Tag: Funds

Should We Worry?

My biggest worry is that it is 5am and the temp is 90….but that is just me.

Should we worry…..more so than normally?

A political career, these days, lives or dies on the backs of campaign dollars…..and of course 2024 will be an expensive one indeed.

So I thought I would dive into the funding thing as soon as possible….these are the latest figures but that could change the closer we get to an actual vote.

Let’s begin with Trump and his minions that bankroll his sprint to the presidency….one would think a guilty verdict would stifle the cash infusion…..you would be mistaken….

Recall President Biden’s big fundraising lead over former President Trump? It’s nowhere near as big owing to a surge of donations following Trump’s May 30 fraud conviction in New York, the Washington Post reports. Trump and the Republican National Committee say they raised $141 million in May, per the New York Times, far outpacing the $85 million raised by Biden and the Democratic National Committee. Biden’s team had $212 million in the bank at the start of June, reports the AP. Trump’s total was at least $170 million, according to the Times, and that represents only a partial count.

Given that Trump was behind by $100 million in April, the trend is clear. Biden and the Democrats may still hold a cash advantage, but “almost four months before Election Day, Trump’s side is closing the gap—if it isn’t closed already,” per the AP, which describes Trump’s May haul as “jaw-dropping.” The Trump team says it raised $53 million in the first 24 hours after Trump’s conviction and $70 million in the first 48 hours, though the numbers won’t be verified July. Both camps also have benefited from mega-donors:

  • For Trump: Billionaire banking heir Timothy Mellon donated $50 million to Trump’s political action committee Make America Great Again on May 31, the day after his conviction.

What will $50 million buy from a president?

While Trump is raking in the dollars the Biden camp is not as lucky…..

Joe Biden’s campaign planned to bury Donald Trump in an avalanche of cash.

Instead, his allies are bracing for a slugfest without the benefit of a fatter wallet, as financial reports showed Trump outraising Biden in back-to-back months, hauling in huge sums after his 34 felony convictions and erasing Biden’s longstanding financial edge.

Democrats in recent days largely downplayed Trump’s new financial lead in the same way Trump’s allies had when Biden was running ahead in the money race — saying the president would have enough money to compete.

But privately, several Democratic strategists and donors were reeling.

“There was the strategy of raising all this money on the front end so we could have this huge edge,” said one Biden bundler, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “The whole point of it was to come out with a sizable cash advantage and, you know, we’re now even and it’s June. … I have no other word for it other than ‘depression’ among Biden supporters.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/23/biden-trump-finances-00164566

What is it they say about the ‘best laid plans’?

Dollars are not the only situation that is not looking good for Dems, at least the Dem candidate for president…..the Hispanic vote is slipping through the Dems fingers all on the back of immigration…..

Both Hispanic and non-Hispanic voters in the seven swing states trust former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party more on immigration than President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, according to a new poll.

While 38% of Hispanic voters in battleground states trust Biden more on immigration, 41% trust Trump more, and 16% are undecided, according to a survey released last week by the polling agency Equis.

Additionally, 34% of non-Hispanic voters in swing states trust Biden more on immigration, while 49% favor Trump more, the poll shows. 

The results for both groups are outside of the poll’s 2.5% margin of error.

Hispanic voters have historically supported the Democratic Party, but the surveys show that support appears to be shifting towards Trump ahead of the 2024 election.

This poll was conducted April 20-May 5, 2024 with 3,569 registered voters in 11 states, including all seven swing states and four solidly Democratic states, and it has a 2.5% margin of error.

(justthenews.com)

Immigration looks like the hot button issue…..for now.

A lot can change in the months that lead up to the vote….but I do not see any of that actually happening, do you?

Change is something that most Americans have a rash when mentioned.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Trump Makes Demands Of RNC

Trump is finally attempting to flex those flabby muscles….well at least politically……

Former President Donald Trump has reportedly told the largest GOP fundraising entities to stop using his name. Per CNN, lawyers for Trump recently sent a cease and desist letter to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, demanding that they stop using his name and likeness on fundraising outreach and merch. The news comes a day after Politico reported that Trump was “furious” over the organizations’ use of his name because it could help some of the Republicans who voted to impeach him following January’s attack on the Capitol.

