Billionaire Sheldon Adelson to invest $100 million in Mitt Romney's run

Posted on Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 11:05 AM

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When the Mitt Romney race is over one thing more than any other will probably define it: billionaires.

The Romney campaign is just lousy with them. On Thursday Forbes reported that the latest player, billionaire Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, has vowed to spend $100 million dollars of his own money to get Mitt Romney elected. Possibly even more. He will do 'whatever it takes' to defeat Obama, he told Forbes.

Sheldon Adelson is the seventh richest man in the U.S. and the fourteenth richest man in the world. On the 'World Billionaires' list, he's just a hair behind Tea Party shadow leader David Koch.

'No price is too high' to protect the U.S. from what he sees as Obama’s 'socialization' of America, as well as securing the safety of Israel, Adelson says. Adelson, 78, added that he considers this to be the most important election of his lifetime.

When you're that rich you have a lot of pearls to clutch, I guess. Wouldn't you know Adelson was a huge Scott Walker backer during the Wisconsin recall (he sent a cool $250,000 Walker's way). Adelson loathes unions, any unions, apparently.

Among the highlights of an article called Why GOP Mega-Donor Sheldon Adelson Is Mad, Bad and a Danger to the Republic, Rolling Stone wrote: 'Adelson told the Wall Street Journal radical Islam and the right to more easily join a union were the two most 'fundamental threats to society.'

Rolling Stone added: 'He usually ambles around with an armed former agent of the Mossad, Israel's spy agency.' And another illuminating nugget was: 'Sheldon Adelson simply loves to sue – over 150 lawsuits in Clark County in ten years alone, including against his own sons.'

On March 22 Adelson hosted a dinner at his home that was stuffed with Mitt Romney supporters, including the RNC chairman with the name that suggests he was always going to be RNC chairman, Reince Preibus.

$100 million dollars can buy you clout. You may even be able to buy a presidential election with it. This is the brave new era of the Supreme Court's Citizens United verdict after all, when billionaires can effectively drown out everyone else's voice and Supreme Court justices themselves can shout 'You lie!' at the president.

In this brave new era Romney's candidacy is being defined by wealth, and by blatantly political rulings in his party's favor, and that's why there are untapped millions in cold hard cash just waiting to be spent in that mission. It's David and Goliath, with plutocrats.

That's why I wouldn't make a $10,000 bet on live TV that Romney can't go all the way now, with that kind of backing. Robber barons and rich men usually get what they want. And they don't sink $100 million without the certainty of a return.

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McNamara31 | Jun 17, 2012, 05:43 PM EDT

@mayskemp states Obama "did not support his troops as Commander in chief" Really? Seems to me Obama had the troops in his thoughts throughout his presidency converting to more drone missions than throwing thousands of young Americans on the ground as GWB did. I'd like you to state some factual times where Obama or his wife or Joe Biden did not support American troops.

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mayskemp | Jun 17, 2012, 02:04 PM EDT

As an Irish born American citizen I take issue with the fact that you seem to favor President Obama and continue to criticize Romney. My husband proudly spent 30 years in the American Air Force. Obama is making overtures for political reasons now, but he did not support his troops as Commander in chief. Why should Romney have to apologize for his wealth? Isn't that what is the American dream, even for us Irish Americans? To achieve all you can be in a country that supports you in that endeavor. I think that is a strength, in that he is not spending millions of dollars in taxpayers money to campaign all around the country ( especially with Air Force One and his military troops), Socialism has been proved unsuccessful all over the world. I support any one of any race who is willing to work hard to achieve the highest dream and success that they can. However, I do not support the "free lunch" that so many people seem to expect, while they do nothing to help themselves. I don't think it is in Ireland's best interests to be involved in supporting a man, just because he has Irish roots, in a campaign where he actually is the least qualified candidate. Please show both sides of this story. I do not appreciate your obvious bias towards Obama.

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AengusOg | Jun 17, 2012, 01:21 PM EDT

When Rush Limbaugh airs an end-run smear, the author of this article complains about the divisive state of partisan politics. A couple of days ago the Mr. O'Doherty quoted, without the use of quotation marks, David Stockman on this subject. "America's increasingly partisan politics is destroying not just the economy and capitalism, but the American dream he wrote." I heartily agree with Mr. Stockman, and this article exemplifies the author's complicity.

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freebie28 | Jun 17, 2012, 01:03 PM EDT

Irishnewsman--just so we 'rich people' can understand your devotion to Mister Obama. Will the middle class be revolting by electing the 'poor' Obama, or the, now 'millionaire' Obama?

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Irishnewsman | Jun 17, 2012, 11:36 AM EDT

All these billionaires givin all these millions to Romney and thats why we do not need Romney as our next president. I believe the middle class will revolt and elect Obama.

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torbreezy | Jun 17, 2012, 10:46 AM EDT

What, may I ask, is the Irish "connection"?

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jedswims | Jun 16, 2012, 05:14 PM EDT

he just pi--ed away 100 million...

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eiriamach | Jun 16, 2012, 04:04 PM EDT

"Romney's candidacy is being defined by wealth," yes, and the American people idolize wealth, they identify with millionaires and billionaires, they aspire to be like them, they are proud to be represented by them in government, and they uncritically believe that the millionaires they identify with will reward them by making them rich too! In short, Americans are in love with the wealthy the way the British are in love with Royalty and, like all lovers, they are blind to the faults of their beloved even after the wealthy have royally screwed them. This social psychology is the deepest problem. Must keep piling on the facts, truth, history, statistics, in the hope that reality will break through delusion somehow somewhere.

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BrianO | Jun 16, 2012, 03:35 PM EDT

George Soros, enough said.

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sqeyes48 | Jun 16, 2012, 02:53 PM EDT

When the check writers determine the law writers, the average citizen has no chance.

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