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Grassy Knoll

(10,118 posts)
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 05:20 PM Jul 2012

Mitt Romney Closes Israeli Fundraiser To Reporters

Source: huffingtonpost.com

TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans to raise campaign money in private while in Israel, so what he tells wealthy American supporters abroad will be kept quiet from voters at home.

Romney's campaign is barring reporters from a fundraiser at Jerusalem's King David Hotel and not saying why. At U.S. events, Romney's remarks to donors in communal spaces such as hotels are typically public.
<snip>
Some of Romney's wealthiest U.S. supporters plan to attend Monday's fundraiser. They include casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who's donated millions to a group backing Romney and is a leading backer of Republican Jewish groups in the U.S.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/28/romney-israeli-fundraiser_n_1714370.html

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Mitt Romney Closes Israeli Fundraiser To Reporters (Original Post) Grassy Knoll Jul 2012 OP
More secret donations. Some democracy the US is ... n/t RKP5637 Jul 2012 #1
Wonder what would happen if Obama held a fundraiser in Saudi Arabia or Quttar? nt nanabugg Jul 2012 #34
I can just imagine. That, would gridlock MSM and all of the spin machines right past RKP5637 Jul 2012 #41
Of course, by then he'd confused all the Israelis by calling them "Gentiles". Ken Burch Jul 2012 #2
He may be baptizing them, too, for all we know..... lastlib Jul 2012 #7
This meeting isn't with Israelis oberliner Jul 2012 #14
That is an excellent distinction. eom BlueMTexpat Jul 2012 #47
Or So We Are Being Told AndyTiedye Jul 2012 #49
Wonder if he'll tell them which planet the Jewish people get when the White Horse triumphs. n/t progressivebydesign Jul 2012 #21
Have other xxqqqzme Jul 2012 #3
Used to be illegal doohnibor Jul 2012 #4
Thank you. xxqqqzme Jul 2012 #5
President Obama’s campaign has put on fundraising events in London, Zurich, Geneva, and Paris oberliner Jul 2012 #12
There are no foreigners involved here oberliner Jul 2012 #13
Pardon me if I don't take your word for it. doohnibor Jul 2012 #19
U.S. presidential campaigns cannot legally take money from foreign nationals oberliner Jul 2012 #22
How will we know who gives the money to Romney? Who knows the identity of the attendees AlinPA Jul 2012 #24
+1 n/t southern_belle Jul 2012 #45
That's probably why Ashcroft denied all FOIA requests on Bush campaign records. sofa king Jul 2012 #31
WTF?!?!? lastlib Jul 2012 #6
There are no foreigners involved here oberliner Jul 2012 #15
How do you know that? AlinPA Jul 2012 #25
There are two basic rules for raising money on foreign soil. One, you have to be an American to give oberliner Jul 2012 #27
How will we know who gives the money to Romney now? AlinPA Jul 2012 #28
I am pretty sure he has to report all his donations oberliner Jul 2012 #33
I wouldn't trust him to report all his donations. He's hiding his taxes from the public, so AlinPA Jul 2012 #46
His BIG money people are flying in from the US to make him look POPULAR there. progressivebydesign Jul 2012 #20
Is he running for President of the US or Preaident of the world? Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel Jul 2012 #8
of the world... Ken Burch Jul 2012 #11
Nay, the solar system. You left out Kolob. He's a BIG thinker. BIG. freshwest Jul 2012 #18
Obama does much better overseas than Romney oberliner Jul 2012 #35
This message was self-deleted by its author bupkus Jul 2012 #9
Obama's campaign has held fundraisers overseas as well oberliner Jul 2012 #16
Interesting choice of venue HankyDub Jul 2012 #10
Most heads of state or international dignitaries stay there when visiting Israel oberliner Jul 2012 #17
a fellow Obie? HankyDub Jul 2012 #30
Yes indeed oberliner Jul 2012 #32
I wonder which organizations HankyDub Jul 2012 #37
Wasn't she a Connie? oberliner Jul 2012 #38
Nope HankyDub Jul 2012 #39
Where you there at the same time as her? oberliner Jul 2012 #40
Nah I'm '99 HankyDub Jul 2012 #42
Fun times oberliner Jul 2012 #43
holy crap HankyDub Jul 2012 #44
Mitt .. "Ok, ok ... you put your money in THIS swiss bank account, it gets transferred to Bermuda .. JoePhilly Jul 2012 #23
Secret fundraising visits to foreign countries. Welcome to the world Reagan gave us. n/t lumberjack_jeff Jul 2012 #26
What are the chances that the donors Jessy169 Jul 2012 #29
He's a real nowhere man applegrove Jul 2012 #36
here's the invite riverwalker Jul 2012 #48
Pretty hard to cement his image as a world class leader if there's no press to document it ..... marble falls Jul 2012 #50
 

