tagged w/ world view
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The unsustainability of America's endless wars and imperialistic foreign policy is the elephant in the room that not enough people in the public arena seem to want to discuss. Sadly, because Americans are conditioned to not bring up politics and religion with others, many are confined to their own rigid perspective fed by biased corporate media outlets. We must begin to challenge this societal dogma if we ever want to progress our society and evolve our collective human consciousness. http://www.mediaroots.org/duplicate-of-mr-original-afghanistan-war-control-resources.phpThe unsustainability of America's endless wars and imperialistic foreign policy... more
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BAGnewsNotes Given the sensationalism of American media, the fact of the shootings isn't a surprise. The surprise, apparently, is found in the alleged perpetrator, University of Alabama assistant professor Amy Bishop. Amy Bishop - Ephphatha More details about Amy Bishop's past crimes - Half Sigma Ex-chief Reverses: Has Serious Questions Over Earlier Amy Bishop Case - Riehl World View See all 44 blogs.BAGnewsNotes Given the sensationalism of American media, the fact of the shootings... more
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Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pictures..
You can views these Natural pictures here: http://linkbee.com/NaturalPhenomenaUndoubtedly one of the most beautiful pictures..
You can views these Natural... more
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Viper7
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added this
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3 years ago
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Current.com doesn't offer a poll option, so I am going to make one.
This is for me and anyone else to see what is going through peoples minds about the United States, and the world in general.
This isn't really a poll, its more like a question/discussion.
So here's the questions:
1. What do you see for the future of the government in the US?
2. Do you think president Obama can fix the current economic situation in the U.S.A? If not, what/who do you think is going to fix the current economic situation? How long do you think it's going to take?
3. Do you think fixing our current situation is as easy as having a new president who will bring about change, or will it take more than that?
I know these questions might be a bit unspecific, but there more of topics for discussion.
Please keep the comments under control, I don't have to explain what I mean.Current.com doesn't offer a poll option, so I am going to make one.
This is... more
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US Aid: The Facts
Israel and the US have a long-established special relationship. The US was the first country to recognise the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Israel is considered America’s closest non-NATO ally in the Middle East, a region that is geopolitically crucial to the US.
The close relationship between the two states is reflected in the volume of aid Israel receives from the US. Since World War II Israel has been the largest overall recipient of US aid: from 1949-2006 Israel received more than $156 billion of direct US aid.
Until 2003, Israel received approximately one-third of the annual US foreign aid budget. In 2005, the US gave Israel more than $2.6 billion in aid, a budget exceeded only by US aid to Iraq. By comparison, Jordan received $683.6 million, Rwanda received $77 million, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories received $348.2 million.
In the past, a majority of the direct US aid to Israel was via US Economic Support Funds (ESF). The US publicly states that ESF are given in order to support stability in areas strategic to the US. However, the recipient government completely controls how it spends these funds.
The US also lends money to Israel, but these loans are frequently waived before any repayments are made. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs has estimated that from 1974-2003 Israel benefited from more than $45 billion in waived loans from the US.
Direct US aid to Israel has significantly diminished since 1996 in order to reduce Israeli financial dependence on the US. Speaking to the US Congress in July 1996, Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared, “We will begin the long-term process of gradually reducing the level of your generous economic assistance to Israel.”
Political support
The US has a history of giving Israel direct political support. In 1972, the US prevented the adoption of UN resolution S/10784 paragraph 74, which condemned Israeli attacks against southern Lebanon and Syria. In order to do this, the US used its veto power in the Security Council for only the second time.
Since 1972, the US has used its veto power to prevent the adoption of 42 UN resolutions that condemned or severely criticized actions by the State of Israel. In 2006, for example, the US prevented the adoption of UN resolution S/878, which demanded a mutual ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
In 2002, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, stated that it was US policy to denounce all UN resolutions that criticized Israel without also condemning “terrorist groups.” This statement is now known as the Negroponte-doctrine.US Aid: The Facts
Israel and the US have a long-established special relationship.... more
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Jerusalem – Israel and Hamas showed little interest over the weekend in moving toward an internationally brokered cease-fire, as both sides vowed to keep fighting.
As the rockets and missiles fill the skies over Gaza and southern Israel, it sharpens the question: What are the goals – and exit strategies, if any – of each side?
Within the Israeli public, there is a debate about whether the intent of the Israeli military – having already sent large numbers of tanks and ground troops into the Gaza Strip for the first time – is to occupy southern Gaza to prevent smuggling or "go all the way" and topple the Hamas government. Rule of the Gaza Strip might then be turned over to Fatah, the Palestinian party that was ousted in a Hamas military coup some 18 months ago and supports a two-state solution to the conflict.
