With the Jon Stykers, Peter Lewises, Haim Sabans, George Soroses, Steve Bings, Mark Warners, Jon Corzines, and Hollywoods of the world out there, it's not a surprise. They claim to know whats best for us and want to regulate our lives....for our own good.
The NAtional Review
The GOP has historically been the party of both Main Street and Wall Street. But over the past decade, the plutocrats have increasingly become Democrats. Billionaires for Bush are increasingly outnumbered by billionaires who hate Bush. And Republicans in limousines are being outpaced by Democrats in Lear Jets.
With soft-money contributions banned, the super rich can now hope to sway elections with large checks to 527 advocacy groups such as MoveOn.org, Americans Coming Together, and the Media Fund, and by bundling contributions to candidates. Over the last four elections, the Democrats have dominated on both accounts. Consider these numbers, from the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Responsive Politics (CRP):
Thus far in 2006, 17 of the top 25 contributors to 527 advocacy groups are funding liberal/Democratic causes, including liberal billionaires George Soros, and Peter Lewis.
In 2004, Democrats made up 15 of the 25 individuals who gave more than $2 million to 527 groups. Of the Senate and House candidates who received “bundled” contributions that year, 9 out of the top 10 in the Senate and 8 out of 10 in the House were Democrats.
In 2002, those who gave a million dollars or more gave $36 million to the Democrats and only $3 million to Republicans, a 12:1 ratio. Those who gave $10,000 or more gave $140 million to the Democrats and just $111 million to Republicans. Of the top 10 individual contributors to candidates that year, only one gave to Republicans.
In 2000, Bush’s “Pioneers” received considerable press for their efforts to raise $100,000 each for the campaign. But the really big donors that year were Democrats. According to the lefty Mother Jones magazine, 18 of the top 25 individual donors to political campaigns were Democrats. In recent years, the Left has been obsessed with the role that the oil and natural-gas industry plays in funding the Republican candidates. Republicans are “in oil companies’ pockets,” says the DNC in one press release. In 2004, according to the CRP, the oil and gas industry pumped $25 million into campaigns, 80 percent of it to the GOP.
But that pales in comparison to industries and interests that fund the Democratic party. That same year lawyers gave $182 million (75 percent to Democrats) and Hollywood donated $32 million (70 percent to Democrats).
Despite all of the rhetoric about rich Republicans, the GOP today is largely a party funded by middle-class voters. The average contribution to the GOP hovers around $50, almost identical with the much ballyhooed Internet “grassroots” presidential campaign of Howard Dean in 2004. The Democrats for some reason won’t release comparable figures.
But the super-rich are not just giving to Democrats, they are increasingly running for office. In the Senate, often called a millionaires club, those with the really big money are Democrats. Of the five U.S. senators worth more than $25 million (John Kerry, Herb, Kohl, John Rockefeller, Dianne Feinstein, and Lincoln Chafee) according to Roll Call, only Chafee is a Republican.
Ned Lamont, currently running for the Senate in Connecticut, is only the latest in a long line of Democrats who have self-financed their campaigns. Thus far he has poured $4 million of his $100 million fortune into the race.
In 2000, Democrat John Corzine poured $60 million of his own money to win a Senate seat in New Jersey, Mark Dayton spent $12 million to win in Minnesota, Maria Cantwell $10 million Washington, and Herb Kohl $5 million to retain his seat in Wisconsin. In contrast, those Republicans who self-financed, according to Steen, did so in much smaller amounts.
And here's another article, this from the Washington Times.
He also found that more than half of the wealthiest households were concentrated in the 18 states where Democrats hold both Senate seats.
"If you take the wealthiest one-third of the 435 congressional districts, we found that the Democrats represent about 58 percent of those jurisdictions," Mr. Franc said.
Let's look at the top counties by per capita income and see who they voted for.
1 Marin County, California $44,962 - 73% Kerry
2 New York County, New York (Manhattan) $42,922 - 82% Kerry
3 Falls Church, Virginia $41,052 - 65% Kerry
4 Pitkin County, Colorado $40,811 - 68% Kerry
5 Fairfield County, Connecticut $38,350 - 51% Kerry
6 Teton County, Wyoming $38,260 - 53% Kerry
7 Somerset County, New Jersey $37,970 - 52% Bush
8 Arlington County, Virginia $37,706 - 68% Kerry
9 City of Alexandria, Virginia[1] $37,645 - 67% Kerry
10 Morris County, New Jersey $36,964 - 58% Bush
11 Fairfax County, Virginia $36,888 - 53% Kerry
12 Westchester County, New York $36,726 - 58% Kerry
13 Hunterdon County, New Jersey $36,370 - 60% Bush
14 San Mateo County, California $36,045 - 69% Kerry
15 Montgomery County, Maryland $35,684 - 66% Kerry
16 San Miguel County, Colorado $35,329 - 72% Kerry
17 Douglas County, Colorado $34,848 - 67% Bush
18 Los Alamos County, New Mexico $34,646 - 52% Bush
19 San Francisco County, California $34,556 - 83% Kerry
20 Summit County, Utah $33,767 - 52% Bush (2nd lowest in state)
21 Bergen County, New Jersey $33,638 - 52% Kerry
22 Loudoun County, Virginia $33,530 - 56% Bush
23 Collin County, Texas $33,345 - 71% Bush
24 Hamilton County, Indiana $33,109 - 74% Bush
25 Santa Clara County, California $32,795 - 64% Kerry
26 Oakland County, Michigan $32,534 - 50% Kerry
Democrats the party of the workin' man? As Al Borland says, "I don't think so, Tim."
