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Subscribe to RSSMitt Romney's success in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the costliest presidential race ever can be traced in part to a secretive data-mining project that sifts through Americans' personal information — including their purchasing history and church attendance — to identify new and likely, wealthy donors, The Associated Press has learned.
For the data-mining project, the Republican candidate has quietly employed since at least June a little-known but successful analytics firm that previously performed marketing work for a colleague tied to Bain & Co., the management-consulting firm that Romney once led.
Meet the Press moderator David Gregory explains why the RNC will give Mitt Romney a chance to change voters' personal opinions of him. Gregory says Romney must "get out ahead of his own image, define himself and take control." The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson joins the conversation about the RNC and says it will be interesting to see if the GOP can keep its focus.
The head of Buxton Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, chief executive Tom Buxton, confirmed to the AP his company's efforts to help Romney identify rich and previously untapped Republican donors across the country.
The Romney campaign declined to discuss on the record its work with Buxton or the project's overall success.
There are no records of payments to Buxton from Romney's campaign, the Republican National Committee or a joint fundraising committee. Under federal law, companies cannot use corporate money or resources, such as proprietary data analysis, for in-kind contributions to campaigns.
Evan Vucci / AP
Mitt Romney's success in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the costliest presidential race ever can be traced in part to a data-mining project that sifts through Americans' personal information to identify new and likely, wealthy donors, The Associated Press has learned.
Buxton said he's working for the Romney campaign because he wants "to be on the winning team."
He once worked with a former Romney business partner to provide insights, for example, about where Petco should open a new pet-supply store to maximize profits. In addition to Buxton, the data-mining project was described to the AP by a Romney fundraiser who spoke on condition of anonymity because the fundraiser did not want to face repercussions for describing internal campaign processes.
Businesses use those kinds of analytics firms to answer key questions for clients, such as where to build a retail store or where to mail pamphlets touting a new product. The analysis doesn't directly bring in campaign contributions, but it generates the equivalent of sales leads for Romney's campaign.
The project relies upon a sophisticated analysis by powerful computers of thousands of commercially available, expensive databases that are lawfully bought and sold behind the scenes by corporations, including details about credit accounts, families and children, voter registrations, charitable contributions, property tax records and survey responses. It combines marketing data with what is known in this specialized industry as psychographic information about Americans.
The effort by Romney appears to be the first example of a political campaign using such extensive data analysis.
President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has long been known as data-savvy, but Romney's project appears to take a page from the Fortune 500 business world and dig deeper into available consumer data.
An early test analyzed details of more than 2 million households near San Francisco and elsewhere on the West Coast and identified thousands of people who would be comfortably able and inclined to give Romney at least $2,500 or more.
An AP analysis this week determined that Romney's campaign has made impressive inroads into even traditionally Democratic neighborhoods, collecting more than $350,000 this summer around San Francisco in contributions that averaged $400 each. High-dollar donors have been essential to Romney's election effort, unlike Obama, who relies on more contributors giving smaller amounts.
Romney and the GOP have out-fundraised Obama's re-election effort for the past three months.
The fate of the presidency may depend on who raises more money in the campaign, whose cost for the first time is approaching $2 billion. That figure includes hundreds of millions of dollars spent by "super" political committees that accept unlimited and in some cases effectively anonymous contributions from millionaires, companies, labor groups and others to pay for television campaign advertisements across the nation.
Buxton confirmed that the data-mining project began with the help of Dick Boyce, Romney's former Bain & Co. colleague, after Romney joined fundraising forces with the Republican National Committee. Buxton expressed such confidence in his business and analysis methods that, in nearly two decades of running his firm, he told AP he has always been able to answer essential questions for customers.
"I can look at data of any kind and say, 'I want to know who that $100 donor could be,'" Buxton said. "We look at data of any kind."
Obama's campaign employs its own form of data analysis to lure potential supporters, via Facebook and Twitter, to fine-tune messages for supporters and potential donors. The Obama campaign declined to comment on its internal fundraising practices, although Buxton said it doesn't work with Obama's campaign.
Romney's campaign has also been secretive about how it raises its money, and most fundraising events have been closed to the press. Unlike Obama, Romney's campaign has declined to publicly identify the names of major fundraisers, known as bundlers, who have helped amass much of its money. Details of this project have not been made public until now, as payments to Buxton aren't reflected in federal campaign expense reports.
Buxton is not listed as a vendor in any of the campaign's reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission, although some campaigns do not report expenses until the vendor sends them a bill.
When AP initially asked Buxton about its work for Romney, it declined to acknowledge that it helped raise money for the RNC, even as its own website displayed a prominent log-in page for "2012 presidential donor prospecting." That web address contained the letters "RNC" — a common abbreviation for the Republican National Committee. After the AP's continued questioning, the company replaced the "RNC" letters in the web address with a generic "campaign" the next day.
This is not Buxton's first foray into politics: In 2006, the company produced 1,000 names for a Connecticut campaign to meet a write-in ballot requirement, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram then reported, and 900 of them signed up.
Few in Washington campaign circles recognized the work of Buxton, although it lists thousands of other clients in the public and private sector, including hospitals and local governments.
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Romney doesn't invent dirty tricks, he just perfects them.
...but no matter how much money Mitt the Vulture raises, breaking all records, or whatever, he has no chance of winning in November. Americans would love to see at least one case of money can't buy election victory.
Mitt the Vulture needs to release his tax returns. Otherwise people don't trust him anyway. No amount money can buy trust.
Ok, this is getting out of hand.
I know we joke about big money take overs and secretive Manchurian candidates but this is getting real. Who are these guys? The GOP has nothing to do with regular Americans but for a few very powerful people.
LOL So he still has ties to Bain & Co. This should scare the "average" person, "data-mining," YOUR information.
OBAMA/BIDEN....2012!!!!
Datamining? reckless invasion of privacy - this Vulture is getting more and more ridiculous..
This is ....Vultures Gone Wild
So Mitt is pimping himself out to church going Repugnicans with enough money to pay for his special services....
Sounds a bit illegal to me...
Just more negative news brought to you by the OBAMA NEWS NETWORK
Wonder what Barry has paid you this time?
Two different visions for America:
Mitt the Vulture will push for more 'welfare for the 1%,' make the rich even richer, and the rich will move their money to the Cayman and Bermuda Islands or their Swiss accounts, have total disregard for their fellow citizens.
President Obama will stand for the Middle Class: the Middle Class with its sheer size will have more to spend to boost demand in the marketplace (consumer spending is 70% of the GDP), thus leading to another American revival after the 1% caused the Great Recession.
The choice is clear -
Obama/Biden 2012
WOW....let's see....you use the word Pimping...the phrase "pay for special services" and illegal in a sentence about trying to raise money for an election, all to show indignation for a candidate you don't agree with.
And you are probably one of those who blame only the republicans for the nasty attacking ads in this election.
Again, there are so many liberals and republicans on these sites using inflammatory rhetoric, mostly with very little to no knowledge or understanding of the talking points they are regurgitating, that it is a wonder at all that anyone even wants to participate in this voting cycle.
This crap is just getting disgusting on both sides of the aisle.
Give me a break. This article is just a partisan shot by Obama and published by NBC. Do they say the same things about Obama when his team invents new ways to search for potential donors?