For Hamas, there appears to be an ideal by which – as part of a cease-fire – the Palestinian militant group will be able to declare itself victorious in reaching all of its demands, including an opening of all crossings into Gaza and an end to the economic blockade enforced by Israel and others in the international community.
The distant likelihood of any of those goals being met is one of the obstacles standing in the way of either side moving with alacrity toward a cease-fire, say analysts. Both sides daily tout their achievements.
After a cabinet meeting Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert praised the troops for reaching "impressive goals ... against terror organizations in Gaza." Israelis have the patience and will to press on, he said.
Similarly, Syria-based Hamas Politburo chief Khaled Mashaal insisted that Israel's losses were much heavier than they have let on. Some 870 Palestinians have been killed since the offensive began – Israel says about 300 of them were Hamas militants. Israel has lost 13 people, 10 of them soldiers and three of them civilians.
"The resistance organizations are still at full strength – they took a beating during the first two days, but have since taken the initiative," Mr. Mashaal said following a meeting in Cairo on Saturday night. "The enemy has failed – it has not achieved its goals. The enemy is hiding its true losses. For this reason it is preventing journalists and reporters from entering the Strip."Jerusalem – Israel and Hamas showed little interest over the weekend in moving... more
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Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese: 功夫; pinyin: Gōngfu) is a 2004 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film co-written, co-produced, directed by and starring Stephen Chow. The film is a humorous parody and a homage to the wuxia genre, and contains most of the characteristics of a typical wuxia movie with exaggerations, serious situations and comic plots. Set in 1930s Shanghai, it is a tale of redemption for the central character, portrayed by Chow, a petty criminal who is trying to join the city's most powerful gang.[1]
The use of visual effects has been widely acclaimed and the cartoon style of the movie accompanied by traditional Chinese music is its most striking feature.[2][3] Although the film features the return of a number of retired 1970s actors of Hong Kong action cinema, it is in stark contrast to recent martial arts films that have made an impact in the West, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.[4]
The film was released on 23 December 2004 after two years of production and received positive reviews from critics. It went on to become the highest grossing film in the history of Hong Kong,[5] and the highest grossing foreign language film in the United States in 2005.[6]Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese: 功夫; pinyin: Gōngfu) is a 2004 Hong Kong martial arts... more
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GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli troops tightened their grip on urban areas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday on the 18th day of an offensive against Hamas guerrillas, while world leaders struggled to coax the sides to a ceasefire.
The Palestinian death toll passed 900, including many civilians, as Israeli tanks moved to the edges of the city of Gaza and troops backed by air and naval strikes fought intense battles with Hamas militants.
Israeli leaders met to decide on further steps, Israeli media said, as Hamas's leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said defiantly in a televised broadcast that "victory is at hand."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon headed to the region to further press for a truce in a week of talks with leaders in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Syria.
"My message is simple, direct, and to the point: the fighting must stop. To both sides, I say: Just stop now," Ban told reporters before his departure.
Lebanese political sources close to the Islamist group said Gaza's Hamas rulers would reject Egypt's proposals to end the offensive Israel said it launched to stop rocket fire from Gaza that causes few casualties but disrupts life in southern Israel.
Hamas's main objections were to a proposed long-term truce and to any ceasefire being put in place before Israel withdrew all its forces from Gaza, one of the sources said.
Israel has rejected a United Nations Security Council call for a truce but said it was ready to discuss further proposals.GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli troops tightened their grip on urban areas in the Gaza... more
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NEW YORK – A judge allowed disgraced investor Bernard Madoff to remain free on bail Monday, rejecting an attempt by prosecutors to send him to jail for mailing more than $1 million in jewelry to family and friends over the holidays.
The decision means Madoff will avoid having to leave the comfort of his $7 million penthouse and await trial in a cramped jail cell with nothing but bunkbeds, a sink and toilet. Madoff will remain under house arrest and under the constant watch of security guards.
The ruling further outraged investors who have been clamoring for Madoff to be sent to jail for allegedly carrying out the largest financial fraud in history. They find it shocking that Madoff is free on bail, despite distributing assets that could be used to help repay investors who lost billions.
Stephen A. Weiss, a lawyer for several dozen Madoff investors, said there "are people on the street who are very unhappy" with the ruling.
"There is a thirst for blood that transcends just those who have been victimized. There is a feeling ... that folks like Bernard Madoff get a different brand of justice than the guy in the street," Weiss said.
The judge acknowledged the huge public interest in the case, but said that sound legal considerations must take priority. He said that prosecutors failed to make a good enough argument that keeping Madoff free on bail represents an economic harm to the community.
