Fox News Parent Corp. Donates $1,000,000 to Republican Governor's Association

[Cry Havoc]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/08/fox-parent-news-corp-donates-1.html

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) this year, Bloomberg reported. The company owns Fox News and the New York Post. (You can see the full IRS filing here.)

The filings show that the RGA raised $58 million between Jan. 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010. The Democratic Governors Association raised $40 million during the same period.

"News Corporation believes in the power of free markets, and the RGA's pro-business agenda supports our priorities at this most critical time for our economy," a spokesperson told Politico.

News Corp's Political Action Committee, News America-Fox PAC, has given to Democrats and Republicans, but in far smaller sums, Yahoo's Michael Calderone reports: "The PAC has given $48,000 to Democrats running for House seats this year and $40,700 to Republicans. In Senate races, the PAC contributed $30,500 to Democrats and $25,500 to Republicans."

The RGA has a new ad going up in Florida today, hitting Democratic candidate Alex Sink.

---

Fox News. Fair. Balanced. Unbiased.

.... :lmao

[boutons_deux]

Anybody who ever thought Fox Repug Network was anything other than part of the VRWC, is a dumbfuck.

[greyforest]

2 + 2 = 5

[Ashy Larry]

so if Fox is fair and balanced, we'll be seeing a million dollar check going to the Dems next week right ???

[spursncowboys]

How much does ge donate to Libs?

[fraga]

This...is not shocking...

[George Gervin's Afro]

fox news is the GOP whore.. anyone with any common sense can see that

[jack sommerset]

http://a.imageshack.us/img131/6320/589m.gif

[1369]

I see it as a brilliant business move.

News Corp makes this donation, Dems/Progressives/Liberals raise a big giant fuss about it and in turn raise even more money for their candidates, Dems break even or better in the midterms and in turn News Corp folks like Hannity, Beck, et al are guaranteed tons more fodder to rail against. News Corps Fox ratings remain unchanged or even rise raking in even more advert dollars.

[ChumpDumper]

How much does ge donate to Libs?Over the past 20 years, GE has given $9,743,708 to Democrats and $9,158,289 to Republicans. It looks like their contributions vary roughly with the political winds.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000125

So tell us, SnC -- how much does News Corp give to Democrats?

[hater]

http://a.imageshack.us/img131/6320/589m.gif

:lol

[boutons_deux]

Jack can't handle the truth, but like any hard-core right-winger, he hands out the untruths non-stop.

[George Gervin's Afro]

So tell us, SnC -- how much does News Corp give to Democrats?

[Stringer_Bell]

Folks, let's be realistic about this. 1 million dollars is chump change compared to how much free publicity and "conservative" agenda advocacy they've given the GOP through the years. Fox News already has former GOP governors on the pay roll, Huckabee and Palin, so this just seems like a good faith effort to help out their friends.

[TeyshaBlue]

fox news is the GOP whore.. anyone with any common sense can see that

Take a deep breath GGA.

I'm at peace with the knowledge that people's beliefs drive their behaviors. Every single reporter wants to be a good citizen. Most people that go into journalism - and politics, for that matter - do so because they want to make the world a better place. Most of them have strong opinions, and those opinions are reflected in their narrative. In this regard, editors are less of an ameliorating factor than an aggravating one. Even the headline writers, who are part of the layout/design staff and who are separate from the copy writers, insert their own bias, either through juxtaposition or ommission.

I don't think integrity and journalism are mutually exclusive. I just think that your quest for the white whale of purely unbiased and balanced reporting will ultimately leave you frustrated, since journalists are people.

We all have our preconceptions and understand that certain "facts" can be taken for granted. We are wrong about many of them.

[George Gervin's Afro]

Take a deep breath GGA.

I'm at peace with the knowledge that people's beliefs drive their behaviors. Every single reporter wants to be a good citizen. Most people that go into journalism - and politics, for that matter - do so because they want to make the world a better place. Most of them have strong opinions, and those opinions are reflected in their narrative. In this regard, editors are less of an ameliorating factor than an aggravating one. Even the headline writers, who are part of the layout/design staff and who are separate from the copy writers, insert their own bias, either through juxtaposition or ommission.

I don't think integrity and journalism are mutually exclusive. I just think that your quest for the white whale of purely unbiased and balanced reporting will ultimately leave you frustrated, since journalists are people.

We all have our preconceptions and understand that certain "facts" can be taken for granted. We are wrong about many of them.

I'm ok with Fox News being in bed with the GOP... they have the right to be bed buddies..

[TeyshaBlue]

Over the past 20 years, GE has given $9,743,708 to Democrats and $9,158,289 to Republicans. It looks like their contributions vary roughly with the political winds.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000125

So tell us, SnC -- how much does News Corp give to Democrats?