Every campaign season politicians try and find new and better ways to raise money - this is nothing new. Obama used several new approaches in 2008 - some of which (like not mandating ID with smaller donations) allowed for potential for abuse.
And NBC wonders why their market share and revenues continue to decline...
How is that a dirty trick? Its actually brilliant to bad our current pres doesn't have the smarts Romney has!
In spite of being an ardent Obama Supporter and I live and breathe technology for my life, I agree with Ron-1861300. This is not a news at all. This is all fluffy news story.
Everybody in the world (budding entrepreneurs, VCs, small-medium-large firms, government agencies, homeland security, defense dept, etc.) uses data mining in their business, including politicians trying to get elected and Romney is no exception, either. There is a Silicon Valley Datamining guru who is working on Obama campaign (in-house) who is doing the same thing (forgot his name). So, this is no news at all, unless Romney campaign or RNC broke any FEC or any other rules.
Stupid article.
George, that's why I can't wait for this election to be over and for the crazies to crawl back to whatever hole they came from, dem or rep.
This is nothing new. I'm a huge Obama supporter (see donor as well) and they should know how to do this. The real issue is that at $3 per donation, the data sets are too large to target market. Obama is committed to smaller donors. Hard to compete with bundlers at $2500 donors. It takes 833 donors at $3 to equal one $2500 donor.
If you disagree with Romney, as I do, don't complain, vote.
Ok, ok, slow down everybody. You know me. I'm an Obama man through and through and the new Teaparty GOP scares the K-rap out of me.
But folks, the Direct Marketing industry has been doing this for years. There is nothing secretive or sinister about this. I used to work for a firm here in OKC that managed and rented mailing lists for some of the biggest catalog companies in the nation. This was before the on-line explosion, remember when you used to get those catalogs, big and small, in the mail?
We analyzed the people on the mailing lists for their age, the frequency of their mail order purchases, the types of purchases they made, gender, interests and so on so we could target our client's mailings to the right people. We did comparisons to find names of individuals who ordered from multiple catalogs and based on their purchasing history we could infer income levels and so on. It's Direct Marketing 101 and no big deal!
There is NOTHING sinister about what the Romney people are doing.
I don't know where this term "data mining" came from. This is the first time I've ever heard it. But folks for a good five years of my life I worked in the industry and there is nothing evil about it, unless of course you hate "junk mail" cluttering up your mailbox.
I don't like Romney, Ryan or the new GOP. But folks let's be fair, this is a classic targeted marketing technique that has been around for DECADES and is not new and is not evil.
C'mon folks there is plenty to pick at in the Romney/Ryan campaign like...
WHERE ARE THOSE TAX RETURNS MITT?
There's no need to get your panties in wad over this story.
Obama/Biden 2012
Remember the old saying: If they are complaining about the information then it must be true (working).
I love this! The information is out there, so only the less-than-up-to-date campaign would not be using it.
If Obama knew how ... he would be using it.
Romney is a genius.
"President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has long been known as data-savvy but" - in other words they have been out-smarted again and they feel a need to paint a picture of Romney as evil and sinister. This current administration is always a few fries short of a happy meal. Time for some smart people in office to get this country back on track.
I heard a statement earlier today - President Obama wants to transform America from an equal opportunity nation to an equal outcome nation - I think that sums him up pretty well. He always talks about "fairness". We all have an equal and fair opportunity in this country but why should everyone have an equal and fair outcome? You get what you earn.
http://news.yahoo.com/bain-documents-romney-offshore-investments-used-blockers-avoid-185957445--abc-news-topstories.html
Nice picture. Romney in a white shirt and polka-dot blue tie. And wearing womans blue jeans. Going after the Log Cabin vote now I see.
Hello!! This is nothing new! Governors use the same "data-mining" to re-draw district lines in order to "stack the deck" in their parties favor. Again, nothing new.
Get off your knees for Obama like Monica was for Clinton MSNBC now whatever you are.
Step up and lets do some REAL reporting.
ADT....
I remember Obama saying things that there were no way he was going to be able to do it....like close Guantanamo Bay on day 1 of his presidency....like try terrorists in American Criminal courts....he did 1 and it ALMOST backfired on him and he changed that policy as well.
No matter what you believe, every career politician is going to change their position on issues from time to time. Obama spoke from ignorance when he said he was going to close GB...he didn't know any better, and as a US Senator with 2 years experience, I wouldn't expect him to. But...then again....I'm sure you understand that, but judging from your posts....You HATE everything republican, so you problably don't give a sh!t unless its to back your guy.
Did Mitt Romney use "secret data mining" techniques to AVOID Felony Charges by "RETROACTIVELY RETIRING from Bain Capital so he could pocket a couple of more Million Dollars by saying he was CEO, but not really the CEO?
What a frigging UNMANLY thing to do.
Could you or I "RETIRE RETROACTIVELY" from anything, or is that something only the Mitt Romneys of the world feel they are Entitled to, and can get away with, and that "they" the 1% percenters,are Above the Law.
Disgusting! and very Unmanly.
Taking your Wife's Olympic Show Horse off your Taxes is Not very Manly, either!
Another Deadbeat Texan
Individual Responsibility. Tough term when you apply it to Obama.
Why? Because those who got rich by peddling complex financial schemes and never paid the price ... well, they never paid the price because Obama did not keep his 2008 promise that they would pay the price. Instead Obama and the Democrats constipated the banking system itself (instead of going after those who did the dirty deeds) and, the US banking systems has so many regulations that one probably cancels another out.
No one individual who gets wealthy playing the regulation game pays a price, though. You are correct about that observation. Ask Obama, why?
Romney has no legal authority to force anyone to pay any price ... so blaming him seems, well, silly.
Deadbeat
You talk about the bailouts of banks? Who controlled Congress and decided who was getting bailed out? We have two political parties that have screwed with our tax dollars. I didn't help elect any of the current democrats in Congress so don't blame me. I'm just a lowly conservative trying to do my best for my family and myself. I have actually done quite well and am very comfortable. I got where I am by working hard. I have contributed $millions to the tax coffers in this country over my working years. I am doing my "fair share". For you to lay the blame on the TEA Party and GOP in general is assinine. Your comments read like you are some rabid liberal who feels he's been screwed by the right. If Barack had a son would he think like you?
GeorgeW148 -
There is a large difference in changing ones policies or "mind" once you have all access to all the necessary information to ponder your initial decision, however, it is something totally different to "Lie", "Misrepresent", "Hide", "Evade", and "Flip-flop" on almost every major issue facing this nation - Health Care, Abortion, Taxes, Welfare, Education, Defense Spending - I would have more respect for Romney if he wasn't changing as the wind blows - at least we knew what President Bush stood for - I honestly don't trust Gov. Romney.......
Self Educated
Changing ones policies when you have access to information like:
No lobbyists
Transparency in all legislation
Put everything out there on UTUBE
Bring us all together
President Obama has access to his own mind I hope! But I do wonder sometimes. I think we can say that he lied to get into office, not to mention spent more in his last campaign than anyone in history. You know, everything you blame the other side for doing.
With thousands of public and private sector clients, the analytics work of Buxton must be almost as "secretive" as the "surprise" jump in jobless claims posted on nbcnews.com yesterday.