The groups have not commented on the letter, but a Trump adviser told Politico that Trump’s commitment to the GOP “doesn’t give anyone – friend or foe – permission to use his likeness without explicit approval.” Meanwhile, Trump’s recent reemergence at CPAC might have hinted at where he’d like donations to go instead. In his first speech since leaving office, the former president encouraged loyalists to give directly to him, saying, “There’s only one way to contribute to our efforts to elect ‘America First’ Republican conservatives and, in turn, to make America great again. And that’s through Save America PAC and donaldjtrump.com.”
The RNC has responded to Trump’s demand…..

The Republican National Committee’s reply to former President Trump? Nope. The RNC responded to the cease-and-desist letter it received from Trump’s attorneys by asserting, in its own reply letter, it has the right to use Trump’s name and likeness in its fundraising appeals, and that it has no plans to stop doing so, Politico reports. Trump’s lawyers sent similar letters to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, neither of which have yet publicly responded. Trump and the RNC have worked closely together on fundraising in the past, but Trump wants to use the 2022 elections to retaliate against Republicans who he thinks were disloyal to him, and has spoken out against his supporters donating to “RINOs” (Republicans In Name Only), CBS News reports.

Recent RNC fundraising appeals have included lines like “DEFEND President Trump’s America First policies” and “defend President Trump’s legacy.” In its response to the cease-and-desist, the RNC says Trump and RNC chair Ronna McDaniel “enjoy a close relationship, and we understand that President Trump reaffirmed to her over the weekend that he approves of the RNC’s current use of his name in fundraising and other materials, including for our upcoming donor retreat event at Palm Beach at which we look forward to him participating.” Some senior Republicans have speculated the cease-and-desist was not driven by Trump himself but rather those surrounding him. Trump has, however, recently said there’s “only one way” his supporters should be donating money, and that’s by giving directly to him.

This is a small setback for Donald the Orange….but you can bet he is not finished with his attempts to control the party in its entirety……

Trump is attempting to takeover the GOP….(I think it is too late to use the term ‘attempting’)

Donald Trump isn’t happy the Republican Party won’t purge members who haven’t been totally loyal to him. And of late, he’s doing more about it than he did when he’d channel his anger by posting mean tweets.

Days ago, lawyers representing Trump took the extraordinary step of demanding the Republican National Committee (RNC) and other prominent GOP groups cease and desist using Trump’s name and likeness. The RNC denied the request, citing Trump’s status as a public figure, and Trump responded Monday night with a tweet-like statement asking supporters to give to him instead of to the party.

“No money for RINOS,” the statement begins, referring to an acronym for “Republicans in name only,” which for Trump has come to mean anyone who isn’t totally loyal to him.

https://www.vox.com/22321215/trump-rnc-cease-and-desist-fundraising-feud-purge

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–25Feb20

First let me say Happy Mardi Gras!

Debate Night!

There will be 7 or so Dem candidates on the stage for the debate tonight……and of those there only Bernie is flush with cash……(sorry about that I was ignoring the billionaires buying their way forward)….

At a time in the race when running a presidential campaign is getting more expensive, many of the Democrats remaining have less money. After being camped in Iowa for what seemed like ages, the candidates now have multiple, scattered primaries ahead. And on top of competing with Bernie Sanders’ fundraising surge, they now face a billionaire climbing in the polls who can spend as much as is needed. Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren are nearly out of cash, Politico reports. Financial disclosures filed Thursday night show Biden down to $7.1 million, Buttigieg with $6.6 million, Klobuchar at $2.9 million, and Warren having just $2.3 million. At the other end is Sanders, who has close to $17 million. For January, the candidates raised $58 million in total and spent nearly $357 million, per the Hill.

The struggling candidates are taking steps. Buttigieg, who raised $6.1 million in January but spent more than twice that, asked supporters this week to kick in another $13 million by Super Tuesday on March 3. “We are now also up against a billionaire who is throwing colossal sums of money on television instead of doing the work of campaigning,” he wrote, referring to Michael Bloomberg. Tom Steyer also is funding his own campaign. Warren has taken out a $3 million line of credit, though she had a strong month in January, collecting $10.2 million. The problem was that she spent twice what she took in. With the new need to buy ads in 14 states, super PACs are stepping in, as well. A new one, Persist PAC, lined up more than $1 million worth of ads this week for Warren.

