NeverTrump “Republican” Lincoln Project Funded By Democrat Donors
The Lincoln Project’s Funding Sure Does Make it Look Like a Democrat Fundraising Front Group
The Lincoln Project is a group comprised (at least publicly) of NeverTrump hold outs, including former GOP strategist and political opportunist (whatever garners the most cable hits though, right?), Rick Wilson.
“The Lincoln Project is holding accountable those who would violate their oaths to the Constitution and would put others before Americans,” claims the group’s website, which also claims “President Donald Trump and those who sign onto Trumpism are a clear and present danger to the Constitution and our Republic.”
But I guess this isn’t divisive?
The arrogance, the dismissiveness, the smug cackling, the accents.
If Donald Trump wins re-election this year, I’ll remember this brief CNN segment late one Saturday night in January as the perfect encapsulation for why it happened. pic.twitter.com/8kQ6zN9AZV
— Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) January 28, 2020
Every Lincoln Project post is either anti-Trump or anti-Republican (even anti-ultra moderate Republican), which begs the question — what, exactly, are they for?
David Harsanyi at National Review sums it up nicely:
If the Lincoln Project was exclusively campaigning against Donald Trump, one might be tempted to believe it wasn’t merely an arm of the Democratic Party. If one of its co-founders, John Weaver, hadn’t been registered as a foreign agent lobbying for a Russia-owned nuclear-energy company against U.S. sanctions not long ago, one might accept that the group believed the conspiracy theories it spreads. If the group wasn’t working against the moderate Republicans senators for the sin of supporting originalist Supreme Court justices, who will transcend the Trump presidency and help preserve the traditional constitutional order, one might believe that its mission was to preserve the system. If you target moderates like Susan Collins and Cory Gardner — politicians who not only parted with Trump on issues but have quite un-Trumpian dispositions — you’re not working against Trumpism, you’re working against the GOP.
…By far the biggest donor has been Stephen Mandel, who gave the Lincoln Project — which, as far as I can tell, produces cheap b-roll-laden ads and takes nearly 90 percent of its budget in “operating expenditures” — a million dollars. Employees at his company Lone Pine Capital, it seems, have given the Democratic Party Senate committee $497,000 this year, $248,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign committee, and a bunch of money to other left-wing candidates. During the 2018 cycle, employees at Lone Pine Capital doled out $5,893,300 to Democrats and $1,333,333 to Planned Parenthood.
I’m confused somewhat by one of the other top names: Arturas Kerelis, who news reports say is actually an Internet grifter named Arturas Rosenbacher. Maybe the donor is a different person. Then again, it would fit. (It looks like his donation was refunded.) Amos Hostetter, who dropped over a million dollars on the Obama Foundation, and David Geffen have been giving money to Democrats decades before Donald Trump ever ran for president or “Trumpism” existed. As has another top Lincoln Project donor, Joshua Bekenstein, director of Bain Capital, who gave Democrats $3.5 million in 2018.
More on Arturas Kerelis here:
https://twitter.com/schwartzbCNBC/status/1283472881419264000?s=20
As for John Weaver, Kasich campaign alum, who publicly bills himself as a Biden supporter:
So Lincoln Project co-founder John Weaver got $700k/yr to lobby for a Russian state-owned nuclear energy company and is registered under FARA as an agent of Russia.
Lets go through some of his old tweets. pic.twitter.com/Cy4XVhfBT3
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 15, 2020
"Russia committed a Pearl Harbor cyber attack on the USA!!!!" he said as Moscow gave him $350K up front after he signed the contract to lobby for a state-owned nuclear energy company. pic.twitter.com/ewqGXpxhiZ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 15, 2020
Weaver called Michael Cohen "Russia's favorite consultant" and Putin a "KGB thug"
He may have to take a look in mirror… pic.twitter.com/AYfFe4UTwF
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 15, 2020
If it walks like a Democrat, talks like a Democrat, is run by Democrats, and funded by Democrats, it’s probably a Democrat.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
These people are idiots. They think somehow they will be back in power as soon as Trumps gone. How many of these lovers have lost their mags, thinktanks or what ever? They are done
John McCain Republicans.
My whole concept of NeverTrumpism has been shaken. I need to go lie down.
Rick Wilson is one of the most disgusting pieces of dog excrement on the scene today.
This guy looks as stupid as he is.
Next.
Anyone that doesn’t recognize that Rick Wilson is a grifter isn’t paying attention.
These people aren’t Never-Trump Repubicans, they’re frauds. I still identify, in principle, as a Never-Trump Republican. But I intend to vote for Trump this year anyway, because ironically he’s now the symbol of patriotism and decency and truth, and a vote for him is a vote for those values, while a vote for Biden is a vote against them.
However, although I intend to vote for Trump this year even in my solid-blue state, I can understand someone not doing so, provided they don’t live in a state where their vote could affect the result. Ohioans and Floridians must vote for Trump, but Californians and Texans have a choice, since their votes can’t possibly affect the result. My choice is to vote for Trump anyway but a conservative could in good conscience vote for someone else, or not vote.
But voting for Biden?! Anyone who urges people to vote for Biden, especially in swing states, is a Democrat. And anyone who urges people to vote for Democrats in the House and Senate, is a Democrat. Or, in this case, simply a fraud.
Milhouse, I appreciate all your rational efforts in determining to vote for Trump, particularly considering the strong possibility that your vote will, in any event, be cancelled out by a mail-in ballot submitted by a cat that has been dead for ten years.
Milhouse! You’ve finally seen the light! It has never been about Trump. The choice in 2016 was between a pro-America candidate and an anti-America candidate. It didn’t matter that one of the candidates was Trump, it only mattered that there was a pro-America candidate.
I’ve acknowledged to friends that Trump lies. “Of course he lies. All politicians lie. The reason I support him is because he works for the betterment of America and believes in American exceptionalism. I don’t vote for Democrats not because they lie. They could tell the truth all the time and I still wouldn’t vote for any of them because they’re anti-America.”
While I firmly believe Texas is not, and won’t be, in play for the Socialist-Democrats, I’m not comfortable with encouraging the belief that “I can stay home and not vote because my vote won’t change the Republican win in Texas.” If sufficient Republican/Conservative voters buy into that position, Socialist-Democrats win. Is it probable such a scenario will occur? No. Is it possible? Barely this time around, but it is a thought which benefits Socialist-Democrats in their long march.
My calculation is that if Texas or California comes into play then the race is already over anyway. Either of those states actually swinging won’t affect the result.
And now this: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/16/lincoln-project-paid-more-than-2-million-to-firms-owned-by-its-founders/