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By NBC's Michael Isikoff
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino mogul bankrolling Newt Gingrich’s super PAC isn’t trying to “buy” a presidency, his top political consultant tells NBC News. He’s just following in the footsteps of another powerful business tycoon, Joseph Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy.
Billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his wife have given GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich's super-PAC $10 million, the biggest cash infusion in the race for the White House. NBC's Michael Isikoff reports on the couple behind the contribution.
“I don’t think it’s buying a presidency any more than it was when Joe Kennedy helped his son,” Sig Rogich, a veteran Republican operative who serves as Adelson’s government affairs consultant, said in an interview about the massive donations that the casino mogul has made to Gingrich’s super PAC.
Adelson, 78, who has a personal fortune estimated at $21 billion, “plays to win” and “puts his money where his mouth is,” Rogich added.
In the last three weeks, Adelson and his Israeli-born wife Miriam have pumped $10 million into the Winning Our Future Super PAC. Those donations provided a critical cash infusion that helped revive Gingrich’s candidacy, bankrolling attack ads against Mitt Romney in South Carolina and now Florida. They’ve also made the Adelsons the largest known donors so far in a presidential race awash with money under new rules allowing unlimited donations to so-called super PACs.
But the contributions have also raised new questions about Adelson’s outside role in influencing the campaign. Those questions could intensify as a result of potentially provocative comments he has made about Israel uncovered by NBC News.
Scott Audette / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich makes a point during the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Florida January 26, 2012.
Adelson owns a newspaper in Israel, 'Israel HaYom,' that backs conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and adamantly opposes any peace settlement with the Palestinians.
But while Adelson and Gingrich have bonded on the issue of a hawkish Mideast policy, especially over the threat of a nuclear Iran, some of the casino mogul’s comments could prove embarrassing.
In a talk to an Israeli group in July, 2010, Adelson said he wished he had served in the Israeli Army rather than the U.S. military—and that he hoped his young son would come back to Israel and “be a sniper for the IDF,” a reference to the Israel Defense Forces. (YouTube video of speech)
“I am not Israeli. The uniform that I wore in the military, unfortunately, was not an Israeli uniform. It was an American uniform, although my wife was in the IDF and one of my daughters was in the IDF ... our two little boys, one of whom will be bar mitzvahed tomorrow, hopefully he’ll come back-- his hobby is shooting -- and he’ll come back and be a sniper for the IDF,” Adelson said at the event.
“All we care about is being good Zionists, being good citizens of Israel, because even though I am not Israeli born, Israel is in my heart,” he said toward the end of his talk.
Asked about those comments, Rogich said: “No one could possibly ever think that he is anything but a loyal American. He’s shown that time and time again.”
Rogich cited major donations that Adelson has made to medical research and other philanthropic causes that were far bigger than his political contributions, he said.
As for Israel, Rogich said: “I think that the fact that he is a Zionist and believes deeply in the preservation of Israel is so commendable.”
Newt Gingrich, who stirred controversy recently by calling the Palestinians "an invented people," appears on the cover of Sheldon Adelson's newspaper, Israel HaYom, blasting the Obama administration for its policies on Iran. "The Obama administration is denying reality," reads the headline in Hebrew. "The refusal to confront evil could cause a second Holocaust."
Gingrich, who stirred controversy recently by calling the Palestinians “an invented people,” appeared on the cover of Adelson’s Israeli newspaper blasting the Obama administration for its policies on Iran.
“The Obama administration is denying reality,” reads the headline in Hebrew. “The refusal to confront evil could cause a second Holocaust.”
When Gingrich was questioned about the money from Adelson this week, he immediately cited the casino mogul’s backing of Israel as a major reason he had received his support.
“Sheldon Adelson is very deeply concerned about the survival of Israel and believes that the Iranians represent a mortal threat to Israel and the United States,” Gingrich said in an interview while on the campaign trail in Florida. “And he is deeply motivated by the question of having a commander-in-chief strong enough and willing to make sure the Iranians do not get nuclear weapons.”
