News Corp. Donated $1 Million To A Pro-Republican Group

by Hillary Busis | 10:40 am, October 1st, 2010

» 45 comments

Politico’s Ben Smith is reporting that Rupert Murdoch‘s News Corp., parent company of Fox News, donated $1 million to Chamber of Commerce, a business lobby that supports Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections.

This isn’t the first time Murdoch’s company has made a large donation to a conservative group—this summer, Fox News itself reported that News Corp. had donated another $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, a partisan group designed to support GOP gubernatorial candidates. News of the donation led to something of a kerfluffle between Fox News and Media Matters, as well as a pretty hilarious segment on The Daily Show.

In his piece, Smith notes that other media giants like Disney and GE have also made political contributions; typically, though, those donations have been “in far smaller chunks, and split between Democrats and Republicans.” News Corp., too, has shared the wealth between candidates in each party in the past—but these $1 million gifts are causing many media voices to ask whether the company has crossed some sort of line.

Here’s a bit more information from Smith:

Spokesmen for News Corp. and for Fox declined to comment on the chamber contribution, or on whether Fox chief Roger Ailes, a former GOP political operative, had a role in it.

After the News Corp. donation to the RGA became known in August, the company denied that Ailes was involved, and a spokesman told POLITICO at the time that the contribution was made to support the Republican committee’s “pro-business agenda.”

A spokesman for the chamber, J.P. Fielder, declined to discuss or confirm a specific contribution – the chamber is fighting to continue to keep contributions secret — but responded to a question about the Fox donation by characterizing the chamber’s agenda.

“What I can tell you is that the chamber has been and will continue to be engaged in the issue debate in this election cycle, focusing our efforts on educating voters about where candidates stand on policies that create jobs,” Fielder said.

Specifically, the chamber has said it plans to spend $75 million in connection with the 2010 election, and has so far has directed substantial amounts to Republican Senate candidates. As of Sept. 15th, the group had spent $6,747,946 airing more than 8,000 ads on behalf of GOP Senate candidates, according to a study from the Wesleyan Media Project.

That figure made the chamber the biggest spender on congressional races of any interest group, and the second biggest-spending national group after the RGA.

You can read his post in full here.

Ben Smith, Chamber of Commerce, Corporate campaign donations, News Corp., Politico, Republican Governors Association, rga, Roger Ailes, rupert murdoch

Azarkhan

Rupert, for a man with your wealth, that is peanuts! Next time please make it $10,000,000.
CosmosDan

Azarkhan said:
Rupert, for a man with your wealth, that is peanuts! Next time please make it $10,000,000.

Well yeah, we need more bought and paid for politicians. I think there may be a dozen or so holdouts in DC that are mucking things up.

Comon this is America, we can afford the best Congress money can buy.
writer

Now George Soros will feel the need to match it. Where will it end?
Big Eddie

G’day , Rupert . Congresslady Maxine Waters asked you a good question yesterday . As the station manager of the Fox TV station , how come you don’t have them say what we want ? All the others do ! … You own the Fox Movie Picture Film studio , right ? Big Eddie’s associate Blackie wants a refund on his purchase of ” Dude , Where’s My Car ? ” . He says that it’s not as good as the book . But then , what is ?
Big Eddie

P.S. , You still look like this guy . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvazMc5EfE&feature=related
philipjames

Well, that certainly is startling. A fellow who makes a lot of money in business donating a lot of money to a group that promotes business.
I am so startled that I am startled.
Is that like George Soros donating money to shadow groups that promote the destruction of business so he can short their stock and also short their country’s currency? Remind me again of when you ever had a story on this site about the far left radical groups that George Soros donates money to…. or would it be embarrassing because some of his money has found its way to the outfit that runs this site?
CosmosDan

Rachel Maddow did a story last night about a race in Oregon with Congressman Peter Defazio.

