clinton Follows Parents' Lead as a Paid Speaker.  There is a new Clinton paid to deliver speeches — Chelsea, the former first daughter — and she is commanding as much as $75,000 per appearance.  Aides stressed that while Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton often address trade groups and Wall Street bankers, Ms. Clinton, now 34, focuses on organizations whose goals are in line with the work of the family's philanthropic organization, the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.  Organizers said her star power helped sell tickets and raise money.

Lefty Professor Who Speaks Out Against Income Inequality Gets Paid $205,400 for One Class.  University of North Carolina School of Law's Professor Gene Nichol is a real opponent of income inequality.  That's why he gets paid $205,400 to teach one class, plus more to run the Poverty Center at the school.  Nichol's noble opposition to income inequality puts him in a class with other great academic class warriors like Elizabeth Warren, who was paid $350,000 by Harvard Law to teach a single course and Clinton's former Labor Secretary turned inequality campaigner Robert Reich who pulls in $235,791 a year from a public university at UC-Berkeley to teach a course on "Wealth and Poverty" making him one of the highest paid state employees.

What's behind Chicago's carnage.  Tens of thousands of children are flooding across our border illegally, on the scent of Obama's executive-order amnesties.  Advocates of open borders, such as progressive grandees Mark Zuckerberg and Nancy Pelosi, assume that these impoverished Third World children will not enroll in the private academies attended by their children or grandchildren, or need housing in one of their vacation estates, or crowd their specialists' waiting rooms.  They do not worry about the effects of illegal immigration on the wages of low-income Americans.  Dealing first-hand with the ramifications of open borders is for unenlightened, illiberal little people.

The Golf That Divides Americans.  President Barack Obama is fond of describing the deep inequality afflicting American society. And then he goes off to play golf.  He's getting near the 200-round mark for his entire presidency, a sporting feat perhaps worthy of Teddy Roosevelt for its sheer audacity.  Golf is the most unequal sport in America, demanding expensive fees or country club memberships.

Hillary Clinton donates big speaking fees to a nonprofit foundation — her own.  To give the organization its full name, that's the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation (originally, the William J. Clinton Foundation).  Set up the year after Bill Clinton finished his second term as president, the Clinton Foundation says its mission is "to bring people together to take on the biggest challenges of the 21st century," including economic development, global health, climate change, and empowering women and girls.  The Wall Street Journal reported recently that the foundation has collected between $750 million and $1.7 billion over the years.  That's a lot of clout for influencing the public — i.e., political  — discussion on major issues, something any other politician with presidential stars in his or her eyes could only envy.

With Democrats split on inequality issues, Obama shifts talk away from income gap.  After making fighting income inequality an early focus of his second term, President Obama has largely abandoned talk of the subject this election year in a move that highlights the emerging debate within the Democratic Party over economic populism and its limits. [...] The pivot is striking for a president who identified inequality as one of his top concerns after his reelection, calling it "a fundamental threat to the American Dream, our way of life and what we stand for around the globe."

Michelle Obama returns to NYC to mine Wall Street funds for DNC.  Just when we thought there couldn't be any more Democratic donors on Wall Street with money left to channel to the DNC, Michelle Obama is back in town for another "intimate" fund-raiser.  Evercore Partners' Charles Myers is hosting a "round-table discussion" with the first lady at his Midtown home July 10 with tickets from $10,000 to $32,400.

Hillary Takes Six-Figure Speaking Fees From Universities Raising Student Tuition.  The Washington Post reports that likely 2016 presidential contender Hillary Clinton made somewhere around $1.8 million from eight universities in just nine months.  While paying the former Secretary of State anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000 per speech, some of these schools were raising tuition prices on students already burdened by the growing student loan bubble.  Clinton was paid $251,250 from the University of Connecticut not long after the school hit its students with 6.5% tuition increase.

At time of austerity, eight universities spent top dollar on Hillary Clinton speeches.  At least eight universities, including four public institutions, have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hillary Rodham Clinton to speak on their campuses over the past year, sparking a backlash from some student groups and teachers at a time of austerity in higher education.  In one previously undisclosed transaction, the University of Connecticut — which just raised tuition by 6.5 percent — paid $251,250 for Clinton to speak on campus in April.  Other examples include $300,000 to address UCLA in March and $225,000 for a speech scheduled to occur in October at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

White House: Staff salaries total $38M.  The White House pays out $37.8 million a year in salaries to 456 staffers, according to a new report to Congress released by the Obama administration.  That averages to an annual salary of $82,844 per year, although staff salaries are top-heavy:  the median salary is $70,700 per year. [...] Some 22 senior administration officials, including chief of staff Denis McDonough and senior advisers Valerie Jarrett and John Podesta bring home the maximum $172,200 salary.

Why Democrats insist on lying about how 'poor' they are.  Hillary Clinton claimed that, at the moment she and her husband were signing up for $18 million in book deals, that they were "dead broke."  Harry Reid (who lives in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel) said liberals are getting bullied by Republican billionaires but the Democratic Party "doesn't have many billionaires" behind it.  Joe Biden (family earnings: $407,000 last year plus a free house, driver, meals, etc.) claims he "I don't own a single stock or bond... I have no savings accounts... I'm the poorest man in Congress."  (Triple fail:  Joe isn't poor, isn't in Congress and wouldn't be the poorest member of it if he were.)

Chelsea Clinton's wealth can't buy her class.  Chelsea Clinton, the former and potential future first daughter, has stiff competition for the title of Most Tactless Human.  Greedy reality-TV creature Kim Kardashian is a contender.  Chelsea's mom, the once-"dead broke" Hillary Rodham Clinton, might rank even higher on the scale of bad taste.  Chelsea, 34, has jabbered like an overeducated trailer-park habitué about her family's No. 1 obsession — money.

How the Clintons went from 'dead broke' to rich: Bill earned $104.9 million for speeches.  Over seven frenetic days, Bill Clinton addressed corporate executives in Switzerland and Denmark, an investors' group in Sweden and a cluster of business and political leaders in Austria.  The former president wrapped up his European trip in the triumphant Spanish Hall at Prague Castle, where he shared his thoughts on energy to a Czech business summit.  His pay:  $1.4 million.  That lucrative week in May 2012 offers a glimpse into the way Clinton has leveraged his global popularity into a personal fortune.

Bill and Hillary Clinton go to the grocery just like us.  Bill Clinton and his wife are just regular folks, you should know.  He says they talk to towns people near both of their mansions.  They go to the grocery store on weekends and perhaps squeeze the fruit, as careful shoppers would watching their dollars in this stagnant Obamaconomy.  Never mind the burly guys in cool shades nearby with curly wires running into their ears and machine guns under the jackets.  Or their specially-trained defensive driver.  Or the friends' private jets that whisk them to another $200K speech.

Here's How Little Chelsea Clinton Cares About Money, In Dollars.  [Chelsea] Clinton is currently pulling down $600,000 per year for the kind of no-show job you probably thought had disappeared with the demise of the American mafia.  She is officially employed as an on-air correspondent for NBC News even though she hasn't appeared on NBC for the past four months.  Clips of Clinton's work for the Peacock Network are hard to find online, and one of the few accessible segments — her interview with the GEICO gecko — reveals that NBC's coaching failed to improve her affectless voice, lazy delivery and absolute lack of charm, charisma or talent.

Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton shouldn't pretend to be poor.  On Monday morning, at a White House summit on policies to help working families, Vice President Joe Biden reflected on his wealth.  He said that while he wore a "mildly expensive suit" and was vice president of the United States of America, he didn't own a stock or a bond, and as a senator, was the poorest member of the club.  This bit is a longstanding part of Biden's shtick, but was interpreted — most loudly by the Republican National Committee — as a dig at possible presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton will collect massive speaking fee from Nevada university as students grapple with tuition hikes.  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will collect a $225,000 speaking fee from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in October, it emerged on Tuesday.  The massive expense was confirmed just weeks after the university formalized a 4 percent tuition increase for each of the next four years.  Rate hikes have nearly tripled tuition costs there since 2004.  Clinton will deliver the keynote address at an invitation-only gala for philanthropists and other high-dollar donors who support UNLV.  The university said private funds are being tapped to pay her speaking fee.

Bill Clinton defends family wealth, says Hillary 'not out of touch'.  Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday defended his wife's modest depiction of the couple's wealth, saying their affluence does not mean Hillary Rodham Clinton is out of touch with the concerns of average Americans.  Speaking in Denver at an annual meeting of his philanthropic organization, Clinton said his wife was correct to state they were "dead broke" when the couple left the White House in 2000.

Biden one-ups 'dead broke' Hillary by boasting he's 'the poorest man in Congress'.  At a White House summit for working families Monday, Vice President Joseph R. Biden tried to relate to the audience by calling himself "the poorest man in Congress."  While acknowledging that he was wearing "a mildly expensive suit," Mr. Biden said he's not as wealthy as most of his peers in Washington. [...] Mr. Biden and wife Jill reported $407,009 in adjusted gross income in 2013, including $230,700 for his salary as vice president.

Bill Clinton Budgeted to Receive Nearly $1 Million in Taxpayer Money in 2014.  An April Congressional Research Service (CRS) report shows that the Government Services Administration (GSA), which is in charge of supporting federal disbursements, budgeted $950,000 for former president Bill Clinton in the 2014 budget.  Clinton will collect a $201,000 pension in 2014, a figure four times larger than the median family income in the United States.  The Clintons have received a total of $15,938,000 in federal money since 2001.

White House officials will meet with billionaire activist during new climate push.  Senior White House officials and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew are set to meet this week with Tom Steyer, an environmental activist pledging to pump up to $100 million into the November midterm elections, as part of a new campaign to promote President Obama's green agenda.  "On Wednesday, senior White House leadership and Secretary Lew will meet with former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, Cargill CEO Greg Page, and Tom Steyer [to] discuss the results of their soon-to-be-released Risky Business report — which assesses the economic risks of climate change," a White House official said, previewing the meeting.  The gathering between the big-money donor and senior White House officials is likely to draw criticism from watchdog groups, which have accused Obama of embracing the pay-to-play politics he once so actively decried.

Democrats criticize White House over meeting with billionaire Tom Steyer.  Senior political officials on Wednesday are scheduled to host a mega-donor with plans of making a nine-figure investment in the 2014 midterm elections.  No, Washington Republicans aren't meeting with Charles and David Koch, the deep-pocketed energy titans — and public enemy No. 1, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and many Democrats.  Instead, the White House, which has repeatedly bemoaned the influence of big money in politics, will open its doors to Tom Steyer, the environmental activist who has pledged to spend up to $100 million on November's elections to promote his climate-change agenda.  Steyer is also a high-profile opponent of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project the Obama administration is still reviewing.

'I don't care about money': Says Chelsea Clinton, who is paid $600,000 by NBC for doing nothing.  Chelsea Clinton lives a charmed life, but don't be fooled: secretly, she's not attached to the oodles of money she and her hedge fund manager husband make each year, the former first daughter said in an interview published over the weekend.

Chelsea Clinton tried to care about money but couldn't.  The daughter of former President Bill Clinton and ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton explained in a recent interview why she left lucrative professions and opted for working with her family's philanthropic foundation.  'I was curious if I could care about (money) on some fundamental level, and I couldn't,' she said.

White House's Valerie Jarrett dines with Rupert Murdoch to plot immigration strategy.  President Obama's longtime senior adviser Valerie Jarrett confessed to breaking bread this week with conservative media titan Rupert Murdoch, a new White House frenemy of sorts on immigration reform.  The two dined at the posh Blue Duck Tavern on Tuesday night [6/17/2014] in Washington's Foggy Bottom, and Jarrett described the evening as "very enjoyable."  "Good policy sometimes makes strange bedfellows," she told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor Friday, adding that she was impressed by Murdoch's passion for passing comprehensive immigration reform.

Harry Reid: Democrats Do Not 'Have Any Billionaires'.  This is categorically false.  After all, the Democrats have the support of Tom Steyer, George Soros, and many, many others.

Tapper Calls Out Reid for Saying Dems Don't Have 'Many' Billionaires.  CNN's Jake Tapper caught this odd statement and called out Reid for overlooking all the billionaires who actually do support Democrats.  Tapper played the video of Reid and said, "The left doesn't have many billionaire backers?  Oh, really?  Well, you could name George Soros, David Shaw, Irwin Jacobs, to name a few."  He also singled out Tom Steyer, the billionaire philanthropist and environmentalist who has taken on climate change and killing the Keystone XL pipeline as big issues.

Barack Obama golfs while the Middle East burns.  Last weekend Barack Obama played his 175th and 176th rounds of golf as president.  He played first at Sunnylands, the famously private course on the Rancho Mirage, California estate of the late billionaire Walter Annenberg.  Obama next played at Porcupine Creek, the equally private course on the nearby estate of the very-much-alive tech billionaire Larry Ellison.

President Obama on vacation in California.  Despite temperatures above 100 degrees, Obama was able to golf at two nearby courses — Saturday at the Sunnylands estate and Sunday at the Porcupine Creek Estate owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison.

Obama to Visit Southern California, Deliver UCI Commencement Speech.  Obama will attend a private Democratic National Committee fundraising event at a home in Laguna Beach at 9:45 a.m. before heading to Anaheim for his commencement address, according to the White House.

Bill and Hillary Clinton top the list of richest ex-first families.  They may have left the White House "dead broke," as Hillary Clinton claimed, but she and Bill Clinton cashed in so fast and big that they sit atop the list of former first couples who struck gold after the presidency.  Since leaving office, according to financial records and news reports, they have earned at least $155 million from speeches, salaries and book deals, easily outpacing the post-White House incomes of other former presidential families and distancing themselves from the time when Bill Clinton deducted $2 apiece for used underwear donated to an Arkansas charity.

Prez schmoozes and country loses.  Today [6/11/2014], President Obama flies in to do what he does best:  schmooze with one-percenters at a $32,000-a-head fundraiser in Weston.

Clintons 'dead broke' after White House? Actually, they earned over $12M that year.  Technically, Bill and Hillary Clinton were in debt when they left the White House.  Financial forms filed for 2000 show assets between $781,000 and almost $1.8 million — and liabilities between $2.3 million and $10.6 million, mostly for legal bills.  But as the outgoing first couple, they had tremendous earning potential.  And within just one year, their financial troubles were effectively gone.  Hillary Clinton's Senate disclosure forms show that in 2001, they reported earning nearly $12 million.  Most of that came from Bill Clinton's speechmaking, and the rest came from an advance for Hillary Clinton's book.

DEMOCRATS tear into 'imperial' Hillary after major gaffes about her enormous wealth.  Hillary Clinton's fellow Democrats smell blood in the water after her recent gaffes over her considerable wealth and they began pouncing on the presidential hopeful on Monday.  Dick Harpootlian, a former Democratic Party chairman in South Carolina, framed his insult in terms the fictional aristocratic Crawley family and their servants could understand.  'I don't know whether it's just that she's been "Madam Secretary" for so long, but she's generating an imperial image,' Harpootlian told The Washington Post.

Hillary Clinton's impoverished claims.  All this matters for several reasons.  First, how she made her money and to whom she is indebted matters greatly.  Between the two of them, they've taken in a whole lot of speaking fees from industries that do a lot of business with or are regulated by the federal government.  She runs in circles with the richest of the rich, at a time when government cronyism is a pressing public issue.  Second, if it mattered how much Mitt Romney made — in part because it reflects on his ability to relate to average people — then it matters for Hillary Clinton.  And, finally, there is something distasteful about a woman supposedly so dedicated to women and kids and the world's needy who spends her time making millions upon millions of dollars speaking to rich people.

Bill Clinton: Why doesn't anyone believe we were poor?  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has had a rough time of it ever since she asserted that both she and her husband were "dead broke" and "struggled" after leaving the White House in 2001.  "A few weeks before they left the White House, the Clintons were able to muster a cash down payment of $855,000 and secure a $1.995 million mortgage," Politifact observed.  "This hardly fits the common meaning of 'dead broke.'"  Clinton might have taken the public backlash over this minor gaffe in stride, but she didn't.

Hillary Clinton Says She Isn't 'Truly Well Off'.  Clinton responded to criticism of her wealth in an interview with the Guardian newspaper published Saturday night [6/21/2014] by suggesting Americans won't be concerned about the more than $100 million her family has reportedly earned in recent years because they're not "truly well off."  "They don't see me as part of the problem," Clinton said of Americans who are upset about income inequality, adding, "Because we pay ordinary income tax, unlike a lot of people who are truly well off, not to name names; and we've done it through dint of hard work."