Most of these candidates……are depending on South Carolina to give them a bump and some much needed cash infusions.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Could It Be Good News? (For A Change?)

Since today looks to be my day to report and wrote on events surrounding our war on ISIS….I thought I would report on some good news…..better news than we normally get out of the battle against the “dogs of war”……that is……

A few days ago I wrote a piece on the news that an US airstrike had destroyed a bunch of cash belonging to ISIS……(as a refresher for my reader)……

Source: Accuracy In Reporting – In Saner Thought

The good news is that it appears that the fighters of ISIS are having their pay cut by the command structure of ISIS…….

Islamic State militants have seen their monthly salaries cut in half down to $400 for foreign fighters and $200 for those in Syria, according to leaked documents out of Raqqa. The internal government documents were released in November or December, reports Time. “Because of the exceptional circumstances that the Islamic State is passing through, a decision was taken to cut the salaries of the mujahedeen in half,” they read, per the Guardian. “No one will be exempt from this decision no matter his position, but the distribution of food assistance will continue twice a month as usual.”

The group doesn’t explain the “exceptional circumstances,” but experts cite bombing campaigns targeting the group’s oil business. Low oil prices may also be a factor. According to the State Department, ISIS now brings in just a fraction of the $40 million a month it made from oil early last year, reports CNN. The slashed wages are still above or level with the minimum wage for public sector employees in Syria, who were paid between $176 and $266 a month in 2011. Experts believe the healthy wages were key for the caliphate’s recruiting purposes. ISIS fighters also received a $50 stipend for wives and $25 for each child.

Not mentioned in that report was the report that US airstrikes destroyed a cache of cash just the other day……

If all this is true then the plan to attack the finances of ISIS and destroying their income stream may be showing some much needed good results…..

This could also put a damper on their (ISIS) recruiting…….the fighters may be fanatics but they still want their pay and any cuts could prove to be a bummer for their recruitment drives…….

Like I said before….if true….then we have finally got some good news for all the efforts to thwart ISIS……we will just have to wait and see if this does have positive results…..

I must leave my readers with those thoughts…..for now I must go and face those eager young minds….back later my friends…….

How Saudi/Gulf Money Fuels Terror

Is anyone interested in how ISIS is funded?

Right now after the terror attack in Paris few are concerned about that……we want revenge…..

As I have been writing for months that most of the support for ISIS comes from the Persian Gulf countries……you know our “allies”….Saudi Arabia the biggest….after all they believe the same religious tenets as the jihadists in ISIS……

But their involvement goes deeper than most Americans are aware……in case you want a little more info for your next blog post….then try this article……

Source: How Saudi/Gulf Money Fuels Terror | Consortiumnews

Funny how no one wants to hear this type of story….for it is far easier to regurgitate falsehoods and innuendos….sad in a way.

Media Executives Are Salivating Over Big Money Flooding the 2016 Election Cycle – The Intercept

There is a huge movement to undo “Citizens United”……lots of people want to get the big money out of politics…..what are the chances that it will happen”

My answer….slim to NONE!  Why?

The media is making barrels of money from elections and why would they work to eliminate their cash flow?

And that is how you BUY a president!

 

Media Executives Are Salivating Over Big Money Flooding the 2016 Election Cycle – The Intercept.

Get The Money Out!

Since the beginning of the OWS movement and longer there have been those of us that have wanted to get all the cash out of the system….it has been slow going but now thanx to Dylan Ratigan the movement has taken on new life….if you agree with there should be NO private money in elections and government, then please go to the website and if you like what you read then consider joining the fight and sign the petition……

http://www.getmoneyout.com/

There has already been 140,000 signatures taken Congress and more is needed…..if you like the idea then pass it on to your friends and if you are a writer let people know about the movement…..and perhaps we can get something done to help return the government to the people….

Professor Sez…….When Is It Pork?

Does anyone besides me get tired of the political rhetoric and use of buzzwords to gain political points?  Last week’s was “pork”.  Here is a news flash for all of you–ALL spending is pork to someone, somewhere!

Now there is a word that has got a bunch of play in the last 3 weeks or so.  But what is “pork”?  Is there really a such a thing as “pork”?

First of all there is a political saying, “it is not pork unless it is someone else”s district”.

“PORK” is a purely subjective word, depends on your point of view.  If you want to be accurate then ALL spending can be called pork even the billions upon billions the Defense Dept. receives.  It is a complete bullsh!t word that is used in the theatrics of Washington.