I don't have a dollar figure, but historically, News Corp has given more to Democrats than Republicans....54% vs 46%. Which sorta tags this event as either

a. A complete outlier.
b. An event without enough of a time frame to grant it context.
c. A construct of the byzantinian rules governing donations.

The RGA, Republican Governor's Association, is the new organization of choice for Republican donors because they don't trust Michael Steele to spend the money wisely (and with good reason). They are also bypassing him via 527s and and RNC subgroups like the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
I don't think the RGA is restricted in the amounts of single donations as the DNC and RNC are. It is entirely likely that the amounts given to each side will balance out, as they have historically been proven to do.

Let's see how the rest of the tallying shapes up before we go all "OH NOES!!!111".

[TeyshaBlue]

I'm ok with Fox News being in bed with the GOP... they have the right to be bed buddies..

This is you being ok?


fox news is the GOP whore.. anyone with any common sense can see that

I'd hate to see you when you're not okay then.:lol

[DarrinS]

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2010/08/18/wapo-highlights-dem-outrage-fox-donations-gop-downplays-reality-50-50-co





The Washington Post hyped the news on the front of Wednesday's Style section that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has donated $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, "triggering swift criticism from Democrats that a contribution of that magnitude casts a shadow on his media properties, particularly Fox News." In paragraph 13, on page C-10, this apparent outrage of Republican favoritism gets ruined by reality:

Until now, the News Corp./Fox political action committee had given 54 percent of its donations to Democrats and 46 percent to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics -- including $8,000 to Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid's campaign committee and $5,000 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's organization. News Corp. also gave $45,000 each to GOP and Democratic campaign committees on Capitol Hill.

So the real story here is that Democrats are having a fit over the RGA donation, even if the overall donation levels are about even. Reporter Howard Kurtz failed to inform readers that Murdoch held a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in 2006 (and the New York Post endorsed her Senate re-election bid). Kurtz only mentioned he'd "sought accomodations" with her:


An outspoken conservative, the Australian-born Murdoch has nonetheless sought accommodations over the years with political rivals, including Tony Blair when he was British prime minister and Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was a senator from New York.


Kurtz suggested the RGA donation spurred a new anti-Fox News political campaign by the Democratic Party:

The White House refused for months to make top officials available for interviews and assailed Fox as an arm of the Republican Party -- an attack that was revived Tuesday.

"Any pretense that may have existed about the ties between Fox News and the Republican Party has been ripped violently away," said Hari Sevugan, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. "Any Republican that appears on Fox should now have a disclaimer that they are financially supported by the network and any coverage of the elections this fall on Fox should be reported with disclaimer for what it is -- partisan propaganda."


But if "disclaimers" were being handed out, wouldn't every report on Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have to note they were funded by the parent company of Fox News? And wouldn't that tend to ruin the DNC spin? If Sevugan thinks the on-air FNC product is ridiculously unfair and imbalanced, if anything, the roughly 50-50 donations levels must be more balanced than the TV coverage.

It's quite clear that the Democrats are used to a media environment where every network, every newspaper, and every "news" magazine caters to Barack Obama and find it scandalous and outrageous that anyone wouldn't march to their drumbeat. Being a "real" news network and not a "partisan propaganda" outlet by their definition actually requires being a partisan propaganda outlet for Obama.






:cry :cry :cry

[TeyshaBlue]

*sigh* Fuck me.:depressed

You are truly the Yin to bouton's Yang.

[TeyshaBlue]

Not literally, GGA.:wow:lol

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I'm sure the outrage over Jeffrey Immelt is just as equal as this outrageous story.

Oh look..........is that something else shining that I see?

Hey everyone!!!!!! Look over here now :jack



What a bunch of idiots.......

[Wild Cobra]

How does that compare to the millions given to democrats by the others?

Remember. Fox is the balance.

[fraga]

Remember. Fox is the balance.:lmao

[Wild Cobra]

:lmao
Why must you be reminded of that?

Why not tell us how much the others give the democrats?

[jack sommerset]

I give to democrats all the time.

[boutons_deux]

Jon Stewart Does His Best Glenn Beck: Follow the Money!

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/19/jon-stewart-does-his-best-glenn-beck-follow-the-money-directly-from-fox-to-republicans/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=alternet

[ChumpDumper]

Why must you be reminded of that?

Why not tell us how much the others give the democrats?If you had me off ignore, you would know already.

[Capt Bringdown]

Jon Stewart Does His Best Glenn Beck: Follow the Money!

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/19/jon-stewart-does-his-best-glenn-beck-follow-the-money-directly-from-fox-to-republicans/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=alternet

Indeed:
Fox News 2nd largest shareholder is a Saudi Prince (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161042)

[Wild Cobra]

Jon Stewart Does His Best Glenn Beck: Follow the Money!