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)
2. Of course, by then he'd confused all the Israelis by calling them "Gentiles".
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 05:28 PM
Jul 2012


(people who know the LDS tradition will know what I mean by that).

AndyTiedye

(23,500 posts)
49. Or So We Are Being Told
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 11:01 PM
Jul 2012

Perhaps some of them ARE Israelis (that are not also U.S. Citizens).
If RMoney was courting them for donations,
he sure wouldn't want the media there.

xxqqqzme

(14,887 posts)
3. Have other
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 05:31 PM
Jul 2012

presumptive presidential candidates held fundraisers outside the US? Or is he doing this because he is not yet the nominee?

 

doohnibor

(97 posts)
4. Used to be illegal
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 05:50 PM
Jul 2012

At one time, there used to be laws against foreigners buying American politicians. So nice of the Supreme Court to sort out the matter and clarify it.

xxqqqzme

(14,887 posts)
5. Thank you.
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 05:56 PM
Jul 2012

I thought this was a very recent addition to campaigns, courtesy of SCOTUS. I could remember no candidate hosting foreign fundraisers, but then, I've only been voting since 1964.



Welcome to DU.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
12. President Obama’s campaign has put on fundraising events in London, Zurich, Geneva, and Paris
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:33 PM
Jul 2012

And the Romney campaign has already held fundraisers overseas - at least one that I know if in Hong Kong.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
13. There are no foreigners involved here
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:33 PM
Jul 2012

The fundraiser is for Americans living in Israel (or visiting).

 

doohnibor

(97 posts)
19. Pardon me if I don't take your word for it.
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:46 PM
Jul 2012

If foreigners can own American corporations, and American corporations can donate in unlimited amounts to political campaigns, am I correct in my logic that foreigners can now donate in unlimited amounts to American political campaigns?

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
22. U.S. presidential campaigns cannot legally take money from foreign nationals
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 07:01 PM
Jul 2012

But American citizens who live abroad can contribute and vote.

The only people who will be donating money at the fundraiser mentioned in the OP will be American citizens.

Same as at the various overseas fundraisers held by Obama (and the previous ones held by Romney).

AlinPA

(15,071 posts)
24. How will we know who gives the money to Romney? Who knows the identity of the attendees
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 07:10 PM
Jul 2012

at his fundraiser? There's no media allowed, so no knowledge of what is going on there. Many of these people are with international companies so we will never know.

sofa king

(10,857 posts)
31. That's probably why Ashcroft denied all FOIA requests on Bush campaign records.
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:03 PM
Jul 2012

Perhaps not coincidentally, at the same time that AG John Ashcroft was denying all inquiry into whom, exactly, had helped the Bush Campaign kick things off with a $100 million war chest, he was also preventing all law enforcement from examining the finances of al Qaeda--after the attacks, mind you.

Maybe it was the same donor list.

lastlib

(22,978 posts)
6. WTF?!?!?
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:03 PM
Jul 2012

Selling our democracy to foreign interests??!? We had better pound this bastard if he EVER uses "Obama" and "foreign" in the same paragraph!!!

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
15. There are no foreigners involved here
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:34 PM
Jul 2012

The fundraiser is for Americans living in or visiting Israel.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
27. There are two basic rules for raising money on foreign soil. One, you have to be an American to give
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 07:26 PM
Jul 2012

There are two basic rules for raising money on foreign soil. One, you have to be an American to give. Two, if you’re a sitting ambassador, you can donate, but you can’t ask your friends to do the same.