"The issue at this stage of the criminal proceedings is not whether Madoff has been charged in perhaps the largest Ponzi scheme ever, not whether Madoff's alleged actions should result in his widespread disapprobation by the public, nor even what is appropriate punishment after conviction," Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis wrote.
"The government fails to provide sufficient evidence that .................................NEW YORK – A judge allowed disgraced investor Bernard Madoff to remain free on... more
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WASHINGTON – By turns wistful, aggressive and joking in the final news conference of his presidency, President George W. Bush vigorously defended his record Monday but also offered an extraordinary listing of his mistakes — including his optimistic Iraq speech before a giant "Mission Accomplished" banner in 2003.
After starting what he called "the ultimate exit interview" with a lengthy and personalized thank-you to the reporters in the room who have covered him over the eight years of his presidency, Bush showed anger at times when presented with some of the main criticisms of his time in office.
"I think it's a good, strong record," he said. "You know, presidents can try to avoid hard decisions and therefore avoid controversy. That's just not my nature."
He particularly became indignant when asked about America's bruised image overseas.
"I disagree with this assessment that, you know, that people view America in a dim light," he said. "It may be damaged amongst some of the elite. But people still understand America stands for freedom."
Bush said he realizes that some issues such as the prison for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have created controversy at home and around the world. But he defended his actions after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, including approving tough interrogation methods for suspected terrorists and information-gathering efforts at home in the name of protecting the country.
With the Iraq war in its sixth year, he most aggressively defended his decisions on that issue, which will define his presidency like no other. There have been over 4,000 U.S. deaths since the invasion and toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003.WASHINGTON – By turns wistful, aggressive and joking in the final news... more
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CONCORD, N.H. – The first openly gay Episcopal bishop will offer a prayer at the Lincoln Memorial at an inaugural event for President-elect Barack Obama.
The selection of New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson for Sunday's event follows weeks of criticism from gay-rights groups over Obama's decision to have the Rev. Rick Warren give the invocation at his Jan. 20 inauguration.
Warren backed the ban on same-sex marriage that passed in his home state of California on the November ballot.
Robinson said last month the choice of Warren was like a slap in the face. In an interview with the Concord Monitor, he said he doesn't believe Obama invited him in response to the Warren criticism but said his inclusion won't go unnoticed by the gay and lesbian community.
"It's important for any minority to see themselves represented in some way," Robinson told the newspaper for a story in Monday's editions. "Whether it be a racial minority, an ethnic minority, or in our case, a sexual minority. Just seeing someone like you up front matters."
Clark Stevens, a spokesman for the inaugural committee, said Robinson was invited because he had offered his advice to Obama during the campaign and because of his church work. When asked whether Robinson was included to calm the Warren complaints, he said Robinson is "an important figure in the religious community. We are excited that he will be involved."
Robinson, 61, said both Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will attend the event, and Obama is expected to speak. As for himself, Robinson said he doesn't yet know what he'll say, but he knows he won't use a Bible.
"While that is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans," Robinson said. "I will be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer. This is a prayer for the whole nation."CONCORD, N.H. – The first openly gay Episcopal bishop will offer a prayer at the... more
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KARACHI, Pakistan – Security forces used tear gas and batons to repel anti-Israel protesters who tried to attack a U.S. consulate in Pakistan Sunday, as tens of thousands in Europe, the Middle East and Asia demonstrated against Israel's offensive in Gaza.
A protest in the Belgian capital that drew 30,000 turned violent as well, with demonstrators overturning cars and smashing shop windows. And in Manila, Philippines, policemen used shields to disperse students protesting outside the U.S. Embassy.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza on Dec. 27 to stop rocket fire from the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Gaza health officials say nearly 870 Palestinians have been killed, roughly half of them civilians. Thirteen Israelis have also died.
Some 2,000 protesters in the Pakistani port city of Karachi burned U.S. flags and chanted anti-Israel slogans, and several hundred of them marched on the U.S. Consulate, senior police official Ameer Sheikh said.
"They were in a mood to attack," Sheikh said. "They were carrying bricks, stones and clubs."
A U.S. Embassy spokesman in Islamabad, Lou Fintor, said the protesters did not get close to the consulate, which was closed Sunday.
Washington provides a large amount of foreign aid to Israel as well as military and weapons assistance. Israeli military action is often perceived in the Muslim world as being financed and supported by the U.S. While Pakistan's government is a U.S. ally, anti-American sentiment is pervasive in the Muslim majority country.