Pork comes from the term “pork barrel spending” or spending for pet projects of the representives in their home state.  Spending is helping some body somewhere with a project that is needed at least appears to be needed.  But think about this….how much military spending has been labelled pork?  Very little….that is one of those sacred things in Washington.

How about earmarks?  These are when a member of Congress tries to bring the bacon home to his/her home district.  These things are what gives the members of an appropriation committee their power.  These are to obtain federal money for projects back home…oh yeah..it is also called “PORK”.

In essence ALL spending could be called pork at some point.  We will see if the Dems counter-attack when the bills for the military comes up…these bills are where many Repubs attach pork for their home districts….will the Dems play the tit for tat game with the Repubs?  My guess is they will!

Some Projects Are Shovel Ready

This is a piece that I found at the website of the Independent Institute written by Robt. Higgs.  He has done a pretty good job of breaking down the stimulus plan and what it contains.

Given the gargantuan amount of money being appropriated in this bill, you might think that it certainly must portend a great deal of economic stimulus, especially if you, like most Americans, labor under vulgar Keynesian misconceptions about the effects of government spending—you know, more government spending is always good (it has a “multiplier” effect) and more government debt is no problem (we’ll be dead before our kids and grandkids get saddled with the lion’s share of the burden of paying off this additional debt, directly or indirectly, and nobody really gives a damn about future generations, right? What did they ever do for us?).

Well, those might have been your feelings if you hadn’t bothered to look inside this stimulus-sausage factory, to see what ingredients go into the product. I can’t recite all of them here, complete with all of the preservatives and the spices, but some are as follows:

Amtrak, $1 billion; child-care subsidies, $2 billion; National Endowment for the Arts, $50 million; global-warming research, $400 million; carbon-capture demonstration projects, $2.4 billion; digital TV conversion coupons, $650 million; renewable energy funding, $8 billion; mass transit, $6 billion; new cars for the federal government, $600 million; modernizing federal buildings and other facilities, $7 billion. These items are only some of the small potatoes, however. Note that, in most cases, the amounts given are actually additions to amounts made available elsewhere in the budget.

Bigger-ticket items include: bridge repairs and other highway projects, $30 billion; broadband and electric-grid development, airports, and clean-water projects, $40 billion. Notice that these are the sorts of public-works projects usually implied when the legislation is discussed in general terms, yet they add up to less than 10 percent of the total spending.

Almost a third of the total spending is targeted for income-transfer programs, including: refundable tax credits, $82.7 billion; Medicaid, $81 billion; food stamps, $20 billion; public housing, $7.5 billion; COBRA insurance extension, $30.3 billion; unemployment insurance, $36 billion; and various others. Education will get $66 billion more than it gets elsewhere in the budget. The motto there: no education bureaucrat or teacher-union member left behind.

Call me old-fashioned, but when I gaze upon all of this booty, I don’t see stimulus; I see rip-off. The Democrats are using the alleged crisis as the pretext for a monumental looting of the taxpayers (present and future) in the service of rewarding—whuda thunk?—the interest groups that put them in power.

All of this comes, of course, close on the heels of the gigantic Republican rip-off of last October’s bailout bill, by which we peasants were plundered to transfer hundreds of billions of dollars to the owners, managers, and creditors of banks and other financial institutions—all under the pretext, of course, that the impending financial catastrophe meant that “something had to be done” at once.

Well, something was damn sure done then, and something even worse is being done now. The list of beneficiaries from these piratical actions differs, to be sure, but the common denominator remains: ROBBERY—robbery most foul, and on an almost unthinkably grand scale.

With all the exposure and the BS that is flung from both sides of the aisle it is difficult for the average person to get a good grasp on what is what.

Economic Ideas From Readers

I the past several days I have been getting emails from readers that have ideas for the economy.  Thought I would post a couple that I found interesting.

From a reader in Colorado:

If worse becomes worser why not try these?

1–freeze wages

2–freeze prices

3–tax speculation

4–control CEO compensation

This was an interesting one by Anonymous:

Take the money from the bailout send it to taxpyer to pay off their debt.  Funds to spent only on elimination of debt.  Debt has to be at least 1 year old.  This would be better than giving it to theives to guard it in good faith.