The Editor says...
Making speeches is not particularly hard work, especially if one enjoys the services of professional speech writers.  And for people like the Clintons, making $100,000 overnight in cattl futures isn't especially difficult, either.

Hillary Clinton was 'dead broke' leaving White House despite more than $780,000 in assets.  At the end of Bill Clinton's presidency, the couple had big legal bills from investigations of Whitewater and the Monica Lewinsky affair.  Hillary Clinton's first Senate financial disclosure forms, filed for 2000, listed assets of $781,000 to $1.8 million, and legal debts of $2.3 million to $10.6 million.  Still, as the Clinton presidency ended, the couple bought a $2.85 million home in Washington and a $1.7 million spread in Chappaqua.  And Hillary landed an $8 million advance for her book, "Living History."

2001 was Hillary's Year of Great Fortune, not of being "dead broke".  The problem is not that the Clintons made a fortune.  This is America, after all.  People are entitled to make a fortune so long as they do so lawfully, and we've not yet reached the point where the law dictates when people have made enough.  The problem is that Hillary is not being straight with the public. [...] In mid-December 2000, a month before Bill left office, Hillary signed a book deal with a near record $8 million advance.

Hard Knocks Hillary.  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton thinks everyone should shut up and stop second-guessing her (and her husband's) voracious appetite for money.  Clinton, who charges up to $200,000 to give one-hour speeches to Goldman Sachs executives and others, claims that she and Bill were "dead broke" and in debt following their eight years in the White House, and "struggled" to pay the mortgages on their multiple mansions and finance their daughter Chelsea's education at Stanford, Oxford, Columbia, and Oxford (again).

Political reporters unload on Hillary's gaffetastic day.  Clinton's first gaffe of the day was revealed in a clip of an interview she gave ABC's Diane Sawyer.  In that interview, Clinton attempted to relate to the working man by saying that, in spite of her family's current multimillion dollar annual income, they were "dead broke" and "struggled" after leaving the White House.  They were so broke that they couldn't afford the mortgage on multiple houses, including the house Hillary had to purchase in New York in order to run for U.S. Senate.

Hillary Received $8 Million in Book Advance Before Leaving White House 'Broke' in 2000.  Hillary Clinton may not have been as "dead broke" as she's claimed her family was upon leaving the White House in 2000.  In the final month of her husband's presidency, Clinton reportedly inked a near-record book advance deal worth millions.  In an interview with Diane Sawyer to air on Monday evening [6/9/2014], Clinton explained that she and her husband had to earn millions from speaking engagements because they were so deep in debt.  "We had no money when we got there, and we struggled to piece together the resources for mortgages for houses, for Chelsea's education — it was not easy," she told Sawyer.

Hillary: We 'Struggled' to Buy 'Houses' After White House.  Hillary further explains, "Bill has worked really hard — and it's been amazing to me — he's worked very hard.  First of all, we had to pay off all our debts, which was, you know, he had to make double the money because of obviously taxes and then pay off the debts and get us houses and take care of family members."

The Editor says...
It is amusing to hear Hillary Clinton complain about taxes, which are painfully high because of left-wing tax-and-spend liberals like her.

Poor little rich girl.  If you're a Clinton, it's not easy to play poor mouth.  She has earned $5 million in speaking fees since she left the State Department, and got a further $8 million in advance for her new book.  Together she and Bubba have scooped up $109 million over the past seven years.  They're entitled, but she could show a little perspective.

The Editor says...
Enough with the derisive mockery, already!  Well... maybe just one more:

Ready for Blatant Censorship.  According to Hillary, after her husband was forced to retire from his job as President of the United States, the impoverished couple lacked financial resources with no future job prospects or source of income for Bill.  Hillary, with a husband and one child to support, was forced to find work, any work she could.  And she did.  All by herself.  The financially strapped Clinton family moved to New York State, somehow scraped together money for a down payment and qualified for a mortgage on a $1.7 million home in a town inhabited by the upper 10% in wealth.  Adapting to her new situation, plucky Hillary soon found a job as U.S. senator from her new home state based just on her totally awesome skills.

The Editor says...
I'd let this subject drop if I were Hillary.  But no ...

Hillary Clinton doubles down on poverty claim and says 'relentless persecution' by Republicans made them 'deeply in debt'.  Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton told the German magazine Der Spiegel on Tuesday that she and her husband Bill were indeed 'deeply in debt' when they left the White House and blamed 'relentless persecution' by Republicans for her legal bills after his presidency.  The claim has added fuel to the fire Clinton herself touched off last month when she claimed they were 'dead broke' after their time in the White House.  The former first lady earns $200,000 or more every time she makes a public speech.  The former president has earned a reported $104 million in speaking fees since he left the Oval Office behind him.

Dialing It In.  One evening in March, during a visit to Italy, President Obama asked the U.S. ambassador to round up a bunch of — and I quote — "interesting Italians" for a dinner at the ambassadorial residence. [...] The menu that evening included a variety of pastas, and wines from Tuscany and the regions around Venice.  Dinner lasted four hours.  In this sumptuous and Baroque setting, amid these beautiful artifacts of long-gone civilizations, enjoying the finest foods and most delicate wines, President Obama was at home.

Guess Which Loyal Obama Voter Block Will Be Punished The Most By EPA's Climate Change Regulations.  Black households have the lowest average incomes and highest unemployment among demographic groups.  As reported by The Wall Street Journal, black households income was at $33,321 in 2012 which is the lowest median income among race groups according to a report by the U.S Census Bureau.  As promised by Obama in 2008, his climate change regulations will make electricity prices "skyrocket."  A study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated that climate change regulations like the EPA's recently announced new rules for existing power plants will result in added electricity expenses of $17 billion a year through 2030.  That $17 billion in added costs are going to hurt black families a lot more than Obama's billionaire donors [...]

Lunch with Clintons auctioned for more than $300K.  The Clinton Foundation has auctioned off a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to sit down for a private lunch with Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton for more than $300,000.  Charitybuzz, the website where the auction was held, would not disclose how much the lunch was actually sold for, but a report by the Daily Caller published less than three hours before the auction's close showed the bidding war had reached at least $305,000 by a bidder named "moatistheke."  The price exceeds the foundation's goal of $250,000.

Who pays for first lady's fabulous fashions?  The financing of the first lady's wardrobe is something that the Obama White House is loath to discuss.

CA Legislators Are Highest Paid in USA.  Stateline's data, which indicated California legislators are averaging a base salary of $90,526 per year, is a few months old, and that base salary will be raised to $95,291 in December as a result of a decision last year by the California Citizens Compensation Commission.  The Commission is also considering a further raise.  In addition, the legislators receive an additional tax-free "per diem" of $141.86 per day every day the Legislature is in session.  The closest average salary to the California legislators is in Pennsylvania, where the average salary is $84,012.

New Education Department rules help elite college students at the expense of poor and minorities.  You have to hand it to President Obama:  He sure does do a good job of socking it to the folks he claims to be helping.  Tuesday marked the end of the comment period on the Education Department's proposed new "gainful employment" regulations.  While the administration says it wants to expand educational opportunities, the proposed rules would target community colleges and for-profit colleges — institutions that educate disproportionately poor, minority, and working-class Americans.

Lord Obama.  [Scroll down]  The very wealthy are with him also because he instructs them how to indulge, to ignore the problems of others, to be narcissistic and self-absorbed with a veneer of hipster cool.  Golf, shoot hoops, wear shades, hang with Jay-Z and Beyonce, talk about your rap menu on your iPhone, fluctuate your cadences, do you Final Four predictions — all that means you can be cool and very rich and very self-absorbed while fooling hoi polloi and feeling great about your privilege at the same time.  If you are a jean- and T-shirt wearing Silicon magnifico, Obama is your guy.

Hillary Clinton's wealth complicates image as populist champion.  When your own minimum wage reportedly is in the neighborhood of $200,000 a speech, it might be difficult to sell yourself as the populist champion of the working class.  In recent weeks, Hillary Rodham Clinton has begun a calculated transition from respected diplomat to fierce advocate for the 99 percent, using a "haves versus have-nots" message to build support among progressives who are desperate for a strong voice to battle Wall Street, protect entitlement programs such as Social Security and promote income equality.  But for Mrs. Clinton, a rich, successful woman and part of one of America's most powerful political families, there are questions about how effectively she can carry that banner if she runs for president in 2016.

Billionaire plans to target Republicans in seven states.  Billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer will target Republicans in seven Senate and governors' races this year, as he pushes to make climate change a top issue in November's elections, his political aides announced Wednesday. [...] Steyer also will spend heavily to shape governor's races in Maine, Pennsylvania and Florida, another presidential swing state, where Gov. Rick Scott has said he is not convinced that climate change is caused by human activity.

Obama raises money for Durbin in Chicago.  President Barack Obama used a pair of hometown fundraisers Thursday [5/22/2014] to defend Democratic control of the Senate against potential gains in the fall mid-term elections by what he called "ideologically rigid" Republicans.  Donors paid as much as $35,000 for a ticket to the campaign events for Illinois' senior senator, Dick Durbin, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Obama to raise cash for Dems at Texas BBQ dinner.  Tickets start at $10,000 per person and go up to $32,400 for a couple.

Wendy Davis hosted by Hollywood stars.  Director Steven Spielberg is among the hosts of the "celebration and fundraiser honoring Davis" on the rooftop of the Bad Robot in Santa Monica, California.  Besides Davis, it benefits Battleground Texas, dedicated to making Texas competitive for Democrats.  The tab for hosts is $25,000, while contributions range down to $1,000 at the "friend" level.

Hillary Clinton's Speaking Circuit Payday: $5 Million (and Counting).  Since leaving [the] State [Department], Clinton has made more than 90 speeches and notable appearances.  Her hosts have included private equity firms, investment banks, nonprofit galas, trade association conventions, and a slew of colleges and universities.  At least two-dozen of those were paid speeches.  With her usual fee of $200,000 a speech, Clinton has banked close to $5 million for her speeches and appearances in the last 15 months.

Obama to Fundraiser: We're Debating 'About What, Benghazi? Obamacare? It's Not Serious'.  Ticket prices for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser ranged from $10,000 to $32,400.  The White House pool reporter said the press pool was socked away in a second-floor bedroom of the home while waiting for Obama's remarks.

President Obama golfs with Bain Capital lobbyist.  One of President Barack Obama's golf partners this weekend was a lobbyist for the financial firm Bain Capital.  According to a White House pool report, Obama hit the links on Saturday at the exclusive Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va., with Joe O'Neill, president and CEO of the lobbying and public affairs firm Public Strategies Washington.  Rounding out the foursome was U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk and Milton Carroll of CenterPoint Energy.

White House downplays Obama's golf round with lobbyist.  President Obama's weekend round of golf with a veteran lobbyist didn't weaken his pledge to narrow the influence of K Street, the White House insisted on Monday [5/19/2014].  White House press secretary Jay Carney dismissed a question on whether the president's round with Joe O'Neill, the president and CEO of Public Strategies Washington, violated his promise to limit lobbyist access to the White House.  "I think he played a game of golf," Carney said.

Barack Obama's Net Worth Has Risen 438% Since Running for President.  While the average US citizen has a median income of roughly $51,000, Obama rakes in the cash with an annual presidential salary of $400,000.  In addition, he receives money from book royalties and other investments.  Hypocrisy isn't a stranger to the liberal elite.  Michael Moore's fifty million dollar fortune came from creating documentaries that makes free enterprise look like the same as corporatism.  The activist left said Mitt Romney was too rich to be president, but had no problem supporting John "I'm Wealthier Than Romney" Kerry when he ran for the same post in 2004.

Obama speaks at the Upper East Side home of investment banker Blair Effron.  Tickets for the event, which followed a DNC roundtable in NYC with the same pricetag, were $32,400.

Harry Reid speaks with Jon Stewart.  "Billionaire Tom Steyer has rapidly become one of America's most visible environmental advocates, vowing to punish lawmakers who oppose climate change action and pledging to spend up to $100 million to put the issue center stage in the November 4 elections."  (Reuters)  "Fortune built on Asian coal: It turns out that much of Steyer's wealth is the fruit of immensely profitable investments in development of Indonesian and Australian coal."  (Washington Examiner)  "Forbes estimates the former hedge fund manager is worth $1.5 billion.  He has used that fortune to advance his anti-oil, anti-coal, and climate-concerned political agenda."  (Washington Free Beacon)

Nuclear physicist sues Oprah Winfrey over trail access near her new megamansion in Telluride.  A hiking-trail dispute between an 86-year-old nuclear physicist and Oprah Winfrey, one of the world's wealthiest and most famous women, has sparked a lawsuit as she prepares to build a megamansion high above Telluride.  An attorney for retired physicist Charles D. Goodman has filed a lawsuit in San Miguel County District Court claiming that Winfrey's Yellow Brick Road company, the couple who sold the property to Winfrey and Mountain Village made a below-the-radar deal to close off access to trails that Goodman's family and his neighbors have had rights to use for nearly three decades.

Tom Steyer's Dirty Energy Record.  Billionaire Tom Steyer has rapidly become one of America's most visible environmental advocates, vowing to punish lawmakers who don't oppose climate change and pledging to spend up to $100 million to put the issue center stage in the Nov. 4 elections.  His in-your-face tactics have made him fierce enemies on the right who accuse him of hypocrisy and claim that he made much of his fortune through investments in fossil fuel energy at Farallon Capital Management, the San Francisco-based hedge fund he founded in 1986.

Why Are Democrats Afraid of Tom Steyer?  Democrats have made casting conservatives as beholden to the ultra-rich central to their 2014 strategy, and that makes it awkward when a billionaire of their own puts himself front and center. [...] Steyer's persona, the skeptics feel, opens Democrats up to charges of hypocrisy, and leaves too much of the party's profile in the hands of a man who has been popularly elected to exactly nothing.

Warren Buffett has given $1.2 billion to abortion groups.  May 13, 2014, marks one year since Philadelphia abortion Dr. Kermit Gosnell was convicted of first-degree murder "in the deaths of three babies who were delivered alive and then killed with scissors at his grimy, 'house of horrors' clinic," according to the Associated Press.  Gosnell instantly became the face of abortion in the prolife community.  But there's another, more recognizable face pushing abortion in the U.S. — liberal billionaire Warren Buffett.  The so-called "Oracle of Omaha" has donated more than $1.2 billion to abortion organizations from 2001 to 2012.

Law-Flouting David Gregory of NBC Parks Illegally Outside Fancy D.C. Jewelry Shop.  NBC's David Gregory drew special treatment from the District of Columbia for illegally possessing a high-capacity magazine and displaying it on national TV.  There must be an exemption for "educational" media-bias reasons.  So he won't worry about any fine for illegally parking his SUV the other day outside the "upscale bauble shop" Tiny Jewel Box, whose website advertises items for "Above $5000."

Angry heckler at $32,400 a ticket Democrat fundraiser in California.  Obama was the headline speaker at four California fund-raising events, raising his two-day total to five.  His last was a Silicon Valley event in San Jose co-hosted by Y Combinator President Sam Altman and Yahoo Inc CEO Marissa Mayer.  About 250 people paid between $1,000 and $32,400 to attend.

Obama to Headline Fundraiser at Palatial Home of Billionaire Bundler.  President Barack Obama will attend a fundraiser on Thursday [5/8/2014] at the palatial San Diego home of Qualcomm founder and Democratic mega-donor Irwin Jacobs.  The $10,000-per-plate event will benefit the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, according to local news reports.

Meet The Radical Billionaires Controlling the Democrat Party.  While top liberal organizations blast the right for accepting dark money, the Alliance's entire business model is based on maintaining secrecy akin to the Illuminati. [...] The group requires some hefty financial backing.  It costs $25,000 just to join, yearly dues of $30,000 and an additional $200,000 donation to Alliance causes.

Guess the Party Affiliation of the Investor Who Just Bought a Beach House For a Record $147 Million.  Activist investor and hedge fund owner Barry Rosenstein just set the record for the highest residential sales price for home.  Paying $147,000,000 for a beachfront home in the Hamptons, his new neighbors will include Jerry Seinfeld, along with other, well-known entertainment industry and business tycoons.  The previous record set was $120 million, just a couple of weeks ago, by another hedge fund manager for a home purchased in Greenwich, Conn.

