…who are the moneymen behind “Americans for a Conservative Direction” and “Council for American Job Growth”:
Seven technology companies and a software association – all with interests in shaping the immigration debate now underway in Congress — each spent more than $1 million on their federal lobbying efforts during the first three months of this year, new reports shows.
Their spending, totaling $13.8 million, swamps the $80,000 one longtime immigration advocate, the National Council of La Raza, spent on lobbying during the same time period. The spending is one part of the tech industry’s new advocacy push to shape a leading Senate proposal that would dramatically expand the temporary visas and green cards given to foreign workers in the technology field.
Among the biggest increases: lobbying by Facebook, which soared to $2.45 million, up from $650,000 during the same period last year and $1.4 million during the last three months of 2012.
In a separate move from his company’s official lobbying activity, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has assembled some of the Silicon Valley’s wealthiest figures, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Google chairman Eric Schmidt, to underwrite FWD.us, a non-profit group aimed at building public and congressional support for a large-scale rewrite of U.S. immigration policy.
To advance the cause, the Zuckerberg group also has launched two subsidiaries with vague, patriotic-sounding names — Americans for a Conservative Direction and the Council for American Job Growth, designed to appeal to conservative and liberal and independent voters, respectively.
Americans for a Conservative Direction currently is running ads in six states that feature clips of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of eight lawmakers behind the Senate’s leading immigration bill, touting the measure’s border-security provisions. A separate ad backs South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, another Republican member of the Senate’s “Gang of Eight.”
Mark Zuckerberg. Bill Gates. Eric Schmidt.
When is a leftwing liberal not a leftwing liberal? When s/he’s giving money to help expand government power for both Democrats and Republicans.
Yup. The GOP corporatists sure do have their priorities straight, don’t they?
I know. Shocking. So totally unexpected, this. I really thought comprehensive immigration reform was all about poor noble creatures yearning to live free being championed by the last remaining non racists and non xenophobes in hate-filled America. Why, I can barely contain my outrage.
Yawn.
Last word to Levin:
If it didn’t make me a complete loon I’d suggest corporate lobbying be outlawed.
Of course, I’m already a hard money kook so maybe it doesn’t matter.
If these bastards end-up co-opting the word ‘conservative’, I swear I’ll go postal and Medieval on their arses.
At least, I’ll still be an Outlaw [aka: ‘Tory’ (from the Middle Irish word tóraidhe; modern Irish tóraí: outlaw, robber or brigand, from the Irish word tóir, meaning “pursuit”, since outlaws were “pursued men”)].
The left has already co-opted the word “conservative.”
Jenn Rubin, Joe Scarborough, etc.
Now a regular conservative is an extremist.
These must be the “good Republican [fucks]” of which you’ve heard Meg Lanker-Simons tell.
You had to bring her up again… I managed to not think to much about that story before, but now I’m beginning to suspect Meg told us a great deal about herself (and her interests) in that hoaxed post.
I might end up regretting this, but what the hell.
Who is Meg Lanker-Simons?
Here ya go.
https://proteinwisdom.com/?p=48935#comment-978547
What IT want with amnesty for Latinos? Ain’t none of them can program.
What IT want with amnesty for Latinos? Ain’t none of them can program.
Well it isn’t programming, but…
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/04/30/video-games-non-white-protagonists/
Augusto Quijano, a concept artist and animator at Drinkbox Studios, emigrated from Mexico to Canada seven years ago
I warn you, this article isn’t for people who actually like video games. In fact, I think it is for the mindset that is currently planning a Jason Collins Basketball Hall of Fame induction party.
So people can make mistakes in good faith (looking at you Sen. Rubio), but what do they do when they learn they have made a mistake? If they’re still operating in good faith, they’ll say they’ve made a mistake. They correct themselves.
If in the case of an endorsement of a potential evil, or wrong, or harmful program, they’d properly withdraw that endorsement, forthrightly.
First recognize the error. Then the correction. We’re waiting.
Georgia Billboard To Target Marco Rubio And Immigration Reform
misunderestimating orangeman
Rubio: My immigration bill ‘probably can’t pass the House’
Rubio. He’s another. A good example of how chasing after the middle ground leads one to the left. Invariably.
(apologies to cranky-D for messing with him)
No worries, Ernst. I couldn’t come up with something clever in response, so I left it alone.
Father Mulchahey was just chiding me for “too much jocularity,” cranky.
proggtardia north
‘Any race except Caucasian’
Wow, sounds like quite the “grassroots” organization there. They’re as conservative as Andrew Sullivan, Joe Scarborough and Meghan McCain. Maybe this is why the MSM always includes qualifiers when labeling actual conservatives (e.g. “ultra”, “extreme”).
“Ain’t none of them can program.”
Miguel de Icaza does all right.
I’d guess that the hidden motive here is to open up more immigration slots for Russians, Indians, Chinese, etc. who are willing to write the code that Americans won’t write…at least for that amount of money.
why don’t they just make a straightforward argument about why we need to increase the H1-B program five-fold or so
why do they have to pursue this cheesy backroom comprehensive nonsense just to get the one lil thing they actually want
i think it’s cause of they have a Bigger Agenda
“why don’t they just make a straightforward argument about why we need to increase the H1-B program”
They would have to justify it if it were done that way. They’d much rather have it buried on page 3,234 of an “immigration reform” bill that no one has read before passing it.
Chuck Grassley says the immigration bill is a pig in a poke.
I have to agree.
do you not think it’s justifiable? are there tweaks what could make it more better? Me I think H1B people should go to the front of the citizenship line cause of they are very capable of contributing to this trainwreck we call America, at least the H1Bs I know are
H1B’s could NEVER write a story like ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ though. Pfffft. Those science nerd math-loop types are nothing special.
“eigh says May 1, 2013 at 9:03 pm
Chuck Grassley says the immigration bill is a pig in a poke.
I have to agree.”
Somebody needs to let the cat out of the bag then.
you never know Mr. pal cause of remember that story was the product of the broadening nature of travel, of immersing oneself in a new culture
it’s been fundamental to human creativity forever and an age
you gotsta churn the butter
I think H1B people should go to the front of the citizenship line
Then some of the ones who are not H1Bs need to go back to their home countries and try to get in line later.
no they’re completed unrelated phenomenons
don’t fall for the old “we have to have comprehensive reform” hornswoggle
America hasn’t comprehensively reformed jack shit not once
fucking incompetent whores
*completely* unrelated phenomenons I mean
unless you count Japan
There’s a lesson here, folks, if only we know to glean it…
The Tea Party movement should just start two new organizing bodies, entitled “Americans for Free Shit” and “Americans for Consequence-Free Shit” (where shit = vice of your choice) (note: change nothing of the content; only the names are new) and watch the ranks swell!
This isn’t really about immigration.
It is about a profoundly fucked education system.
they’re for sure not being straightforward they’re being all cheesy cheesy wheelie dealie
We also need to push back hard on the burgeoning “rights” industry. Amnesty (or abortion, or a $10/hr minimum wage, etc.) may be a good thing. It may not be a good thing. What it isn’t is a Fundamental Human Right®. Dare to suggest that, and watch the indignance fly.
…and making it fucked-er.
I’m depressed. Life is becoming a Monty Python sketch.
“Help! Help! I’m being oppressed!”
No “I never even touched her” retorts? I am disappoint.