Who are the hacks who write this blather? Junior high school aspiring journalists or Obama "Truth Team" minions?
@Where's Congress
No WC (which could also stand for "water closet" the Brit term for toilet) this is old technology.
The Obama campaign is using the newer technology of social media to reach his followers.
Did you not understand my earlier post? The Direct Marketing industry has been doing this for years, it's nothing new and there is nothing sinister about it.
Obama/Biden 2012
When obama did this 4 years ago the stories were saying how smart and savvy he was.
I realize this is nothing new, there's been a half billion dollars spent so far, politicking is big business. What disgusted me the first time about Willard Rombot was an add back when he first started running for the Republican primaries. It was a video shoot of Willard on a tractor with his Grandson riding on a rear fender. I thought, this Idiot has never been on a tractor in his life! Nobody at this photo shoot had never been around one either. All it would take is one of this kids dangling legs to get caught between the fender and rear tire and it would be all over. This excuse for a man has no common sense whatsoever. In most states that video would get you charged with Child endangerment, but not for a rich guy running for President I guess.
skip - Obama's "followers"? Sounds cult like.
eric in oregon - You sound as though you belong in the nanny/liberal state of Oregon. Stay there and let the rest of us live our lives.
JH#### I live on the East side of the mountains where it is mostly right wing, and lots of us have tractors. I know a dangerous situation when I see one. You must be one of those wannabe "just like you hard workin' folks" like your hero, the IDIOT Romney. You obviously know Nothing about the great state of Oregon, or safety around a tractor. Comment on something you actually know something about, if that's possible.
As if the Democrats don't do the same thing. Sounds Like Romney just has better people and knows the best companies to use. Wouldn't you want that in a President?
Where do the Democrats get the names of all the people they invite to their $38,500 a plate fundraisers? When you use the Obama APP to see all the democrats in your area on the cell phone were does that data come from?
http://www.propublica.org/article/is-your-neighbor-a-democrat-obama-has-an-app-for-that
eric in oregon
East side - mostly "right wing" - just not you. I was just in Joseph, beautiful country, but not "right wing". Don't try to BS me.
The liberal liars are out in force on this one, all wringing their hands in unison. Do you honestly believe Obama is not doing the exact same thing? It can't be very secretive if it's right here on MSDNC, all Obama, all the time, can it.
This is just more fascist propaganda, manufactured news for pure political gain.
Safeway is secretively tracking my purchases so they can target ads towards me, oh the horror!
Grow up.
I don't see anything wrong with this. He is using a perfectly legitimate business practice to further his campaign. If anything, this makes me more hopeful for a Romney presidency because if he runs the country like a business, ending in the black will be a major priority. Data mining only compiles publicly available information. I dont understand why people are trying to make it sound like a bad thing.
JH, don't know about the folks in Joesph, haven't been there in awhile but I find that hard to believe. And yes we have some beautiful country here. Jealous? :)
We have a lot of good people around here on both sides of the fence, good place to raise a family. It just gets under my skin when I see someone put a child's life in danger even if it is through sheer ignorance.
Now we see Romney using his *business experience* for politics. Okay, really he's using his money, but the paranoid narcissistic aspect of Romney is so Watergate. Or more current, so like Bush/Cheney warrant-less wiretaps, which were also done via consent of private sector companies willing to *cooperate* in the violation of privacy.
Aside from the repeated LIES in Romney's ads, Ohio voting access is just one other example of Republican creepiness. The majority of Americans recoil at your radical extremism Romney/Ryan, et al. Win fair or get out of the way!
If rightwingers want to make yet another false equivalency of secretiveness including not revealing bundlers, and of course not RELEASING TAX RETURNS, please provide a credible source that the president has done the exact same crap. The only other entity we know have used this marketing company was Bain Capital.
There are only so many ad buys available, so all the money in the world reaches a saturation point. If this is what Team Romney feels they need to invest in rather than work on a real budget or real foreign policy, heck admitting they define rape as "forcible," have at it.
If Mr. Romney uses data mining to invade your privacy and manipulate you during his campaign, what do you think he will do as President? (Especially if some kind of crisis or manufactured crisis hits.)
Just PROVES who the smarter BEST Qualified candidate is !!!
Vote Romney
Independent
holly-1830188....."How is that a dirty trick? Its actually brilliant to bad our current pres doesn't have the smarts Romney has!"
That is why Mr. Obama relies on the East Wing of the White House and Valerie Jarrett to "make the contacts" using the NEW computer system (at a cost to the American taxpayers) installed in the White House after the Obamas moved in.
Romney wants government by the rich for the rich.
If Romney's team is legally using his resources, why piss on his parade. If you don't like it, improve your system. Now if he is doing it illegally, then it would be another story.
Seriously, if it is okay for Obama, then why not for Romney? and vice versa. We may not like it, but that is how our laws are interpreted.
hahahahaha
Hope all those GOP bigwigs like having Mitt's people pawing through their personal information.
Just a taste of what a Romney administration would be.
eric in oregon
At least Romney didn't put the kid on top of his car.
But he will throw anyone who actually works for a living under the bus.
By the way, has anybody stopped to wonder how Romney took home $21.7 million last year without lifting a finger? (or paying any payroll taxes?)
What a conglomeration of small minds with short memories who seem to have absolutely no recall of the number of donors from overseas who contributed to the campaign of BHO in 2008. As initially reported by our main-stream press those were foreign credit card contributions which were never legitimately accounted for, and enabled BHO to outspend McCain 2 to 1; $751 Million to $347 Million.
Why is it that all the comments CLOSED BY COMMUNITY, are ones which don't share the glowing adoration of the "Anointed One"?
When will BHO reciprocate with Romney and open his scholastic and other records which have been sealed at a cost of $1.7 Million???
AND please tell me why do I keep getting SPAM messages from Michelle to come party with her and Barack in Charlotte? Are they serving lobster??
Pathetic liberals make me laugh out loud, their messiah is being outspent! Imagine that! During the 2008 campaign, he and McCain agreed to use public funding which would have limited the amount spent, but Barak, being the snake in the grass he is, pulled out at the last minute when he realized how much the unions were willing to spend to buy the election. He spent over 700 million. People aren't falling for the "hope and change" bullshil this time. He is a miserable failure and should go back to Chicago where his type thrives.
Romney/Ryan 2012 The end of an error
Bubby's Grampa
Everyone's scholastic records are sealed for FREE [unless you choose to make yours public].
And where's your proof [or any legitimate references] attesting to that $1.7 Million figure you're bandying about?
It isn't the government per say that scares me, but how far the corporate political parties will go for power. Conveniently scratching each others backs along the way.
Pick a party.
Pure garbage journalism. Things must be getting pretty desperate on the left.
There are over 500 American billionaires (more than the world combined). THEY are the GOP constituents! The rest are victims of propaganda (trickle down, deregulate,etc..), and failed religious promises (abortion, gay marriage, etc..)!
Hey, crystal the racist piped up with a bit of his normal, factless spew. Isn't everyone happy?
@ skip from oklahoma- Not 'evil' maybe, but it would be good for these rich folks to know that their privacy had been breached at the request of a man who will reveal nothing about himself but lies, his love for his crackpot cult -- and his desire for yet another tax break.
