The Rarely Spoken Influence of Barre Seid and Leonard Leo.

This is what my thought was now that Chinese lobbying in our politics has become more transparent.

54 million? Meh.

Has anyone here ever heard of Barre Seid and Leonard Leo?

You should, the former did more for the conservative fight than anyone else in this country.

link

An elderly, ultra-secretive Chicago businessman has given the largest known donation to a political advocacy group in U.S. history — worth $1.6 billion — and the recipient is one of the prime architects of conservatives’ efforts to reshape the American judicial system, including the Supreme Court.

Through a series of opaque transactions over the past two years, Barre Seid, a 90-year-old manufacturing magnate, gave the massive sum to a nonprofit run by Leonard Leo, who co-chairs the conservative legal group the Federalist Society...

...As President Donald Trump’s adviser on judicial nominations, Leo helped build the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, which recently eliminated Constitutional protections for abortion rights and has made a series of sweeping pro-business decisions. Leo, a conservative Catholic, has both helped select judges to nominate to the Supreme Court and directed multimillion dollar media campaigns to confirm them.

They donate to anti-woke causes. Conservative causes. Lobby for the right. One might argue they bought the Supreme Court, and are every bit the definition of cronyism, but I say that's how American politics are done and have always been done. Nothing new there.

And there's plenty more money from like minds to also be contributed to various trusts.

I always felt there was a big-money "dark" contributor on the right. Or group.

One can follow money here if you care enough. Several of the politicians crafting anti-woke bills are receiving donations from these conservative trusts. Well, their election campaigns are. And that's just how our politics work. Not specifically for pushing bills, but for supporting the mindset now pejoratively called "Trumpism". Which is really a swell of discontent with the direction progressives want to go.

And on Trump, I wouldn't worry about that. Hung Juries, mistrials, and dropped charges are more likely. A pony for a greater cause is a pony for a greater cause. The effort wants him, and will keep him, or someone like him on the ticket.

It could be considered the silent counter to George Soros. And the ones the right can thank a 6-3 Supreme Court advantage for.

I think the left is believed to be too powerful, and the right is undervalued in what they can actually accomplish and script in our politics.

These trusts are like-minded, and they echo The Republican response to the State of the Union.

Or as Leo said,

high time for the conservative movement to be among the ranks of George Soros, Hansjörg Wyss, Arabella Advisors and other left-wing philanthropists, going toe-to-toe in the fight to defend our constitution and its ideals.

edit on 29-3-2023 by Degradation33 because: (no reason given)

a reply to: Degradation33

Can't they just be enthusiastic freelancers, rather than a cabal?

a reply to: Astyanax

Sure.

They deserve recognition.

People may see the liberals with the power. I gotta say, I think these "enthusiastic freelancers" are overlooked in their accomplishments so far. I see them as more in control of the direction of the political landscape than the liberals who make them stronger.

I base that on the "level of desperation" to stem their influence by the left. That's what I feel Biden talks about. MAGA is a stand-in for the influence of these powerful conservatives stepping up into the political donation games and the views of the candidates they support.

They don't like what conservative philanthropists can do, apparently.

a reply to: Degradation33

But surely nobody is 'in control of the political landscape.' People spend vast amounts of money and effort trying to gain control, but while they certainly influence it, a multitude of other factors do too, and ultimately, history goes its own sweet way. That's one of the reliable things about existence; no-one can accurately and consistently predict, far less avert, the future.