Asked if he had promised the casino mogul anything in exchange for the money to the super PAC, Gingrich replied: “I promised him that I would seek to defend the United States and the United States allies.”
Adelson’s interests extend beyond Israel. His personal fortune comes from a casino empire that stretches from the Vegas strip to the gambling havens of Singapore and Macau. But his business interests have also provoked legal troubles.
Adelson’s company, the Las Vegas Sands, disclosed last year that it was being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations by a former top company executive that Adelson directed him to put a local government official on its payroll in Macau — a potential violation of a U.S. anti-bribery law. The firm has denied the allegations, saying they come from a lawsuit filed by a disgruntled former employee.
Adelson also earned a reputation in Las Vegas as a fierce foe of labor unions after he bought the legendary Sands Hotel, home base of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack, and then blew it up in 1996.
About 1,500 casino workers lost their jobs. Adelson built a spectacular new hotel in its place, the Venetian, but locked out the state’s powerful Culinary Workers Union, which resulted in street protests and lawsuits.
Union official D. Taylor (sic) said that Adelson’s security officials at the Las Vegas Sands Hotel tried to have the protestors outside his hotel arrested, but Las Vegas police refused.
“He claimed that he owned the sidewalks,” Taylor said. Georgia Democratic “congressman John Lewis led us on the sidewalks to say that nobody’s going to own the people on the sidewalks,” he added. “Sheldon then appealed the decision of the police not to arrest us all the way to the Supreme Court.”
Taylor said Adelson lost that battle — the courts upheld a finding of anti-labor practices against his company — but now the casino mogul thinks he can purchase a presidency.
“I think it’s very scary that any one candidate would be so beholden to one persona, a billionaire, who obviously has a very specific agenda that he wants to achieve,” said Taylor.
But Rogich, Adelson’s consultant, said that agenda consists of nothing more than trying to elect a good friend who he believes “would be a great president.”
“And that’s what this process is all about — that’s why we call it America,” he said. “You have the right to spend your money how you’d like to spend it.”
Leave a Comment:
Why haven't we all banded together to stop the sale of our democracy?
ONE REAL MAN actually ENJOYS sitting in the bottom of some fat cat's $35,000 office toilet getting trickled down on. Why? Because it makes it SO much easier to kiss their ASS, you sniveling Brown Noser! Now go stick your nose up your bosses butt
I can say one thing? this is not a tea party. This is occupy America. And we intend to destroy super pacs, bought elections, palin, newt, and anyone else that gets in the way of progress in America. Tea bags and their masters are finished completely.......now all you devil loving pigs get ready to rumble.
justmy,
You sound hysterical about the Repubs so called "super pacs" and the way they can "influence elections".
Answer this: Obama got 3/4 of all Wall Street donations in 08. How did that influence the "progress in America" that you're so worried about?????????????
don't forget that he has super pacs of his own
Wrong. He has super americans......giving donations......and yes there are wealthy americans that stand in the corner of ALL americans.......
justmy,
you are wrong.
Obama has super pacs too.
What works for Repubs, works for Obama too.
No difference.
So, why don't you spread your outrage around?
You know, it'll be similar to "spreading the wealth." LOL
Because these people ,we have all these problems with the rest of the world. Sorry but 9/11 didn't happened by magic. No wonder why the republicans put the interest of Israel before the interest of their country and their people. If you're Zionist you can't be a true American. All these people infiltrated in the congress and making very bad decisions. How many American soldiers were killed because they pushed us to war with Irak and now with Iran.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!
I think the guy should be arrested for not registering as a Agent of Israel. This is an effort to buy America with few millions in order we may spend hundreds of Billion and sacrifice our young sons, jeopordized world economy so that Jews can deny humanity to Palestinian people just liek it was denied to Jews by Hitler.
