Ahrcanum

The Federal Election Commission Friday[9-8-08] approved payment of $84.1 million in federal funds for the general election campaign of John McCain and Sarah Palin…. In that letter the candidates agreed to abide by the overall spending limit (there are no state-by-state limits) and to other legal requirements, including a post-campaign audit.  Presidential candidates accepting the federal payment are subject to a spending limit of $84.1 million, the amount of the payment, plus a combined personal spending limit of $50,000 from their personal funds.Additional funds may be raised, subject to the limits and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act, for legal and accounting expenses. http://www.fec.gov/press/press2008/20080908cert.shtml

Obama opted out and has significantly received more donations than McCain.  I wonder, if in part, the reason he chose not to accept federal funds was to avoid some of the legal requirements and possibly to avoid an audit.

Obama’s largest contributors to date is William Budinger to the tune of $30,800.  http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/search.php?cid=N00009638&name=&employ=&state=%28all%29&zip=%28any+zip%29&submit=OK&amt=a&sort=A 

Who is William Budinger? William Budinger is listed as an active Trusee for the Aspen Institute, his time is now spent helping the Rodel Foundation pursue its education reform objectives.  What are exactly are those objectives, I wonder.  http://www.rodelfoundations.org/aspen.shtml  Foundation recipients are lucky enough to attend “week-long seminars in both China and the Middle East where Fellows will meet with regional leaders and learn about the challenges and opportunities those areas pose for the future of America.”

A Conversation with Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Aspen Institute President Walter Isaacson,

http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.1096989/k.C19/Senator_Barack_Obama_and_Walter_Isaacson.htm

From Obama own lips speaking at the Aspen Institute, “Abortion is an issue that is very difficult to compromise on because people feel very deeply about these issues. And if you believe that abortion is murder, then it’s hard to say, “Well, I’ll admit murder in some circumstances.” You feel that you have to go all the way and fight as hard as you can.”

What is more controversial than Obama’s stance on partial birth abortions? http://www.abortionfacts.com/online_books/love_them_both/why_cant_we_love_them_both_18.asp#partial%20birth%20abortion  His wife Michelle is right in his shadow.  “In February 2004, his wife, Michelle, sent out a fundraising letter, which actually stated her concern over the rise of conservatism in the Country, and that the ‘so-called’ partial-birth abortion was a legitimate medical procedure that should be protected.” http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/77500/barack_hussein_obama_jr_defends_partialbirth.html?cat=9   And, Barack Obama said on July 17th, 2007: “The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing that I’d do.” It will require that the taxpayer fund abortions and remove restrictions on abortion.  You can’t give a kid an aspirin from the school nurse without restrictions and yet, abortion will have little restrictions. 

Getting back to Isaacson -CNN, the network he headed during the Iraq War coverage, he is quoted as saying, “Walter Isaacson, who headed CNN, observes, “The people at Knight Ridder were calling the colonels and the lieutenants and the people in the CIA and finding out, you know, that the intelligence is not very good. We should’ve all been doing that.” If Issacson knew there was some questionable intelligence CNN didn’t report it or question it- Did they?

From its site, “The Aspen Institute mission is two fold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.  http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.493947/k.7AC3/About_the_Aspen_Institute.htm

The Aspen Institute lists Harvard graduated Walter Isaacson as its current President & CEO.   http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.2253415/k.5A1D/About_Walter_Isaacson.htm Walter Isaacson, the president of the Aspen Institute, is the former managing editor of Time and chairman of CNN and the author of biographies of Henry Kissinger, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein. 

William E. Mayer is the Chairman of The Board for the Aspen Group with a pretty good resume dotted with being a Senior Partner of Park Avenue Equity Partners, to Credit Suisse, a trustee of the Columbia Group of Mutual Funds, a board member of the Acumen Fund, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Vice Chairman of the Middle East Investment Initiative. http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/c.huLWJeMRKpH/b.612715/k.960D/William_E_Mayer.htm

Surprisingly William Mayer he has supported John McCain by making campaign contributions to him.  Oops, he had to take some back.  ANYONE KNOW WHY?

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/search.php?cid=&name=mayer%2C+william&employ=%28any+employer%29&state=%28all%29&zip=%28any+zip%29&submit=OK&amt=a&sort=A

Why is the contribution to John McCain by William E. Mayer shown as being returned?  It is because he is linked to tightly with the liberal Aspen Institute and was pressured into doing so?  Did William E. Mayer violate campaign laws?  Did he over extend himself and the checks bounced?  Did McCain stamp the envelope with return to sender?

On the Board of Directors at The Aspen we find some notable names like, Henry E. Catto, Madeleine K. Albright, and Leonard A. Lauder.  What brand of Lipstick does Sarah Palin wear? Also David Gergen, Robert K. Steel of Wachovia, Roderick von Lipsey USB Financial Services, Frederick B. Whittemore Morgan Stanley, Sidney Harman of Harmon Ind., but the name that really caught my eye besides well known Henry A. Kissinger, being Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc.,  was Prince Bandar bin Sultan-Former Saudi Ambassador to the United States. 

Prince Bandar bin Sultan in the past, has had loyalties to Bush, but not Sultan is not with out controversy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandar_bin_Sultan  There were rumors that Prince Bandar bin Sultan was told of the plan to invade Iraq ahead of notifying Secretary of State Colin Powell.  Did Colin Powell’s feeling get hurt, and the reason he is now endorsing Obama and getting even with the Republican Party? 

Interestedly enough, Prince Bandar bin Sultan has a home larger that The White House, in where?  You guessed it, Aspen, Colorado, USA. Called The Halla Ranch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandar_bin_Sultan  http://www.christiesgreatestates.com   has it listed for sale.  Since 9-11, Prince Bandar bin Sultan no longer visits as often.  The Halla Ranch home has 15 bedrooms, but in his defense he has 8 children, so I can actually see that for such an honored dignitary.

McCain wants to know where Obama’s money is coming from and so do I.  We know all about William Budinger donation but “There’s $200 million of those campaign contributions – there’s no record. They’re not reported. You can report online now, $200 million, that we don’t know where the money came from. A lot of strange things going on in this campaign,” McCain said. “The American people should know where every penny came from. They know where every penny of my campaign contributions came from.”  http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/19/politics/fromtheroad/entry4531269.shtml

The Company that you keep, the words you speak, and your current and past associations sure says a lot about you Mr. Obama.  I hear on Howie Mandel’s, new game show, Deal or No Deal, “show me the money”  from contestants.  Well Mr. Obama who has no birth certificate and has 56 other citizenship questions pending for him in the Berg vs Obama, and the DNC et al pending lawsuit, SHOW ME THE MONEY.

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