The thing that disturbed me was campaign laws that allow a huge influx of money into a campaign from some front group and the local voters have no right to know who the financing is coming from. I think this is a major issue for average citizens. The Supreme Court decided corporations are people and can donate to campaigns, and the public can’t even make an informed decision about who is financially backing their candidates. That is messed up,

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/
timcajun

Wait, this could not be true, Fox is not bias and they are fair and balanced !
Penguin60

Well, this is their side. You decide.

http://www.uschamber.com/facts
Moderate

“Chamber of Commerce, a business lobby that supports Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections.”

Since Obama’s policies have been so detrimental to businesses, one can assume a business lobby would support Republicans. How can any business operate when they have no idea what the tax rates will be come January 1. They can only hunker down (no hiring) and wait for the tidal wave.
Moderate

“Wait, this could not be true, Fox is not bias and they are fair and balanced !”

Rupert Murdoch is a business man that makes money from people advertising. Businesses stop advertising when the future becomes uncertain.
Azarkhan

CosmosDan said:
The Supreme Court decided corporations are people and can donate to campaigns

That’s terrible. Easily as bad as unions spending $10,000,000 to defeat Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Arkansas Democratic primary. Of course the great thing was that she won the primary, which meant that the unions basically pissed $10,000,000 down the drain.
notsofast

$! million? Murdoch is a cheapskate.

Look what Georgie boy did in 2004.

From the NYTimes:

“Democratic donors like George Soros, the bête noire of the right, and his fellow billionaire Peter B. Lewis, who each gave more than $20 million to Democratic-oriented groups in the 2004 election, appear to be holding back so far. ”

Rupert! Get on the ball, man!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Andy-Lamb/1085325013 Andy Lamb

Scandals, scandals, scandals……

Just after Obama’s inauguration, GE CEO Jeff Immelt wrote that “this government will be a regulator; and also an industry policy champion, a financier, and a key partner. GE’s broad technical portfolio positions us as a natural partner as the role of government increases.” It was not too long after that Obama named Immelt to his 16 member Economic Advisory Board. GE and Immelt have spend millions of dollars in lobbying efforts to push for the passage of Obama’s pet “cap and trade” proposal. GE is the world’s largest wind turbine generator manufacturer and stands to make a helluva lot of money from cap and trade.

Under the Obama plan, GE stands to take in billions of dollars from government contracts in wind energy. All carbon emission related energy would be subject to carbon taxes. Any oil related, natural gas related, gasoline, diesel, and any other manufacturer that uses any petro-based component will be subject to carbon tax. Even things like plastic containers, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides will be subject to the tax as they are made from carbon based materials. Tax the hell out of evil carbon and funnel money to GE for alternate energy. Sounds like a good Ponzi scheme to me.

According to a known climatologist named Dr. S. Fred Singer, cap and trade “would be the equivalent of an atomic bomb directed at the U.S. economy—all without any real scientific justification.” But hey, at least GE would make a lot of money off of it. GE also happens to own NBC, MSNBC and CNBC, primary pushers of climate change propoganda that they stand to make a fortune from. As Al Gore would say, “what an inconvenient truth.”
http://www.facebook.com/people/Andy-Lamb/1085325013 Andy Lamb

Azarkhan said:
That’s terrible. Easily as bad as unions spending $10,000,000 to defeat Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Arkansas Democratic primary. Of course the great thing was that she won the primary, which meant that the unions basically pissed $10,000,000 down the drain.

I believe the $10,000,000 came from the “beer and weed slush fund”, so it will be sorely missed at lunch time by the UAW.
Arthur (Not a Political Comic)

But yet, don’t forget that News Corp also owns Twentieth Century Fox, which put in close to $50 million (an estimate) on the production and distribution of Wall Street 2, which is massively anti-business (well, anti-Wall Street) from a communist sympathizer. (The movie looks like it will be profitable for Fox). I guess my point is that it all comes down to money and investments, etc. Right now, FOX giving money to these Republican organizations are really a $1 million investment in advertising. Of course, the sites, the news organizations, etc, are going to jump on this, giving FOX publicity, and getting more conservatives (and non-conservatives) watching the network. Again, they invested more money in an anti-Wall Street from a communist sympathizer than into Republican organizations. And that $1 million advertising investment is going to make more money for them than if Republicans just straight up and won.
Arkansas Steve

First of all HILLARY, Rupert made this donation so your unemployed friends could get a JOB!!