Liberals: Exempt from Scrutiny.  Too many modern liberal fetishes are predicated on the medieval notion of exemption, and should not be taken as anything much other than useful pretensions or smart career moves — something like joining the Masonic lodge in the 1920s in small-town America.  Charter schools are bad, and troubled public schools are noble, but the coastal elites, whether at Sidwell Friends or the Menlo School, assume that they should not sacrifice their children on the altar of their own ideology. [...] Concern for the Sierra toad and frog should stop logging-road and mountain development, but incinerating fauna with solar mirrors or grinding up eagles and hawks in wind turbines is the necessary price of green membership.

Read the Confidential Document Left Behind at the Democracy Alliance Meeting.  The Democracy Alliance takes pains to ensure that its work disbursing millions of dollars to top left-wing organizations remains secretive and free from public scrutiny.  But a document left on the floor of the group's recent gathering reveals for the first time the names of a number of individuals involved in the effort.  It lists new Democracy Alliance "partners," individuals who every year must pay $30,000 in dues and contribute at least $200,000 to the groups that DA supports.

Teachers Union Boss Randi Weingarten: My Salary's Only $360K.  American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, who was paid $543,150 last year, defended her compensation by claiming her pay is $360,000 and other reported expenses simply prove the union's "transparency." [...] "Justice means that hardworking people must have access to a living wage," Weingarten wrote.  AFT paid Weingarten $556,981 in 2012 and $543,150 in 2013.

If You Criticize the President's Vacation Spending You're Probably Racist or Something.  To put these figures in perspective, the administration spends every 5 hours what the average American family spends each summer on vacations. [...] Is there any conceivable way to justify a monthly average travel and vacation budget of $625,000?  For a President that constantly harps on about income inequality and shared sacrifice, his lavish presidential lifestyle is the epitome of hypocrisy.

One-percenter Liz Warren milks system then slams it in phony soundbites.  While U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren sleeps in her $5 million mansion in Cambridge, and got paid $350,000 to teach just one class at Harvard, she had the audacity to say in an interview with Jon Stewart this week that "the system is rigged to benefit the rich."  Yes, Sen. Warren, that would be you.  Under a free-market, capitalist system, you became a U.S. senator and multimillionaire whose own net worth hovers around $14.5 million, according to personal financial disclosure reports filed in 2011.

Michelle Obama spotted at the Salamander Resort in Middleburg.  First lady Michelle Obama spending a quiet weekend in Middleburg with daughters Malia and Sasha in tow at the tony Salamander Resort.  While the president was being trailed by flashing cameras and notebook-wielding reporters on a four-country tour through Asia, Michelle Obama's itinerary was a tad bit more low-key.  On Friday she was spotted in the lobby of the luxury resort owned by multimillionaire Sheila Johnson.

Greens Are Reds.  The dirty little secret of the modern environmental movement is that it has become a luxury good for the uber-rich.  Its policies — from carbon taxes, to renewable energy standards, to crushing regulations on coal plants — would impose high costs on the people who can least afford to pay the green tab.  A Pew Research Center poll released in March offered further confirmation of this truth.  It found that only two major voting groups oppose the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline:  Democrats who make more than $100,000 annually and Dems with a college or advanced degree.

Oligarchy in the Twenty-First Century.  "To see what is in front of one's nose," George Orwell famously wrote, "needs a constant struggle."  In front of my nose as I write this is a copy of last Sunday's New York Times.  I have opened it to the business section.  Below the fold is one of many Times articles on Thomas Piketty, the French economist and author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which argues that America has entered a second Gilded Age of vast inequality, inherited fortunes, and oligarchic politics, where the shape of public discourse and public policy is determined by a wealthy few.

Obama only ate HALF of the pricey dinner at the 'world's best sushi restaurant'.  President Obama reportedly only ate half of the expensive sushi dinner he was treated to last night in Tokyo.  Instead of savoring every morsel of the made-to-order 20-course meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro — dubbed the world's best sushi restaurant and the subject of the 2011 documentary 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' — the President reportedly put his chopsticks down after only 10 pieces.

Five Alarmist Celebs and Their Double Standards.  Showtime's new climate change series, "Years of Living Dangerously," premiered April 13, 2014, slightly more than a week before Earth Day 2014.  It relies on several wealthy, Hollywood celebrities to spread fear about climate change.  While these actors and directors talk a lot about reducing carbon footprints and saving the world, they haven't given up their own enormous mansions and private jets.  Director James Cameron, former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and actors Harrison Ford, Matt Damon and Ian Somerhalder who are worth a collective $1.2 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth, were just some of the Hollywood types involved in Showtime's nine-part series.

America is an oligarchy, not a democracy or republic, university study finds.  America is no longer a democracy — never mind the democratic republic envisioned by Founding Fathers.  Rather, it has taken a turn down elitist lane and become a country led by a small dominant class comprised of powerful members who exert total control over the general population — an oligarchy, said a new study jointly conducted by Princeton and Northwestern universities.  One finding in the study:  The U.S. government now represents the rich and powerful, not the average citizen, United Press International reported.

Dems May Regret Steyer's Keystone Payoff.  After a lengthy study of the plans for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, the U.S. State Department issued an 11-volume report back in January confirming what most experts had already concluded long before then:  the vital project would not damage the environment or increase the rate of carbon pollution.  But liberal activists weren't happy and have used the 90-day automatic review process that followed that report to furiously lobby the administration to stop the construction of the 1,700-mile pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf Coast refineries.  The key player in that effort was Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmental extremist who has pledged to give $100 million to Democratic candidates who do his bidding.

Bidens Earned $400,009 in 2013 — 5% Went to Charity.  Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, reported an adjusted gross income of $407,009 in 2013, from which they contributed 5% to charity, or a total of $20,523, according to their 2013 income tax return, which was released by the White House on Friday [4/11/2014].  Among that charity-total — $20,523 — a sum of $15,300 was royalties earned from Jill Biden's 2012 children's book, Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops.  Excluding those book royalties, the Bidens' charitable contributions of $5,223 equaled 1.2% of their income.

NYC Mayor De Blasio Pays 8.3% Effective Tax Rate.  As predictable as the media silence to follow comes the news that New York City's new left-wing mayor, who ran on a platform based in large part on raising taxes, paid an effective 8.3% tax rate in 2013 based on a total income of over $200,000.

Income Inequality Institute Will Pay Paul Krugman $25,000 Per Month.  According to a formal offer letter obtained under New York's Freedom of Information Law, CUNY intends to pay Krugman $225,000, or $25,000 per month (over two semesters), to "play a modest role in our public events" and "contribute to the build-up" of a new "inequality initiative."  It is not clear, and neither CUNY nor Krugman was able to explain, what "contribute to the build-up" entails.

Poor Little Rich Man.  Being a "distinguished professor" of economics at the City University of New York is nice work if you can get it.  "During year-one," the boss explains in a letter to the new hire, "you will not be expected to teach or supervise students."  In subsequent years, "you will teach one seminar per year."  In addition, the boss informs the distinguished professor that he "will play a modest role in our public events" and "will be asked to contribute to the buildup" of one of the university's programs.  The pay is $225,000 a year, plus a $10,000 expense budget — and the distinguished prof gets summers off.

HHS nominee got $1.2M at 'zero' salary job at Wal-Mart.  Her White House biography touts her key private-sector experience as president of the massive foundation, but Internal Revenue Service records show that the job is unpaid and the more than $1.2 million in salary, deferred compensation and bonuses paid to Ms. Burwell came through her lesser-known role as a vice president at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., according to a government ethics filing.  James Joseph, a tax lawyer at Arnold & Porter LLP, said such arrangements are common among corporate foundations.

Lois Lerner sits in her lavish house on $2.4 million property as she awaits possible contempt charge.  Ex-IRS official Lois Lerner is living the life of a private citizen at her more-than $2.4 million property in Bethesda, Md. while Republicans consider holding a House floor vote to hold her in contempt of Congress.  The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 21-12 to hold Lerner in contempt last week after she waived her Fifth Amendment rights but continued to stonewall the committees investigation into the IRS targeting scandal.  The measure was opposed by all 12 of the committee's Democrats, including Ranking Member Rep. Elijah Cummings, whose staff requested information from the IRS about a conservative non-profit applicant group under agency scrutiny.

Rep. Joe Kennedy sees support from NYC's most fashionable.  Our spies say 80 people packed into [Sam] Hamadeh's 4,000-square-foot loft — which has been a filming location for "Gossip Girl" and photo shoots for Cosmo and Elle — for the event, which raised around $40,000 for the 33-year-old Kennedy scion who is kicking off his re-election bid.

Export subsidy fight pits Maxine Waters against Mike Lee.  Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters — "a dynamic liberal Democrat who champions the causes of the poor and downtrodden," as the liberal press calls her — held a rally of sorts at the Capitol on Tuesday.  Waters' cause:  supporting the federal agency called the Export-Import Bank, which subsidizes exporters, banks and foreign companies.  Among the needy on stage with her was the top lobbyist for Boeing, the prime beneficiary of Ex-Im.

2 Obama fundraisers after grieving Fort Hood deaths, one at $17 million home.  From the White House pool report:  ["]Later today, the president will headline two fund-raising events in Houston.  The first, for the DNC, is closed press.  Background from a DNC official:  "The President will attend a roundtable discussion for the DNC at a private residence in Houston with approximately 30 supporters who will contribute up to $32,400."["]

7 fun facts about President Barack Obama's tax return.  [#1] The Obamas paid $98,169 in total federal income tax on adjusted gross income of $481,098.  That's an effective tax rate of 20.4 percent.  [#2] The Obamas are due a tax refund of $19,108.  What should they spend it on?  [#3] Besides his salary, Obama reported $104,809 in business income from book sales.  That's down from $258,772 in 2012.

The Editor asks...
How much of the income from his book sales are due to Bill Ayers?

Obamas pay $98,169 in taxes on income of $481,098.  [Mr. and Mrs. Obama] paid an effective federal income tax rate of 20.4 percent and donated significantly less to charity than they did the year before.

Report: Obama To Attend Dem Fundraiser In Texas.  The Associated Press obtained an invitation to the April 9 event where tickets start at $16,200 a person and go up to $64,800 for a couple.

Democrats: The Real Party Of The Rich.  By almost every measure, in fact, it's the Democrats, not the Republicans, who are the party of the rich.  Start with Congress itself.  Who are the wealthiest members?  Well, there are 269 millionaires among Congress' 535 members.  And most of them are Democrats.  And contrary to the hand-wringing on the left about the Supreme Court's 5-4 McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ruling Wednesday [4/2/2014], Democrats far outspend Republicans on elections.  It isn't even close.  According to OpenSecrets.org, from 1989 to 2014 rich donors gave Democrats $1.15 billion — $416 million more than the $736 million given to the GOP.  Among the top 10 donors to both parties, Democrat supporters outspent Republican supporters 2-to-1.

Dem Rep.: 'Members of Congress Are Underpaid,' Can't Afford to 'Live Decently'.  Do you think members of Congress are overpaid or underpaid?  Most likely you'd go with the former, but Democratic congressman Jim Moran argues it's actually the latter.  In an interview with CQ Roll Call, Moran says, "I think the American people should know that the members of Congress are underpaid."  The House recently took up a bill to freeze members' paychecks, placing another halt on the annual cost-of-living pay increases they would normally get and keeping annual salary at $174,000.

Testing and Detesting SGO.  At week's end, retiring Cong. Jim Moran (D-of course, VA-unfortunately) told Roll Call that Congress was underpaid.  Before we could see clearly through our laughter-teared eyes, he added that "I understand that it's widely felt that they underperform, but the fact is that this is the board of directors for the largest economic entity in the world."  And he said all that with a straight face.

Which Party Represents the Wealthier U.S. Districts?  In order to appeal to everyday, average Americans, both political parties like to trot out the attack that the other side is the party of the rich (or super-rich, just to make it stick more).  Well, the Associated Press looked at the financial stats for every congressional district and concluded that most of the wealthiest districts in America are represented by Democrats.

Environmentalists to the Peasants: Drop Dead.  California is going through a terrible drought and 2013 was the driest on record in the state.  So who is suffering, financially and otherwise, from its effects?  Hint:  it is not the coastal elite.  The water still flows to the upscale neighborhoods of La Jolla, Malibu, and Marin County.  Their lawns are watered, their BMW's washed and polished, their swimming pools full.  No, it's the farmers in the Central Valley and the agricultural workers who are idled as 500,000 acres of the best farmland on the planet lies fallow.  Where is their water going?  To save the environment.

The Progressive Aristocracy.  If, as I suspect, the currency of progressivism isn't policies or results, but emotions, what does that approach build?  What kind of a country do you get when political leaders are driven by a desire to feel that they are more enlightened, noble, tolerant, wise, sensitive, conscious, and smart than most other people?  The evidence before us suggests progressives' ideal society would be one where they enjoy great power to regulate the lives of others and impose restrictions and limitations they themselves would never accept in their own lives.  Very few people object to an aristocracy with special rights and privileges as long as they're in it.

Why is Obama administration blocking Detroit River bridge?  Why isn't the Obama administration willing to finance the customs plaza for the new international bridge over the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario?  That's a question raised by this article in the Wall Street Journal.  As the Journal notes, the government of Canada has agreed to pay, as part of a public-private partnership, about $3.65 billion for building the bridge, including a $550 million link with Interstate 75 in Detroit.  The new bridge would provide an alternative for the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, which was opened in 1929.  Yet the Obama administration isn't ponying up $250 million to build a customs plaza. [...] Why is the Obama administration withholding the $250 million for the customs plaza?  One possible reason: to propitiate Matty Maroun, the Michigan billionaire who owns the Ambassador Bridge and profits handsomely from tolls and concessions.

Your Political Leaders Are Unsurprisingly Terrible at Empathizing with Your Salary.  Democratic Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia wants you to know that, at $174,000 a year, members of Congress are underpaid.  Because Jim Moran, like others, doesn't understand actual economic hardship and, frankly, isn't that great at politics either.  Moran is not the only public official to make a dubious claim about salary hardship in the past 24 hours.

Fish Instead of People, Ideologies without Consequences.  There is a great sickness in California, home of the greatest number of American billionaires and poor people, land of the highest taxes and about the worst schools and roads in the nation.  The illness is a new secular religion far more zealous and intolerant than the pre-Reformation zealotry of the Church.  Modern elite liberalism is based on the simple creed that one's affluence and education, one's coolness and zip code, should shield him from the consequences of one's bankrupt thoughts that he inflicts on others.

Party of the rich: In Congress, it's the Democrats.  Republicans are the party of the rich, right?  It's a label that has stuck for decades, and you're hearing it again as Democrats complain about GOP opposition to raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment benefits.

The Left's War on Horses.  [Scroll down]  Animal rights activists and their real estate backers have more money than horse carriage drivers.  The modest stable buildings are no match for the liberal real estate developers seeking to put up pricey hotels and progressive animal rights activists easily overwhelm drivers who may get only eight fares a day.  The anti-horse activists of Homo progressivus spent $1.3 million on Bill de Blasio.  The drivers bring their own coffee with them in a thermos because a Starbucks coffee is too pricy for their budgets.  Bill de Blasio refused to visit the stables where the horses are kept.  The money has changed hands, his mind is made up and he doesn't want to be confronted with the anger and suffering of the working men whose jobs he is taking away.

Bill Clinton cashes in on struggling nonprofit hospital.  Bill Clinton accepted a $225,000 speaking fee from the nonprofit Washington Hospital Center smack in the middle of two big rounds of layoffs in 2012 — one of a number of tax-exempt organizations that have paid big money to hear the former president talk.  The $225,000 payment wasn't made public by the hospital on its annual Internal Revenue Service forms, but rather appeared among dozens of lucrative speeches by Mr. Clinton reported on his wife's final ethics filing as secretary of state.

Spoiled Rotten Kids of DC's Elite.  Connected children of political families catching a break is something we Americans are plenty used to — there would be no Kennedy or Bush dynasties without the public's acceptance that some people just raise their kids up all square-jawed and rolled shirtsleeves, ready to run for office.  But the nexus of private business and politics is always one that's skated over lightly in high school civics classes.

Lucky Jim.  Earlier this week, inside a ballroom at the luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel in D.C., President Obama met with Organizing for America.  OFA, as it's called for short, raised $26 million last year, much of it from an assortment of heirs, heiresses, hedge funders, and Hollywood executives.

