For the past few weeks, the left has been hell-bent on criticizing Republican campaign donors. The overwhelming amount of this one-sided smearing and demonization borders on the absurd.
While delivering a speech on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ventured to say that the Koch Brothers, two of the most influential Republican donors, are “un-American” and have every intention to “buy America.” America is “addicted to Koch,” as the senator put it. The media and even columnists in this newspaper have championed this cause. They have taken up the arduous duty of attacking not only rich Americans but also conservative ones at that.
Let’s clear the air before we move on: I completely understand if you are of the persuasion that campaign finance is out of control and dark money has taken over politics.
If you still hold this belief, you must also decry the efforts on the left to outspend and out-raise the mega-donors on the right. That would only be fair.
The partisans mentioned have criticized the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and other Republican donors ad nauseam, yet remained silent on criticizing donors on the left.
This reeks of blatant and rampant hypocrisy at its finest.
While these self-righteous commentators and politicians wave their hands in the sky and curse the names of these right-wing donors, they turn a blind eye to the big-pocket spenders who help them and their interests.
While this fist-waving and hand-wringing ensues, the number of facts disregarded mounts.
During the past campaign cycle, President Barack Obama outspent Gov. Mitt Romney 7-to-1. Where is Sen. Harry Reid’s floor speech criticizing the dark money that financed the Obama campaign?
Democratic billionaire donor George Soros was instrumental in attacking the Bush agenda. Are Soros’ actions un-American? Reid has yet to comment on this.
In this election cycle Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager, vows to push more than $100 million to Democratic candidates supporting green initiatives.
I have yet to read a scathing article about this development in the Alligator’s opinion section.
All the righteous indignation aside, we can turn to Reid’s campaign to illuminate and educate us on the proper way to conduct official campaign business, if only that were the case. The senator’s campaign bought $17,000 worth of jewelry from — of all people — his granddaughter.
Ignoring facts is one thing, but wrongfully calling a group of people un-American is disgusting. And — surprise — more facts are omitted when one makes this claim.
Turning to the Koch brothers, the two have donated countless sums to the arts, the state of New York and cancer research. Believe it or not, they have even donated money to Democratic campaigns.
How is this considered un-American?
If this were more widely known, the brothers would be painted in a completely different light than they are now.
But then again, why let reality get in the way of one’s politics?
In addition to this, why are so many on the left so critical of how people — people with whom they disagree — spend their own money?
Everyone is entitled to spend his or her own money where he or she pleases.
If donors want to finance political commercials that will force unsuspecting viewers to either curse at the ad or search their couches for the remote control, that is their prerogative. Then again, Democrats do enjoy controlling other people’s money.
Campaign finance is a big issue that will continue to polarize as the amount of money raised increases.
But when criticizing this issue, leave the partisan rancor at the door and do a little research before making damaging assertions.
[Michael Beato is a UF economics sophomore. His columns appear on Wednesdays. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 4/2/2014 under the headline "Enough already: Left is hypocritical regarding campaign finances"]
