Attend A Dinner for HRC: $353,400 Entrance Fee: Only Privileged Elites Need Apply

[amborin]

Oceans '16: Sanders Campaign Blasts $350K Dinner with Clooneys as 'Obscene'

by Deirdre Fulton

Of the price tag for the fundraiser, Sanders' campaign wrote: "It's a sum that would require an employee making the federal minimum wage to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for more than 5 years." (Photo: AP)

The $353,400 price tag attached to a Hollywood-Hillary Clinton fundraiser is raising eyebrows.

"It's a sum that would require an employee making the federal minimum wage to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for more

The event, at which George Clooney and his wife, human rights attorney Amal Clooney, will sit at the head table, is raising money for the Hillary Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee involving Hillary for America, the Democratic National Committee, and the Democratic committees of 32 states and Puerto Rico.

According to SFist on Thursday:

The dinner is set to take place at the San Francisco home of venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, and offers several tiered pricing options. For $353,400, you and your dining partner can be an honorary "event chair," a designation which comes with the exciting opportunity to lobby (likely future president) Clinton during a "roundtable" in addition to "premium dinner seating." A bit out of your range? For the $100,000, you and a guest can hang at the "host reception." Still too expensive? For $33,400 you can get a photo with candidate.

snip

Politico reported:

The Bay Area fundraiser, hosted at the home of venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, is one of two events starring the Clooneys. On April 16, Clinton and the Clooneys will reunite at the Clooney Los Angeles mansion, where tickets cost $33,400 per person to dine at the table with one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples.

snip

"Here is the truth: while tens of millions of Americans are struggling to put dinner on the table, the wealthiest people in this country have never had it so good," read the email from Weaver. "And the great question of this campaign is will we restore a vibrant democracy in this country, or will we slide into an oligarchy in which the economic and political life is controlled by a handful of billionaires?"

snip

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/03/25/oceans-16-sanders-campaign-blasts-350k-dinner-clooneys-obscene

?itok=1mUqDEIZ

[MADem]

1. When is Sanders going to do this? He signed an agreement to do it months ago.

He's supposed to raise money for downticket races--and he hasn't done a thing to help them.

Some support of the Democratic Party. Conventions don't pay for themselves, either.

Weaver knows this--he's counting on "low information supporters" to not know it, though.

He really scraped the bottom of the barrel with that mailer.

[msongs]

2. hillary gives $$ to get other democrats elected . bernie just spends on...guess who nt

[RandySF]

4. His family and is friend Jeff Weaver.

[DURHAM D]

8. I think Tad gets the most money. nt

[jeff47]

13. Actually, no.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/1/9/1467700/-This-May-Be-The-Reason-Bernie-s-Not-Fundraising-for-the-State-Democratic-Parties

The (Alaska Democratic) party, in a monthly report filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission, said it raised $43,500 from the Hillary Victory Fund, with $10,000 donations from billionaires, including hedge fund manager S. Donald Sussman and Hyatt hotel heir J.B. Pritzker.

In the same report, the Alaska Democratic Party said it transferred an equal amount of money, $43,500, [back] to the Democratic National Committee -- a move that, while legal, helps to effectively “obliterate” federal limits on donations to the national committee, according to one campaign finance expert.

“It just becomes a way to give more to the DNC to support the Clinton campaign,” said Paul S. Ryan, deputy executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, which advocates for campaign finance reform. “It’s effectively Hillary Clinton’s team soliciting Hillary Clinton’s supporters for much bigger checks than they can give to the campaign -- knowing that every penny could be spent on the Clinton campaign.”

Similar "equal amount" checks have been written by other state parties.

[Peace Patriot]

32. Right. It's a Clinton dodge around the law.

Another one.

“It’s effectively Hillary Clinton’s team soliciting Hillary Clinton’s supporters for much bigger checks than they can give to the campaign -- knowing that every penny could be spent on the Clinton campaign.”

And look how the Hillary supporters applaud it--and dare to beat Bernie over the head for her raising more moola for her own campaign!

I'll be glad when we get back to being a secular political site. We've had an influx of people arguing like Medieval theologians, who took on such issues as whether or not women have souls, and how many angels would fit on the head of a pin, and seriously argued about these things for thousands of scrolls of crapola.

[Meteor Man]

3. All righty then!

Who wants to loan me $353,000 to liveblog an HRC fundraiser?

[Bleacher Creature]

5. It's going to take a billion dollars to keep up with the GOP this fall.

I'm glad we have a candidate willing to keep up and, in the process, help support fellow Democrats down ticket.

Sorry you have issues with it

[MattP]

6. So is the Sanders campaign upset about Democratic fundraisers?

[liberal_at_heart]

12. He is upset that someone who would have to work 24 hrs a day for 5 yrs to make that amount

has less say in their government than someone who can shell out that amount of money. That is what is upsetting. That should be upsetting to all Democrats.