We have come a full circle. It is like Abused child grows up to be abuser of children.
Unfortunately, when Palestinian man asked a question, these people who want to be President of all American treated him like a non person and out of place just liek some evangelist treat Mormon and cultist and not belongin to the community of Christians. Did not Romney thought of it that his comment can boomrang onMormons?
In answer to the gentleman last night, it was mentioned that Palestinian factions avow "death" to the Israeli state.
The Republicans were asking last night..........How can a peace be achieved if that is the starting point?
No matter whose side you are on, both sides need to start at a point where they both agree to a 2 state solution.
Leona;
Gime a break.
If 200 nukes cannot protect siz million Jews, then Jews are doomed one way or other. Israelis are killing 10 times as many Arabs, Mulsims and Christians both. White Israeli treat black Isralis like they are @!$%#s. All Israeli treat Arab like dogs and they say si.
If any one treats Jews so bad here in USA and takes away his home, All Jews will scream bloody murder and will line up to file law suits. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Atr this point you gusy are acting like Nazis acted against Jews. They also never had anything good to say about Jews as Jews do not have anything good to say abotu Arabs. Both situation is racist and both should be condemned.
Raj,
with all due respect.
I can feel your passion for this, BUT.....Look, How can a SOLUTION ever take place if Palestinian factions want to "Level" Israel??
If Adelson can put this money into a LOST CAUSE, why not put his money into something worthwhile !!! What a joke ! Obama2012 !!!!
Linda,
How many people does he employ? How much in taxes are raised from his businesses that pay for schools and social programs that you love so much? How much money does he donate to charity?
So, stop your shortsighted, left wing, illogical, typical left wing crap!!!
Talk about a joke........Turn off you computer, you're embarrassing yourself!
I'm laughing at you............I'm laughing some more........
bernie,
you are right.
Liberals think money falls out of the sky. No one told them that people work hard, earn money, employ others, pay taxes to the govt. and so on.
@Leona,
And republicans work hard to destroy their own country and the rest of the world!
What a nut!
Bernie-1722829 and Leona-2986819.....I will tell you what is embarrassing.....the field of GOP candidates and the GOP-controlled House......!
I don't fault Adelson for the good that his business produces....what I said was why waste money on a LOST CAUSE !!!
Linda,
Gingrich got a lot accomplished in the 90's with Bill Clinton. I heard Clinton himself say that recently.
So, no matter how you feel about Gingrich, you have to admit that he has a good record. There are many people who remember that.
Why is that so hard to understand? Especially in this time of high unemployment and high national debt, people are looking back at better times and are looking for solutions. Obama doesn't have any. He just talks a lot.
Leona-2986819 ---
Obama would have accomplished a great deal more than he has if it had not been for the GOP-controlled House and their refusal to work with him. Make me understand why they were so set against whatever the President proposed as a way to reduce unemployment, among other things. Let me just put it out there, Leona, do you think it is because the President in Black....! A lot of people have shown their real selves here lately and I suspect there is some truth in the adage that "the more things change, the more they stay the same." Let us be honest.
if i was a UNIONIZED brown noser that would be ok ??? carry a black fist sign in circles screaming progressive socilist slogans to the saul alinskey trophy
one real jerk........enough said.
It's all too hard to think about - a Presidential candidate out of the current Republican field! Obama is going to eat them alive!
and spit and blow them to the MOON
The Upper Class does not NEED the Medicare ans SS they get. So since we are in such a damned pinch, why are they not sacrificing by getting NONE? Makes no damned sense at all, just like keeping the capital gains tax at 15% instead of 28% like it was under REAGAN. Duh!!! We have a DEFICIT!
because the senate won't vote on the bill by paul ryan that has been sent to the senate by the house
David,
Hey putz and all you other left wing short sighted, liberal jackasses.
