Image by SS&SS via FlickrGeorge Soros Tells Progressive Donors Obama Might Not Be The Best Investment
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George Soros Tells Progressive Donors Obama Might Not Be The Best Investment
First Posted: 11-17-10 04:10 PM | Updated: 11-17-10 04:34 PM
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WASHINGTON -- At a private meeting on Tuesday afternoon, George Soros, a longtime supporter of progressive causes, voiced blunt criticism of the Obama administration, going so far as to suggest that Democratic donors direct their support somewhere other than the president.
The Hungarian-American financier was speaking to a small side gathering of donors who had convened in Washington D.C. for the annual gathering of the Democracy Alliance -- a formal community of well-funded, progressive-minded individuals and activists.
According to multiple sources with knowledge of his remarks, Soros told those in attendance that he is "used to fighting losing battles but doesn't like to lose without fighting."
"We have just lost this election, we need to draw a line," he said, according to several Democratic sources. "And if this president can't do what we need, it is time to start looking somewhere else."
Michael Vachon, an adviser to Soros, did not dispute the comment, though he stressed that there was no transcript of a private gathering to check. Vachon also clarified that the longtime progressive giver was not referring to a primary challenge to the president.
"Mr. Soros fully supports the president as the leader of the Democratic Party," said Vachon. "He was not suggesting that we seek another candidate for 2012. His comments were made in a private, informal conversation that was about the need for progressives to be more forceful in promoting their agenda. He was stressing the importance of being heard by elected officials."
Dissatisfaction with the Obama administration was not limited to Soros's private gathering with donors. On Wednesday morning, Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina received several tough questions during his address to the Democracy Alliance. According to a source in the room, he was pressed multiple times as to why the administration has declined to be more combative with Republicans, both in communication and legislative strategy. Another source in the room said the exchange was not entirely contentious as people were simply expressing frustration about the fact that "we just came out of an election where the right wing and the Republicans distorted what was going on."
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Requests for comment from the White House were not returned, though a Democratic operative sympathetic to the administration said that Soros's dissatisfaction with the White House was "hardly news." Sources who relayed that and other exchanges insisted on anonymity, citing the strict rules against talking to the press that come with being part of the gathering.
The tone nevertheless was said to be notably different this year than in past years. In 2008, representatives for Obama were received relatively warmly when they pitched the need to shepherd funds to the presidential campaign. Other progressive institutions were left -- somewhat bitterly -- looking for scraps. But, by and large, the donor base felt their investment had been wise, with Democrats regaining control of the White House and padding their majorities in Congress.
This year, following a drubbing in the 2010 elections and some stalling on major legislative items, the dynamics were notably different. As one attendee put it: "It was a sober atmosphere... people are looking for answers but they are not unwilling to do the work."
While Soros's comment gave some attendees the impression that he'd cheer a primary challenge to the president, the point, sources say, was different. Rather, it is time to shuffle funds into a progressive infrastructure that will take on the tasks that the president can't or won't take on.
"People are determined to help build a progressive infrastructure and make sure it is there not just in the months ahead but one that will last in the long term," said Anna Burger, the retired treasury secretary of SEIU. "Instead of being pushed over by this election it has empowered people to stand up in a bigger way."
"There was frustration," said one Democratic operative who attended the meetings. The main concern was about messaging. I think they are frustrated that the president isn't being more direct. But I did not get the sense that anyone's commitment to the progressive movement was wavering... The general consensus is that support has to move beyond being about one person and more about a movement. I don't know if we've moved beyond there."
One of those "movement" ventures is an outside-government arm to match conservatives in the 2012 elections. For several weeks, discussions have been led by Media Matters for America founder David Brock about the need to create a group that will run advertisements, conduct opposition research and perform rapid response functions. Those talks continued this past week, though disputes have begun to emerge about the most effective role for such a group. As one activist who is involved with the Democracy Alliance noted:
"There are a handful of funders committed to the idea of taking on corporate interests in politics... I think the [Supreme Court's] Citizens United decision [allowing unlimited corporate donations in campaigns] intellectually caused a shift to want to deal with corporate money. The election results split the partners in the Democracy Alliance, not down the middle, between those who say let's fight back and those who say we have to change the rules."