@braindeadinvalhalla - is it fascism or socialism? I can't keep the latest theories of the morons straight.
How does Romney hide his $$$$? Here you go:
http://news.yahoo.com/bain-documents-romney-offshore-investments-used-blockers-avoid-185957445--abc-news-topstories.html
So his campaign discovered that there's gold in the pockets of narrow-minded rich people.
He could easily use that data mining system to secretly identify, collect and build a machiavellian case against anyone and everyone he and his peers don't like.
"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." -- Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642)
Bubby's
No Persident has ever had to show his school records. This is just more birther crap. Republican dirty tricks from Karl Rove et al.
Note: Obama gave his under $200 contributor list to Acorn for them to use, which IS illegal, but won't give that list to the FEC.
Seems to me how Romney is identifying potential donors isn't illegal and very small pototoes.
Sleuth
If Romney was really trying to hide money, you wouldn't find it.
Trying to make it look hidden is a pretty sad indictment on how little bad there is about this guy.
Rradiko
The cardinal wasn't telling people to go dig up dirt, he was telling people how easy it is, and not to get excited about it.
Roadkill
Of the Forbes top 100, 6 of the first 10 Billionaires are democrats
Your comment is roadkill!
This company is one of many companies that provide such services to people and businesses in this country and around the world. People that become ecstatic to find, for example, a Whole Foods market is coming to their area should know that such companies make decisions based on this kind of analysis as to whether the area can support a business.
Attempts to denigrate such business practices for political gain is only indicative as to how low the progressive/lefties will sink to promote their ideology.
Leave it to nbc to employ the term ‘secretive’ to titillate the indigenous socialist drones.
And it's used by EVERY marketing company on the PLANET..... why is this news? How much did Obama & Co pay MSNBC to spread this one?
Here's a few lnks to BARRY's data mining........ which is not spoken about ANYWHERE in this MSNBC article... so much for reporting UNBIASED news....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2157233/Revealed-Obama-campaign-launches-unprecedented-data-mining-operation-leaving-Romneys-team-struggling-catch-up.html
http://www.propublica.org/article/is-your-neighbor-a-democrat-obama-has-an-app-for-that
http://techpresident.com/data-mining
So for all you Barry fans, MSNBC needs to report the ENTIRE TRUTH before attacking Romney.....
Mitt Romney was heard "whispering to a campaign worker" "I may not be able to create jobs for the shmucks, but I can tell them everything about their neighbors". Good! That means that Romney will understand how the NSA works. Wait, it sounds like Romney hired a few NSA guys to build his "information miner". Way to go Mitt!
Terry
Mittens may have taken a chapter or two from good old J. Edgar Hoover. As head of the FBI he had more dirt or more people than anyone. He also loved to use it against them or at least hold it over their heads.
oh my god NO!
The major political parties are using marketing tricks to identify and target likely voters?!!!
I'm shocked. Just shocked.
I don't much care if they target them for money, what really disturbs me is they using marketing tricks to influence how people think. The Republicans are masters of this. Just spend a little time with any of their pundits. They specialize in inflammatory half truths that are meant to sway people that might not have the background or bandwidth to tease out the truth.
Terry and bob1
You have hit the high note on an issue that infuriates me with Obama and Democrats.
I changed from a lifelong Democrat to Unaffiliated within the past year because I will not be a member of a hate group (my opinion ... those many stories another day).
I also became very impressed with Mitt Romney and began donating to his campaign. Soon, I received a folded letter with my name in big ominous letters from a prominent university doing a 'study'. The letter informed me that they had sent information to my neighbors concerning my donations to the Republicans, and, that the university had gotten the information from the FEC and would not contact me concerning my future donations and there was no need for me to contact them.
I went to a few websites listed in the letter and printed them out. I went to the university's website and found the 'study'. The 'study' is about watching the donation patterns of people basically after they are intimidated. I found the 'principal investigators' names, and, those who approved the study, and, those on the committee who approved me being called a 'human subject' without asking for prior consent from me.
The former Democrat in me wants to look up the addresses of all the people involved in the study, make copies of the ominous letter THEY sent to MY neighbors, and, take the copies to personally give to THEIR neighbors in order to warn the neighbors about what kind of people live in their neighborhood. Democrats like 'back at you' acts ... so, give my information to MY neighbors and I'll give my information to YOUR neighbors to warn them to stay away from you.
I leave the letter out in the great room and I may ten years from still go. It makes me as mad today as it did the first day I walked down the driveway opening it.
And, one of the people on the committee that approved me being a 'human subject' worked in a high position within a Democrat's administration ... just a little aside.
I hope you guess realize the best data they're analyzing comes from your facebook profiles.
I do not have facebook. I comment on FOX, and, once in a while MSNBC.
That's it. No twitter or anything else.
I'm glad these people are using modern technology to compete. If they weren't, I would be more troubled wondering how they got this far. So, why is this a story?
Terry, what did you expect. Maybe they should just guess? You must be an Obama supporter.
I'm with you ...Congress. No FB, just a few posts here and there. I prefer to keep my personal info a little more close to the vest.
Now if they can just find Romney's tax returns.
Can you imagine the Republicans saying to Obama, "Never mind, Mr. President, we don't need to see your tax returns." ???
in the middle
Oddly enough, I do not mind sharing my thoughts, opinions, or lessons learned. I enjoy commenting on news article topics.
However, the entire facebook phenomena just never made sense to me. "I went to the mall, today.'' seems like useless time. I just never signed up because I never thought I would use it. And, I guess one does not miss what one does not have.
Between this(money) and the Racist Tea bag group "true to Vote" they should be able to stop a lot of vote that will go to the Dems!!! Great Plan!!
Calling American Patriots racist is a joke. You are the racist, and un-American.
*Ahem*
thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/12/12/387451/glenn-beck-suggests-tea-party-is-racist/?mobile=nc
www.statesman.com/opinion/hartigan-is-the-tea-party-racist-807340.html
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/14/inge-marler-tea-party-arkansas-leader-racist-joke_n_1597334.html
Just add the http:// in front of each one and voila. There's a difference between being patriotic and being an idiot, yet still defining yourself as a patriot because everyone else is.
People who call the tea party people "tea baggers" must, themselves be coc*suckers. Because someone has to be on the receiving end of the tea bagging.
The organization is called True the Vote. John Husted, secretary of state in Ohio is going to be the featured speaker at their conference here on saturday. He already suppressed the vote and is now in bed with these, shall we say, tea party "Americans". It is just screaming out to me how much big money wants Romney in office, they want to rule the country to their advantage. I wonder if Mitt can say WHORE.
Can hardly wait for that list to become public (and it will). They will become targets for protests and boycots by the other 99% who are true and loyal Americans. I for one will do no business with any Republican as I consider them UnAmerican, and in fact Anti-American.
What Romney and the Republicans fail to recognize is that, although these richie-rich can give him tons of money, they still only get one vote. The wonderful thing is that this money that their wasting is mostly going to the 99% whom they're trying to turn into economic slaves to the multi-national corporations that fill their pockets and their 1% cronies. So the final laugh will be on them.
