Soros to donate big $$ to build progressive infrastructure

[NAO]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0112-02.htm

excerpt...

A group of billionaire philanthropists are to donate tens of millions more dollars to develop progressive political ideas in the US in an effort to counter the conservative ascendancy.

George Soros, who made his fortune in the hedge fund industry; Herb and Marion Sandler, the California couple who own a multi-billion-dollar savings and loan business; and Peter Lewis, the chairman of an Ohio insurance company, donated more than $63m (£34m) in the 2004 election cycle to organizations seeking to defeat George W. Bush.

At a meeting in San Francisco last month, the left-leaning billionaires agreed to commit an even larger sum over a longer period to building institutions to foster progressive ideas and people.

Far from being disillusioned by the defeat of John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, the billionaires have resolved to invest further in the intellectual future of the left, one person involved said.

full article at above link

[Dickie Flatt]

1. [this is good]

[Goldeneye]

2. Thank you liberal billionaires

They know about the media, so we can only hope they invest big time in liberal media outlets.

[DELUSIONAL]

3. fingers crossed -- this sounds good so far

The right has had "think tanks" for decades.

I'd like to see a media purchase to counter the right wing ownership of the corporate media whores.

[Eric J in MN]

4. Soros should start by buying the Sequoia voting machine company.

It's for sale for $12 million.

Or some other famous pro-Democratic person should buy Sequoia.

More on this at:
http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2005_01_01_two_things_the_democrats_should_do_in_2005.asp

[DieboldMustDie]

5. A lousy stinkin' $12 million?

I checked Diebold's market cap last week and it was just over $2.5 billion, so buying a controlling share of Diebold would run about $1.3 billion.   Probably more since it seems that takeover attempts tend to run the price up.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Right. Sequoia is affordable.

Not for me, but for a Hollywood celebrity or Mr. Soros or lots of other pro-Democratic people.

Republicans would suddenly SUPPORT verified-voting if George Soros or Barbara Streisand or Michael Moore bought Sequoia from De La Rue for $12 million.

[artemisia1]

7. That's the Ticket!

The RW Fascists spent thirty years building their media empire and perfecting their talking points and "Southern Strategy". We have to fight them the same way. They carry their points - even to the degree of defining the issues, simply because they have their loud, omnipresent "Republican Noise Machine". This is an even bigger issue than BBV because BBV is a SYMPTOM of the disease - one party rule and a compliant media. Things like BBV and the WMD fraud wouldn't have been possible without it.

[Stirk]

8. Hey - I hear Armstrong Williams is on sale this week.

Could probably purchase his whoring skills for a fraction of the price Bush paid.

But seriously- I do wonder which part of the conservative movement these guys are against. I sometimes get the feeling that many are fine with the corporate poisoning of politics, and have only been moved to act against the fundamentalist movement.

[WCGreen]

9. YEa, but you know Donna Braizillie aand Carvelle and all

the other professional democrats will take over that piece of the pie as well....

I am so sick and tired of business as usual.......