Need some names of who is funding the Right Wing echo chamber

[NewJeffCT]

I'm trying to put together a letter to the editor in response to yet another RWer demonizing George Soros for giving to MoveOn.org back in 2004. I know Moon himself has given in amounts that have exponentially dwarfed Soros.

I know we have:
Sun Myung Moon
Richard Mellon Scaife
The Coors family
The Walton Foundation (of Wal-Mart fame)
The Olin Foundation
The Bradley Foundation

What others are out there that I'm missing?

Thanks

[BushOut06]

1. Rupert Murdoch? n/t

n/t

[NewJeffCT]

2. Forgot him

And, I think Conrad Black as well.

[DainBramaged]

3. Jeeze, you got an army of Diablo's minions now

And some of the richest right-wing bastards around.

And don't forget the Waltons. Sam would disown them if he knew.

[NewJeffCT]

6. Thanks

Got the Walton Foundation.

Some on DU have previously posted that wal-mart is okay because they do give some of their political donations to Democrats (like $60,000 to Repubs, $20,000 to Dems). However, behind the scenes, the Walton Foundation gives about $100 million per year to various RW causes that don't show up on those donor lists.

[tanyev]

4. Robert Perry

Robert J. Perry is a big wheeling Texas home builder who likes his privacy. He also is a kingmaker in Republican Party politics in the Lone Star state. That he was the guy who gave the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth their seed money, which sent them on their fundraising way, is now history, presidential history, that is. The success of that campaign against John Kerry has spawned many other front groups claiming no ties to the Republican Party, which is stretching reality, some would say. Many people, myself included (long before I went to blogging), confronted the swiftboating of John Kerry. But they just keep on coming, with money given silently, behind the scenes and no one can stop them. In fact, during the 2004 elections the smears from the group were so blatantly Republican it became known as "Swift Boat Veterans for Bush". Perry, now in his seventies, remained behind the scenes for a long time, but since the 2004 election, he isn't out of reach anymore.

He's number eight on the fundraising list.

Robert Perry gave at least 124 times from 1999 - 2006, which is his right.

As for 2006, he's on the top 10 fundraising list.


http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=24474

[comsymp]

5. Roger Milliken

SC textile robber baron, ranks up there with Scaife as a RW sugar daddy.

You can start with this:

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=milliken%2C+roger&txtState=SC&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&Order=N

[NewJeffCT]

7. Direct political donations pale in comparison

to the behind the scenes funding of seemingly endless array of RW think tanks & organizations (AEI, Heritage Foundation, Club for Growth, etc)

see my post above on Wal-Mart vs the Walton Foundation.

[comsymp]

11. Absolutely

Milliken has been a *major* behind-the-scenes player for decades, which is why I compared him to Scaife.

ON EDIT: also why i said "you can start with..." - google also has tons o' good info on him, his relationships with gopac, the moral majority <sic>, heritage foundation, national review, etc.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

8. Bush's Rangers and Pioneers

http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/ContributorsAndPaybacks/pioneer_search.cfm

[Peace Patriot]

9. I haven't kept up with this much, but here's one that might be worth

looking into. Howard Ahmanson. Ahmanson was the initial funder of the electronic voting corporation, ES&S (brethren to Diebold), and also gave one million dollars to the extremist 'christian' Chalcedon Foundation, which touts the death penalty for homosexuals (among other things). Both Ahmanson and Chalcedon would be worth a google or two, as to your list. Also, ES&S itself.

And speaking of Diebold: Diebold could also be considered a sort of "rightwing foundation" for "electing" fascists. Its CEO until recently, Wally O'Dell, was a major fundraiser for Bush-Cheney (a Bush "Pioneer" right up there with Ken Lay), and a Bush-Cheney campaign chair in '04, who promised in writing to "deliver" Ohio to Bush-Cheney.

What do they need the Moon's, and the Scaife's and the Coors' for, when they now have direct control over election outcomes, with the new electronic voting systems run on TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code--code so secret that not even our secretaries of state are permitted to review it.

