Harold Simmons, Texas billionaire and influential Republican donor, dies at 82

[Omaha Steve]

Source: The Guardian

Simmons helped fund the 'swift boat' campaign against John Kerry in 2004 and backed Texas governor Rick Perry

Billionaire Harold Simmons, one of the richest men in America and a major contributor to the Republican Party, has died in his native Texas at 82.

The death, confirmed in a statement by Texas governor Rick Perry, was first reported on the website of the Dallas Morning News, which said he died on Saturday at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

His wife, Annette, told the newspaper Simmons had been "very sick for the last two weeks" and in Baylor's intensive care unit for the last eight days. She did not give a specific cause of death.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/30/harold-simmons-texas-billionaire-dies-82

[MrScorpio]

1. Ding Dong. nt

[warrant46]

2. She did not give a specific cause of death for this Icon of the 1%

Trying to take it with him

His $10 billion fortune put him in the 40th spot in Forbes list of 400 wealthiest American for 2013. "Harold Simmons was a true Texas giant, rising from humble beginnings and seizing the limitless opportunity for success we so deeply cherish in our great state," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday.

Mr. Simmons was once dubbed "The Waste Baron" by Rolling Stone magazine. In recent years, one company he controlled tried to persuade the state to allow it to dump low-level radioactive waste from other states in west Texas.

In the political arena, Mr. Simmons helped to fund the Swift Boat veterans' campaign against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004 and ads against President Barack Obama's re-election in 2012. From 2010 through 2012, he also gave $20 million to Karl Rove's American Crossroads.

"Harold Simmons was one of my best friends, and it's never easy to say goodbye to close friends," oil man T. Boone Pickens said Sunday. "He was a passionate person...He was one of the most successful and focused men I've ever known. We should all leave such a rich legacy behind."

BARF

[Capt. Obvious]

3. I was initially going to type, "Yay!"

but he apparently donated heavily to Planned Parenthood and Public Broadcasting.

[yeoman6987]

4. I don't think we should ever gloat

I know you weren't, but I do see it a lot when a conservative dies or a Republican. If we do that like the case of Thatcher then we can't be pissed of when conservatives do it to Mandela or some other liberal. I wish both sides would refrain from that. Of course getting conservatives to act like adult is impossible, but we certainly could.

[Mutiny In Heaven]

18. His daughters appear to have been calling the shots at his charitable foundation for a while

At least one of them is a Democratic donor.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6760345

[jsr]

23. Koch donated huge sums to cancer research and museums

while doing everything they could to enslave and impoverish millions.

[Aristus]

5. Bye-bye, asshole...

Better have your ashes scattered, or this veteran is going to find your grave, and take a dump on it...

_ _|_q

[go west young man]

15. Your post had me laughing.

Considering the post right above it.

[Aristus]

16. I realize mine was a pretty brutal post, but

I don't think I could ever forgive those Swiftboat slugs for the hatchet job they did on John Kerry.

Those right-wing assholes love to proclaim themselves more patriotic than thou, but when confronted with a veteran who didn't espouse their ideology, they disrespected his service without so much as a qualm.

[Paladin]

24. Your initial post was exactly what Simmons deserved. (nt)

[SoapBox]

6. That last paragraph about donations seems odd.

For all the evil that this guy did, those donations don't seem to fit...I wonder if he even knew the Fondation did them or was it to make him look like he wasn't a 100% PukeBagger...only a 99% one.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. Was this the guy fighting to suspend the inheritance tax, and there was some time limit thing in

play?

[Gothmog]

9. This person was not a nice man

I am glad that he will not be donating to Karl Rove

[RBInMaine]

10. And now he's down in HELL sitting in the cauldron with Jerry Falwell and Richard Nixon.

[dem in texas]

11. Repubs lost two sugar daddies

Bob Perry and Harold Simmons.

[Nitram]

12. Good Riddance

A proud patriot gleefully smearing a decorated officer.

[tblue]

13. Wealthy über-Republican donor dead at 82.

RIP. I got nothing more to say.

[Tom Ripley]

14. Too late

[mitty14u2]

17. Swiftboat A-holes like Harold Simmons, Zell Miller Helped cause this mess, A-holes Abound

According to information released by the IRS on February 22, 2005, more than half of the group's reported contributions came from just three sources, all prominent Texas Republican donors: Houston builder Bob J. Perry, a longtime supporter of George W. Bush, donated $4.45 million, Harold Simmons' Contrans donated $3 million, and T. Boone Pickens, Jr. donated $2 million. Other major contributors included Bush fundraiser Carl Lindner ($300,000), Robert Lindner ($260,000), GOP contributor Aubrey McClendon ($250,000), George Matthews Jr. ($250,000), and Crow Holdings ($100,000).

Remember this one; Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA) challenges Chris Matthews to a duel after
Millers' speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Classic!

Check out the links at bottom of Wikipedia page, References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift_Vets_and_POWs_for_Truth

[Newsjock]

19. I was taught not to speak ill of the recently deceased. So,

[olddad56]

20. so I guess you say that the good die early. And he lived a long life.

[davidpdx]

21. No tears for this guy

His crap kept Kerry from being elected president.

[Theyletmeeatcake2]

22. If you've got nothing good to say about someone.........

....................