[KingFlorez]

7. That is political fundraising

Democrats are going to be up against some nasty people in the election and to retake Congress it's going to require adequate funding. If there are people with disposable income to do this then it's fine to appeal to them.

And for what it's worth there is a drawing to win an invite that does not require a donation to be eligible to enter. I just entered for a chance to win.

[NJCher]

9. So are you saying this money will be given

To Bernie when he wins the nomination?

Cher

[KingFlorez]

11. It's not for him

It is for DEMOCRATIC candidates running for office downballot.

[jeff47]

15. Nope, it isn't.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/1/9/1467700/-This-May-Be-The-Reason-Bernie-s-Not-Fundraising-for-the-State-Democratic-Parties

The party, in a monthly report filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission, said it raised $43,500 from the Hillary Victory Fund, with $10,000 donations from billionaires, including hedge fund manager S. Donald Sussman and Hyatt hotel heir J.B. Pritzker.

In the same report, the Alaska Democratic Party said it transferred an equal amount of money, $43,500, [back] to the Democratic National Committee -- a move that, while legal, helps to effectively “obliterate” federal limits on donations to the national committee, according to one campaign finance expert.

“It just becomes a way to give more to the DNC to support the Clinton campaign,” said Paul S. Ryan, deputy executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, which advocates for campaign finance reform. “It’s effectively Hillary Clinton’s team soliciting Hillary Clinton’s supporters for much bigger checks than they can give to the campaign -- knowing that every penny could be spent on the Clinton campaign.”

There's other examples of the same thing from other states in the article.

[rusty quoin]

10. It's the system in which we live.

It might be a pipe dream, but I want big money out of our elections. I want to reverse the Supreme Court decisions which made money equal speech with one vote.

[liberal_at_heart]

14. It's only a pipe dream if we do nothing to make it happen. If we support Bernie then others will

also stand up and do what he has done. I have heard there almost 200 people running for Congress this next election cycle that are similar to Bernie and some of them are even doing it without Super PACs. If we support those who have the courage to do this then more people will do it and we will get money out of government. If we do nothing, then we will get nothing. It will stay exactly the same.

[rusty quoin]

16. I know this and people are more powerful than money.

Some call it a revolution and I am fine with that. The problem I have is that too many people don't realize where the problem is and will go with Trump. They have no clue.

[liberal_at_heart]

18. Revolutions take time to build momentum, but just look how much momentum we have

built since Bernie announced his candidacy. This doesn't end with Bernie whether he wins or loses the nomination. We keep fighting to get more people like him in Congress. This will take time and effort but in that time and with that effort we will build more momentum.

[rusty quoin]

20. I agree completely, and I get tired of the "I won't vote for him or her in the general."

We have made great progress against a party which is failing. I didn't mean to suggest I was not in there for the long fight.

[liberal_at_heart]

22. I don't discuss who I will or won't vote for in the general. That is my business.

The reason I support Bernie is because I don't think we have made very much progress against the other party. I would rather be part of a Revolution that fights for real change. My husband's friend just lost her SSI and is having to split her family up and send her children to live with relatives. My autistic son will be filing for SSI next year and I am not at all sure he will even be approved because of all the cuts they have made. This may be the Republican's doing but because Democrats have come to support war and are afraid of talking about raising taxes there is not enough tax revenue to pay for social services, so Democrats go along with cuts to social services. I too am in this for the long haul. I didn't mean to imply you weren't, just that it is not a pipe dream. Not if we fight to make it a reality. Hey, if the Labor Movement could do it, then so can we.

[rusty quoin]

23. Yes..labor did it.

But it was decades of it, and now we have celebrity on tv. We have to do what the Depression did, and do it more, because a major recession did not do it, at the same time trying to get a voice as big as millions of protesters against the Iraq War, not making a difference to the media....

Celebrity is a big problem now.

[Jitter65]

17. Obama would not have won had it not been for the "big" money Bernie is talking about.

Bernie will not be able to win without it also if he gets the nomination. The GOP will absolutely clobber him. So turning voters against Hillary who might be the Dam candidate against the GOP because she is raising money to be able to compete against them in an almost level playing field is not a wise strategy or helpful to the Democrats overall. But then the playing field for Hillary will be level if she wins the nomination because the Bernie supporters will go back to voting for their Independent candidates, the GOP, or they will just stay home. Most have said as much.

[Peace Patriot]

35. No, no, no, we have heard that for 40 years!

And I've been around as a Democratic voter and activist for way more than forty years. I've heard it all. And, you know what? IT'S OVER. Billionaires, corporations, banksters and military profiteers buying our Democratic Party IS OVER.

No more "level playing field." No more excuses for selling our party and our democracy to the highest bidders! The Democrats don't even count any more, nor the Republicans. The biggest party in this country is INDEPENDENTS.

And you know why? Because of "triangulators" like you and the Clintons. Our party doesn't stand for anything any more that the majority of people give a damn about.