I think Romneys campaign knows they only get one vote per donor, Just like team obama who also uses the same type donor finding. I wish Romney could get the dead out to vote like the democrats. Most haven't donated in years but continue to vote for the libs. Uncle Harold, a US vet and heavy democratic supporter has voted every time since he died in 1972. He was buried in Little Rock with honors for his service but every time we go to vote he has already signed in to vote. Wish he would wake up and change his habits and vote for quality rather than liberals. But, what do you expect, he followed Kennedy and he was a quality democrat. One of the last sadly.
Ed,
What's un/antiamerican (and very immature) is not doing business with your neighbors simply because they have different political beliefs than you. We're all in this together, so you better start pulling your weight. Put on your big boy pants and start working with others like a full grown man.
TAC
I do follow what is going on here in Ohio. Requiring Voter ID is not vote suppression, it is corruption suppression. Neither is requiring early voting to be the same hours & days across the state. Neither is allowing 3 additional days for military ballots to be accepted.
Pissed off
explain how this statement
isn't practicing racism.
This is news why?
I find it very unethical...but hey, it's the GOP.
maga - Why is it unethical? Obama does the same thing, but he focuses on different groups. NBC is getting worried that there little boy god isn't going to win in November. Wait for all the "news" stories on the Mormon Church to begin. But I've been predicting that since March.
What makes this unethical? This was written with a liberal slant, but using terms like, "data mining" to make it seem underhanded. This is nothing more that a company using legal and legitimate software to pinpoint a potential customer (donor) to peddle their goods (party platform) to.
This is a non-story that companies have been doing for years since the invention of the internet (thanks Al Gore....lol).
this is market research. they've been doing it loooong before the internet. but you're probably like 15 and don't remember those times before the the ipad.
This is where your facebook profiles go you bunch of naive idiots.
Just another indication that Willard is a smarmy pos. He's accessing your private info, but acts like we've asked him to commit murder if we want to see tax returns.
Pederast-in-SF - Since Obama does data mining also, that makes him a smarmy PO(tu)S? Romney doesn't access any data that is protected by law, which his IRS returns are.
12 years of tax returns from Obama. What is Willard hiding?
I recommend discussing that with the "birther" community...both groups have the same validity for me. While you're at it, you can also invite the "college transcripts" camp to the party... You'all have fun!
P-i-SF - Who cares whether Hussein submits his tax returns? He's never held a productive job in his life. Who paid for his college? Did he claim that on his tax returns at that time? Romney isn't required to show his tax returns and Reid is either lying or breaking the law in saying he knows that Romney didn't pay any taxes. Which is it (I'm betting on the lying, since I know of him well from my years in Nevada)?
You know, CM, if you had a job perhaps you wouldn't be so intrigued by the petty details of people's lives. Clearly you've been spending time on World Nut Daily or perhaps Breitbart - did either even mention how long Obama paid student loans? You should look it up - it's pretty standard stuff. Not all what the tea-tards pray to their old white god for. Romney's tax returns are relevant because they speak to how he's earned his money over the past decade. Funny how they're working overtime to convince us that the wealthy elites of this country don't have to confirm to the normal, accepted standards they apply to everyone else. If Reid were proven to be lying, he'd have to step down in disgrace. And yet, all Mittens does is cry and change the subject. I'm betting there's something funny in the Caymans.
Reid is a liar and so is Debbie WassermanSchulz- she is like a broken record, lie lie lie and repeat. This is the kind of people Obama has surrounded himself with:
http://www.cnn.com/video/
The wheels are coming off when CNN calls her on it!
Substantiated fact-checking is required for the comments I've read here.
In my experience, I do know that most politicians are not dishonest, but they can be incompetent and ignorant. And of course, there are exceptions. Most do have a compelling legal reason to be honest when they are in session in Congress, since non-freshmen politicians are aware that what they say goes into the Congressional Record. But it doesn't stop them from saying things on occasion that defy the facts; chalk that up to ignorance and the biases it brings.
Conservative believers though, do appear to attract more ignorance than liberal thinkers.
As Karl Rove once suggested, conservatism attracts dummies. And that's where, as a social engineer, where he's succeeded in turning these dummies as a sheer force in numbers, into a public asset for promoting the extremist ideas of the neocons, like himself.
-----------------------------------------
Excerpts:
Last summer's Canadian study is one of many finding that people with conservative beliefs are likely to be of low intelligence.
-- Biology? Fallopian tubes do not release eggs to rapist sperm.
-- Economics? Automatic improvement when rich people pay no taxes.
-- Criminal science? Guns don't kill people, people kill people, tactical weapons on demand.
-- Planetary science? Climate change not happening, or if so, God-caused, not anthropogenic.
-- World geography? Flat.
Where are the conservatives today who can make a cogent argument about conservative views that doesn't alienate women, blacks, the middle class? Those of us on the left, socialists like me, who relish a good debate, are doomed along with that lost breed. There's no one left with a brain with whom to debate.
Having de-funded American education, bankrupted the treasury with a dumb war, and shredded the safety net, the cynical right has certainly made gains among the ill-educated, who are scientifically predisposed to God, guns, xenophobia, and fear of feminism.
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/23/2/187
http://article.wn.com/view/2012/08/22/Mr_Akin_and_the_Apocalypse_of_the_Republican_Mind/
So Romney makes use of modern technology to screen for potential donors - I can only wish that the NAACP had been smart enough to do that when they sent me (white, Republican) a request for donations for Obama, presumably based on my zip code.
Smart people using technology in a smart way to increase efficiency is NOT news; it's called working smarter, not harder, and the concept has been around for a long time.
Maybe one day Democrats will catch on...I'm not holding my breath. In the meantime their junk mail will continue to fill up landfills and their spamming phone calls continued to go unanswered.
Like most of your "White...Republican" ilk, you will invariably fight harder for your perceived "Interests" than for your actual rights.
You'll back this rich thief who wants nothing more than to take away everything you've paid taxes (and by the way, HE...doesn't) your whole life to fund, endanger the future of not only yourself but your children and their children as wel...just because you mindlessly hate a president who's black?
Not very intelligent, not even rational, but then, since when have any Tea baggers been "Rational"?
James,
Or maybe, some of us think the way to grow the economy and make it more possible for anyone to succeed is to encourage business growth in the US. (as long as they are willing to work hard and smart enough)
James...calling us rascist is hypocrisy. First, in 2008, when voting in the African American community increased as high as 100% from 2004, and 95% voted for Obama because he was black. Not all of them, but when you have an increase that substantial, who have no voting history, but turn out to vote for a man to put him in office for no other reason than because he is black....how is that any different than what you are accusing (not substantiated) white voters of doing?
There has been so much about race infused into this election, and most has been false accusations put out there by liberals for no other reason but to create a guilt by association vote from white voters.....HYPOCRISY
I think there are many black people who voted for Obama who either will not vote at all or vote for Romney because I think alot of people of every color have been turned off by Obama's performance in office.
The people who did not vote for Obama last time are sure not voting for him this time. I don't care about his color or that he's a democrat. I just plain don't like the guy and the incompetence he has demonstrated. He's had his chance as president and I am long past feeling all American about having our first black president. Let the Mormon win. I don't care that he's white, male, republican, rich, Mormon or half iguana. This article is just saying Romney has got business sense and that's kind of a big deal for our country right now. Thanks, NBC for pointing that out.