ES&S is a spinoff of Diebold (similar computer architecture--crapass Windows-based programming--extremely insecure and insider hackable). Until recently, ES&S and Diebold were run by two brothers, Tod and Bob Urosevich. (One of them just got the hell out of Dodge, too, along with Wally--ahem, retired--can't remember which.)

Together, ES&S and Diebold "counted" 80% of the votes in 2004, under a veil of corporate secrecy.

So that's why our country is teetering out of control--with a $10 trillion deficit, and off-the-chart fascism--torture, suspension of habeas corpus, mass slaughter of innocent people in a totally unnecessary war, multiple tax cuts for the super-rich, outsourcing of all our jobs to cheap labor markets around the world--and El Stupido (some would say El Diablo) for president, etc.

The "Rightwing echo chamber" is just sort of the pre-written narrative for stolen elections. It has not convinced anyone of anything--except for this: It has convinced too many people that we, the progressive American majority, are the minority. They have succeeded in disempowering--and disenfranchising!--the majority. But they have NOT succeeded in Nazifying this country, or in convincing us that we must engage in a medieval "Crusade." If that is their goal and their heart's desire--more blood and gore for Christ--they have failed miserably. SEVENTY PERCENT of the American people now oppose them--despite all their fear-mongering and propaganda. The ONLY way they can use our money (or rather, our credit card) and our exhausted military for these policies is by deception and by force.

So, I really do think that Diebold and ES&S--who have control of the MECHANISM of our elections--are more important than all the Moon's and the Scaife's. However, exposure of the rightwing "think" tanks is an important project, and I wish I could provide you with more help for it.

[Junkdrawer]

10. David Rockefeller & The Council on Foreign Relations...

I Googled this article on think tanks...

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/issueoftheweek/20030329/200/332

[Junkdrawer]

12. From the cite:

The marketing of ideas, particularly to the press, often becomes as important as the ideas themselves, and in this respect conservatives have been much more successful than their liberal counterparts, according to a 2001 survey, by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, a leftist media studies group. The survey found that 48 percent of media citations of think tanks were from right-leaning groups, 36 percent from centrist groups, and 16 percent from groups that lean left.

[whistle]

13. Be sure to include the list of Bush's base of 486 top money contibutors

Aegis Defence Services
BearingPoint, Inc.
Bechtel
BKSH and Associates
CACI International and Titan Corporation
Custer Battles
Carlyle Group
Halliburton
Lockheed Martin
Loral Satellite
Qualcomm