Second, your “miniscule mention” of NBC’s contributions was on par with referring to Mt. Rushmore as a small statue. For crying out loud, GE & NBC have given money, FREE political messages, & other support to Obama for several years. The “value” of it would far exceed $100 million. Quoting a little “… to be fair … ” comment is not being fair. Not even close!

Third, the most sinister donations are those split 50/50. They are just blatant attempts to buy favortism from our weak minded congress. At least you and I know where Rupert Murdoch stands on the issues. I respect that.
CosmosDan

Azarkhan said:
That’s terrible. Easily as bad as unions spending $10,000,000 to defeat Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Arkansas Democratic primary. Of course the great thing was that she won the primary, which meant that the unions basically pissed $10,000,000 down the drain.

I think the special interests on both sides need to be limited in their donations. Unions included.I hope what it cost them taught them something. Jackasses.
Rescuedog

This Just In: Successful business donates to business lobby!
musiccityvic

CosmosDan said:
Well yeah, we need more bought and paid for politicians. I think there may be a dozen or so holdouts in DC that are mucking things up. Comon this is America, we can afford the best Congress money can buy.

Funny I didn’t see you complaining about the Unions spending a couple of hundred million to elect democrats, that appears to be ok.
musiccityvic

CosmosDan said:
Rachel Maddow did a story last night about a race in Oregon with Congressman Peter Defazio. The thing that disturbed me was campaign laws that allow a huge influx of money into a campaign from some front group and the local voters have no right to know who the financing is coming from. I think this is a major issue for average citizens. The Supreme Court decided corporations are people and can donate to campaigns, and the public can’t even make an informed decision about who is financially backing their candidates. That is messed up, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/

Businesses are made up of people that are getting the shaft from the business hating Obamaites. They are fighting back and I don’t blame them
misterbee

“At least you and I know where Rupert Murdoch stands on the issues. I respect that.”

Yes, and RM doesn’t lie and hide his sentiments. Unlike ABC, SeeBS, NBC, MSDNC, CNN, et al, he’s upfront about his thoughts. The others all tell the public how unbiased they are. The best description of a Leftist House Organ interviewing B Hussein Obama, was I think, when “Rolling Stone’s” interview was described as a “tongue bath”. That’s why I don’t get upset with Murdoch. Let’s see the same honesty from George Soros.
shootfromthehip

YOU DUMB FUCKS ARE MISSING THE POINT.

MURDOCH OWNS A “FAIR&BALANCED” supposed “NEWS” organization and he is backing one party over the other.

Soros never said he was fair and balanced.

Soros does not own a TV network that claims it is “fair.”
http://Mediaite.com uggugg

We criticize China, Russia, Iran and all the other foreign news media for intentionally interfering with the truth as a reporter see it. If a reporter is bias or is intentionally reporting false or misleading information to deceive the readers and viewers for personal gains or personal gains for a friend, the reporter and/or his organization are in conflict with the fiduciary relationship expected and deserving between the news organization and it’s readership regardless of the political, religious or various lifestyle’s of all viewers. This is an obligation all news media need to be mindful of continually. If they forget, we need to job their memory with whatever it takes.
Orion Antares

Arthur (Not a Political Comic) said:
But yet, don’t forget that News Corp also owns Twentieth Century Fox, which put in close to $50 million (an estimate) on the production and distribution of Wall Street 2, which is massively anti-business (well, anti-Wall Street) from a communist sympathizer. (The movie looks like it will be profitable for Fox). I guess my point is that it all comes down to money and investments, etc. Right now, FOX giving money to these Republican organizations are really a $1 million investment in advertising. Of course, the sites, the news organizations, etc, are going to jump on this, giving FOX publicity, and getting more conservatives (and non-conservatives) watching the network. Again, they invested more money in an anti-Wall Street from a communist sympathizer than into Republican organizations. And that $1 million advertising investment is going to make more money for them than if Republicans just straight up and won.