He's not hiding anything. He's telling you it's none of your business!
old gaffer makes a rational and calm statement, then James calls him names. Typical modern democrat....and exactly why nothing is getting done these days.
Invasion of privacy by a wealthy oligarch is "Working Smarter, not harder"? And you're "OK" with that? Yes, I did call names, specifically "White" and "Republican". It's interesting that YOU see those terms as derogatory, what does that say about white Republicans in general?
And just because you freely choose to delude yourself doesn't obligate the rest of the people around you to do likewise. Vote your OWN interests...I'll vote mine, and come November we'll see if you're still so smug.
Just another way he is screwing over the middle class and poor. Just want to take the time to ask Mr. Romney if he could kiss me before screwing me with a non skid fid.
What does this story have to do with screwing over anybody, including the middle class and poor? He is using data that is out there on the internet to find potential donors.
Nobody is doing anything improper. They are using information that is out there, that we all ALLOW to be out there, in order to raise money for an election? How is that any different than what Obama's campaign is doing, and how is that screwing the middle class.
At least TRY to create a connection when you spew the liberal talking points.
Doesn't matter anyways, President Obama will win with a landslide.
Obama 2012 for the middle class
George
Both parties are screwing over the lower and middle class period. Their means and methods may be legal . But what they are really doing is selling themselves to the top 1%. With that kind of influence just who do you think will be calling the shots ???? You can rest assured that government of the rich, by the rich, for the rich will remain intact.
brenda1964,
While I personally think Obama (and most politicians in both parties) care about the middle class, I think his policies are very detrimental to the poor and middle class.
But, that's really off topic, and I agree with George...this article seems to be nothing more than an a partisan shot by NBC.
He didn't win the first election in a landslide and will ultimately LOSE in a landslide
Not!! Obama 2012
So, instead of answering the question back to you, you retort, "Doesn't matter anyways, Obama will win in a landslide". Way to educate yourself, instead of just regurgitating the party rhetoric....oh, wait....that is what you did.....nevermind, just stay a sheep.
Hey if you want to get a voucher in order to see a doctor and if you want to get rid of your social security that you have paid into all these years and if you really like helping the rich get richer while you get poorer, then by all means, vote Republican. If your about taking health care away from your parents and increasing your taxes so the rich can have more tax cuts, then by all means vote Republican. If your attitude is to put more guns on the streets, de-regulate the oil industry and let them drill anywhere they want, make women have babies from rape cases, and generally tell them what they can and can not do with their own bodies, then ya, I can see why you would vote Republican.
SteveR - and this is a dirty trick how ? So what about Obama wanting people to ask for donations instead of wedding gifts? That was the ultimate low.
The old wink and a nod. If you can't cheat, Ill do it for you.
Elect Willard and democracy is dead, hello Plutocracy.
lol... with what plan, Buckaroo? So far, all we've heard is recycled Bush era failures and "...uh, we will get back to you on that!"
So it would seem if you want to have any private life at all you need to vote for Obama.
It would seem mittflip wants to get into your skivies, and considering what he wears can't say as I blame him, just his methods.
MITT GET OUT OF MY PRIVATE LIFE!
Why is it that the Obama campaign is not "secretive" when it declines to comment on its fund raising practices but it is "secretive" when the Romney campaign declines to comment? I am no fan of Gov. Romney but I do expect fairness from our news media when reporting on campaign fund raising practices.
Obama's campaign employs its own form of data analysis to lure potential supporters, via Facebook and Twitter, to fine-tune messages for supporters and potential donors. The Obama campaign declined to comment on its internal fundraising practices. The best though was tell your friends to give Obama the money instead of you and your new spouse on your wedding!
This administration is wide open....just look at how they handled "Fast & Furious". When the heat is on....invoke executive order! No secrets here!
Lee from ma... I guess because Obama isn't secretive? He's published his donors. Romney has not.
This whole thing is one big YAWNER. I don't see the story here...
Let's try reality .... in the last election, Obama promised to release the information on his campaign contributors as part of the requirement for receiving matching federal funds. He then CHANGED HIS MIND and revealed nOTHING !
Why did Obama HIDE his contributors ? What was he afraid of being known ??
Wow- Democrats are the ultimate hypocrites, aren't they? In 2008 they crowed about how Obama outraised McCain- now they're bleating, "We're being outspent, even though we have big Hollywood money, and union payoffs!" Makes me sick.
Therm, you go first and show us how it is done. ;0}
Therman Merman.......you are the perfect example of why I am no longer a Democrat, there is not other opinion other than a Democrats ...so because you do not agree with Lisa ...you want her to kill herself? I pity you, so much hate sir....and No I am an Independent voter and you make me sick to my stomach.
Nancy - You are wrong. There are other opinions besides Democrats, it's just we don't care about them. We took that from the Republican handbook on how to treat a African American President. Oh snap!
Brenda,
Grow up. You're the exact reason why I won't vote for President Obama again. Victimization never sells well, and a President that allows himself to be victimized (at least in your mind) isn't worthy of my vote.
Yes they are Makes me sicktoo they scream the loudest
brendolt is just another bitter jealous leftist blood sucker scared that her ride on the govt gravy train is about to end. bye bye obozo.
Thank you to the people who defended me, and the others just show their true colors when they attack. Heaven forbid someone should be successful in this country. Heaven forbid people shouldn't depend on govt. to take money away from people in order to give it to who it deems worthy. I'm sick of people hating people because they happen to have more- go out and earn it yourself- that's what I did, and I am by no means rich. Thou shalt not covet, remember?
Lisa, Wow! Which Democrats are you referring to?
Thermen Merman banned for death wishing.
Hey Sally, maybe you should review #14.3 for the PERSONAL ATTACKS contained therein.
No, Lisa, "we're" being outspent because Mittens and Co. think it's great that a few wealthy conservatives can donate more than the entire middle class together. Apparently, you think it's great too - democracy for sale to the highest bidder! Nobody "hates" the successful, so you can drop that particular little talking piont any time. What we hate is that the wealthy in this country think they should be held to different standards than everyone else. When is the last time you paid 13% in federal taxes?
In 2008 the likes of Mitt Romney could not have made the statement, "Corporations are PEOPLE, my friend!" Now that they are (the Supreme court seems to have a sense of humor) and now that his Bain connections can tell him who goes to church, the money in politics is obscene.
Wonder if Ryan's push to have "personhood" conveyed on a fertilized egg will result in a search into medical records? Brave New World, indeed.
Democrats and Republicans are some dirty players in this democracy. For some reason Americans keep voting for them. Americans are real suckers.
No More For 44. If Obama is reelected, our sovereignty, our liberty and freedom, our Constitution will be in serious trouble. Obama is secretly working on a U.N. treaty that will scrap the 2nd Amendment. Vote like your life depends on it! Vote Romney/Ryan 2012.
Obama miracles. http://www.youtube.com/embed/QXEoQJ7ZMZs
i bet you are related to this judge from Texas.
Joe Thomas: OK, tell us exactly how that treaty will work to remove our 2nd amendment rights? You dream up pure BS and then proclaim it to be true. Thank God for education for educated people look at you and your BS and laugh. Thank God, too, that people like you with your pathetically, poorly educated, ignorant, conspiracy theorist, mind will hand President Obama a landslide victory in November.