3D Global Solutions
AD Consultancy
AGS
Alpha Point Security<21>
AMECO
3S Security Support Solutions
Aegis Defence Services
AirScan Inc.
AKE Limited
Al Hamza
American International Security
Anteon International Corp.
Applied Marine Technology Inc.
ArmorGroup International PLC
Ayr Aviation
Babylon Gates
Ben Tal
BH Defense LLC
Blackheart International LLC
Blackwater USA
Blue Hackle Limited
Britam Defence, Ltd.
CACI International
Canine International
CastleForce Consultancy, Ltd.
Carnelian International Risks
Centurion Risk Assessment Services
Civilian Police International, LLC
Cochise Consultancy Inc.
Combat Support Associates, Ltd.
Control Risks Group
Crescent Security Group
CTC Training
CTU ASIA
Cubic Corporation
Custer Battles
Defence Systems Limited
Demming Enterprises International, Ltd.
Diligence, LLC
Double Eagle Management Company
DS Vance Iraq
DTS Security
DynCorp
Edinburgh Risk
Edinburgh International Security, Ltd.
EODT Technology, Inc.
Erinys International Ltd.
Evergreen International Aviation
Excalibre
Executive Outcomes
Executive Solutions International
Falcon Group
Genric, Ltd.
Greystone, Ltd.
Global Marine Security Systems Company
Global Options, Inc.
Global Strategies Group
Golan Group
Group 4 Securicor
Hart Group
Henderson Risk, Ltd.
Hill and Associates
Homeland Security Corporation
ICP Group, Ltd.
International Charter Incorporated of Oregon
ISEC Corporate Security, Ltd.
ISI Security
J-3 Global
Janusian Security Risk Management Ltd.
Keenie Meenie Services
Kellogg Brown and Root
Kroll, Inc.
Levdan, Ltd.
Management and Training Corporation
Main Street Supply & Logistics
Medical Support Solutions, Ltd.
Meteoric Tactical Solutions
Meyer and Associates
Military Professional Resources Inc.
Mushriqui Consulting
MVM, Inc.
NAF Security
Neareast Security
New Korea Total Service
Northbridge Services Group, Ltd.
Pistris, Inc.
Olive Group
Omega Risk Solutions
Optimal Solution Services
Orion Management
OSSI-Safenet
Overseas Security and Strategic Information, Inc/Safenet - Iraq
Pacific Architects and Engineers, Inc.
PSI International
PSD Training
PWC Logistics
RamOPS Risk Management Group
Reed, Inc.
Ronco
Rubicon International Services, Ltd.
Saladin Security
Sandline International
SCG International Risk
Science Applications International Corporation
Securiforce
Security Applications Systems International LLC
Select Armor, Inc.
Sentinel
SGS
Silver Shadow
Smith Brandon International
Southern Cross Security
Special Operations Consulting-Security Management Group
Special Ops Associates
Steele Foundation
Sumer International Security
Tarik
THULE Global Security International
Titan Corporation
Toifor
Triple Canopy Inc.
Trojan Securities International
US Investigations Services
Unity Resources Group
USA Enviromental
Vinnell Corporation
Vinnell Brown and Root (VBR)
VIP Investigations & Protective Services Inc.
Wade-Boyd and Associates LLC
Whitestone Group
WVC3 Group, Inc.

[JDPriestly]

18. How many of these companies do business with the

government?

How many are in the defense sector?

How many are in energy?

[Burried News]

14. Bruce Kovner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Kovner
Excerpt:
Bruce Kovner has contributed extensively to conservative causes. He is the Chairman of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, for which Caxton Associates manages most investments. His close acquaintances include Vice President Dick Cheney, neoconservative figures Richard Perle and James Q. Wilson, as well as a wide range of government officials from all over the world - relationships which many consider a large part of Kovner's sharp insight into commodities markets worldwide. He is a major backer of the conservative Manhattan Institute and the daily, The New York Sun. End Excerpt

[Joanne98]

15. Sourcewatch has a lot of good info

Accuracy in Media
From SourceWatch
http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Accuracy_in_Media

Accuracy in Media (AIM) has grown from a one-person crusade to a million-dollar-a-year operation by attacking the mainstream media for abandoning the principles of "fairness, balance and accuracy" in its reporting. New Right philanthropies, think tanks and media support its work, and many members of its advisory board are former diplomats, intelligence agents and corporate directors.

Contents

1 Overview
2 Personnel
2.1 Office holders
2.2 National Advisory Board
2.3 Staff
3 Funders
4 Contact Information
5 External links

Overview
AIM was founded by Reed Irvine in 1969, when Irvine called for sedition charges to be brought against Students for a Democratic Society, the Black Panthers and the Progressive Labor Party, arguing, "If you're going to halt treason, you've got to do it while it's small."

In the 1970s, Irvine endeared himself to the New Right by alleging that the corporate media were a propaganda tool for the Soviet KGB and Fidel Castro. In 1982, AIM attacked New York Times reporter Raymond Bonner for his reports (later proven accurate--see Extra!, January/February 1993) about the El Mozote massacre. Along with the Wall Street Journal editorial page, AIM succeeded in pressing the Times to pull Bonner from his Salvadoran beat.

Irvine later called for napalm to be used against FMLN guerrillas in El Salvador. (AIM Report, March 1990). During the Gulf War, he encouraged a nuclear strike against Iraq.

