Rupert Murdoch: Republican Donations 'In The Best Interest Of The Company...And The Country'

News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch said last week that his company's news-making donations to Republican organizations were in the best interest of both his shareholders and the American people.

When confronted on a shareholder conference call over News Corp's $1 million donations to both the Republican Governors Association and the GOP-friendly US Chamber of Commerce, Murdoch defended the company's actions.

"In these two donations you're speaking of, we judged it to be in the best interest of the company," Murdoch responded. "It has nothing to do with the editorial policies or the journalism or the films or anything else."

He would go on to explain that the donations were also made in the best interest of the American people.

"We believe that it's certainly in the interest of the country and of all the shareholders and the prosperity of the -- that there be a degree of -- a fair amount of change in Washington," he said.

Murdoch acknowledged that the donations were "unusual," but reiterated his justification for them.

"They were unusual, and we made them because we decided that was in the interest of our shareholders and the country," he said.

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Comments

[retromega]

12:53 AM on 10/20/2010

Yeah, its great to claim that donating to the GOP and its no tax, pro subsidy program is to the company's benefit. I really have to wonder if raising generations of functional illiterates, if depending upon these ill-served low income people for the bulk of tax revenue, and then manipulating these same people into "protecting the rights" of a financial aristocracy is really to the benefit of the country.

This is the financial model of a kleptocracy like Zaire under Mobutu. Now we are looking at the same feature in the USA courtesy of a foreign cabal with Rupert Murdoch at its head. While he has managed to sprinkle well paid Americans at the mid-level positions there does not appear to be one who is able to divorce their financial benefit from a corresponding benefit to the United States. This is solely a display of arrogance and hubris. What's good for Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ailes must be good for the country - even if it leads to mass unemployment, thousands of battlefield casulties, and higher abortion rates! Their is nothing there that can't be remedied by outlawing unpleasant consequences, building more jails, and incarcerating people who disagree with enriching oneself at the public through!

[roger37]

01:07 AM on 10/20/2010

The election in two weeks is, IMO, the last chance we have to reclaim our system of government. I may sound naive, but if we can reject the wackos who run (and vote) on the basis of demagoguery, maybe we can overturn our current system of Government By Bribery.

If we lose either house of congress, we're all screwed. Citizens United will never be overturned.

[Vincent Gormley]

12:10 AM on 10/20/2010

How the )^%%$@#$%&)__%@$%&@&#^ would you know Rupert? You who presents faked reality and faux news spewing venom on a daily basis!

[journeygirl]

08:56 PM on 10/19/2010

In 1985 Murdoch became a United States citizen to satisfy legislation that only United States citizens could own American television stations. Now he can buy our election.

[jaslyn]

07:55 PM on 10/19/2010

When he says 'the country', he means the rich, corporations, banks, Wall Street etc. He doesn't mean working Americans . The guys a major corporatist, as are the Repugs, who are in their pockets doing their bidding. Is this news?

[MadeandBakedintheUSA]

07:17 PM on 10/19/2010

We were warned:

Australians warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch infiltrate our free press standards

England warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch infiltrate our free press standards

Sir Richard Branson : "if we let him, Murdoch will destroy democracy".

We ignored Australia and England- look at the dumb down we got!

WSJ- Dumb it Down President!

Wall Street Journal- Once the most trustworthy news in the WORLD

Pitiful and shameful

WSJ: Dumb it Down Mr. President!

Once again-

Sir Richard Branson: "if we let him, Murdoch will destroy democracy".

6 weeks after Obama took office- @FOXNEWS held first GOP TEA PARTY ! http://bit.ly/4RKdQM

[MadeandBakedintheUSA]

07:16 PM on 10/19/2010

The dumber we get - the more need for Murdoch

MARCH 2009- WSJ: Dumb it Down Mr. President!

What else do you AMERICANS need?

Australians warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch infiltrate our free press standards

England warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch infiltrate our free press standards

Sir Richard Branson : "if we let him, Murdoch will destroy democracy".

We ignored Australia and England- look at the dumb down we got!

WSJ- Dumb it Down President!

Wall Street Journal- Once the most trustworthy news in the WORLD

Pitiful and shameful

WSJ: Dumb it Down Mr. President!

Once again-

Sir Richard Branson: "if we let him, Murdoch will destroy democracy".

6 weeks after Obama took office- Murdoch held first GOP TEA PARTY ! http://bit.ly/4RKdQM

[pamelagoodenough]

05:27 PM on 10/19/2010

Great article on Murderdoch in Vanity Fair this month.

THe article lays out just how mean and selfish this old sob is and how he rose to power. It was all about being just as mean and vile as he would be so he could take over the media.

It is such a joke when people speak of the main stream media. Fox is the main stream media and it is in the can for the neocons. Now Murdoch is trying to take over the British media.

How old is he? I think perhaps he could be the incarnation of $@tin. really.

[alicam]

08:17 PM on 10/19/2010

No, he's satan's dad.

[LittleRedHenSez]

07:57 AM on 10/20/2010

How old is he? How healthy? Does he have inheriting progeny who think just like him?

[zanzig]

08:50 AM on 10/20/2010

Progeny? The only one who counts is Lachlan, and he is a chip off the old block.

[Lonely Progressive in AZ]

03:25 PM on 10/19/2010

Imagine the outrage by the righties if MSNBC donated $1 million each to the Democratic Governor's Association and Moveon.org!

[Dr Confuso]

03:22 PM on 10/19/2010

Again I ask: What did we ever do to Australia to deserve Murdoch?

[donia1970]

08:00 PM on 10/19/2010

..they would be foaming at the mouth - and all would need rabies shots....

[zanzig]

08:56 AM on 10/20/2010

Hey, be fair, we also gave you Errol Flynn, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Rachel Griffiths, Eric Bana, Heath Ledger, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett ...

[farmilyman]

03:14 PM on 10/19/2010

I guess he feels that rating will go up because of all the crazyness. I'm not sure about which country he is refering to will benefit........it's not the US.

[sistahfriend]

03:59 PM on 10/19/2010

It's time for them to be off the air.

[Craig Lane]

02:53 PM on 10/19/2010

His head on a pike would be in the better interest of this country.

[pamelagoodenough]

05:16 PM on 10/19/2010

amen

[MichaelMcKLA]

02:29 PM on 10/19/2010

Murdoch is a blatant reactionary propaganda merchant. Everyone knows it.

[YouDontWantMeHere]

02:07 PM on 10/19/2010

we alls knows it ain't gotts nutin ta do with the journalism cause they ain't got none

[philss]

02:00 PM on 10/19/2010

murdock is an australian
he cares nada aboiut america except for the money he makes here and sends back to australia
he should never have been allowed to purchase american citizenship
he only became a naturalized american so he could buy american tv stations
go home murdock and take your faux news idiots with you
although one could hardly blame the australian govt for not letting him in
then again he does own a place in switzerland too

[sistahfriend]

04:00 PM on 10/19/2010

Agreed.

F&F

[Factonfact]

01:56 PM on 10/19/2010

Rupert Murdoch is a plague upon every country in which he operates.

No place is the better for him.