Well looking over the history of things that come out of FOX entertainment I often wonder how much control Murdoch actually exercises over them outside simple financial overhead. I’ve seen things come out of FOX entertainment openly attacking FOX News, Corporations, and Republicans many times yet rarely see them attack anything that represents the other side.
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

I touched upon this with a comment elsewhere, but there was a time not too long ago that the Chamber focused all of their lobbying and campaign efforts on issues, not people. Of course the description may be an over-generalization, but if the national organization is willing to allow others to describe them as a “Republican front”, then maybe it’s time for the neighborhood businesses that don’t agree to withdraw and for tax dollars to quit flowing into the local chapters to contract for tourism and industrial recruitment.

Clearly the national office has been given such free rein as they’ve stepped into campaigning over the years, they’re no longer trying to hide what they do or they have been infiltrated by Republican operatives.

But, I really don’t think that the Democratic mayor of a Democratic city realized that by contracting some services from their local chamber, they’re helping to defeat an individual candidate in another jurisdiction and when the neighborhood hardware store or the one-person graphics design house was paying their dues, they assumed that they were just underwriting the local club.
Scott_in_MI

The following statement is from the Chamber of Commerce’s website. It states their purpose:

“the Chamber’s core purpose is to fight for free enterprise before Congress, the White House, regulatory agencies, the courts, the court of public opinion, and governments around the world.”

Hillary, it’s logical for a hugely successful corporation like NewsCorp to support a group which fights against the business destroying members of Congress and the White House.
Scott_in_MI

If the Dem party wasn’t so anti-free market, i’m sure the Chamber would be throwing cash their way.
writer

shoot, MSNBC is saying everything you want to hear. Just watch that.
shootfromthehip

I do watch it. And Fox. And CNN.

They all are awful.
The_Reasonable_Lib

Scott_in_MI said:
If the Dem party wasn’t so anti-free market, i’m sure the Chamber would be throwing cash their way.

examples please, not talking points
CosmosDan

musiccityvic said:
Funny I didn’t see you complaining about the Unions spending a couple of hundred million to elect democrats, that appears to be ok.

Let’s please stop with this kind of faulty logic and wasted discussion. One statement does not mean something about a separate subject I haven’t said anything about. I’ve already said I don’t approve of union influence either.
CosmosDan

musiccityvic said:
Businesses are made up of people that are getting the shaft from the business hating Obamaites. They are fighting back and I don’t blame them

and as people they get one vote the same as anyone else, and campaign donations should be from citizens not corporations or other groups IMO.

Lot’s of folks understand that small business has to succeed to provide jobs.
CosmosDan

Andy Lamb said:
Scandals, scandals, scandals……

Just after Obama’s inauguration, GE CEO Jeff Immelt wrote that “this government will be a regulator; and also an industry policy champion, a financier, and a key partner. GE’s broad technical portfolio positions us as a natural partner as the role of government increases.” It was not too long after that Obama named Immelt to his 16 member Economic Advisory Board. GE and Immelt have spend millions of dollars in lobbying efforts to push for the passage of Obama’s pet “cap and trade” proposal. GE is the world’s largest wind turbine generator manufacturer and stands to make a helluva lot of money from cap and trade.

Under the Obama plan, GE stands to take in billions of dollars from government contracts in wind energy. All carbon emission related energy would be subject to carbon taxes. Any oil related, natural gas related, gasoline, diesel, and any other manufacturer that uses any petro-based component will be subject to carbon tax. Even things like plastic containers, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides will be subject to the tax as they are made from carbon based materials. Tax the hell out of evil carbon and funnel money to GE for alternate energy. Sounds like a good Ponzi scheme to me.