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If politics continues on its present course, about the best one might expect for 2012 is that the Republicans will nominate such a nut-case that Obama will stagger to re-election. But unless he is re-elected with a mandate to carry out drastically different policies, we can anticipate continued economic pain and continuing drift of the electorate to the right. So what is the alternative? My audacious hope is that progressives can move from disillusion to action and offer the kind of political movement and counter-narrative that the President should have been leading.
| USArmy_vet #obama's friend #Soros (2006): "The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States." - #tcot #tlot #teaparty
4 minutes ago from web
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| caitlynlucasy http://bit.ly/oVHoJd Obama forces Soros to return money — RT: If you have a million dollars to throw towards mar... http://bit.ly/nZWWGc
8 minutes ago from twitterfeed
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| Crunched4time .@DominicNanni wake up #Obama didn't offer real cuts - just more lies and bs by this President. His puppet master Soros wouldn't allow it | ||
| Scoobydoo007 #BBC News - George #Soros is to return funds from outside #investors http://t.co/JcCqtWN #nasdaq #obama #telegraph #guardian#hedgefunds
1 hour ago from Tweet Button
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| tiacarolann RT @DrBob_Southlake: @mstytz Oh! #Obama has a Plan. The #Soros Plan. Destroy America from within. It has been the plan all along. Ignorance by design = Sheeple
1 hour ago from web
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| copperdesert RT @ConservativeGal: Maybe speaker @JohnBoehner should call up George Soros and talk directly to Obama's boss! #tcot #tlot #wcot#teaparty #gop #p2
1 hour ago from web
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| Retbilpat RT @DrBob_Southlake: @mstytz Oh! #Obama has a Plan. The #Soros Plan. Destroy America from within. It has been the plan all along. Ignorance by design = Sheeple
1 hour ago from web
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| DrBob_Southlake @mstytz Oh! #Obama has a Plan. The #Soros Plan. Destroy America from within. It has been the plan all along. Ignorance by design = Sheeple
1 hour ago from web
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| Garthawk @CFHeather @bellanieve If Soros Domestic enemy #1, Obama is #2! If Obama is Domestic enemy #1, Soros is #2
2 hours ago from web
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| USArmy_vet #obama wants our #Military neither well-armed nor well-planned - WILL WE REMAIN #FREE? - #Panetta #Soros #tcot #teaparty #tlot #ocra
2 hours ago from web
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| USArmy_vet Revise #Military pay and compensation scale - WHY? - #Panetta#Soros #obama - #tcot #teaparty #tlot #ocra #vets
2 hours ago from web
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| USArmy_vet #obama wants to reduce #Military R&D efforts - WHY? - #Panetta #Soros - #WEAKEN #USA - #tcot #teaparty #tlot #ocra #vets
2 hours ago from web
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| USArmy_vet #obama wants to cut #Military #HC - #Panetta - #Soros #tcot#teaparty #tlot #ocra #vets
2 hours ago from web
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1 of 9
The Democrats, all Democrats, not just progressiv
04:06 PM on 12/29/2010
Who cares????? At the end of too many DOG & PONY SHOWS;
There will be
ONE Democrat (could be OBAMA)
&
ONE Republican (could be John Bolton....
who will compete to
PLEASE their
ONE & ONLY BOSS :
SILKQ (Special Interest Lobbyists Kings & Queens)! !
03:52 AM on 12/29/2010
Business and union money has always worked to game American politics. However, Europeon Billionair
12:56 PM on 12/12/2010
China is watching, waiting for our great nation to cave. If we don't find a way to get this country back on sound financial footing, attract the brightest and the best from within, and create/sel
07:07 PM on 12/29/2010
You're just repeating talking points you've gotten from others, without any grasp of what is really moving things. The reality is the wealthy and powerful have been systematic
09:15 AM on 12/12/2010
How could such a kid as Obama been given the power to fire such an honorable man as General Mchristyl. The good general should have should have rallied the troops and ousted this punk!! Obama will be nothing more than positive proof that the liberal left is a place this country doesn't want to be in.
01:30 PM on 12/29/2010
Hey Joe where you going with that hate in your hand? I'm all for free speech but you're over the top. The generals behavior warranted his dismisal. If you were ever in the military you'd understand the concept of chain of command. You proposing a coup d' etat is seditious. Mr. Obama is the commander in chief and had every right to fire the general for his insubordin
03:22 PM on 12/29/2010
yeah, your right leave a loud mouth disrespect
07:09 PM on 12/29/2010
Hey, Joe. You're advocating a military overthrow of the government
10:56 AM on 12/04/2010
Put your money behind Howard Dean. He's the only public figure young enough and willing to fight for the American people. Please start trying to convince him to run again.