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/19/jon-stewart-does-his-best-glenn-beck-follow-the-money-directly-from-fox-to-republicans/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=alternet
The only problem with such correlations is which is cause and which is effect?

i would say normally, people give to republicans because they like their actions and hate democrats actions rather than buying votes. That does occur as well, and can even be the case of 2why people spend money on democrats. It works both ways. Problem is, determining if the money is paid to buy votes, or paid because they support an action taken.

[boutons_deux]

"Problem is, determining if the money is paid to buy votes, or paid because they support an action taken."

You typically outhink your limited thinking ability.

Everybody votes their own self-interest, their greed. American politics isn't a humanitarian activity, isn't a charity. It's a sewer of corruption.

Perfect example is everybody says they hate earmarks, but only those that don't come to their area. US will never cut back its bloated, wasteful, corrupt military budget because so many states and districts depend on that money, eg, San Antonio TX.

Political money buys political "action" and votes. end of story. Murdoch certainly has gotten and will get more favorable treatment for this $1M.

Venal America is for sale, probably now more than ever, but the FFs were clearly worried about the power of corporations to corrupt their new republic.

[boutons_deux]

"Problem is, determining if the money is paid to buy votes, or paid because they support an action taken."

You typically outhink your limited thinking ability.

Everybody votes their own self-interest, their greed. American politics isn't a humanitarian activity, isn't a charity. It's a sewer of corruption.

Perfect example is everybody says they hate earmarks, but only those that don't come to their area. US will never cut back its bloated, wasteful, corrupt military budget because so many states and districts depend on that money, eg, San Antonio TX.

Political money buys political "action" and votes. end of story. Murdoch certainly has gotten and will get more favorable treatment for this $1M.

Venal America is for sale, probably now more than ever, but the FFs were clearly worried about the power of corporations to corrupt their new republic.

[boutons_deux]

"Problem is, determining if the money is paid to buy votes, or paid because they support an action taken."

You typically outhink your limited thinking ability.

Everybody votes their own self-interest, their greed. American politics isn't a humanitarian activity, isn't a charity. It's a sewer of corruption.

Perfect example is everybody says they hate earmarks, but only those that don't come to their area. US will never cut back its bloated, wasteful, corrupt military budget because so many states and districts depend on that money, eg, San Antonio TX.

Political money buys political "action" and votes. end of story. Murdoch certainly has gotten and will get more favorable treatment for this $1M.

Venal America is for sale, probably now more than ever, but the FFs were clearly worried about the power of corporations to corrupt their new republic.

Governors and Fox story:

How the Fox-Comcast Machine Crushed a Journalist Who Spoke Out Against Bill O'Reilly


http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/147904

[elbamba]

Why do people care so much about whether Fox News is fair? Does anyone here consider MSNBC, CNN or PBS for that matter to be networks without a left spin or use hosts who are overt liberals? Do you guys think that this country wasn't built on political spin in the media? Anyone here ever heard of Common Sense?

Certainly everyone here knows that there were federalist and anti-federalist newspapers during the drafting of the constitution and into the first presidency of George Washington. The media has always leaned strongly in whatever political direction the owner wanted, since before our country was founded.

I have never understood why people feel the need to knock Fox or why viewers of Fox feel the need to defend it. Who cares, if you get your news from cable TV you have to realize that you are watching news slanted by opinions and a drive for higher ratings.

[CosmicCowboy]

Why do people care so much about whether Fox News is fair? Does anyone here consider MSNBC, CNN or PBS for that matter to be networks without a left spin or use hosts who are overt liberals? Do you guys think that this country wasn't built on political spin in the media? Anyone here ever heard of Common Sense?

Certainly everyone here knows that there were federalist and anti-federalist newspapers during the drafting of the constitution and into the first presidency of George Washington. The media has always leaned strongly in whatever political direction the owner wanted, since before our country was founded.

I have never understood why people feel the need to knock Fox or why viewers of Fox feel the need to defend it. Who cares, if you get your news from cable TV you have to realize that you are watching news slanted by opinions and a drive for higher ratings.

I agreed with everything except singling out CABLE TV. Every "news" organization out there puts it's own slant/spin on the facts. The consumer just has to be smart enough to filter the spin and make their own mind up on the facts.

[DMX7]

If you had me off ignore, you would know already.

That's pretty much what republicans do. If they get a cold hard dose of reality, they don't like it.

[elbamba]

I agreed with everything except singling out CABLE TV. Every "news" organization out there puts it's own slant/spin on the facts. The consumer just has to be smart enough to filter the spin and make their own mind up on the facts.

I can buy that.

[elbamba]

I consider anything on TV to be cable. But I stand corrected.