No “bundling” allowed at the embassy’s visa desk.

This cycle, Obama has raised $603,000 at overseas events, including a July 11 reception in Shanghai, according to the Sunlight Foundation. Earlier this year, Obama bundlers held a “cocktails and light supper” fundraiser in Geneva. The top ticket price was $35,800.

http://go.bloomberg.com/political-capital/2012-07-26/fundraising-abroad-no-bundling-at-u-s-embassy-visa-desks-allowed/

The donors are expats - Americans living overseas.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
33. I am pretty sure he has to report all his donations
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:10 PM
Jul 2012

This is not the first fundraiser in history that reporters haven't been invited to.

AlinPA

(15,071 posts)
46. I wouldn't trust him to report all his donations. He's hiding his taxes from the public, so
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 09:25 PM
Jul 2012

my trust in him is about zero now.

progressivebydesign

(19,458 posts)
20. His BIG money people are flying in from the US to make him look POPULAR there.
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:47 PM
Jul 2012

Just like his "secret AA supporters" he flew in for the NAACP convention.

8. Is he running for President of the US or Preaident of the world?
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:04 PM
Jul 2012

and when does a presidential candidate get to have "private" fundraiser on foreign land???

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
35. Obama does much better overseas than Romney
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:12 PM
Jul 2012

He is more popular both with the expat US community and the locals just about everywhere - Israel being a notable exception.

Response to Grassy Knoll (Original post)

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
16. Obama's campaign has held fundraisers overseas as well
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:35 PM
Jul 2012

There are American citizens living all over the world.

 

HankyDub

(246 posts)
10. Interesting choice of venue
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:14 PM
Jul 2012

King David Hotel, eh. Site of a horrendous terrorist act committed by terrorist swine Menachim Begin, first leader of the Likud Party.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
17. Most heads of state or international dignitaries stay there when visiting Israel
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 06:38 PM
Jul 2012

Not that Romney is a dignitary, but it is pretty much the standard hotel for high profile international visitors to Jerusalem.

 

HankyDub

(246 posts)
30. a fellow Obie?
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:03 PM
Jul 2012

Rad! Well anyway, I still think it's nice to tweak the Likudniks by pointing out that their founder was a terrorist.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
32. Yes indeed
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:09 PM
Jul 2012

I like to joke, about Oberlin, that I was a member of the most right wing organization on campus - the College Democrats.

 

oberliner

(58,724 posts)
40. Where you there at the same time as her?
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:40 PM
Jul 2012

I wonder if she was RW then or had her "awakening" post-Oberlin.

 

HankyDub

(246 posts)
42. Nah I'm '99
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:44 PM
Jul 2012

She was '92. According to wiki she was already nutso while at Oberlin where she met her asshole husband. Apparently he assaulted a photographer at a reunion some years ago

 

HankyDub

(246 posts)
44. holy crap
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 08:54 PM
Jul 2012

I had no idea. Yes, he must have been an junior when I was a first year. Can't say I knew him.

I did know this guy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corey_Stoll but not real well. Just chatting at parties.

JoePhilly

(27,787 posts)
23. Mitt .. "Ok, ok ... you put your money in THIS swiss bank account, it gets transferred to Bermuda ..
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 07:09 PM
Jul 2012

then, to a shell company in the Caymans, they wash it, and then divide it up and distribute it to the following 10 SuperPacs. And then, when I become President, we strike Iran. Its a WIN WIN!!"

Jessy169

(602 posts)
29. What are the chances that the donors
Sat Jul 28, 2012, 07:48 PM
Jul 2012

are using this occassion to reassess their investments in Mitt? Could it be that behind those closed doors, Mitt and his owners are in major WTF mode, with Mitt being given the "it looks like we may have chosen the wrong guy" treatment? Perhaps Mitt is using the secret meeting to reassure "the bedwetters" that he actually has everything under control.

marble falls

(56,353 posts)
50. Pretty hard to cement his image as a world class leader if there's no press to document it .....
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 08:46 AM
Jul 2012

assuming he really was of world class stuff, which he isn't.

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