With the end of the Cold War, AIM now assails environmentalists as the "infiltrators" of the media establishment. Critical reports about industries that fund AIM--such as chemical and oil interests--ara a frequent target of AIM critiques.

During the Clinton era, alleged conspiracies related to the Democratic president were a frequent topic in AIM's work--particularly the notion that Vince Foster was not a suicide but a victim of foul play. AIM charged that Republicans, including independent counsel Kenneth Starr, were somehow complicit in covering up Clinton's plots; discussing Hillary Rodham Clinton's notion of a "vast right-wing conspiracy," Irvine retorted that "the only conspiracy I knew of was the conspiracy of the Republican leadership to protect Bill Clinton."

AIM has been criticized as a censorious group eager to silence voices it disagrees with and disdainful of the First Amendment. The group for a time offered as a donation premium Target America, written by AIM board member James L. Tyson, a book advocating that government "ombudsmen" police major-network newscasts for "accuracy" and "fairness". <1>

Personnel
Office holders
Reed Irvine, Chairman, Emeritus
Don Irvine, Chairman (Reed Irvine's son, also heads Parents and Grandparents Alliance)
Samuel Shepard Jones, Jr., Treasurer and General Counsel
Joan Hueter, Director, (Former President, National Association of Pro-America)
Malcolm E. Smith, Retired Advertising Executive
Nancy Morgan, Conservative activist
Trevor Armbrister, Author
National Advisory Board
Arnold Beichman, Writer and Analyst
Midge Decter, Writer
Charlton Heston, Actor
Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, USN (Ret), Former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
R. Adm. William C. Mott, USN (Ret), Vice-President, National Strategy Information Center
Dr. Frederick Seitz, President Emeritus, Rockefeller University
James L. Tyson, President, Council for the Defense of Freedom
Staff
Deborah Lambert, Director of Special Projects
John Wessale, Executive Assistant
Charles Rozier, Director of the Speakers Bureau
Roger Aronoff, Media Analyst and Documentary Producer
Claudia L. Mason, Administrative Assistant
Mercedes M. Amaya, Mailroom Manager
Notra Trulock, III, Associate Editor
James Davis, Financial Consultant
Jerris Leonard, Attorney
Funders
Bethlehem Steel
Carthage Foundation; see Scaife Foundations
Chevron
Ciba-Geigy
Coors Foundation
Dressor Industries
Exxon
Lawrence Fertig Foundation
Getty Oil
Horizon Oil and Gas
IBM
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical
F.M. Kirby Foundation
Mobil Foundation
Pepsico
Phillips Petroleum Company
Smith Richardson Charitable Trust; also see Smith Richardson Foundation
Texaco Philanthropic Foundation
Union Carbide
Contact Information
4455 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Suite #330
Washington, D.C. 20008
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail ar1 AT aim.org
Web: http://www.aim.org/

External links
Some of the information for this article is taken from The Greenpeace Guide to Anti-Environmental Organizations, pp. 24-25.
Peter Hart and Steve Rendall, "Meet the Myth Makers", Extra!, July/August 1998.
GuideStar report
Kuro5hin article on AIM and Irvine
Schema-root.org: Accuracy in Media - current and archive news feeds
Retrieved from "http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Accuracy_in_Media"
Category: Front groups

http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Accuracy_in_Media

[Joanne98]

16. Here's a list of the diligent dozen

The foundations are the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Carthage Foundation, the Earhart Foundation, the Charles G. Koch, David H. Koch and Claude R. Lambe charitable foundations, the Phillip M. McKenna Foundation, the JM Foundation, the John M. Olin Foundation, the Henry Salvatori Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the Smith Richardson Foundation." (Dubbed the Diligent Dozen.)

[mistertrickster]

17. Koch (pronounced "coke") family--biggest private oil company in

the US of A. On edit--actually, they're the biggest private corporation period, IIRC.

Big givers to the Cato Institute and very anti-union and public schools.

[tanyev]

19. And, the in-laws of Ws sister, Dorothy, I believe.

[unpossibles]

20. bump. n/t