There are approximately 8,500 people in the U.S.making more than 10 MILLION dollars a year. If we confiscated ALL their money, it would only be enough to run the government for 18 days! So, stop your illogical, uninformed stupidity!!
bernie,
the Obama smear machine ( Msnbc included) has decided that Obama's track record is so bad that they will attempt to destoy "rich" people in the media and make "rich" people the enemy.
Unfortunately, the lemmings are so high on the kool aid that they buy into this preposterous theory.
Like you said, they can tax the rich all they want and it still won't make a dent in our huge national debt.
Paul ryan's a dolt and a Koch tool.
It‘s just the same old formula we’ve seen before of providing big tax breaks to the very wealthy and powerful special interests at the expense of the rest of America.
G.Bud,
sounds like you're following the Liberals of Oz down the yellow DEBT road to more debt and more unemployment.
follow,follow,follow,follow the yellow DEBT road.......follow , Dorothy Pelosi, Tin man Obama, Lion Reid and Scarecrow Biden down the yellow DEBT road.
thought Newty was a candidate of the little guy - Looks like he has a lot of money behind him! sounds like Israel is trying to buy our President! The christain right must be so proud!
are we comparing big obama money to big newt money ?
NO. Big Obama money comes from decent millionaires and billionaires along with working citizens.
justmy53,
According to you...... "decent millionaires" give to Obama and "mean and nasty millionaires" give to Republicans ???? lol
Wow, the kool aid is strong today.
To: Rule of Nines - please identify which millionaires or billionaires gave $10,000,000 (or even $5,000, or $1,000) to President Obama's campaign, and provide the source of your information.
You see, people who cut corners or skirt the law or intent of the law, want/need to believe "...EVERYBODY is doing it, so why shouldn't my guy Newt?"
Funny Obama has spent and still jhas 10 times that in election re-election funds. 15% millianiare tax is false. They paid taxes when they made the money. It IS NOT A PAYROLL tax. Search capital gains profits, and of course the many many lossses those investors also take.
they only read donkey news so they won't learn what a investment tax is
Welfare for liars, thiefs, cons, billionaires, corporate greed and the newt moon development.
Even the Presidency is up for lots.
America might not have the best government, but it will certainly have the best that money can buy. American democracy is now for sale to the highest bidder. Maybe we need to stop having primaries and elections and choose our President and Congress by a process like "The Price is Right."
This whole story and election thing just goes to shown which Whore is being BOUGHT AND SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER and HOW THE DRASTICALLY SUPPOSEDLY ELECTING A PRESIDENT IN THIS COUNTRY HAS CHANGED!
But hey don't let me interrupt you, go right ahead and keep on discussing your PSEUDO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION and it's candidates!
Let's just see which one of these Puppet Whores are going to win by going to the highest bidder!
My bet is the PUPPET who was bought and sold in the last presidential election in 2008 that all of you thought you elected!
But hey that's it's just me what do I know!
Have a nice day!
So this is what Nancy was talking about.
Yeah we should make all the LIBS live on the moon since most of them are LUNATICS and why is anyone surprised that Jewish people are not behind a guy named Barack Husienn Obama they know who someone with that name REALLY IS!!! Even if you Goofs dont LOL
I used to be a Republican. I'm sorry. I apologize to the American people. Republicans are bought and paid for by big business and the rich who control it. Republicans are unfriendly and unsympathetic to the average US citizen. This also applies to the recently elected Arkansas Republicans Senator Bozeman and Congressman Steve Womack. Bought and paid for by the Walton and Tyson families. As reported in the Arkansas Democratic Gazette, when they expressed their interest in running for federal offices as arkansas republicans they were brought to see the Waltons and the Tysons. They do not represent the poor backward people in this Right to Work (for less) state which is home to the uber rich Waltons and Tysons who want to ensure their right to walk you out of your job with no rights on your part if you don't want to be their faithful slave.
