Glenn Greenwlad: George Soros' "foreign" money

[meegbear]

George Soros announced today that he was making his first-ever contribution to Media Matters, in the amount of $1 million. Rush Limbaugh denounced this as "foreign money in American politics" and called Soros "a foreigner." Right-wing bloggers ("Foreign Money in Politics: Soros Donates $1 Million to Media Matters"), and the comment section of right-wing blogs discussing this donation are filled with accusations that this constitutes "foreign money in politics."

George Soros, however, is an American citizen, with the full panoply of rights citizenship bestows (including the right to vote or run for office). He's been an American citizen for almost 50 years, since the age of 31 (Business Week: "George Soros became a naturalized American citizen in New York on Dec. 18, 1961, according to the Immigration & Naturalization Service"). He was born in Hungary in 1930, survived German occupation even as numerous Jews died, fled to London after the war to escape Communism, and then began working in New York in 1956. He lived and worked in the U.S. for many years and has given away many millions of dollars in philanthropy to American organizations.

What is it about Soros exactly that leads right-wing commentators -- including their long-time leader, Rush Limbaugh -- to falsely brand this American citizen a "foreigner"? The answer to that question provides substantial insight into the American Right and how they think about many things.

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/rush_limbaugh/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2010/10/20/soros

[Me.]

1. The Missed Point In The Soros Discussion

Is that he disclosed to whom and how much he is donating

[baldguy]

2. George Soros is a foreigner, just like every other left-of-center & progressive Democrat.

Just like all the donations collected by the Right Wing Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia, China & India are from from Fine Upstanding Americans®.

[KharmaTrain]

3. It's An Age-Old GOTB Game...Deflect Blame

For decades there's been a cottage industry of "think tanks" and PACs funded by right wing high rollers. From the Koch Brothers to the Coors to the DeVos clan and so on, their tentacles inside the beltway are deep and their payroll are deeper. They've funded shadow governments that feed the talking points to their paid-for toadies in the corporate media and now can openly pour their money into campaign coffers. Most of these fat cats make Soros look like a piker.

As is the practice, the hate media, led by Faux create caricatures of people then constantly demonize them. Soros fits the bill very nicely as his secretive ways can be exagerated or fabricated at will and the sheeple eat it up as gospel since its said loud enough and often enough.

I think it's great he's donating the money to MMA...an organization that at the forefront of exposing the corporate media lies.

[unblock]

4. he's a foreigner according to the same right-wing that thinks obama is a kenyan

and the liberal coasts are not the "real america".

[Bitwit1234]

5. Would it be...that the Chamber of Commerce was so open

no ...because they have something to hide. They will never disclose the foreign contributors.