Fat Cats and Democrats.  Consider the Center for Responsive Politics' recently released list of "Heavy Hitters," the biggest donors among political organizations from 1989 to 2014.  Number 1 is ActBlue, "the online clearinghouse for Democratic action," as it styles itself, that bundles individual contributions for distribution to Democratic candidates.  ActBlue has already raised $12 million for the 2014 election cycle.  In 2012 it tallied $33 million.  All but 4 of the top 16 "heavy hitters" give the overwhelming majority of their funds to the Democrats.  Only 2 of the top 20 give to Republicans.

'Torquemada' John Dingell.  On Monday the 88-year-old [Representative John] Dingell [(D., Mich.)] announced his retirement.  His media and political allies celebrate him as a populist man of the middle, but the reality of who he is couldn't be more different.  Over his record 57 years in Congress, Dingell has been one of the key architects of centralizing regulatory power in Washington to the benefit of big-business lobbyists — and to the detriment of the little guy.

The Biggest Donors In American Politics Give To Democrats.  Contrary to what the Democrats tell you, the Koch brothers are not the biggest donors in American politics.  In fact, very few of the top donors give to Republican candidates.  By far, they give to Democrats.  [In the accompanying chart], you have to go down to number 17 before finding one with a Republican tilt.  And that one is UPS.  Also notice that most of the biggest donors to Democrats are unions, including public employee unions who survive on our tax dollars.  Remember this the next time you hear liberals whining about money in politics.

Obama Plays Water Guzzling Desert Golf Courses Amid California Drought.  President Barack Obama traveled to California on Friday to highlight the state's drought emergency at two events near Fresno, calling for shared sacrifice to help manage the state's worst water shortage in decades.  He then spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the hospitality of some of the state's top water hogs:  desert golf courses.  Vacationing with DVDs of his favorite television shows and multiple golf outings with his buddies, the duffer in chief played at two of the most exclusive courses in the Palm Springs area.

Obama plans bachelor Valentine's Day golfing weekend in California.  President Obama is traveling to California on Friday to discuss the severe drought that is threatening farmers' livelihood and meet with the king of Jordan. [...] The president will spend the evening of Valentine's Day dining with King Abdullah II of Jordan followed by two days of golf, according to a senior administration official to the New York Times.

President Obama golfs at Larry Ellison's Porcupine Creek.  President Barack Obama, in town since Friday and fresh off a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, left the Sunnylands estate Sunday morning for a little more golf.  He didn't have far to go.  The destination was Porcupine Creek, the private golf course owned by Oracle co-founder and BNP Paribas owner Larry Ellison.

After decrying inequality, Obama golfs at personal course of mega-billionaire.  Inequality in America is a terrible thing, unless it results in a nice afternoon at a golf course so private that "uncrowded" does not begin to describe the solitude a presidential foursome can enjoy.  Few things in this world are more unequally enjoyed than the luxury of a personal golf course.  But our inequality-hating president found the time to enjoy one yesterday [2/16/2014].

Barack Obama spends holiday weekend playing Oracle billionaire nineteen-hole golf course as Michelle hits the slopes.  First lady Michelle Obama and her daughters, Sasha and Malia, are in Aspen for the President's Day weekend while Barrack has been golfing in sunny Southern California with childhood friends.  'She likes it here,' Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo said, noting that this is Mrs Obama's third consecutive trip to Aspen over the holiday weekend.

Media Sidestep Five-Figure Price Estimate on Mrs. Obama's State Dinner Dress.  Michael W. Chapman of our sister site CNSNews.com reports on cost estimates for the hand-sewn gown Michelle Obama wore at Tuesday's state dinner for the prime minister of France.  Think five figures.  If Ann Romney were First Lady now, would that escape the media's politicized scrutiny?

Obama Tees Off on Billionaire's Private Golf Course.  President Barack Obama is teeing off on a private California golf course owned by supporter Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of the Oracle software company.  Ellison ranks third on Forbes' annual list of the 400 richest Americans, with an estimated $41 billion fortune.  His 249-acre desert property in Rancho Mirage came with a 19-hole private golf course.  The extra hole is available for playoffs.

Obama's state dinner for France: Let them eat beef, caviar, fudge and cotton candy.  Tuesday's state dinner was the usual self-indulgent Washington lavishness oblivious to the unemployed, food-stamped lives of millions of back-country Americans.  The 350 strutting attendees playing dress-up were a combination of Obama cronies, B-level Hollywood types, media, campaign bundlers and assorted beltway politicos who can consider themselves D.C. royalty until Jan. 20, 2017.  They were over-fed and entertained in what passes for the Palace of Versailles in Washington, a heated tent on the White House lawn decorated like a Monet spring painting.

Michelle Obama [wears] $12,000' Carolina Herrera gown at the White House state dinner.  Michelle Obama chose Venezuelan-American designer Carolina Herrera for the gown she wore Tuesday [2/11/2014] to the state dinner honoring French President Francois Hollande.

CNN: Michelle Obama's 'Dress Probably Cost Around $12,000'.  The dress first lady Michelle Obama wore at last night's state dinner was the topic of discussion last night on CNN. [...] Another guest on CNN last night thought the cost was about $12,000.  "Well, by the way, I think that dress probably cost around $12,000.  But that's just my guess," said Sally Quinn.

Michelle Obama chooses Carolina Herrera for state dinner dress.  The first lady chose a dramatic Carolina Herrera ball gown with a voluminous skirt and lace-overlay top.  The blue and black gown is the first dress with sleeves Obama has worn to a state dinner.  Previously she donned one-shouldered pieces from Peter Soronen and Doo-Ri Chung, and a strapless gown by Naeem Khan for the administration's first official state dinner in 2009 for India.

Hereditary Democracy?  Bill and Hillary Clinton left office in 2000.  They were all but broke.  Legal bills had been a draining burden.  Flash forward.  Bill Clinton made $17 Million last year in speaking engagements.  Hillary can knock out $400,000 for a monotone vapid speech rife with platitudes and banalities.

Michelle's dogs apparently dine on china and crystal.  Poverty and unemployment are at near-record levels, the economy is stalled, and a record 47 million Americans are on food stamps, yet aides for first lady Michelle Obama's tweeted out a picture of her two dogs apparently dining at a table laid with crystal and china.

Stunning insensitivity from Michelle Obama.  Michelle Obama's lust for luxury has always been a bit of a problem for her husband and Democrats in general.  Jetting off to five star resorts with a large entourage has too much dissonance with the rhetoric denouncing inequality currently in favor with the left.  But the First Lady has now outdone herself, and because a picture is worth a thousand words, the damage may be a bit more serious than the occasional grumble over designer shoes and livin' large.

Obama's Opulent State Dinners Cost The Taxpayer About Half A Million Dollars Each.  Obama is having a grand old time with his socialist buddy President Francois Hollande of France on his visit, and for the first time ever, Americans will get a view of just how much a State dinner costs them.  It took thirteen months for the State Department to respond to the request for the costs of such dinners, but here they are!

Obama, first lady go out on the town.  Three days before they throw a state dinner for the president of France, President Barack Obama and his wife are whetting their appetite for — Mexican food.
[Extraneous punctuation in original.]

Hillary's Billionaires.  Billionaires Alice Walton, George Soros, and Marc Benioff all made major contributions to the Super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton's presidential run in 2016, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings.  The three each contributed $25,000 to Ready for Hillary PAC, the maximum allowed donation, Bloomberg reported on Sunday [2/2/2014].  Walton is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton.  She is the world's 13th richest person and has an estimated worth of $33.9 billion.

First Lady, Barbra Streisand Raise Cash for Dems, Warn of GOP Resurgence.  Barbra Streisand, Tim Robbins and other progressive stars helped First Lady Michelle Obama fill Democrat coffers yesterday [1/29/2014] to keep both the House and Senate out of the GOP's mitts.  The L.A. fundraiser, held at the home of Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal, also included James Brolin, Paul Reiser, Dolores Roberts and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.  The event netted $700,000 for the liberal cause.

Here's what Michael Tusk served Michelle Obama at Cotogna.  But in middle of the day, Ms. Michelle Obama and a number of her guests dined at Cotogna.  It looks like the Obamas are fans of Lindsay and Michael Tusk's Pacific Avenue restaurants; back in 2012, Michael Tusk cooked for President Obama (in a private home), serving him dishes like cheese-filled tortelloni and poularde in various preparations.  On Thursday [1/30/2014], this was the menu presented to the First Lady and company: [...]

Obama's 'Operation Choke Point' Will Only Hurt Working Poor.  The Obama administration thinks driving payday lenders out of business will help the urban poor.  In fact, a Fed study suggests it will only drive them into the jaws of loan sharks.

Report: Obamas, Bidens spent $295,437 on just one vacation weekend.  According to new records obtained by the taxpayer watchdog group Judicial Watch, three separate jaunts taken by President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden during last year's Presidents Day weekend cost at least $295,437.  And that's mostly just for security, not Air Force One or other official costs.  The records were obtained from the U.S. Secret Service and details some of the "security and/or other services" of Obama's mid-February 2013 golf trip to West Palm Beach, Fla., the annual Aspen, Colo. ski trip taken by the first lady and her daughters, and the Biden family trip, also to Aspen.

Millionaire Congresswoman: Income Inequality is 'Existential Threat' to U.S.  Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who is worth millions of dollars according to her congressional financial disclosure statement, says Congress needs to tackle income inequality because it "poses an existential threat to our nation and our way of life."

Obama vs. Obama.  [Scroll down]  So who is responsible for this state of affairs?  Consider the trillion and a half dollars handed over to the banks and other financial institutions shortly after Obama took office.  This money was supposed to be extended as credit to businesses — including small businesses — in a bid to supercharge the economy according to the old Keynesian formula.  Instead it went directly into the markets, where it triggered the growth of the current market bubble, generating plenty in the way of paper profits, bonuses, and so forth along the way.  Also consider the $65 billion a month handed to the banks in the form of "quantitative easing."

Liberalism in Brooklyn.  I am watching them take my country from me — the Obamas, the de Blasios, the Holders, the generic Democrats with their imaginary sincerity and their simplistic complaints about income inequality.  As if excellence and the ability to earn are wicked traits.  In the meantime, Obama and his ilk are living pretty well.  They are not sleeping in boxes on cold urban streets.  Like thieves in the night, they try to steal the votes from the poor so that they can live even richer lifestyles.  They pretend to identify with the middle class, as if their lifestyles and prestige even resemble such a thing as "middle class."

White House imposes secrecy rules on First Lady's lavish, celebrity-filled birthday party.  There was a party in the East Room of the White House Saturday night [1/18/2014], an affair attended by a reported 500 people, a lavish celebration with celebrities galore, appearances by some of the world's most popular performers, lots of dancing and powerful government officials, including, of course, the most powerful official of all, the President of the United States.  And the White House wants to make sure you know as little as possible about it. [...] [M]aybe, since the president has announced he is devoting the rest of his time in office to an "inequality agenda," the White House felt photos of a champagne-soaked, star-studded party would be somewhat off-message.

Maryland is for millionaires!  Of all the states in the nation, Maryland once again reported the highest concentration of millionaires, according to an annual survey conducted by a wealth research firm.  A report released this week by the New York-based Phoenix Marketing International showed that there were just over 6 million millionaire households in the nation — an increase of 53,000 from the year before.

More Democrats than Republicans Sit on 10 Richest Members of Congress List.  While Republicans often get the reputation for being "the party of the rich," seven of the 10 richest members of Congress are Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP).  CRP compiled a list of the 10 richest members of Congress using 2012 personal finance disclosure information, the latest available.  These wealthy Democrats are not afraid to use their big bucks and high-powered connections to get ahead.

Obama's ambassador picks, by the numbers.  $436,000 to Democratic causes — that's from former White Sox outfielder Mark Gilbert, the nominee for the U.S. Embassy post in New Zealand. [...] $291,000 in contributions to Democratic campaigns and committees — that's from "The Bold and the Beautiful" executive producer Colleen Bell, who is up for the job of ambassador to Hungary.

Taxpayers foot the bill for First Lady's extended Hawaiian vacation.  The White House conceded on Monday that the federal treasury will foot the bill to fly First Lady Michelle Obama back to Washington, D.C. on a separate government aircraft after she finishes her extended vacation at the palatial 12-bedroom Hawaii home of talk show legend Oprah Winfrey.  Dedicated vehicles, Secret Service costs, and security sweeps of the Winfrey estate on Maui will add considerably to the total tab.

Michelle Obama spending extended vacation at Oprah's Maui home.  Michelle Obama is spending her extended Hawaiian vacation at Oprah's "exquisite" Maui getaway, The Daily Caller has learned.  While White House pool reports indicate the first lady stayed behind this week in Hawaii to chill out with friends before her 50th birthday, there weren't many specifics.

1 percent pay raise latest pinch for troops, veterans struggling to pay bills.  President Obama on Monday [12/23/2013] signed an executive order giving military personnel and civilian federal workers a 1 percent pay raise, the first raise for civilians in four years.  But for military families, it was another hit.  Military members had been receiving an annual pay increase of 1.8 percent, and ther order comes as more benefit cuts loom on the horizon for military families due to tightening budgets.

The Editor says...
The President was on vacation in Hawaii on Monday the 23rd.  Did he sign this executive order on the beach or the golf course?

Obamas Go Out on the Town in Hawaii.  [Scroll down]  Later in the day, the First Family headed out again, this time to dinner at Morimoto Waikiki, an upscale restaurant from Masaharu Morimoto, the star of "Iron Chef" and "Iron Chef America."  No word on what the Obamas ordered, though the restaurant boasts a $140-per-person "omakase" chef's choice tasting menu.

You Call This Tax Fairness?  Imagine lower-income families watching their incomes drop while their tax burden goes up.  Patently unfair, right?  Yet it actually happened under President Obama.

Michelle Obama wears controversial J Mendel jacket again despite backlash over its $6,800 price tag.  Michelle Obama has once again stepped out in her $6,800 J Mendel jacket, despite fielding a backlash last time she wore the pricey garment.  The First Lady looked suitably festive as she joined her family yesterday for the taping of TNT's Christmas in Washington at the National Building Museum.  But the last time she wore the embellished garment, in July 2012 at a Buckingham Palace reception in London, political commentators took issue with the fact that she had spent so much on fashion while so many in the U.S. are suffering financially.

Who the Democrats Really Are.  The richest Americans divide their votes evenly between the two parties, depending on how they earned their wealth.  The Democrats are the party of the super-rich.  Republicans are the party of the great middle.

Who Funds the Far Left? You'll Be Surprised.  The Center for American Progress is a left-wing organization that is closely associated with the Obama administration.  Its principal product is a web site called Think Progress.  Think Progress is part of the internet cesspool that modern liberalism has become.  Written by hack left-wing bloggers, it is bitterly hostile to free enterprise.  It is a low-rent site that traffics in the most absurd smears and conspiracy theories.  Many have wondered for some years who finances far-left web sites like Think Progress.  As of today, we know at least part of the answer, as CAP released its corporate donor list for the first time.

GE, Walmart, AT&T, Google Among Center for American Progress Donors.  On Friday [12/13/2013], the Obama- and Clinton-allied Center for American Progress finally revealed its long-sought corporate donor list after heavy pressure arising from CAP's quasi-lobbying history.  That scrutiny ratcheted up following the announcement that CAP founder John Podesta would be formally joining the Obama administration. Both Politico and The New York Times called for the donor list to meet the public eye.  And so CAP handed over the list to the leftist Huffington Post.

Celebrity Hypocrites.  I'm annoyed that so many Hollywood celebrities hate the system that made them rich.  Actor/comedian Russell Brand told the BBC he wants "a socialist, egalitarian system based on the massive redistribution of wealth."  Director George Lucas got rich not just from movies but also by selling Star Wars merchandise.  Yet he says he believes in democracy but "not capitalist democracy."  Actor Martin Sheen says, "That's where the problem lies ... It's corporate America."  And so on.

Latter-Day Marxist.  A week ago, the White House Marxist declared that income inequality was the "defining challenge" we face.  If Obama really means what he says (which he almost never does) he could begin by giving up the millions he has already pocketed and the fancy houses and the fancy vacations he funds with taxes coming from Americans who are scraping to make ends meet.  Or he could close down Obamacare, the largest redistribution of income from the have nots to the haves in our lifetimes.

