Games Billionaires play and the media outrage that follows

The New York Times has discovered that billionaires are supporting the Tea Party Movement! Whoop-de doo!

According to them that's practically illegal!  Oh! The horror of it all!

They are hyperventilating about the Koch brothers who have donated money to more conservative causes and organizations than I knew existed.

A concerned reader even sent me links describing the "outrageous" actions of the Koch brothers. How dare they contribute to the Tea Party movement!

I told her they are the right wing counterparts to George Soros and the Sandlers who donate money to left wing and socialistic causes.

I feel that it's a good thing that we have billionaires contributing to conservative agendas as well as progressive and socialist agendas. It keeps the game interesting for those of us who are trying to keep score.

The NYT, which is our favorite poster child for dead-tree media has conveniently overlooked the fact that billionaires and ordinary people tend to support causes that they believe in. Duh! Maybe those NYT writers should get out more and talk to people outside their little circle of friends.

People tend to support those who are in agreement with their ideas of how things should be.

David Koch is shown at the top, Charles Koch is shown at right, and Geaoge Soros is shown at the bottom left.

If you would like a quick overview of the organizations supported by the Koch brothers vs those supported by George Soros, just read further.

Note that these are not complete lists, but they should give you an idea how philanthropy works on the left and on the right.

David H. Koch Charitable Foundation 
    Americans for Prosperity Foundation
    Cato Institute
    Center for the Study of Market Processes (precursor to Mercatus)
    Competitive Enterprise Institute
    Citizens for a Sound Economy (precursor to FreedomWorks)
    Independence Institute
    Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University
    Mercatus Center, George Mason University
    National Center for Policy Analysis
    Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy
    Reason Foundation

Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation   
    American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
    American Legislative Exchange Council 
    Atlas Economic Research Foundation 
    Cato Institute
    Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies
    Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment
    Fraser Institute, The
    Citizens for a Sound Economy (precursor to FreedomWorks)
    Goldwater Institute
    Heritage Foundation, The
    Independence Institute
    Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University
    John Locke Foundation
    Mackinac Center for Public Policy
    Media Research Center
    Mercatus Center, George Mason University
    National Taxpayers Union Foundation
    Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy
    Property and Environment Research Center
    Reason Foundation
    Tax Foundation
    Texas Pubic Policy Foundation

George Soros and his foundations
American Constitution Society for Law and Policy;
the Tides Foundation;
the Tides Center;
MoveOn.org;
the National Council of La Raza;
the National Organization for Women;
Feminist Majority;
ThinkProgress
ClimateProgress
Media Matters
the American Civil Liberties Union;
People for the American Way;
Alliance for Justice;
NARAL Pro-Choice America;
America Coming Together;
the Center for American Progress;
Campaign for America's Future;
Amnesty International;
the Sentencing Project;
the Center for Community Change;
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense and Educational Fund;
Human Rights Watch;
the Prison Moratorium Project;
the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement;
the National Lawyers Guild;
the Center for Constitutional Rights;
the Coalition for an International Criminal Court;
The American Prospect;
Planned Parenthood;
the Nation Institute;
the Brennan Center for Justice;
the Ms. Foundation for Women; 
the National Security Archive Fund;
the Pacifica Foundation;
Physicians for Human Rights;
the Proteus Fund;
the Public Citizen Foundation;
the Urban Institute;
the American Friends Service Committee;
Catholics for a Free Choice; Human Rights First;
the Independent Media Institute;
MADRE;
the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund;
the Immigrant Legal Resource Center;
the National Immigration Law Center;
the National Immigration Forum;
the American Immigration Law Foundation;
the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee;
the Peace and Security Funders Group.