But if we stand up, like Bernie Sanders has done--and like all his supporters have done--and say, "NO MORE DIRTY MONEY!"--we become so DIFFERENT from what has been offered by both parties for the last 40 years, since the Reagan junta--i.e., the rich get richer and the poor can jump off a cliff!--November won't even be a contest. Sanders will crush Trump or whoever they nominate (as indicated by all national poll match-ups since January, with Sanders crushing them even more with every passing week).

And when that happens, the revolution happens. Candidates will scramble to RID THEMSELVES OF SUPER PACS. They will want to be clean, because no one will vote for them if they aren't clean. The Republican Party will go back to being the party of the rich, and to minor status, as it was when I was young. And the Democratic Party will become the party of the People once again. And guess what? The People are the majority!

Sanders is creating a NEW MODEL for political action. And that is how We, the People win back Congress and others offices. It's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN if the Democratic Party doesn't change and change radically BACK TO WHAT WE ONCE WERE. It's new. And it's old. And it's the way we should be--because right now MOST of the people in this country have NO representation in the halls of government.

And you think that's going to change because Clinton is shoveling Wall Street money to her preferred down-ticket candidates--IF that is what she is doing, and I don't think it is. But let's say, theoretically, that it is what she is doing. Has it worked? Has the DNC corporate money machine elected a Democratic Congress? Senate? Governors? State legislatures? You know that the answer is NO. Obama couldn't do it. Clinton won't be able to do it. It isn't working. It will never work in the current Depression circumstances of the majority of people. IT'S OVER. That model IS OVER.

The New Model is here right before our eyes: The new model of the old model of a party of the People, which wins by having more people behind it, with small donations and massive activism.

We should seize it while we can, because, in the great gyre of history, this kind of opportunity doesn't happen very often. We need to change the Democratic Party and restore the power of the People! And we need to do it NOW.

[oldandhappy]

19. so this is how they fund the pac thing?

Individual donations are capped at $2,700 I think? I can' do that let alone $353,400. Must be the 1%. DNC gets their cut I see. Money goes UP, not down ticket.

[loyalsister]

31. They are also helping to fund people voters wouldn't donate to

I can think of some anti-choice, pro-gun, confederate flag loving democrats I have known from Southern MO, who fit that bill. Claire McCaskill has never and will never get a cent from me either.

[senz]

21. Isn't it funny/ disgusting/ filthy/ repulsive that Hill fans call Bernie fans "privileged?"

[beam me up scottie]

25. Yes it is.

And they defend this kind of influence peddling by the ones who are truly privileged.

The same people who complain about Bernie's EXORBITANT income and say he lies about his finances while defending their own multi-millionaire candidate from criticism.

[senz]

26. Yup. Serious lack of self-awareness

or perhaps it's just the slimy old tactic of accusing others of what you yourself do.

I'll be so glad when this is all over.

[grasswire]

28. I saw Bernie's people today at the rally.

Nary an expensive coif on any head. No designer duds. No snooty people. Just thousands of everyday Americans of all colors and kinds.

This is a class war.

[senz]

30. Yes, it is.

But Hill is trying to keep it under wraps from the broader public so she can collect their votes on her way to the coronation. Then she could rejoin her homies and reward them for their "support."

[MisterP]

38. or "insulated from the consequences of their vote" as bullets go through

activists and refugees and bombs flatten whole cities

all they have is false guilt: call them out on it

[Land of Enchantment]

24. Let me find out what I can get for one kidney

and maybe I can attend.

[senz]

27. Nah, p!ss on it.

Not worth it.

[deathrind]

29. $33k...for photo.

Wow...there is a Phil Collins song here somewhere...

[Buns_of_Fire]

34. Don't you get a free photo as part of the $353,000 Deluxe Package?

I need to know before I sell one of the Gulfstreams to attend this thing. If I don't get a free photo included, they can forget it!

[Kittycat]

33. Snipped... 24/7/365 x 5 YEARS!!!! Let them eat cake!

I wonder how much the servers and kitchen staff will make that evening? Maybe if they're lucky, they'll get a discount on a photo op?

It's a sum that would require an employee making the federal minimum wage to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for more than 5 years."

[Buns_of_Fire]

36. Speaking of cake, I wonder what the menu is?

This is important to me, because I simply MUST have at least one serving of Peasant Under Glass at every meal or I get cranky and wind up shooting one of the waitstaff, and the police have warned me that I probably can't keep doing that more than six or seven more times before someone starts to notice.

[Kittycat]

37. Don't worry, once they do there's always the Affluenza Defense

Available strictly to the wealthy 1% by whom rules have never applied. And because of this lawless privilege, they have never learned from their actions. So how could we possibly hold them accountable to the law like common folk? That just wouldn't be fair to them, having been depraved of the word, "no" or "that's illegal", or "stop lying or I'm going to take your toys away and ground you".