In Spain, as many as 100,000 attended rallies in Madrid and the southwestern city of Seville, urging Israel to "stop the massacre in Gaza" and calling for peace initiatives. Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos will tour the Middle East starting Monday to promote solutions to the conflict.KARACHI, Pakistan – Security forces used tear gas and batons to repel... more
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Israel has confirmed that reserve units have been sent to the Gaza Strip, as its campaign there enters a 17th day.
But military officials denied this heralded a new phase in Israel's offensive against Hamas militants.
Earlier, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel was nearing its military goals and operations would continue.
Reports suggest diplomatic efforts between Egypt and Hamas in Cairo are progressing, as envoy Tony Blair heads to the city for talks on Monday.
Nearly 900 Gazans have been killed during conflict, Palestinian medics say. Israel says 13 Israelis have died.
Nearly 40 people were killed across Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian sources said - 17 in Gaza City, as Israel's troops reportedly engaged in fierce fighting there.
Israel is preventing international journalists from entering the coastal strip, making it impossible to independently confirm such figures.
'No panic'
Confirming the deployment of reserve soldiers, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC reservists had been called up "a few days back" to augment its forces.Israel has confirmed that reserve units have been sent to the Gaza Strip, as its... more
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GRENOBLE, France (AFP) – Two British climbers, including the youngest Briton to conquer Everest, fell hundreds of metres to their deaths on Mont Blanc, French police said Sunday.
The two men, Rob Gauntlett and James Atkinson, both 21, were found under the Gervasutti route up Tacul, a 4,360-metre peak in the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps, after Saturday's fatal fall, police told AFP.
On May 17, 2006, Gauntlett became the first British teenager to reach the highest point in the world, the 8,848 metre peak of Everest in the Nepalese Himalayas.
He celebrated his 19th birthday at Everest base camp, joined by his school friend James Hooper, also 19.
They were also named National Geographic Adventure magazine's Adventurers of the Year in 2008 for travelling from the North Geomagnetic Pole, starting in Greenland, to the South Magnetic Pole using only human and natural power -- skis, bikes and boats.
The pair were both on holiday in the Alps this weekend when tragedy struck, and both Gauntlett and Atkinson died.
Speaking to Britain's Press Association news agency from Chamonix, Hooper said of Gauntlett: "I'm obviously devastated but I'm just trying to remember the fact that he was a wonderful person and he inspired me and others in so many different ways."
The youngest climber to ever ascend Everest was a 15-year-old Nepalese Sherpa called Temba Tsheri, who succeeded in May 2001 despite having lost five fingers to frostbite on a previous attempt.GRENOBLE, France (AFP) – Two British climbers, including the youngest Briton to... more
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A senior official in the Military Intelligence said Monday that militants in the Gaza Strip fired 20 Iranian-made Grad-type missiles at southern Israel over the course of the Israel Defense Forces offensive in recent days.
He said that Israel Air Force planes had bombed the largest rocket-making factory in Gaza over the course of the operation, killing the rocket-maker and his family, who lived above the laboratory.
He also said that the MI was concerned that Hezbollah was preparing to carry out terror attacks against Israeli targets abroad.
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Meanwhile, a Grad-type Katyusha rocket scored a direct hit on a residential building in the southern city of Ashkelon on Monday morning, just hours after the IDF pulled its ground troops out of the Gaza Strip, culminating days of intensive fighting.
A few people were treated for shock at the scene of the Ashkelon attack, which occurred next to a local school. No injuries other than anxiety were reported, but many parents took their children out of school early, due to the attack.
Another rocket struck Ashkelon on Monday, but it was unclear what type.A senior official in the Military Intelligence said Monday that militants in the Gaza... more
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GAZA CITY (AFP) — Israeli troops and armour pushed deeper into Gaza's main city on Sunday, sending panicked Palestinian civilians into flight, after Israel warned it would step up its war on Hamas which remained defiant.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday Israel was nearing the goals it had set for its war in the Gaza Strip, but will continue the offensive on Hamas for the time being.
"This is a time to translate our achievements into the goals we have set," Olmert said at the start of a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
"Israel is approaching these goals, but more patience and determination are required in order to reach these goals in a manner that will change the security reality in the south in a way that will allow our citizens to live in security and stability over a long period of time," he said.
"We must not let what has been achieved through unprecedented national effort slip through our fingers."
As the two sides battled on, ignoring world pleas to stop the 16-day-old war that has killed more than 850 people, Egypt was keeping up efforts to broker a truce in Israel's deadliest ever assault on the impoverished Gaza Strip.