'Income Inequality' — The Biggest Lie of All.  In the last few days Barack Obama has attempted to change the subject of public discourse from healthcare to income inequality, which he has dubbed "the defining challenge of our time."  Now he tells us!  Since POTUS hasn't paid much attention to this problem for the first five plus years of his administration, even with African-American unemployment through the roof and the middle class disappearing from American economic life, [...] this should come as some surprise.

America's Royalty On Its Coasts Decides How The Rest Live.  The densely populated coastal corridors from Boston to Washington and from San Diego to Berkeley are where most of America's big decisions are made.  They remind us of two quite different Americas: one country along these coasts and everything else in between.  Those in Boston, New York and Washington determine how our government works; what sort of news, books, art and fashion we should consume, and whether our money and investments are worth anything.  The Pacific corridor is just as influential, but in a hipper, cooler fashion.

President Obama has nine different types of pie for White House Thanksgiving dinner.  President Barack Obama is celebrating Thanksgiving with a quiet family dinner at the White House — where he will be feasting on a choice of nine pies.

New survey: Despite Michelle Obama, Americans are eating less healthy.  According to the Obama White House, the first family consumed a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, honey-baked ham, cornbread stuffing, oyster stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, greens, green bean casserole, dinner rolls and macaroni and cheese.  Then, the family washed all that down with nine kinds of pies:  huckleberry, pecan, sweet potato, peach, apple, pumpkin, banana cream, coconut cream and chocolate cream.

Obama Hailed as 'the Greatest Leader in the World' at Magic's House.  President Obama partied with the stars in Beverly Hills on Monday night [11/25/2013] to raise cash for the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees. [...] In a tent on the grounds of Magic Johnson's mansion, the former Lakers star hailed Obama as "the greatest leader in the world."  With ticket prices between $2,500 and $15,000 a head, the crowed included Samuel L. Jackson and Diane Keaton along with some L.A. Clippers players and members of Congress.

Obama leaving D.C. for three-day West Coast fundraising blitz.  With his popularity sinking and his faulty health care law endangering Democratic candidates, President Obama headed out of Washington on Sunday [11/24/2013] to show he's still an asset to his party — by raising campaign money.  Mr. Obama embarked on a three-day swing to the West Coast, where he'll raise millions for Democratic congressional candidates at stops in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Along the way, he'll mingle with celebrities such as former NBA star Magic Johnson and DreamWorks studio CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Keyword:  uppity
Obama Donor Complains About No Valet Parking at White House.  One of President Obama's wealthy supporters complained about the lack of valet parking at the White House — during a campaign event in California.  Haim Saban needled the president about parking at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during a high-dollar fundraiser for Democrats.  The event was held at Saban's sprawling Beverly Hills estate.

Obama to visit DreamWorks facility in boost to major donor.  President Obama will deliver an economic speech at a DreamWorks Animation facility Tuesday [11/26/2013], giving a major presidential favor to Jeffrey Katzenberg, the film studio's CEO and one of Obama's largest donors.

Obama: The Affirmative Action President.  Unfortunately, minorities often suffer so that whites can pat themselves on the back.  Liberals routinely admit minorities to schools for which they are not qualified, yet take no responsibility for the inevitable poor performance and high drop-out rates which follow.  Liberals don't care if these minority students fail; liberals aren't around to witness the emotional devastation and deflated self esteem resulting from the racist policy that is affirmative action.  Yes, racist.  Holding someone to a separate standard merely because of the color of his skin — that's affirmative action in a nutshell, and if that isn't racism, then nothing is.  And that is what America did to Obama.

Obama's Fallout for the Left.  Obama has left other dilemmas for liberals.  He was the largest recipient of Goldman Sachs and BP money in history.  His financial team — notably Peter Orszag, who left the administration for Citigroup, and Jack Lew, who came to the administration from Citigroup — are proverbial revolving-door Wall Street fat cats who, in the parlance of Occupy Wall Street and Elizabeth Warren, did not really build their own wealth.  It will be hard to take seriously any future liberal critique of a Republican cozying up to Wall Street.

Immigration staffers pressured to rush visas for wealthy investors.  Staff at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in California were regularly pressured by senior officials to fast-track visa applications from wealthy and well-connected foreign investors, causing security concerns so severe that the program was moved to Washington this year.

D.C. awash in contracts, lobbying wealth.  The winners in the new Washington are not just the former senators, party consiglieri and four-star generals who have always profited from their connections.  Now they are also the former bureaucrats, accountants and staff officers for whom unimagined riches are suddenly possible.  They are the entrepreneurs attracted to the capital by its aura of prosperity and its super-educated workforce.  They are the lawyers, lobbyists and executives who work for companies that barely had a presence in Washington before the boom.  During the past decade, the region added 21,000 households in the nation's top 1 percent.  No other metro area came close.

Richer Than Romney: Jon Stewart Hides Mansions Under Pet's Names.  Jon Stewart, the left-wing star of the low-rated "Daily Show," might not be richer than Romney today, but the pace he's currently on means that someday he may very well be.  Of course that means nothing to Stewart as he continues to carry Obama's water and launch divisive class warfare attacks from the platform of a super PAC known as Comedy Central to attack Mitt Romney's wealth.

President Obama has a meal fit for a king in Miami.  Politics aside, a president's gotta eat.  Just ask Barack Obama, who was feted with a few fundraisers Friday [11/8/2013].  At the Pinecrest home of businesswoman/philanthropist Leslie Miller Saiontz, a 30-person dinner was catered by Chef David Catering, whose menu included Kobe hot dogs and tenderloin filet.  Then there was the one at the Coral Gables home of personal injury attorney Ralph Patino, catered by Caffe Abbracci, where restaurant owner Nino Pernetti witnessed the Commander in Chief munching on pumpkin tartlette with crumbled amarettini cookies and miniature chocolate ganache cake.

Obama's second-term ambassador nominees raised more than $16 million for him.  President Obama's second-term nominees for foreign ambassadorships raised more than $16 million for his presidential campaigns and inaugurations.  Obama has nominated 24 campaign bundlers that have raised at least $16.6 million for his presidential efforts, according to a database created by the Center for Public Integrity.  Eight six-figure Obama bundlers have already been confirmed to key posts including Singapore, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Italy.

At least one group of Americans loves ObamaCare.  For those on the left who thought that ObamaCare would mean large health insurance companies might get their comeuppance, they might want to look at UnitedHealth.  Wall Street analysts expect the giant to see its stock price rise 40 percent over the next two years, thanks to expanding profit margins.  The company has also won big contracts to help implement the rollout.  Quality Software Services, Inc., a major contractor for Healthcare.gov, is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth.  One of President Obama's most reliable fundraisers in both 2008 and 2012 was Anthony Welters, executive vice president of UnitedHealth.  He raised more than $500,000 for the 2012 election, according to opensecrets.org

Winners and Losers: ObamaCare Exposes the 'Soylent Green Liberals'.  America is learning that under ObamaCare there are losers — millions of them — and almost all among the working and middle class.  Up to 20 million will lose the insurance President Obama reassured them they could keep, and as the cost of premiums and deductibles spike, they will find their health care choices limited.  But the only reaction to this human carnage from America's "Soylent Green Liberals" is that it is all for the greater good.

Obama Decries 'Winner-Take-All' Economy to Rich Folks 'Who Are Doing Very Well'.  President Obama attended a Democratic fund raising event in Weston, Massachusetts Wednesday night [10/30/2013] at the home of Alan and Susan Solomont.  Among the 60 attendees were a number of high-profile Democrats, according to the Boston Globe. [...] The Globe also noted that the fund raiser "ticket prices ranged from $16,200 per person to $64,800 per couple.  The DCCC would not say how much Obama expected to raise in total."

Obama to raise Democratic money at Weston fete tonight.  Tickets range from $16,200 per person to $64,800 per couple. DCCC officials declined to discuss how much money the event is expected to raise.

First lady dines at Bibiana.  Spotted:  Michelle Obama sitting down for a meal at a downtown Washington Italian restaurant on Wednesday [10/16/2013], just hours before Congress passed legislation to fund the government and avert a default.  The first lady was seen dining with two companions at Bibiana, arriving at 7 p.m. and staying for nearly three hours.

First lady cancels Bay Area fundraisers.  Democratic insiders said there was queasiness at the prospect of the first lady raising millions from wealthy donors and campaigning for Democratic causes while thousands of federal employees are furloughed because of the partial government shutdown.

Serving Our Government Masters.  [George] Washington once said that government is "a troublesome servant and a fearful master."  Government has long ceased being a troublesome servant and has become our fearful master.  Today the servants of the people have more servants of their own than many kings and queens.  The government shutdown has forced Obama to make do with only a quarter of his 1,701 person staff.  That would leave 436 "vital" employees.  The 90 people who look after his living quarters would be slashed to 15 to "provide minimum maintenance and support".

Obama: Transforming America.  Plenty of presidents have proved vicious, but few so adept in attributing their own base behavior to others.  Damning fat cats and corporate-jet owners allows a president to hold serial $50,000-a-head fundraisers.  Ridiculing Romney's elevator seems to make vacationing in Aspen, Costa del Sol, Vail, and Martha's Vineyard perfectly natural.

Chelsea Clinton gets $750,000 break on new condo.  Chelsea Clinton and hubby Marc Mezvinksy paid $9,250,000 for a four-bedroom apartment in the celebrity-studded Whitman condominium building on Madison Square Park, city records filed this month show.  That is $1.2 million less than the $10.5 million asking price, and $750,000 below what the building's other two occupants paid for their 5,000-square-foot units.

Ruling class Princess Chelsea Clinton.  I propose Chelsea Clinton as the poster girl for the Ruling Class.  She is a princess of the ruling class, a "tell" of the techno-feudal nature of power in the new order of things.  By virtue of her birth, she has been handed many things unavailable to the serfs by ruling class organs.  Her gig at NBC News is a prime example of how things work when the RC is taking care of its young.

Party of the Rich? That's the Democrats.  Another liberal storyline in shambles.  Could it be that "Reaganomics" and the "Bush tax cuts" actually favor the middle class more, and the rich less, than the corresponding liberal policies enacted under Clinton and Obama?  Nearly three and a half decades of data suggest that this may be the case.

House CR Forks Over $174,000 for Late Senator's Wife.  There are many things House Republicans liked about the government continuing resolution.  It defunds Obamacare, locks in the sequester spending cuts and keeps the government running.  But there's one provision tucked into the CR that may anger constituents back home:  Among the various sections of the House-passed CR are 28 words that would pay $174,000 to the widow of the late Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J. [...] Before Lautenberg's death, he was No. 8 on Roll Call's 50 Richest Members of Congress with a net worth of at least $56.8 million.

Update:
House eliminates payout to wealthy senator's widow.  After an outcry, the House has dropped a $174,000 payment to the widow of the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg from its stopgap spending bill.

Obama's Middle-Class 'Mission Accomplished'.  Just before he delivered his Chattanooga speech, claiming victory on the "durable" jobs front, he had been on Martha's Vineyard vacationing at the exclusive Blue Heron Farm, the $22-million estate owned by Lord Norman and Lady Elena Foster of Great Britain.  There, in the course of his ten-day retreat, Obama got in six rounds of golf with the likes of Jim Kim, President of the World Bank, and Eunu Chun, a wealthy attorney and prominent Democratic fundraiser.  Just kicking around with ordinary middle-class folks, the kind Obama cares so much about.

Life is good for Janet Napolitano.  Higher education is an enormous industry, heavily subsidized, and the people who run it consider themselves entitled to the lifestyle of the mega rich.  Even at taxpayer-owned institutions.  Take the example of Janet Napolitano, newly installed president of the University of California.

UC leases housing at $9,950 a month for president Napolitano.  The University of California has leased an Oakland residence for incoming system president Janet Napolitano for $9,950 a month, officials said Monday [9/16/2013.  Napolitano, the former U.S. secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Arizona, will be provided the housing plus an annual $570,000 salary, $8,916 a year for car expenses and $142,500 for one-time relocation costs.

Al Qaeda rises, the economy sinks: What progress, President Obama?  You would never know from taking our chief magician at his word, but America is actually sliding backward towards chaos and the economic abyss as we approach autumn.  Discontent is rising across the entire political spectrum even after we hear President Obama's many soothing sentences.  Young adults now rightly fear war without end as they wonder where the decent paying jobs are.

ObamaCare Subsidies: Not For Low-Income Young People.  Young people making as little as $20,394 won't be eligible for any ObamaCare subsidies, thanks to the way that the subsidies are calculated, according to a study released on Monday [9/16/2013].  The study also found that, overall, young people will get far less generous subsidies from ObamaCare than older people.

Obama's Economy Hits His Voters Hardest.  Mr. Obama was re-elected with 51% of the vote.  Five demographic groups were crucial to his victory:  young voters, single women, those with only a high-school diploma or less, blacks and Hispanics.  He cleaned up with 60% of the youth vote, 67% of single women, 93% of blacks, 71% of Hispanics, and 64% of those without a high-school diploma, according to exit polls.  According to the Sentier research, households headed by single women, with and without children present, saw their incomes fall by roughly 7%.  Those under age 25 experienced an income decline of 9.6%.

Obama Postpones $32,000-a-Head Hollywood Fundraiser Amid Syria Crisis.  The Sept. 9 Hancock Park fundraiser with Obama was set to include an exclusive $32,400-per-person "off the cuff" roundtable discussion with the president, as well as a photo line for those who donate $5,000 to the party — and raise an additional $20,000 from others.

PETA: Obama in 'doghouse' for choosing breeder pup over a rescue.  Fans of cute animal photos were overwhelmed Monday [8/19/2013] to find the Obama family had brought home a new buddy for Bo.  But animal-rights activists were not pleased that the First Family once again ignored the millions of dogs waiting to be adopted in shelters in favor of an expensive breeder.

The Editor says...
According to two reports [1] [2] the Obamas paid $2,300 for their new dog.

Ambassador post filings show Caroline Kennedy could be worth up to $500M.  Caroline Kennedy may be worth far more than previously thought, with newly filed documents reportedly pegging her personal wealth as high as a half-billion dollars.  The notoriously private Kennedy refused to release her financial information back in 2008, when she briefly sought an appointment to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton.  But her nomination last month to be ambassador to Japan has forced her to file her financials with a federal government ethics office.

Caroline Kennedy 'is worth up to $500m'.  Caroline Kennedy has been forced to reveal her net worth by submitting financial statements in order to be considered as the next American ambassador to Japan, and it is believed she may be worth up to $500 million.  The former first daughter's wealth has been a closely-guarded secret for decades, but now that President Obama has nominated her to represent the United States abroad, she has to list the sources of her massive income.

Caroline Kennedy discloses financial information for ambassadorship.  Five years after Caroline Kennedy refused to release financial information during her bid to take over Hillary Clinton's US Senate seat, newly filed documents reveal a personal fortune that could be as high as $500 million.

Bubba just 'plane' extravagant.  Bill Clinton's foundation has spent more than $50 million on travel expenses since 2003, an analysis of the non-profit's tax forms reveal.  The web of foundations run by the former president spent an eye-opening $12.1 million on travel in 2011 alone, according to an internal audit conducted by foundation accountants.  That's enough to by 12,000 air tickets costing $1,000 each, or 33 air tickets each day of the year.

Larry David, Carly Simon headline star-studded Obama Vineyard party.  President Obama and other top administration officials rubbed shoulders with stars of screen and stage during an exclusive Martha's Vineyard cocktail party hosted by Comcast CEO Brian Roberts earlier this week, according to a report from the New York Post.  In addition to the president and first lady, top Obama fundraiser and Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was in attendance, as was "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Larry David and singer Carly Simon.

Power-packed Vineyard party for Obama.  Comcast CEO Brian Roberts' cocktail party for President Barack Obama and wife Michelle in Martha's Vineyard last night was attended by a host of notables close to the administration. [...] Roberts has reportedly been close to the president for years and endorsed the Affordable Care Act.

It's good to be king.  Barack Obama is off on yet another vacation — his third this year and fifteenth since taking office.  And while Obama vacations, the American people are forced to cut back as he, his family, and his cronies are living like royalty on the taxpayers' tab.  With unemployment at 7.4 percent and the economy failing to create enough jobs to keep up with population growth, most Americans cannot even afford a night out — let alone a luxurious Obama-type vacation in what Politico calls "the playgrounds of the rich and famous."

How much did it cost U.S. taxpayers to airlift Bo, the First Dog, to Martha's Vineyard?  This is the worst kind of arrogance and hubris ever displayed by a U.S. president when millions are struggling to put food on the table.