According to a known climatologist named Dr. S. Fred Singer, cap and trade “would be the equivalent of an atomic bomb directed at the U.S. economy—all without any real scientific justification.” But hey, at least GE would make a lot of money off of it. GE also happens to own NBC, MSNBC and CNBC, primary pushers of climate change propoganda that they stand to make a fortune from. As Al Gore would say, “what an inconvenient truth.”

So if both parties are owned by corporate interests where does that leave the general public?
http://twitter.com/pewestlake Paul Westlake

Penguin60 said:
Well, this is their side. You decide.

http://www.uschamber.com/facts

“US Chamber of Commerce” and “facts” don not go in the same sentence, let alone the same url. LOL!
http://twitter.com/pewestlake Paul Westlake

Corporations are more profitable than at any time in history, with new record-setting profits being announced almost every quarter, even in the height of the recession. But they continue to claim that liberals in Congress are destroying business. Sure they are… and I got some lovely East River crossings to unload, too. Going fast! Don’t wait! LOL
Nachi

Just another well-known Repug criminal.
right-is-wrong

Paul Westlake said:
“US Chamber of Commerce” and “facts” don not go in the same sentence, let alone the same url. LOL!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_commerce

Chambers represent the interests of all businesses, while the BBB represents the interests of the general public.
right-is-wrong

CosmosDan said:
Let’s please stop with this kind of faulty logic and wasted discussion. One statement does not mean something about a separate subject I haven’t said anything about. I’ve already said I don’t approve of union influence either.

not to mention none of the examples of “Left” influence claim to be a politically neutral News Organization.
notsofast

shootfromthehip said:
OU DUMB FUCKS ARE MISSING THE POINT.

MURDOCH OWNS A “FAIR&BALANCED” supposed “NEWS” organization and he is backing one party over the other.

No you miss the point. Murdoch has many business interests and he does not run nor direct the daily operations of the FNC nor does he exercise editorial control over what the people on there say.
jk76

Almost every article Ben Smith writes is anti-rightwing something. Fox is right-leaning. It’s not a fuckin secret. MSNBC is the hardcore opposite. I would expect GE to have donated a shit ton to the Dems a couple years ago…oh wait, they did, must be a big scandal. Does anyone count free airtime as donations? GE has a much bigger ROI than News Corp..
Yet, that doesn’t draw any skepticism for 2 years? Even with all the contracts they got?

I would expect NBC parent to donate to Dems because it’s liberal, and MSNBC is so hardcore. Why is it such news for News Corp. to donate to Republicans? They are seen as more business (capitalist) friendly. Fox is conservative, but they talk to Dems, and they even found some Dems that aren’t tools and are reasonable like Evan Bayh, as one example. I just don’t get why this is such breaking news except that liberal so-called journalists, like to blow shit up and yell out OH EM GEE
http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

Again, I’ve been a member of several local chambers. I have friends who are officers and others employed as Directors and though it may just be the circles I run in, but I don’t think any of us want to be called a “Republican front”.

Perhaps it’s time to shine a light on the political shift, done at the national office.
mndasher

CosmosDan said:
and as people they get one vote the same as anyone else, and campaign donations should be from citizens not corporations or other groups IMO.

Lot’s of folks understand that small business has to succeed to provide jobs.

But it is ok for unions to spend hundreds of millions to elect Democrats? And ok for union workers to be paid by tax payers (in the case of public unions) for time they spend on political campaigns and other activist activities?
Yoda002

All these politicians are just being bought and paid for, it is really sad. The unions have only 1/10 or 1 percent compared to the big mega corporations. People your losing your freedom. Wake-up!!
Yoda002

Azarkhan said:
Rupert, for a man with your wealth, that is peanuts! Next time please make it $10,000,000.

just like a true Republican!! It’s just all about the money!!