Clutching babies and toddlers and carrying small harriedly-packed bags, dozens of Palestinians began to flee their homes on foot shortly after dawn in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood of southwest Gaza City, witnesses said.
The exodus followed a sleepless night for most residents, amid ongoing exchanges of fire between Israeli ground troops and Palestinian fighters.
During the night, Israeli tanks and infantry units moved into the adjacent neighbourhood of Sheikh al-Ajlin, creeping deeper into the main population centre of the battered Palestinian territory.
Intense shelling was also reported in the Zeitun neighbourhood of southeastn Gaza City as well as the Sudaniyah area in the northwest.
Israeli warplanes bombed about 60 targets throughout the Gaza Strip overnight, hitting weapon depots, smuggling tunnels as well as a mosque that was allegedly used to store weapons and train fighters, the army said.
Ground troops repeatedly exchanged fire with Palestinian fighters throughout the night, it said.
Palestinian medics said at least four Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded early Sunday. Some doctors said burn wounds were caused by banned white phosphorous shells.........................GAZA CITY (AFP) — Israeli troops and armour pushed deeper into Gaza's main... more
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What we don't know: In spite of the many inscriptions and other pieces of the past scholars have labored to put together for us, we still don't know much about ancient Roman daily life. We still don't know whether the ancient Romans had wastebaskets, or how common cats were, or whether anyone kept a dog indoors. We don't know if they made their bed in the morning or folded up their bedclothes, stashed them away and used the bed as day furniture; or indeed, whether most of the time they had beds or just futons on the floor. (Stuffed with what?) We know they had temples, but what did they do in there? It will be interesting to see what will be discovered, as scholars continue to find inscriptions, and to put pieces of the past together!
What we do know: We know quite a bit about Roman government, which was famous for power and law, and a great deal about Roman religion with its many Roman gods and festivals.
Rome grew from an important city into a huge, crowded, noisy, smoky, dusty city, with beautiful temples and public buildings. The rich had gracious homes, each with an entrance atrium, which was the center of family life. For those who were not quite as rich, there were apartment buildings, some quite nice ones, and there were shabby tenements for the poor. Narrow streets wound between the seven hills.
Some people walked around Rome. Some were carried in covered litters, with curtained couches carried on poles by slaves. Soldiers strode though town in chain mail or leather armor. Workmen hurried in belted tunics of dark wool. Before daylight, boys hurried to school. Later in the day, Roman citizens strolled around town in white wool tunics. Shops lined the streets.What we don't know: In spite of the many inscriptions and other pieces of the... more
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King Hussein of Jordan has made his first public visit to Israel's largest city, Tel Aviv, in the latest indication of the new warmth between the two countries.
The King, an experienced pilot, flew a Jordanian army helicopter to the Sde Dov air base near Tel Aviv, where he was met by Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
At a ceremony to honour the chief negotiators who brokered the 1994 Israeli-Jordanian peace talks, Mr Peres said: "We still face all kinds of challenges: the greatest of them is not to let the galloping prospect of peace pass us by."
"I would like to say how happy we are to have the opportunity to be with our friends, our partners in building and laying the foundations for a comprehensive peace in this region," replied the King.
Peace treaty
Israel and Jordan ended 46 years of war with a peace treaty in 1994 backed by US President Bill Clinton. The deal drew condemnation from Jordanian Palestinians, who make up 60% of the population.
PLO officials were critical of today's visit by the King, saying he should first have visited lands under Palestinian rule.King Hussein of Jordan has made his first public visit to Israel's largest city,... more
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A full 90 percent of donations to fund Barack Obama’s Jan. 20 inauguration have come from well-heeled fundraisers — including Wall Street executives whose companies have received federal bailout money.
A total of 207 fundraisers have collected $24.8 million of the $27.3 million in donations disclosed by Obama through Thursday, according to an analysis by Public Citizen commissioned by The Wall Street Journal.
Slightly more than 2,000 donors accounted for the $27.3 million raised, but 378 of those people each contributed the maximum $50,000 allowed by Obama, raising almost 70 percent of the total, or $18.9 million, the analysis found.
Wall Street employees have been the largest single source of private donations, and many of the contributions have been channeled through financial-services executives who have put together bundles of donations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“The preponderance of large donors and the fact that so many come from an industry receiving government handouts comes as the president-elect has sought to keep his inauguration free of special interests,” The Journal observed.
Bundlers from the financial sector include executives from Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., two firms that have accepted billions of dollars each in bailout money from the federal government.
Obama’s presidential campaign smashed all previous fundraising records, raking in more than an astounding $650 million from some 3 million donors.A full 90 percent of donations to fund Barack Obama’s Jan. 20 inauguration have... more
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