McCain Camp Lashes Soros -- After McCain Took His Money

Sen. John McCain's campaign aggressively fired back against news on Thursday that Democratic financier George Soros was taking part in a $40 million third-party effort to battle Republicans in the fall.

Hoping to raise funds from the news, campaign manager Rick Davis painted Soros as a "liberal megadonor" eager to "buy this election with [his] billions."

"P.S." Davis added, "Billionaire George Soros has shown time after time that he is willing to fund baseless left-wing smear campaigns."

What kind of "baseless left-wing" projects has Soros funded in the past?

Well, how about the McCain-founded Reform Institute, a nonpartisan 501c3 organization dedicated to promoting accountability and transparency in government.

Indeed, according to the Reform Institute's own website the "Constitutions & Legal Policy Program" of Soros' own Open Society Institute donated "above $50,000" to the group while McCain was with the organization. Reporting at Talking Points Memo today, Greg Sargent gets the actual figure of the donation: $150,000.

And who served as the top staffer for the Reform Institute? That would be Rick Davis, who according to news articles was earning $110,000 a year at his post. Davis, however, has severed his ties with the group. But currently serving as a senior fellow at the Reform Institute is Juan Hernandez, who also doubles as an adviser to the McCain campaign.

So, to draw this out a bit: Soros, the man Rick Davis believes funds "baseless left-wing projects" has not only funded McCain's own organization (we don't know how much over $50,000 he gave), but also portions of Rick Davis' salary.

Update: It gets even better. According to TPM, in 2002 the Open Society Institute gave $300,000 in grants to various groups that were defending McCain's campaign finance law against legal challenges to it. An OSI spokesperson, Laura Silber, confirmed the report. So not only did McCain's own organization and his campaign manager benefit from Soros' cash, but McCain's chief legislative issue was defended using money from the financier they are now deriding.

Comments

[Teritt]

There's a great article in the latest Harper's magazine regarding The Reform Institute also.

But do you know what I find truly amazing? There are only 60 comments on this McCain/Soros article, yet if you read Mayhill Fowler's latest 'Obama /Bitter Pennsylvanians' Off-the-Bus report, there are almost 4000. This article was posted a day earlier AND this article actually has real 'meat'. What is wrong with HuffPosters? Is it that they just go to articles with Obama in the headline so Hillary & Obama supporters can insult each other? They'd actually learn something from this one and actually have a reason to be so upset!

[Boboday555]

Oooops...you took money from Soros too didn't Y'ALL McNasty?
"Any campaign donation in a storm huh Senator?"

[Boboday555]

I have seven words for all you NON-ENLISTING Bush supporting Evangelical Fundementalcases who are actually swallowing this GOP crapolla:
"The Swift-Boat Whores For AWOL Bush"

So please, after you FINALLY go enlist for your AWOL President's and WAR DEFERMENTS Vice President War in Eye-Raq, stuff your disgust with George Soros' donations in 'yer' corn cobbed pipes and smoke it traitors.

[batgirlevi]

mcbush and cheney are both hideous looking and straight out of some horror movie.

[Savanarola]

Add to dishonest, flip-flopp­er,pro-tor­ture, anti-GI Bill, brain-damaged...add to these ingrate and hypocrite and you have the McCain Platform.

[PhoenixtheUndying]

So basically Rick Davis thinks John McCain is a baseless left-wing smear campaign. And so is he.

[BoulderSue]

Hey, Soros IS the American Dream: a refugee from a former Communist country who worked hard and earned his money (it's called Capitalism), didn't inherit it, and is now putting his money where his heart is. He's an American hero according to all the ideas we have about the American Dream. He just can't be President.

[Teritt]

Maybe the trolls want to alert Bill O'Really.

[MyThought]

C'mon - the man hasn't got a conscience. Remember - he condemned the Swiftboat people for what they did to John Kerry - hey, but he didn't mind taking money from them.

[mediamarv]

Time for Davis to folllow in Penn's footsteps.. otherwise one would get the impression that among other things, Senator Mcwalnuts is a hypocrite!!

[Meggie]

McCain's disloyalty shouldnt suprise anyone. Ask his wives!
he has this politician's ability to use a situation to further his ambitions and goals, but the real people he has contact with should ALWAYS watch their backs!
his filthy mouth and irratic temper are there, but I don't think they're the real story about McCain. His dishonesty and chronic inability to remain loyal to the people in his life is the big story.

[kellygrrrl]

McCheney needs to be medicated and retired to some lovely grounds in the AZ desert, preferrably a locked facility.

[littleblackcat]

Personal opinion only, but I do not think it is wise to have anyone serving as president whose temper is so out-of-control as to be part of fisticuffs in our halls of government. Childish behaviour belongs on the playground and should be dispensed with by the age of eleven. Good judgement should be developing then and arguments should be settled by reason. mccain is too old, too war-happy, too hot-headed, too out of touch with the working people. He and Cindy may have a prenup that leaves the money in her name but he still gets all the perks and does not want for a thing by riding on her money's coat-tails.

[treadway123]

they say the Dem's are pulling each other apart with thier back and forth. What's going on in the repub's party is just as bad, but just not as loud! Conservatives do not want Mccain----­--Republic­ans like me are jumping ship! I don't feel a bit bad that I refuse to stay and vote for some one like Mccain! I respect he is a War Hero, and served us well in the Senate! But I'm a woman and I will be darnn if I'll stand by and vote for some one who lose's his temper and call his wife a Cunt! Nore, will I vote for a woman who lies to us, and who's husband committs adultry, Who has does things in foreign countries behind our Goverments back! Also I will not vote for a woman who gets away with foreign entertainers from the U.K. come here and raise money for her---------when I know we have a law against any foreigners trying to pick our President or gov. officials of any kind by Financeing , raiseing or giveing money to thier campagnes. So I don't think Either Mccain or Hillary use's good judgement at all! Niether are Presidential material!

[MizLiz]

I just hate this photo of McCain.....baring his teeth in a humorless grimace. You can see chimps do exactly the same thing.

Come to think of it, I hate McCain no matter what. If he should get elected I guarantee you, this country will not just circle the bowl, it will go directly into the septic system.

[merle7]

Since the MSM will probably give McWar a free ride(all positive) this media attack on him is necessary.

[Raisean]

I bet this won't be in the news for long...