05:59 AM on 12/30/2010
He's the top of my list too ^^ Obama ran too soon. Than again? He is too conservati
04:06 AM on 11/29/2010
Problem is you couldn't tell what Obama could do or even wanted to do as there were too many members of Congress wearing the label of Democrat who were wholly-ownIf progressiv
Enough with "majoritie
07:38 AM on 11/24/2010
I donated more in the '10 election cycle than I did in '08. If tax cuts for the wealthy passes, My money and support stay home. I'll still vote progressiv
10:18 AM on 12/04/2010
becomes?
03:00 PM on 11/23/2010
Obama needs to learn how to play hard ball and move far left and put all the things RepublicanWhen the sharks are circling kill a shark and let them feed on their own. Its downright nasty politics they want, give it to them, and just except your a one term President.
05:37 PM on 12/25/2010
If Obama was a progressiv
06:04 AM on 12/30/2010
Very true. If Obama was a Progressiv
12:12 PM on 11/23/2010
blah blah blah..if you believe in investing in your own people..yoPERIOD!
You are with "US" the American People..or you are with the Elitist-We
02:02 PM on 11/21/2010
Welfare for the rich and corporate elite paid for by the government at the federal level exceeds a half-trill
11:33 AM on 11/21/2010
To retain power in the Congress and White House in two years, the President and the Democratic Party need to fight hard and publicly for working and most middle class families as to how they are taxed. Families making less than $100,000 per year need all of their income to make social security and medicare solvent and to educate their children and maintain a decent standard of living. It is the wealthy and corporate elite who receive more than $400 billion per year in "welfare for the rich" from the federal government who are not paying their fair share of taxes in return. Fund these tax cuts for working families and make social security solvent and balance the budget by taking away the annual more than $400 billion in government subsidies of the rich and corporate elite and $260 billion of waste and fraud in the defense and medicare budgets. It is gravely unjust to tax the income of families needed for a decent standard of living in order to subsidize welfare for the rich and to subsidize lower taxes on the income of the rich not needed to maintain a decent standard of living. The rich and corporate elite should pay higher taxes to compensate for their hidden costs to society such as pollution related health care costs caused by their greedy and arrogant profit taking activities
11:15 AM on 11/21/2010
President Obama betrayed the American people by failing to fight for the public option and against heavily subsidized dangerous and costly nuclear and continues to support dirty coal and by cratering to GOP demands for continued tax cuts for the rich. He always bids against himself when he "deals" with the GOP and he rarely exposes the GOP hypocrisy on important issues. He has been ineffectiv
07:09 AM on 11/21/2010
Soros go Home... this country is tired of you... you are not one of us
03:27 PM on 12/29/2010
that's what i am starting to think. and all these trolls are with him. ready for the country destroying GOP to tear it down again. hummm whats Sorus saying?. if they put anyone next to Obama and try to primary him when they let Bush have 8 years to tear this country down. that primary person will split the vote. and not win. because a whole lot of us still will vote for Obama.
06:11 AM on 11/21/2010
The Republicanwhat part of that didn't he get!
Reality is that laws are passed through Congress and when you have folks like Max Baucus running Health Insurance Committees - things do have a tendency to get stuck!
Reality is also that Democrats need to fight against the vast sums of corporate money coming in through the next election!
Folks get ready to give serious dollars to fight back to save our democracy!
07:11 AM on 11/21/2010
1/2 of Obama's voters just voted GOP in the midterms..
07:36 AM on 11/24/2010
Half? Did the Dems lose the senate? Oh wait. You have your facts kinda mixed up. After 2008 more than 25% of those persons identifyinThe people that actually voted for Obama did shift, but not at a rate of 50%. Many just stayed home in disgust with the entire system.
Facts are important. Talking points and facts aren't the same thing.
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03:32 PM on 12/29/2010
that's insane. voted for the very ones that put the country in shambles. were they crazy? wow!! they sure showed Obama didn't they?
03:29 PM on 11/20/2010
As much as I am frustrated with Obama, I don't think I'd welcome a primary challenge. I think in his second term, he'd be mor aggressive since he doesn't have to win an election. My problem with Obama is how he's too nice. If he was aggressive and still lost, that's fine. At least I'd know that he was aggressive