The Obamas Taste The Sweet Life.  President Obama proved Sunday night that even as he fights for "the middle class" he prefers to hang out with "the upper class," indulging in an expensive repast at the overpriced "The Sweet Life Cafe" on Martha's Vineyard.  Dinner can easily run above $200 for two, even if the Obamas stick to the Let's Move diet plan and share dessert.

Obamas dine at posh DC restaurant for president's birthday.  President Obama and Michelle Obama had a date night Thursday in honor of the president's birthday.  The couple dined at Rasika West End on New Hampshire Avenue, according to a White House pool report. [...] On Saturday, the Obama family heads to Martha's Vineyard, Mass., for an eight-day vacation.

The Clintons rent a new house in Hamptons this summer.  The Clintons have decided to rent a different house in the Hamptons this summer after they only received a small portion of their security deposit back from the home they rented last year.  The famous Democrats have been frequent visitors to the expensive summer getaway in Long Island, and rented the same beachfront house in 2011 and 2012.  Even though they pencilled in a month-long stay in the Hamptons this year, they won't be making it a hat-trick as they decided to rent a different home due to the expensive utility costs at their prior rental.

The Editor says...
There must be a really good reason that they forfeited a large portion of their security deposit.  I wonder what happened.

Let Them Eat Wind.  [Scroll down]  Democrats are the Government Party, the Washington Party, and not the party of working people.  The whole of their lives, these leftist elites lecture helpless college students, threaten businessmen with litigation and other similar shakedowns, and advance proposals to create wealth by the failed mechanism of taking money from those who engage in useful work and giving that money to those who do not — after, of course, a healthy "piece of the action" for leftist cadres.

Biden Vacationing in the Hamptons.  The Hamptons will play host to not one but two potential 2016 presidential aspirants this month, with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arriving this week for a vacation in Southampton.  Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has rented a house for August here in East Hampton, the next township over.

Obama vacation: Martha's Vineyard the playground for black elites.  In a few days, President Obama and his family will arrive on Martha's Vineyard for a family vacation.  For centuries, Martha's Vineyard and the town of Oak Bluffs in particular has been the epicenter of black elitism.  It has been said, "it does not matter where America's wealthy black families winter ... they summer in Martha's Vineyard."

The Death of Populism.  Gas has gone up about $2 a gallon since Barack Obama took office.  Given average yearly rates of national consumption, that increase alone translates into an extra $1 trillion that American drivers have collectively paid in higher fuel costs over the last 54 months.  Such a crushing burden on the cash-strapped commuter class is rarely cited in the liberal fixation on cap-and-trade, wind and solar subsidies, and the supposed dangers of fracking.

Obama Says Income Gap Is Fraying U.S. Social Fabric.  "If we don't do anything, then growth will be slower than it should be.  Unemployment will not go down as fast as it should.  Income inequality will continue to rise," he said.  "That's not a future that we should accept."

Carson Refuses To Live On Left's Racist Plantation.  [Dr.] Ben Carson isn't just a brain surgeon, but an inspiring voice of wisdom and liberty who, like Clarence Thomas, is a threat to a leftist establishment that cannot stand, as Thomas put it over 20 years ago, "uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas."

Black America's True Nemesis: Liberals, Not Zimmerman.  In the midst of all the racial hullabaloo stirred up by so-called advocates for black empowerment after the Zimmerman trail, guess who is really being harmed?  Answer:  black America.  All of you black pastors, black politicians, and black celebs who have joined Sharpton and the MSM's lynch mob to "get Zimmerman" should be ashamed of yourselves.  You are doing a huge disservice to the very people you claim to champion by chasing a straw man while ignoring the real issues that are devastating black America.

Hillary Clinton, Queen of Profit (Cattle Futures Aside).  Hillary Clinton is getting $200K per speech.  I think that qualifies as "cashing in."  I also think it qualifies as "trading on one's public office."  I have used some pretty old-fashioned phrases here.  We heard them in 1989, when Ronald Reagan went to Japan for a week and came back with $2 million.  (An old Reagan hand described this as "the Reagans' retirement fund.")  There was a storm of condemnation.  Has there been any storm over Hillary Clinton?  Over Bill Clinton, and Al Gore?  Haven't they made tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars?

Al Sharpton, Posh Populist.  Named by Business Insider as one of the "11 exclusive clubs Wall Streeters are dying to get into," the Grand Havana Room is where power brokers and celebrities hobnob with captains of industry in one of the last places where it's still legal to smoke in the Big Apple. [...] The one question I have is:  Who's paying for Al Sharpton's membership?  "The Rev" is an omnipresent member of the club.  After his MSNBC show, he'll swing by for dinner and cigars amid the other Masters of the Universe.

President Obama and family expected to vacation in Chilmark.  Though not confirmed by the White House, the Obamas are expected to stay in a four-bedroom house valued at $7.6 million with an attached two-bedroom guesthouse on Snail Road, off South Road and surrounded by woodlands.

Another of Obama's fundraisers nominated for top ambassador post.  Campaign finance chairman Matthew Barzun is set to move into the sumptuous residence in London's Court of St James which boasts a sprawling garden second only in size to that of Buckingham Palace.  Obama raised a record-breaking $1.1 billion to defeat Mitt Romney last year, of which his big money donors, or 'bundlers' as they are known in Washington, brought in an estimated $286 million.

Egypt Crisis Finds Washington Largely Ambivalent and Aloof.  In polo shirt, shorts and sandals, President Obama headed to the golf course Friday morning with a couple of old friends, then flew to Camp David for a long weekend.  Secretary of State John Kerry was relaxing at his vacation home in Nantucket.

Michelle Obama Arrived in Senegal Wearing a $1,295 Designer Dress.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza.)

The Editor says...
Just as a sidebar topic, I have noticed that the Obama's two daughters, in every photograph, appear to be put out and disgruntled about having to travel on Air Force One or on the Marine Corps helicopter — which would be a once-in-a-lifetime thrill ride for the rest of us.  Criticism of the surly, ungrateful Obama brats is strictly off-limits in the mainstream press, but not on this site.

Keywords:  insolent, arrogant, snooty, brat, snob.
First Daughter looks unimpressed while on a bicycle ride during the family's stay on Martha's Vineyard.  The 'First Daughter' looked spectacularly unimpressed while on a bicycle ride with her family during their vacation on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard.  Malia Obama was photographed peddling in between her mother and father along a path in Vineyard Haven.  While biking, the 17 year old appeared to be in a sour mood.

Keywords: Sourpuss, royalty, ungrateful.
The Obamas look downcast as they return home from two-week break on Martha's Vineyard.  En route to the capital on Sunday [8/23/2015], they stopped off at Cape Cod to swap their first helicopter for the President's plane Air Force One, and they managed to smile at crowds on the tarmac.  But as the family disembarked Air Force One at Andrews Air Force base, before taking another helicopter back to their official residence, the happy faces had vanished.

Well, it appears the Obama family had a simply delightful time on their 17-day, multi-million dollar vacation.  I wouldn't be surprised if Michelle Obama's middle name was Antoinette.

Amazing picture of the Obamas coming home to the White House.  It doesn't look like being on vacation improved the spirits of the Obama family.

The Editor says...
With the exception of Mr. Obama, who is a professional politician, the whole family looks like they just came back from Mississippi in 1958, and had to ride in the back of the bus.  I've never seen three pampered celebrities look as put out with their miserable lives as the Obama women do.

Obamas jet off on their Christmas vacation but Sasha and Malia don't look too impressed.  President Obama and the First Family have landed in Hawaii tonight for a 17-day holiday together.  The family flew overnight in Air Force one, direct from Maryland to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  They are not expected to return to Washington D.C. until January 4.

Sasha and Malia can't hide their disdain as Obama saves turkey from the slaughterhouse.  It is a time-honored tradition — but Sasha and Malia would rather have been anywhere else than having to watch their dad crack lame jokes as he pardoned the National Thanksgiving Turkey.  Shuffling awkwardly and rolling their eyes like any teenage girls would while their father laughed at his own mildly controversial jokes Malia and Sasha made no attempt to appear anything other than bored stiff.

The Editor says...
Once again, here we have two teenagers who live in the lap of luxury, yet they act as if their lives are so-o-o-o tough.

Apparently I wasn't the only person to get the same impression.
Congressional Staffer Apologizes for Saying First Daughters Acted Classless at Turkey Ceremony.  A communications director for a GOP congressman has apologized for saying the first daughters weren't showing "class" and were wearing clothes fit for a "spot at a bar" during this week's turkey pardoning ceremony. [...] Elizabeth Lauten, a former Republican National Committee staffer and current communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.), posted an open letter to the girls on her Facebook page.  "Dear Sasha and Malia, I get you're both in those awful teen years, but you're a part of the First Family, try showing a little class.  At least respect the part you play.  Then again your mother and father don't respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter, so I'm guessing you're coming up a little short in the 'good role model' department," Lauten wrote.

US lawmaker's aide draws ire over first daughter scolding.  A US lawmaker's communications director was facing social media calls she be sacked after her Facebook rant about President Barack Obama's daughters prompted widespread anger.  Elizabeth Lauten, spokeswoman for Republican Congressman Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, wrote a scathing post to her Facebook account scolding Malia and Sasha Obama, 16 and 13, for looking bored while attending a public event with their father on Wednesday [11/26/2014].

Malia, Sasha, and the turkey affair. How it became political.  [Scroll down]  That was just too much for some conservative commentators, who felt the need to weigh in — not only on the girls' turkey response but on their appearance.  "I don't think you would have ever seen the Bush daughters in dresses that short.  Class is completely absent from this White House," sniffed Amanda Shea at a web site called "Mad World News," which describes itself as "firmly devoted to bringing you the truth and the stories that the mainstream media ignores."  But it was Elizabeth Lauten, communications director for US Rep. Stephen Lee Fincher, (R) of Tennessee, who has gotten the most attention.

The Editor says...
The article immediately above is the first in which I saw a wider shot of the Obama girls, and you must admit they do appear to lack proper guidance.  One wonders how the girls dress and act when they're not prepared for a photo-op with the national news media.

Update:
GOP aide resigns after online digs at Obama daughters.  Republican congressional aide Elizabeth Lauten resigned Monday morning [12/1/2014] after making controversial comments about President Obama's teenage daughters, Fox News confirms.  Lauten, the communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, had posted on Facebook about their casual demeanor during last week's annual White House turkey pardon. She wrote that Sasha, 13, and Malia, 16, should "try showing a little class."  "Rise to the occasion.  Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at the bar," Lauten wrote.  "And certainly don't make faces during televised, public events."

RNC Calls Out Media Mob For Coverage Of Comments About Obama Daughters.  The chief spokesman for the Republican National Committee is criticizing the media for piling on a GOP House staffer for her widely-reported negative comments about President Obama's daughters.  It was announced Monday that Elizabeth Lauten, the spokeswoman for Tennessee Republican Rep. Steven Fincher, plans to resign her position for a weekend Facebook post telling the first daughters to "try showing a little class."  After a media firestorm, Lauten deleted and apologized for the post.  But the RNC says the media mob doesn't cover stories to this extent when it has to do with Democrats.

Hill staffer Elizabeth Lauten resigns after remarks about Obama daughters.  Embattled Hill staffer Elizabeth Lauten has resigned amid a backlash over critical remarks she posted on Facebook Friday about President Obama's daughters.  Lauten, communications director for Rep. Stephen Lee Fincher (R-Tenn.), came under fire over the weekend after posting derogatory remarks about Sasha and Malia Obama regarding their appearance at the president's annual Turkey pardoning.

Networks Continue Hyping Resigned GOP Staffer After 'Snarky Posting' About First Daughters.  On Monday night [12/1/2014], the "big three" of ABC, CBS and NBC each spent portions of their evening newscasts reporting on the resignation of a House Republican staffer after she criticized Sasha and Malia Obama on her personal Facebook page.  This marks the second full day of coverage since the first reports aired on Sunday morning and provides another example of a media double-standard between Democratic and Republican administrations.

CNN: 'Slow News Cycle' Led to Media Hype About 'Cyber-Bullying' GOP Staffer.  On Monday's At This Hour, CNN's Brian Stelter brushed aside a regular conservative critique about the media — that the press has a double standard about covering controversial remarks from Republican/conservative officials, while ignoring similar comments from Democrats/liberals.

Elizabeth Lauten and the 'kids are off limits' canard.  On Monday, the media claimed a scalp.  A formerly obscure staffer for a still relatively unknown Republican congressman was outed in the press over the slow holiday weekend after she had the temerity to notice (and be offended by the fact) that the Obama daughters were not especially thrilled to join their father for the annual pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey.

Criticism of the Royal Family Will Not Be Tolerated.  When Jonathan Gruber, the architect of ObamaCare, was caught on tape admitting to the massive fraud necessary to shove the program through Congress, it was scarcely treated as news by Big Media (although Jake Tapper at CNN was a notable exception.)  When President Obama straight-up lied to the American people about his association with Gruber, the media yawned and relayed the lies with little objection or criticism, essentially taking the attitude that it was a non-story because everyone knew Obama was lying out of obvious political necessity.  But a staffer for a Republican member of Congress says something critical of the Royal Family, and look out — it's an instant four-alarm fire, complete with an Internet flash mob — the laziest form of pressure ever invented — and a head swiftly rolls.

Elizabeth Lauten Did Not Deserve What Happened to Her.  I don't think any child asks for their dad to be President or run for office.  They don't deserve the spotlight.  But that did not keep the media from making a spectacle of the Bush daughters.  That did not keep the media from making a spectacle of the Palin family, including speculating on why Trig Palin was not aborted and, by a credible media figure, whether or not Trig Palin's paternity was legitimate.  It did not stop Carol Costello from laughing about Bristol Palin.  In the past this did not stop media hilarity over adopted children into the Romney family and the Bush family.  This rule apparently only applies to Democrats and their children.  I disagree with Elizabeth Lauten, but the level of character assassination on her by the Washington press corps in a coordinated attack by the White House itself was uncalled for.

This is getting completely off-topic, but ... just one more update:
Media in Frenzy Over Hill Staffer's Comments on Obama's Daughters.  Five days after Elizabeth Lauten published a Facebook post criticizing the outfits worn by President Barack Obama's daughters, the previously obscure Republican Hill staffer is being inundated with threatening messages and major media outlets are pouring resources into tracking her moves and digging into her past.  Two network news vans camped outside of Lauten's parents home in North Carolina on Tuesday, one day after she resigned as communication director for Rep. Steven Fincher (R., Tenn.) due to the controversy.

Pelosi's wealth falls to $24.4 million.  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) substantial personal wealth dropped for the second year in a row after she took on more debt with her husband, according to her latest financial disclosure report.  Pelosi's personal fortune was at least $24.4 million in 2012, according to her financial disclosure statement released on Friday [6/14/2013].  That's an almost 8 percent decline from her minimum net worth of $26.4 million for 2011.

Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are America's great dividers.  This statement appears on the House Minority Leader's web site:  "Democrats are building an economic approach that lifts every American, not just the privileged few.  The average American CEO earns more before lunchtime in one day than a minimum wage worker earns all year.  This is not the kind of America we want our children to grow up in.  Today's economic challenges result from years of Republican inaction and failed policies that have left more and more Americans behind."  In Pelosi's world, Democrats are for "every American," while Republicans favor only "the privileged few."

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor nets over $3 million from memoir.  Being a Supreme Court justice has not only been good for Sonia Sotomayor's legal career, it's also helped her bank account.  The justice on Friday [6/7/2013] reported that she's received more than $3 million in advance payments for her best-selling memoir, "My Beloved World."  Her annual financial disclosure forms show that Knopf Doubleday Group paid Sotomayor $1.925 million in 2012 in anticipation of her book.  This comes in addition to the $1.2 million in advance payments she received from the publisher in 2010.

President woos Hollywood donors for DNC campaign coffers.  The event, at the home of media executive Peter Chernin, featured a mix of celebrities and high-level politicos.  President Obama wooed some of Hollywood's elite at a $10,000-a-plate Santa Monica fundraising luncheon Friday afternoon [6/7/2013] for the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

The California Captivity of the Democratic Party.  This is a story about politics and power in the golden land, and it begins with the money.  In early May a luxury resort in Laguna Beach, Calif., hosted a five-day semi-annual meeting of the Democracy Alliance, a secret, invitation-only organization of liberal moneybags that since its formation in 2005 has directed some $500 million in contributions to progressive groups.  Never has a wolves' den been so posh.  The Alliance discloses neither its members nor its beneficiaries, but some of the details of its structure have leaked out over time.