TJ, you have a computer. You seem to be quite the racist. Do your own research. NBC only gives news that is positive for Obama. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. It is not too late for you! hehehehehehehehe, you race baiting , ignotant, poorly educated slug. Get a job, stop mooching!
Please get help Joe. I have a job by the way.
blog.heritage.org/2012/07/13/the-u-n-arms-trade-treaty-and-the-second-amendment/
www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/item/12060-un-arms-treaty-would-impact-second-amendment-rights
Just add the http:// in front of the link and off you go.
While it may greatly impact the second amendment right to bear arms, I don't care. I don't care who owns a gun or not. The real issue is not being able to regulate gun trade between rogue nations, making things worse overseas than what it is now.
...Okay so maybe I do care a bit. So because you won't be allowed to carry a gun, your freedom, liberty and sovereignty will be abolished? Just...shut up and stop acting like a gun nut. It highly detracts from your arguments and makes me want to shut it out. You want to be unfair?
There's a difference between taking your gun away and taking your freedom away. If you link the two together, you're insane.
Joe Thomas, try and vet some of these stupid lies.
That was debunked over a year ago. Any thinking person understand that 1) Obama has expanded gun owner's rights and 2) The UN has absolutely no power to alter or rescind any of our amendments.
Man, how much koolaide have you punched down?????
If the people who believe this garbage weren't potentially dangerous to the rest of us, this is so obviously ridiculous it would be funny.
As it is, they ARE dangerous - not to mention deranged, incapable of reason and ready (like that wacko in TX) to take up arms. Nutty+Armed=I hope the FBI is watching you.
I voted for many Republicans running for local, state, and federal offices over the years, and my wife was a life long Republican as was her family. In 2008, my wife wrote three hot letters to the Republican National Committee, and promptly went to our courthouse and changed her registration from Republican to Democrat. Her sister did the same. Today's Republican Party is a disgrace to the middle and underclasses. The only people supporting them in those social classes are white racists, the poorly educated, or the totally ignorant. If you're dumb enough not to believe Paul Ryan when he tells you his mentor is Ayn Rand and you're dumb enough not to know what that means for you, then how else can you explain yourself other than a white racist, or poorly educated, or totally ignorant. Now, to the point of the article.
I received a call from MItt Romney and promptly slammed the phone down in his ear! My wife did the same when he called her! We have sworn to use our wealth and our influence to encourage others NOT to vote for a single Republican running for any office in our state!
The most ignorant statement today. You sound like a poorly educated, ignorant, racist. :0}
Joe Thomas: Thank you for your support! You are the PERFECT example of my post!
TJefferson I am impressed you got a call from Mitt Romney himself! and you slammed the phone down in his ear....truly Thanks for the laugh......one surely needs it after reading all of the hate filled post from Democrats .....you all just keep on pushing us Independents to the other side......
Nancy: Then, the thing for you to do, genius, is go to the other side. You must be very proud of what you represent! You're no Independent any more than Paul Ryan and Ayn Rand (if she were alive) are independents. Cut the BS!
TJ....here is the problem I have with your thinking. First, after 25 years in law enforcement, I have taught myself how not to let the stereotype affect my views on each issue. I have seen the worst of our society, but still believe in the best in people. I am neither rascist, or uneducated, but I am definitively against our growing government. But, for you to think every republican is either uneducated or rascist is doing the same thing. There are social conservatives (religious focus) and fiscal conservatives (economy) who believe in the Republican party for different reasons, and most of them could care less whether Obama is black, muslim, christian, white or a mixture of all the above. They dislike him because they don't believe in the democratic party's position on issues that are important to them. I believe in very limited government, but it seems every day, we have new regulations and bureaucracy to deal with.
Oh, and after 25 years of law enforcement, I'm sure you can figure out that I am in no way considered "rich". But I do believe that in order to improve our economy, which is founded under the premise of capitalism, we need to make businesses grow, and in order to do that, we need to cut back (not eliminate) regulations on them, and give them more incentives to invest in our local economies, especially competing in a global economy.
Yeah George and get those kids back in the mines.
GeorgeW: Here is the problem I have with your thinking. Tell me what you mean by very limited government. I hear that all the time, but no one can tell me what that means. What do you propose to cut out? I'm sure there are cuts, but what do you propose?
Tell me what the President has done to prevent small business growth. I'd appreciate that. You know, of course, that all through the 20th century through today that small business failures run near 80%. Much of that failure rate has to do with the fact these people don't have the capital to sustain them until their business can survive. Also, too many people people start a business without doing a thorough market survey to learn whether their proposed business actually has a market. Those are only a couple of reasons why businesses fail. The anti-Obama BS dreamed up and then accepted as truth by the far, right wing, extremists is nothing more than that--BS.
Are you aware, too, that President Obama did, in fact, order a review of federal regulations two years ago, and that as a result, there has been a serious cutback in such regulations?
TJ-OK...to answer your first question....what I mean by limited government is there are many branches of government that should not exist at the federal level, and many more that overlap areas that are designated to the state or local levels of government. The Department of Education is one of them. Why do we have a federal department of education, a state department of education and local school boards all taking tax dollars that could be used to improve our education being sucked up by bureaucracy? It doesn't make sense. There are hundreds of different departments like this throughout the different levels of government. How about the DOT....There is a federal level and state level performing several identical functions. Its wasted resources.
I never said the "President" did anything to prevent small business growth. I said that many people don't like the democrats position on issues that are important to them. I then used the position of economic growth in that, taxing businesses and regulating businesses to death hurts economic growth.
Look, Democrats want government to grow, they want entitlements to grow because it helps their base. Republicans, as a whole, believe that less entitlements out there, the more people will need to become self sufficient and not rely on handouts to make it. With a smaller need for entitlements, there will be a smaller need for government.
poor tommy. i would be scared too if i was riding the govt gravy train and knew it was going to come to a stop.
What we need to do is draw a middle ground. One party is for mare government. One party is for less Government. That's it. While we do need to loosen regulations on businesses so they can more easily thrive, no party is for using scissors. It's either a chainsaw or an air pump.
Buckaroo Banzi and Uncle Henry: That you for your support. You are both PERFECT examples found in my post #15.
Bukaroo Banzi: Actually, I never insult the waiting staff. I am the very opposite of that. I have a high respect for working people, but very little respect for those such as yourself who are opposed to welfare for the poor, the elderly, and children. I strongly believe what goes around comes around, and as such, I have a strong feeling you're getting exactly and even more than what you dished out to the less fortunate in life.
Uncle Henry: I have always worked in private enterprise, always held private health insurance and still do, and do not and have never taken government welfare of any kind. Now, how are the taxpayers paying your freight?
It's not about the money, or partisanship. From the story: "Under federal law, companies cannot use corporate money or resources, such as proprietary data analysis, for in-kind contributions to campaigns." The fact that the source talked about it keyed into the idea that he probably wasn't aware of the laws until after being contacted by the campaign. Then you have the editing of the website, and now the inevitable covering of bases, etc.
"Under federal law, companies cannot use corporate money or resources, such as proprietary data analysis, for in-kind contributions to campaigns."