So a rich Israeli fan wants to back a corrupt politician who can be a faithful supporter of big bucks to Israel as they oppress and murder the people whose land they occupy. Who better than the "Newt" who has a long and proven record that he is corrupt ethically and can be bought. In this case they are only buying in at the start so they have better control over their Newtbot. Otherwise, they have to buy in to whomever gets elected and don't have the same degree of control. If you want to see some of their buying efforts just look at congressional travel junkets to Israel (vacations with the wife and kids) paid for by (but not really) by the Israeli government.
The Newt is physically and morally revolting. The perfect Republican candidate. I do however believe that he is smarter than George (The Village Idiot) Bush and may cost the Israelis more in the long run than they expect to pay.
total,
That's funny. I use to be a typical, proud South Side Chicago, Richard J. Daley democrat. So, I guess we cancel each other out!
To: totalcynic
Don't blame Newt. The American public have worked to make him a success. The Tea Party faction of the American Public has kidnapped the GOP and pushed it so far right that "normal" party members are cowed and those who would be "normal" GOP candidates (think Haley Barber, Condi Rice, Cris Christie) have taken themselves out of the race until the party regains some form of sanity. Thus what we have left are candidates that might not be the best for our country. As a matter of fact, the current crop of candidates are so bad even republicans are holding their noses.
At the root of this is that the party has allowed a small group to move it to the right. Then the grown-ups who knew better tried to out-Tea-Party the Tea Party by raising the rhetoric and selling it as truth. They brand President Obama as the worst; vote against everything he proposes (even when he tries to take their ideas to propose. Of course this gives leeway for the fringe to move further afield with their rhetoric to the far-flung-destination of "Anybody-but-Obama". While this works for their small cadre, I wouldn't want to build a campaign on it. Thus the GOP has painted themselves into a corner that not even they like the smell of. The American public are the losers. The rest of the world watches in fascination, wondering, 'Why do Americans eat their own like that? What is supposed to be so bad about Obama that has triggered this. He seems perfectly normal to me. Is it because he's black?"
to: Texas A&I
Not every American feels this way, Texas A&I. Bear with me here.
Gas prices are up, and need to go higher! Europe, Africa and Asia already pay higher prices for gas. They've proved you can run an economy with higher prices. Accept it as given that gas prices will go higher. So now the question is just who should get the revenue from higher prices. Exon, the Arab countries or the US Government? Take your pick. Exon will sit on the extra profits, or move them out of the country or do what is best for Exon, not necessarily what is best for the US. My vote is have the US Government get the higher prices through taxes. A follow-on outcome of the higher prices is more oil conservation. (Since the recession, oil usage is down. With oil demand down, guess what the arab producers are feeling? The squeeze. The squeeze to the point they are competing more with each other to sell their product.)
Lets talk about this from another perspective. A lot of people on the political right (not all) seem to want to "drill baby drill". This is a zero sum game. The more American oil is pumped and used today, the less there is left for our children. If we are committed to leaving a legacy for our children, it should include natural resources. In my mind, the last country standing with the most oil LEFT is the winner. So if we spend our our time and money today pumping as much as we can from our own territory, THEN the price rises from $100/barrel to $350/barrel in 50 years, we'll be sorry. I understand prices normally rise when commodities become scarcer.
I know this is NOT a popular view, but it seems to make sense to me. Based on this hypothesis, it also makes sense for the country who owns the best and most processes and technology for saving oil will also be well placed. In other words our government should concentrate on developing/inventing ways to more efficiently use oil and gas. Notice i said our government. Letting BP or Exon or other international companies means they will just sell it to the highest bidder, given the are an international company.
I'd like your input on this. I've been spending too much time on evolving this line of thought and am probably too close to it to appreciate it's faults.