JNF pays Bill Clinton $500,000 for 45-minute talk.  The Peres Academic Center has paid former US president Bill Clinton $500,000 for a headlining appearance in Rehovot on June 17.  Clinton will feature at a reception, and then do a one-hour speech and Q&A session.  Guests were last week sent invitations requiring them to stump up NIS 3,000 (just over $800) apiece to attend the gala dinner, and thus to help cover his fee, but that requirement has now been canceled.

Obama sells access to the highest bidder.  How would the media have reacted if George W. Bush had done the same?
Electric Car Lover Rejected After Liquidating Savings to Meet Obama.  Paul Scott, 60, was willing to do just about anything to get President Obama's ear for a few minutes about his lifelong passion for electric vehicles.  So the car salesman raised $32,000 by taking out money on credit cards and liquidating stock that constituted much of his life savings to attend a June 7 Democratic National Committee fundraiser the president plans to attend in California.

Salesman pays $32,400 to lobby Obama for two minutes.  A Los Angeles car salesman and electric car advocate is shelling $32,400 out of his retirement savings so he can make a pitch directly to President Obama at a "private, off-the-record" Democratic fundraiser next week.

Obama: Fundraiser in Chief.  On Thursday [6/6/2013], he plans to be the main attraction at a $32,400-a-person fundraiser in Portola Valley, Calif., and a reception in nearby Palo Alto, and on Friday he will be featured at a Democratic fundraiser in Los Angeles.  Then he is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday and Saturday at the Southern California estate of publisher Walter Annenberg.  Democratic sources say President Obama will participate in several other fundraisers in the coming weeks, hauling in millions of additional dollars, but those events have not yet been announced.

Obama Advocates for Gay Marriage at Swanky $50,000 Donor Dinner.  While Barack Obama visited his rich donors at a swanky Chicago dinner where tickets cost $50,000, the common rabble were dying in the streets without protection against criminal gun violence because of Chicago's stringent gun laws.

Even the mainstream media has given up on the hopey-changey stuff.  There was a time when Obama couldn't get a bad headline in this town.  Now he's the new Nixon. [...] When Nixon was stuck in Watergate he used to escape to friendly territory to meet with his few remaining admirers and console himself with their loyalty.  On Wednesday the President of the United States took time off work to visit two Chicago Democratic fundraisers — the cost of flying aboard Air Force One to his home town was an astonishing $180,000 an hour.  He met with 70 friends at the home of longtime supporters Bettylu and Paul Saltzman, the kind of fans prepared to spend $32,400 per head to have dinner with the Prez.

Travels of the President Under a Microscope in an Era of Belt Tightening.  On Wednesday [5/29/2013], President Obama left the White House for two Chicago fund-raisers in the hope of helping Democrats retake the House in next year's elections.  The cost of flying aboard Air Force One to his hometown:  $180,000 per hour.  The same day, Michelle Obama traveled to Massachusetts to lunch with rich donors who had paid up to $37,600 per ticket at the Taj Boston Hotel.  The meal included roasted Chilean sea bass with a fricassee of asparagus.

New York Times questions Obama's expensive travel.  The New York Times on Thursday [5/30/2013] reports on President Obama's frequent travel aboard Air Force One at a time when government employees are suffering furloughs and budget cuts.

Emanuel reports gifts from the rich and famous.  A stay at the house of a Hollywood entertainment mogul, transportation on the tabs of millionaire venture capitalists and, for the second straight year, sports tickets, meals and more from his close adviser Michael Sacks.  These perks and others are listed on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's annual economic interest statement, and once again illustrate how Chicago's chief executive moves in some of the country's elite entertainment and financial circles.

Four Things to Know About Penny Pritzker, a Billionaire and Obama's Commerce Secretary Pick.  [#4]  With a net worth of an estimated $1.8 billion, this heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, which her family founded, has become one of the leading philanthropists in the Windy City.  The Pritzker family name is one of the most prominent in Chicago.

Commerce nominee tangled in massive bank collapse that cost depositors millions.  President Obama's nominee for Commerce secretary was embroiled in a massive bank failure more than a decade ago, in a collapse that cost depositors and federal insurers millions of dollars.  The 2001 collapse of Superior Bank FSB now appears likely to re-emerge, more than a decade later, as Commerce nominee Penny Pritzker prepares for a confirmation hearing and Republicans already draw attention to the bank implosion.

Diane Feinstein's husband's company lands big high-speed rail contract.  The group lead by Tutor Perini bid $985,000,000 to build the initial 29-mile stretch, roughly from Fresno to Madera, which doesn't include the costs for electrification and land purchase.  And, as Laer points out at Crazifornia, they started with this section because it's the cheapest.  (I can't wait to see what the bids are to lay track through the mountain passes...)

Dianne Feinstein's Husband Bags High-Speed Rail Construction Contract.  Sen. Diane Feinstein's husband Richard Blum won a construction contract for California's high-speed rail project, reports the California Political Review.  Author Laer Pearce says Perini-Zachary-Parsons, a construction group partially owned by Blum's investment firm, Blum Capital, and their investors, bagged the nearly billion dollar contract.

Sarkozy and Carla gave Obama and Michelle $40,000 worth of gifts in just one year.  Former French President and pop singer wife Carla Bruni gave America's first couple more than $40,000 worth of gifts in a single year, it emerged today [4/26/2013].  Presents included a designer Hermes golf bag and Baccarat crystal statuettes of players, according to newly released records.

Inaugural group amends report: Pritzker gave $250,000, not $500,000.  Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker, under consideration to lead the Commerce Department, gave the president's 2013 inauguration a contribution of $250,000, not $500,000, according to an amended report filed Tuesday [4/23/2013].

Obama Schedules Whirlwind Fundraising Week for DNC, Planned Parenthood.  On Wednesday [4/24/2013], President Obama is slated to head to Dallas, Texas, to attend the opening of the Bush Presidential Library, along with Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush.  But he's using the opportunity to fundraise for 2014.  Obama will be headlining a $10,000-per-plate fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at Naomi Aberly's home on the night before the library opens.  That fundraiser will mark Obama's third for the DNC this year.

Former Obama Advisers Cash In.  From the first lady's former communications director now the vice president of Siemens corporate affairs, to individual consulting deals for Obama campaign operatives like Stephanie Cutter and David Plouffe, there is a new generation of "Obama millionaires."  For instance, [Noam] Scheiber notes, former UBS president Robert Wolf has opened shop with a new firm called 32 Advisors, which advises domestic and foreign business clients.

Obama back in NYC for cash.  The president will appear at a cozy reception for fewer than 65 guests with tickets priced at $32,400 per couple at the Manhattan home of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and his designer wife Georgina Chapman on May 13, Page Six has exclusively learned.  The invitation explains attendees get "a frank and intimate discussion with the president" where they can ask questions, and afterward Obama will "say thank you to each guest and take a photo with them."

Another Exclusive Party at W.H. — at Taxpayer Expense.  [W]hile the performers are known, the guest list for the private event has not yet been released.  One imagines it's a tough ticket to come by.  To attend any event at the White House, one must be invited.

Protesters greet Obama on S.F.'s Billionaires' Row.  Barack Obama is an addict.  And his drug of choice is the money showered on him by Bay Area billionaires.  The lure of endless cash and boundless adoration is just too much to resist, and so for the umpteenth time since 2008 he once again scheduled a fundraising trip through San Francisco, this time on April 3 to benefit Nancy Pelosi and her quest to reclaim the Speakership of the House:  since Obama himself no longer needs campaign donations, all the money gathered on this trip would go to Democratic congressional candidates.

Versailles on the Potomac.  The American people are enduring 0.4 percent GDP growth and 7.7 percent unemployment.  A record 48 million citizens are on food stamps.  Meanwhile, those in America's royal palace are enduring tropical beaches, country clubs, and ski resorts.  As Joseph Curl recalled in Sunday's Washington Times, the Obamas rang in 2013 in a 6,000-square-foot, $8 million estate in Oahu's Paradise Point.  That's when Obama played his 100th presidential golf round, one of five during the first family's 17-day Hawaiian getaway.

The $32,400 brunch.  President Obama kicked off his DNC fundraising in California Thursday [4/4/2013] with a $32,400-per-head brunch at the Atherton home of investment guru Mark W. Heising and his wife, Liz Simons. [...] The intimate affair included only roughly 30 guests, who for the price of admission got a photo with the president and to listen to his remarks [...]

Obama decries "perpetual campaign" at $2.5 million House Democrat fundraiser.  Hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer hosted Obama's cocktail party at his San Francisco mansion Wednesday night [4/3/2013], before Obama transitioned to an even more exclusive $32,400-per-person dinner at Ann Getty's mansion in Pacific Heights ($32,400 is the maximum amount any one person can give a national party committee in one year.)

White House 'Memphis Soul' Concert to Feature Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Queen Latifah, and Others.  Next week Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Queen Latifah, and many others will perform at the White House in a "Memphis Soul" concert, the White House announced today [4/2/2013].

Obama Fundraiser at Home of Exec Who Sits on Board of Stimulus Recipient.  President Obama is scheduled to headline a Democratic National Committee fundraiser next week at the home of a California private equity executive who also sits on the board of a company that received stimulus funds.  The fundraiser will be held at the Atherton, Calif. home of Mark Heising.  Tickets to the event cost $32,400.

Joe Biden runs up bill of $585,000 for just one night in five-star Paris hotel.  Paris may be known as the City of Light, but that title certainly doesn't mean that visitors are light on spending as Vice President Joe Biden's one day trip cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars.  When Mr Biden and his hefty entourage stayed in Paris for an evening in early February and it cost $585,000.50 for that single night.

Biden's $459,388.65 Hotel Bill.  Vice President Biden and his entourage spent a little time in London in early February during his first foreign trip of the second term of the Obama administration.  A document released today [3/22/2013] revealed that the cost of lodging in London alone was close to half a million dollars.

Sequester Joe Biden.  Vice President Biden's hotel bill in Paris — the Drudge Report headlines it at $585,000.50 for a night at the Intercontinental, not including the ride in from the airport — is prompting the futureofcapitalism.com to wonder why Amtrak's most famous passenger failed to stay at the sprawling palace that serves as the residence of the American ambassador in the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.  A good question, to which we'd add our own:  What was Mr. Biden, whose only constitutional duty is to serve in the Senate as its president, doing in Paris in the first place?

Joe Biden's trip abroad gets even costlier with $322K limo bill ON TOP of $1million hotel stays.  Vice President Joe Biden's costly trip to London and Paris last month just got more expensive.  A newly uncovered receipt from the February trip shows the vice president's office spent $321,665 to a limousine company in Paris, in addition to the previously reported hotel tabs of $585,000 for one night's stay in the city and and $459,338 for a night in London.  State department officials say Biden's staff members, who are not allowed to drive themselves, used the limo company to get around the city.

Biden's $321,665 Limo Bill.  After two items last week on the cost of lodging for Vice President Joe Biden's early February trip to Europe, other news organizations began to investigate further.  Wolf Blitzer's show The Situation Room on CNN uncovered a contract apparently also related to the same visit to Paris:  ["]Also on the receipt was $321,665 for a limousine company.["]

How Obama Turned America into Venezuela.  Seven of the 10 richest counties in America are now in the Washington D.C. area.  Arlington County alone added $6,000 to its average income in one year alone.  D.C. and its bedroom communities got rich at twice the rate of the rest of the country and in the last election; Obama won 8 of the 10 richest counties in the country.  Washington D.C. is richer than Silicon Valley.  Median income in the D.C. area hit $84,523 despite the city itself having horrendous unemployment and poverty statistics.

Will Smith Revealed as Obama 'Superbundler'.  Over the weekend we learned Smith was one of President Barack Obama's superbundlers, a term used for those who cleverly work around current campaign finance laws to raise oodles of cash for a politician. [...] This wouldn't have mattered four years ago, but Obama's recovery-free recovery continues to pound ordinary Americans.

Obama camp identifies more bundlers.  The Obama campaign is identifying high-dollar fundraisers for the fourth quarter of 2012.  The updated list of bundlers on the campaign's web site includes roughly a dozen new names in the $500,000 and above category.  They include actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, as well as clean-energy venture capitalist Steve Westly.  Westly was bumped up from the $200,000 to $500,000 range, while the Smiths are on the list for the first time.

Will Smith among new additions to Obama campaign bundlers.  The Obama-Biden campaign released an updated list of bundlers from the fourth quarter of the 2012 campaign on Saturday [3/2/2013].  Those bundlers — which the campaign refers to as voluntary fundraisers — are able to collect large sums from other donors.  Actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith landed on the list, having hosted a fundraiser at their Los Angeles home, in the $500,000-and-above category.  Filmmaker Tyler Perry is also billed in the top category.

Want to meet Obama? It will cost you $500k.  One of my favorite scenes in Lincoln takes place at the White House.  Petitioners from across the United States wait in the lobby for an audience with the president. [...] Those days are over — needless to say.  Unless, that is, you happen to have a spare $500,000.  In which case you too can meet with the president, on a quarterly basis, provided the $500,000 finds its way to Organizing for Action (OFA), the nonprofit, social welfare organization "established to support President Obama in achieving enactment of the national agenda Americans voted for on Election Day 2012."

Obama Talks Out of Both Sides of His Mouth on Campaign Finance.  Last Friday, a story by Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times revealed that President Obama's political team is trying to raise $50 million to fund the conversion of his reelection campaign into Organizing for Action, a "powerhouse" new national lobbying group.  The story said that at least half of the organization's budget will come from a small number of well-connected donors who each raise or contribute more than $500,000.  In return, those donors get a spot on a national advisory board, the right to attend quarterly meetings with the president and access to other White House meetings.

President Obama doesn't (really) care about campaign finance reform.  Organizing for America, the new grassroots lobbying and advocacy organization being run by top aides to the 2012 campaign, has set a budget of $50 million with at least half of that total coming from large checks written by a handful of very wealthy donors, according to the New York Times' Nick Confessore.  The group has also been set up as a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization, meaning that it can not only accept unlimited donations from individuals but that it is under no requirement to disclose the sources of those contributions.

5 Reasons Barack Obama is a Creep.  [#2]  What he says is completely unrelated to what he does:  Barack Obama is like an alcoholic who pledges to quit drinking and then gets hammered every night. [...] This is how Barack Obama can demand a sequester and then turn around and run against it or yammer on incessantly about transparency while he stonewalls on Fast and Furious.  We're talking about a man who's worth nearly 10 million dollars, who has campaign events with celebrities and millionaires on a regular basis, and who just seems to squeeze in a little bit of work in between lavish vacations and golf outings with Tiger Woods; yet he spent most of last year campaigning against rich people.

S.A. Democratic stalwart eyed.  Seven months after hosting a private $35,800-a-plate fundraiser for President Barack Obama at his home in The Dominion, nationally recognized plaintiff's lawyer and Democratic Party stalwart Mikal C. Watts finds himself under federal investigation over the legitimacy of his client list in a case stemming from the 2010 BP oil spill.

Explaining the Inexplicable.  The president, as is his wont, blasted the "one percent," the "millionaires and billionaires," and the "well-connected" in his recent State of the Union speech — and then he flew off to golf and hang out with the one percent of the one percent in South Florida while his wife and kids jetted to Aspen to ski.

Obama and his 1 percent.  In the State of the Union, Mr. Obama once more went after "the few," and "the wealthiest and the most powerful," whom he blasted as the "well-off and the well-connected" and the "billionaires with high-powered accountants."  Like clockwork, the president then jetted to West Palm Beach, Fla., for yet another golfing vacation at one of the nation's priciest courses, replete with lessons from a $1,000-per-hour golf pro to improve the presidential putting.

Hollywood's Pious Hypocrisy.  Hollywood stars routinely tout the virtues of the little guy battling the rich and powerful.  They are legendary in their support for the income-leveling agenda of Barack Obama-while enjoying a sybaritic lifestyle (multiple houses, servants, nannies to act as proxy parents, chauffeurs) that make them the 1% of the 1%.  They have access to private planes (John Travolta has a veritable air fleet) to avoid long lines and exposure to the hoi polloi at airports.  These are the same planes that Barack Obama condemned while vilifying the rich.  Of course, Barack Obama and his family hypocritically revel in the same luxe lifestyle.