So if the Romney campaign, or the RNC or any other entity, aren't paying for these reports, does that make it a campaign donation?
It's the same concept as the Super Pacs supposedly not being able to have direct communications with the campaigns, or corporations not being able to make direct donations to a political campaign over a certain amount (at least to my understanding). What happened here is a story because:
A. The services weren't paid for or documented by the campaign after months of journalists asking the Romney camp for details about their bundlers/funding sources.
B. The coverup that occurred after the fact suggests that they believe there's something else to be hidden here, even if there isn't. What that is remains to be seen, but if I had to guess, I'd say they were using invasive search techniques, or outright knew they were breaking federal election law beforehand and there's documented, communicated proof of that somewhere.
NBC....WHINES about the way ROMNEY looks for donors, but pretty much agnores the OBAMA GIFT REGISTRY ON LINE. Where instead of receiving presents from grandma, or aunt RUTH for your wedding and birthday, they all send money to Obonzo. So instead of giving money to your kids so they can have that honeymoon in Aruba, na....a nice stay-vacation-moon is just as nice...who need a down payment on a house, money towards a car.... hey you can rent, put a brillo pad in that old muffler.....just so his HIGHNESS can pay for ads that telling everyone a vote for ROMNEY is a vote for the end of the world as we know it,
Breaking News......The Obama campaign reported that it is soliciting his base of foodstampers to return the food stamps to help with his campaign. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Joe Thomas: Today's Republican Party is a disgrace to the middle and underclasses. The only people supporting them in those social classes are white racists, the poorly educated, or the totally ignorant. If you're dumb enough not to believe Paul Ryan when he tells you his mentor is Ayn Rand and you're dumb enough not to know what that means for you, then how else can you explain yourself other than a white racist, or poorly educated, or totally ignorant.
You are a TOTAL idiot. You are embarrassing yourself. Maybe Mitt will call you again today. Hahahahahahahahahahahhaha.
TJefferson
Are you suggesting that not only 47% of Americans are white racists, the poorly educated, or the totally ignorant; but also that, 53% are non-white, highly educated, and smart?
M.J. Where do you get your figures? Think about it this way. Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan's model, said government should protect the wealthy because they are the leaders of society. She went on to say that only the wealthy classes should receive government aid or welfare of any kind. The middle and underclasses are the servant classes and that they should receive absolutely NO support from government at all. To do so is to flush taxpayer dollars down the drain.
I thought 47% of the country being racists or downright uninformed/ignorant was a forgone conclusion by now...
TJefferson-1649275 Today's Democratic Party is a disgrace to even the welfare classes because they have no class. There own ancestors worked hard, fought for rights, and believed in earning what you have not having without earning. The only people supporting them are those not attending classes, that are shooting there own brothers and friends in the back, that are considering a loser like Rodney (overdosed again and died) King a hero, those social classes are then very folks their parents don't claim. They were concieved under the premise of being just a piece of meat, they have been raised by some hardworking parents and grandparents at times, and yet they feel like the world owes them something.The poorly educated, totally ignorant, and paranoid folks are the only ones voting a D these days because it reminds them of the dope they are on.
Paul Ryan made a comment almost 8 years ago. Obama made many more racist and ignorrant remrks in the last 4.
I have yet to have had any intelligent or honest dialogue with a liberal regarding their candiate or the issues. Just the same old smoke and mirrors and hate of the democratic party. They hate babies so much killing them for fun isn't enough. They have to add a provision for killing gender types too because like Geoff the Wife Beater Simpson smacking girls around isn't enough.
What is President Obama hiding? Is this the promised transparency or hypocrisy on the tax-return issue?
(spellcheck revealed that MSNBC doesn't even check their spelling; hmmm, what else might they not check...)
Romney: ‘Big businesses are doing fine’
As one who has worked on campaigns and has been elected to office 4 times, you don't need to report the expense until you are invoiced. The article did point out that this may be the case in this situation. Often it takes several months for campaigns to collect and report their spending because of late invoices.
The point of all of this is, since Romney knows everything about you, even whether or not you go to church, how much $$ you make and exactly what you've donated, who do you think he is beholden to? Who will he support when he makes his decisions for America, the 99% or the 1%?
He's already aligned himself with big oil and so his energy policy is very simple "Drill, baby drill!" and absolutely nothing about any alternative energies. Environmental regulation of water and air? Oh no, not with more profits to be made! More tax relief for the super rich? Of course! Trickle down really works! Vouchers for education and medical care that go to private corporations? Medical care for the middle class and poor? Forget it, unless you're rich. War with Iran? You bet, good for the military-industrial complex.......and on and on...
Before you ride that horse too far into the quicksand you might want to read this from the WSJ about the Bamster cozying up to big oil for the sake of votes! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443713704577603281330597966.html
Another example of the AP making unsubstantiated claims against Romney to support Obama.
The AP is no longer a news organization, it is a Obama Super PAC
ralph: Then, go back to FOX, the far, right wing, extremist, propaganda network where you find "Objective Entertainment." You know, don't you, that FOX won its right to LIE to its audience by the 9th District Appellate Court of Florida in 2003 -2004 based on two arguments, namely, (1) Freedom of Speech guaranteed by the First Amendment, and (2) FOX is NOT a news network but an Entertainment Network. Look it up.
Congressional approval must reflect the willingness of our citizens to compromise, as demonstrated by ralph and TJefferson.
i do a variation of data sales myself. It just sounds like theirs is more targeted, and they dont mind accessing the more sensitive data sets..
Ralph, you are trying to make a conspiracy out of nothing. This type of "data mining" as they put it is pretty common..
TJeff, great points and one more though on Foxnews - how many PhDs/MDs/Retired Military Top Brass/Scientists/Engineers do they interview PER/DAY versus Public TV-PBS News, CNN, MSNBC, Current TV, ABC, CBS, NBC interview? Seems they only interview blowhards mostly without much education, and the ones they do - Greta and Krautheimer are ones that have been bought and paid for by the right or came up under the right since they were born. I mean the biggest insult to education and poor examples to pursue it are on stations like Fox News plus college dropouts Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, and Karl Rove. Also check how many on Foxnew are ex-Dems that convereted to Cons philosophy (none that I have noticed) versus those on MSNBC and Current TV who are ex-Repubs that converted to Lib philosophy (Smirkomish and Cenk come to mind quick). Those observations are the most obvious that Fox/Cons folks are just tools of ther Rich and far right conspiracy they have pushed since Ike and his VP Nixon left office, and they want tools that are only as "sharp" as they wante them to be and no sharper or they will become dems/libs.
Bigbearcat Bill - you are right on - I am almost more afraid of the machine that is out there doing the dirty tricks they are doing than the end result which will be two radical puppets
Yep, the Kochs and other billionaires and CEOs with them want everyone else to be just tools of some controllable intelligence. Sorry they may not control the doctor that cuts into their heart some day hahhaha.
What a dirty underhanded thing to do. Romney is a snake and a loser.
You know it. The Myth proves this every day.
royalstar
Believe anything that NBC publishes and you are nuts. You believe what you want but NBC-Obama will say and publish crap and you eat it like crazy.
Obama 2012 !!!
Obama 2012