... I suppose had the money been donated to anyone other than Gingrich this mole hill wouldnt be a mountain.. What is scaring all these people that they want to tras hNewt Gingrich? He could tell some stories about Washington and they dont want him there.. Are is maybe he could get our country back on the road to recovery and stop brown -nosing with foriegn countries.. Trashing a canidate by another one shows how juvenile one can be. I like the way Newt handles himself he doesnt get all timid and wet his drawers!!!!! Mitt is not the man to do anything just a rich man wanting is way..Remeber he dropped out last time. He was afraid of McCain.... He could have won. Look what happen and unknown person got elected and the country is going to the dogs!!! Its time to elct a man that can handle any sitution that comes his way... VOTE NEWT GINGRICH!!!!!!
Our country is not going to the dogs. President Obama has done the best with what he has to work with. That included NO cooperation from the other party (where President Bush had significant cooperation from the democrats to get his proposals turned into law).
What would a President McCain have done differently? This is the worse recession since 1928, so there is no recovery to compare it to for speed of recovery. How fast do you think anyone else (please name them) could have recovered the 8.2 million jobs lost due to the recession started in january of 2008, a year before Obama took office.
Why does the GOP hate President Obama so much?
Doesn't it bother you that all the people who worked with Newt when he was in congress refuse to support him? are you saying that all of them are wrong or corrupt and only Newt is right? I don't understand. Please explain.
Thanks.
Sounds like this Adelson character is the George Soros of the Right. Scary...
And this is legal? But someone putting in change in my expired parking meter is a crime!!!
I love how this family values candidate gets his money from a casino owner!
Capitalism IS the doling out of debt , BY DEFINITION. So DEAL with it!
They scraped the bottom of the barrel when the credit worthy people got too thin among competitors so they acted on the good old economic principle that if you SNOOZE, you LOSE. Same deal for Drug Cartel Money. They just HAD to find and loan out new money or they were screwed. And so here we are in the end game with a family of 4, systematically counting ALL US debt both private and Federal, owing 600k to the banks
Not trying to buy a president anymore than Joe was trying to buy one for Jack? So, YES, you ARE trying to buy a presidency
In this case, though, Sheldon, it's not for your own son, it's for a total t*rd of a human being, who is nothing but an opportunist, who will do nothing to help the lower 98% of the citizenry.
Shelly is a true and devout 1%'r. Their loyalty is to themselves, period. He wants to blow up the Sands Convention Center now and leave the land empty because he is making the big bucks in Macau and doesn't want to pay the taxes. So, what we have here is a Zionist, loyal to Israel first, makes his billion or so in America, takes that to Macau and quadruples it and he's loyal to who? Not America, not China (especially since he's been busted doing the same crap he's been doing in Las Vegas for 40 years) but Israel? Shelly does nothing for the 99% except use the courts to push them around, or pat himself on the back because he believes he makes it possible for them to eat. As a matter of fact, he does own the sidewalks in front of his Casino and to the middle of Las Vegas Blvd as does Steve Wynn and all the others. That is how it works with Casino's in Nevada. The Strip, et al. is private property. That is why when Paris Hilton was busted in a car on the strip, she was brought to Wynn Security first, then to jail. It is Steve's call when dealing with the rich and/or famous. Shelly is used to calling ALL the shots but when he makes a spectucal of this 'private ownership' he loses. Shelly needs to be fully loyal to his adopted country by becoming an Israel citizen, paying Israel taxes and purchasing some level of military status which is obviously so important thing to him. I'm embarrassed that he served in the US military, who knows how many people are like him, wearing the uniform of one country when their loyalty is to another. He can hire the Newt to do what he does best, rewrite his history. Maybe place his parents briefly in the middle east so that he can be 'conceived' in Palestine and/or born there and then they flee to America.... yada, yada, yada. He is Jewish first, that only works in Israel where that 1% do not believe in separation of church and state and therefore do not have a democracy. Shelly is a good example of the 'International' 1%'rs who purchase media in various countries and incite violence using religious fanatics. Hmmmm...... Sounds like another 1%r, that evil Media Empire King, Rupert Murdoch.