Obama selling White House access to wealthy donors who support Organizing for Action.  The group 'Organizing for Action' is a reorganized version of President Obama's 'Organizing for America' campaign juggernaut — now a tax-exempt "advocacy" group where federal contribution limits don't apply.  According to the Times, wealthy donors who give $500,000 or more get to join the group's "national advisory board" which allows them to attend quarterly meetings with the president "along with other meetings at the White House."

White House denies claims that a $500,000 donation 'buys' face time with the president.  The White House defended itself today after suggestions that high-dollar donors to President Obama's new non-profit advocacy group would 'buy' face time with the Commander-In-Chief. [...] There have been reports that those who contributed more than $500,000 to his cause would be invited to quarterly meetings with the president in a pay-to-play.

Obama's Backers Seek Big Donors to Press Agenda.  President Obama's political team is fanning out across the country in pursuit of an ambitious goal:  raising $50 million to convert his re-election campaign into a powerhouse national advocacy network, a sum that would rank the new group as one of Washington's biggest lobbying operations.  But the rebooted campaign, known as Organizing for Action, has plunged the president and his aides into a campaign finance limbo with few clear rules, ample potential for influence-peddling, and no real precedent in national politics.

Cost of Obama Hawaii Vacation Could Save 160 Teachers' Jobs.  The $7 million price tag for President Obama's most recent Hawaii vacation could pay the salaries of about 160 teachers for a full year.

President Obama's latest uphill battle: Playing golf in Florida with Tiger Woods.  President Obama played golf Sunday with Tiger Woods during the president's long holiday weekend in Florida, amid concerns from the media about a lack of access before, during and after the newsworthy outing.  The foursome at the Floridian National Golf Club, in Palm City, Fla., included U.S. trade representative Ron Kirk and Jim Crane, a Democratic donor who owns the club and the Houston Astros baseball team.

$1000/Hr: Obama Books World's Top Golf Pro for Vacation.  Economic growth is in the negative, unemployment is on the rise, Walmart's forecasting a disastrous February for retail sales, poverty's up, gas prices are up, the cost of health care premiums are up, middle class incomes are falling, consumer confidence is at a two year low, our deficit is unsustainable, and Barack Obama has just signed up for private golf lessons with two of the top teachers in the country.

Long after Election Day, major donors keep giving to Obama.  President Obama's special large-donor campaign vehicle, which can accept donations of more than $100,000 — far more than individuals can give to standard campaign committees — continued to take in money weeks after the election, raising $1.8 million between November 27 and December 31, record show.

Nancy Pelosi Meets with Barbra Streisand, Plots Dem House Comeback.  Hollywood Democrats aren't happy that one half of Congress remains out of their control.  So a gaggle of big name celebrity donors, including Barbra Streisand, convened at the home of liberal activist/producer Norman Lear to plot a comeback strategy and watch a little must-see TV.

Nancy Pelosi Meets with Barbra Streisand, Plots Dem House Comeback.  More than 40 Hollywood politicos — including Barbra Streisand, James Brolin and Haim Saban — gathered Thursday night [1/31/2013] at a closed-door meeting at Norman Lear's Westside mansion, where they heard Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi lay out the party's plans for recapturing the House in the 2014 mid-terms.

Twinkie-Killer Donates To Dem Super PAC.  Timothy Collins, the CEO of private equity firm Ripplewood Holdings, was the lone donor to the Super PAC dedicated to helping Democratic Senate candidates disclosed in the year-end filing.  Collins contributed at least $10,000 to Majority PAC, according to the dark money group's most recent FEC filing.

Gun Control Frenzy — Proof Democrats Are The Real Racists.  There is no doubt that the Sandy Hook school massacre was an unspeakable tragedy but I doubt seriously that had the murdered children been killed at an inner-city school, Presidential Obama would be holding a conference using children as a dramatic prop for his dictatorial gun control agenda.  Nor would there be hysterical politicians calling for tighter gun control laws nor column after column from leftwing writers exploiting the tragedy.  The sad truth is that none of these demagogues care one bit about murdered black or Hispanic children unless the perpetrators of these crimes are white.

'All My Babies' Mamas' reveals liberals opinion of blacks.  All My Babies' Mamas is characteristic of liberals' typical bigotry of lowered expectations regarding minorities.  Liberals accuse black conservatives who reject liberal racist stereotypes of being traitors to their race, trying to be white, and "selling out."  Long-suffering courageous black conservatives offer blacks real empowerment:  liberation from crippling victimhood and entitlement mindsets.  Due to liberals' resentment/hatred for America and traditional values, they are repulsed when black conservatives encourage blacks to get an education, work hard, revive traditional black community morality, and go for their dreams.

Obama hosts 'benefactors' at White House.  President Obama hasn't been seen in public today, but he hasn't been idle either — he's been entertaining financial backers at the White House.  The president and first lady Michelle Obama hosted donors and other supporters in town for second inauguration weekend.  A "Benefactors' Brunch" took place at the White House from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., says pool reporter Alexis Simendinger of Real Clear Politics.

Elon Musk: Poster Child of Obama Gilded Age.  We live in the gilded age of crony capitalism.  If you have any doubt about that fact look no further than Elon Musk's purchase of a $17 million mansion in Bel Air, California.  Who is Elon Musk?  He struck it rich with the invention of PayPal.  Lately, though, he has cashed in on the Obama "green energy" and government giveaway bonanza.  He plays the game well.

A Conspiracy So Immense.  The brainchild of Michael Brune, Phil Radford, Larry Cohen, and Ben Jealous, the Democracy Initiative, according to Mother Jones's Kroll, is "the first time so many groups teamed up to work on multiple issues not tied to an election."  These guys have pull.  Brune is the executive director of the Sierra Club and former executive director of the more radical Rainforest Action Network.  Radford runs Greenpeace.  Cohen is the president of the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America, "the largest telecommunications union in the world."  Jealous is the president and chief executive officer of the NAACP.

The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy.  Matthew Continetti writes at the Washington Free Beacon about the formation of an incredibly powerful lobbying group, composed of organizations that boast millions of political foot soldiers, with a total income measured in the billions of dollars.  It plans to spend tens of millions of dollars pushing a rigid ideological agenda.  It's a textbook example of everything we are constantly told is "wrong" with Washington, a combination of big money, political self-interest, political influence, and secrecy.

The Democracy Initiative: a Coup in Plain Sight.  Matthew Continetti [...] picks up on a report by Andy Kroll in Mother Jones about a coordinated effort by about 36 different interest groups with reported revenues of no less than $1.69 billion, pledging millions of dollars to work together to attack conservative supporters and organizations, to intervene directly in Democratic politics, to push for filibuster reform to better enable a push through their agenda without any input from the opposition, and expanding "voting rights" and fighting voter registration laws to further grease the skids for their legislative agenda.

Labor union bosses' salaries put 'big' in Big Labor.  There can be riches in standing up for the working class:  The Boilermakers union president earned $506,000, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars more for travel expenses, while the Laborers union president made $441,000.  The Transportation Communications Union leader made $300,000, bumped up to $750,000 with business expenses.  Patrick W. Flynn makes $435,000 a year in his capacity as treasurer of a 13,600-member Teamsters union local, and the $30,000 in business expenses he collects on top of costs associated with carrying out his duties around Mokena, Ill., approach that of a typical worker's entire salary.

Meet The 'Bullies': Breitbat Editor Exposes Obama's Army of Thugs In New Book.  President Obama and his leftist allies like to claim they're anti-bullying.  They stand up for the little guy.  They stand up to the powerful.  They protect victims.  They're liars.

The New Liberal Aristocracy.  [Scroll down]  Senator John Kerry, who will soon become secretary of state, is a tireless advocate of higher taxes while enjoying his multimillionaire wife's multiple estates.  In 2010, Massachusetts resident Kerry docked his new $7 million yacht in nearby Rhode Island in order to avoid paying about $500,000 in taxes to his home state.  Should not Kerry have welcomed the chance to chip in half a million to an insolvent treasury, given his advocacy for higher taxes?

Al Gore is now richer than Mitt Romney — and it's all thanks to big oil.  Al Gore's strategy for saving the Earth seems to be to raise enough money to be able to buy it.  After selling his failing Current TV company to Al Jazeera, Gore is suddenly a super rich man.  Forbes analyst Ryan Mac says, "Taking into account taxes to be paid on the deal, possible earlier debt and the fact that Gore's representatives declined to comment, Forbes conservatively estimates the former vice president's net worth to be at least $300 million."

Al Gore is now 'richer than Romney'.  Someone finally has done all the math on the recent sale of Al Gore's Current TV to the Arabic language channel Al-Jazeera for $500 million.  Jobs were lost, buzz created, employees angered, but the former vice president had little to say about it.  He did walk away with a reported $100 million — a tidy sum for a man who had less that $2 million in assets when he ran for president more than a dozen years ago, says Forbes magazine.

The Democrats' War on Science Aids Our Enemies.  [T]his week Al Gore, anti-carbon fuel drum major, made a cool $100 million selling his 20% share in the failing, unwatched Current TV to Arab Al-Jazeera, owned by major carbon fuel producers.  (His partner, Joel Hyatt, son-in-law of former Ohio Democratic senator Howard Metzenbaum, also benefited mightily.)  It's hard to conclude that this $500 million Al-Jazeera purchase is anything other than a payoff for effectively hampering the exploitation of American carbon fuels and advocating openly for giving a cable entrée to this Arab-broadcasting network. Current TV isn't worth anything like the price paid for it.

Years ago, somebody was the first to sell rifles to the Indians, and more recently, somebody else was the first to sell bandwidth to Al-Jazeera.
Terror TV Pays Al Gore $100 Million for U.S. Media Access.  Al-Jazeera, once considered the voice of Osama bin-Laden and known for anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric, has announced the purchase of Al Gore's low-rated cable channel, Current TV, in a transparent attempt to buy access to the U.S. media market for operatives of the pro-terrorist Muslim Brotherhood.  Gore has reportedly made $100 million from the $500 million deal.

The Al Jazeera Deal: How Al Gore Race-Baited His Way to a $100M Pay Day.  One of America's great legal rackets is cable/satellite television, where somewhere around 100 million Americans pay for literally dozens of channels they never watch.  As you well know, to do business with any cable/satellite provider means being forced into expensive tiers and/or packages that include channels we wouldn't watch for free.  Because of this, we're not only forced into subsidizing junk; we're also subsidizing programming that works against our own political and cultural beliefs, like MSNBC, CNN, OWN, MTV, etc.

Who's Worse — Al Gore or Bernie Madoff?  Whatever else he is, Gore is arguably a business genius when it comes to generating massive amounts of income from dubious enterprises and, unlike Bernie Madoff, getting away with it.

Teachers union spends millions from membership dues on parties and conferences.  Included in the United Federation of Teachers' $166.5 million in spending last year was a hefty $33.4 million in salary for union staffers — a slight increase from the year prior.  More than 90 staffers earned six-figure salaries between July 2011 and June 2012, the records show — including President Michael Mulgrew, who took home $275,000.

Kerry Has Investments in Companies Accused of Violating Iran Sanctions.  John Kerry, who will be nominated later today to be the next secretary of state, is the richest member of the U.S. Senate.  His estimated net worth is, at minimum, $198.65 million, according to disclosure forms.  Kerry's disclosure forms also reveal that he has invested in companies accused of doing business with Iran.

Six of country's 10 richest counties in D.C. area.  Six of the 10 richest counties in the nation are in the Washington region, as median household incomes rise and Washingtonians benefit from a government-driven economy.  Loudoun County maintained its crown as the wealthiest county in the nation, with a median household income of $119,525 in 2011, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Democratic super PACs get jump on 2014, 2016.  Winning changes everything.  It took Democrats a while to warm up to super PACs, but their glee over 2012 is — for now — eclipsing any moral qualms about big money eroding democracy, and they're already busy at work courting their wealthiest supporters and planning even more ambitious efforts for future elections.

The Democrats and Big Money.  Like much in the Democratic playbook, Obama's self-righteous complaint about the rising tide of big money in politics told a certain truth, but it did not tell the whole truth, and the story of Democrats' moral posturing about money illuminates the hypocrisy and deception at the heart of the party's most cherished self-image.

Obama will take oath twice this time, just to be safe.  [Scroll down]  Because an inauguration's folderol costs tens of millions of dollars, and even Chicago pols lack the chutzpah to demand federal funds, Obama's money-raisers must assemble the money privately.  Oh, look!  Corporate donors and special interests will foot the bill.

Obama to take corporate cash for inauguration.  President Barack Obama will accept unlimited corporate donations for his Inauguration in January, reversing his position from his first Inauguration, according to two sources close to the planning.  There are no legal limits for inauguration donations, but four years ago, the president capped all contributions at $50,000 and barred companies from kicking in any money.  Obama had also banned corporate money from the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Christmas for Obama Bundlers.  While President Obama's lips champion the middle class, his administration's old hands are preparing to lavish rewards on the creme de la campaign creme:  his wealthiest political donors.  Several media outlets reported this week that the White House is considering fashion doyenne Anna Wintour for a possible appointment as U.S. ambassador to Great Britain or France.  The rumored short list also includes Obama campaign finance chairman Matthew Barzun and investment banker Marc Lasry.  The three share one common, er, "qualification":  Each raked in more than $500,000 for Team Obama 2012.

Will Google's Eric Schmidt join the Obama administration?  Schmidt's big role in the Obama re-election campaign, Google's $1.9 million donation to Democrats during the race, and Washington's efforts to quiet a looming Federal Trade Commission investigation into Google are key signs that the president wants Schmidt in his cabinet, insiders believe.

The Confessions of a Confused Misfit.  I was not surprised when Susan Rice just disclosed that she is worth considerably over $30 million — and has money in Keystone no less.  Are they all part of the "one percent"?  Did they pay "their fair share"?  Do they "spread the wealth"?  At what point in his life did Al Gore know that he had made enough money (before barreling ahead and making more)?

The perks of being a union executive.  Wage amounts are usually public record, but are perilously difficult to pin down.  What a union executive makes can be inflated in the record by sick leave accrual or severance payouts, or can be understated because of tax deferments or allowances in lieu of pay.  Still, with that caveat in place, an examination of 2010-11 tax records reveals wages of the highest paid employees of the National Education Association and its state affiliates — defined here as the money reported in box 1 of a W-2 form — ranged from almost $540,000 down to less than $92,000.

Anna Wintour is a ludicrous pick for US Ambassador to London.  Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, is reportedly in the running to become the next US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to succeed the outgoing Louis Susman.  According to Bloomberg, Wintour was among "Obama's biggest bundlers of donations in the campaign", raising over $500,000 to re-elect the president.  As Bloomberg notes, the Obama administration (like many previous US administrations) has a penchant for rewarding top donors with plum diplomatic posts.

It's Good to be King: The Extravagance of the Obama Family.  On Thanksgiving, the Obamas had a feast that would have made Marie Antoinette green with envy.  President Obama spends outrageous sums of money for lavish dinners and his family gets multiple vacations per year.

White House Thanksgiving: Six Types of Pie.  As food pantries across the United States are overwhelmed by the newly poor and food stamp use is the highest it's ever been, the Obama first family is enjoying a Thanksgiving meal with six different types of pie.

Wal-Mart heir funding Obama big time.  This is at first surprising for a couple of reasons.  First, the Waltons tend to be Republican.  Second, the conventional wisdom is that megacorps like Wal-Mart are a Republican thing.  But Sam Walton gave the maximum $30,800 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008, and $40,000 to the OVF this election.

Medical giant Stryker cuts 1,170 jobs, citing ObamaCare.  The company will cut 1,170 jobs, or five percent of its worldwide workforce, despite the fact that the founder's grandson was one of the largest contributors to President Obama's re-election campaign.  Medical tech scion Jon Stryker, whose net worth is currently estimated at $1.2 billion, contributed $2 million to the Priorities USA Action super PAC and has given $66,000 in contributions to Obama and the Democratic Party.

Letter: Menendez Must Be Investigated.  New Jersey Republicans are accusing Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) of having violated Senate ethics rules by failing to disclose or seek Senate permission for air travel and lodging provided by a wealthy campaign donor. [...] Records indicate Menendez made at least four trips on a corporate jet owned by Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist who has donated more than $220,000 to Democratic candidates and committees since 1993.  Melgen gave at least $12,600 to Menendez during that period.