The Koch brothers are planning to throw massive amounts of money at the 2018 midterms.

Courtesy of Axios:

The Koch network will spend 60% more on the 2018 cycle than it did on the 2016 presidential election, the largest midterm investment it's ever had, Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity told reporters Saturday. This includes up to $20 million on “communicating the benefits of tax reform," along with other policy and politics efforts. The network spent about $250 million on policy and politics in the 2016 cycle.

I would REALLY like to say this won't work because Americans are too smart to be manipulated by money and advertising, but we all now know, without a shadow of a doubt, that that is simply not true. 

This most certainly WILL have an effect, so it is up to all of us to focus on strong grassroots organizing and a huge get out the vote campaign.

Right now these elections are ours to lose.

Let's not give these assholes the satisfaction.

While most states agree that they need to prepare for more cyber attacks in the coming election cycles, few are ready to spend the money necessary for increased security.

Courtesy of Politico:  

The U.S. needs hundreds of millions of dollars to protect future elections from hackers — but neither the states nor Congress is rushing to fill the gap. 

Instead, a nation still squabbling over the role Russian cyberattacks played in the 2016 presidential campaign is fractured about how to pay for the steps needed to prevent repeats in 2018 and 2020, according to interviews with dozens of state election officials, federal lawmakers, current and former Department of Homeland Security staffers and leading election security experts.

These people agree that digital meddlers threaten the public’s confidence in America’s democratic process. And nearly everyone believes that the danger calls for collective action — from replacing the voting equipment at tens of thousands of polling places to strengthening state voter databases, training election workers and systematically conducting post-election audits. 

But those steps would require major spending, and only a handful of states’ legislatures are boosting their election security budgets, according to a POLITICO survey of state election agencies. And leaders in Congress are showing no eagerness to help them out. 

Not only are they showing "no eagerness to help them out," they are actively cutting funding from the agencies that currently DO help out.

In fact, some in the Capitol are trying to defund the 15-year-old federal agency that helps states and counties administer elections. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has three full-time staffers examining elections, would also see budget cuts in the pending congressional spending bills.

“We just don’t fund elections,” said Lawrence Norden, deputy director of the Democracy Program at New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice, who co-wrote a recent report on digitally securing America's elections. “Nobody’s really sure who’s responsible for this.”

“Nobody’s really sure who’s responsible for this?" Well that is certainly comforting.

I'm just going to say it, because it needs to be said.

The Republicans don't WANT to secure our voting systems because they habitually take advantage of the lack of security and if the Russians hacking helps to put THEIR guy in office they see no reason to do anything about it.

And that leaves the rest of us, you know the people who believe in free and fair elections, simply pondering a future where we will never be able to completely trust the outcome of any election in America for the foreseeable future.

The US Military is paying $130,000 a month to stay in Trump Tower and protect a president who is never there.

Courtesy of CNBC:

The United States government is paying more than $130,000 a month to rent a space in Trump Tower for a military office that supports the White House, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. 

Lease documents obtained by the Journal showed the government agreed to pay $2.39 million for a 3,475 square foot space from April 11, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2018 — above market rate for similarly sized high rise luxury apartments, the report said. 

A spokeswoman at the General Services Administration said the space is owned by someone not affiliated with the Trump Organization, suggesting the rent money isn't going to President Donald Trump, according to the report. 

The GSA is the agency that negotiates office space agreements for the government. 

An office like the one in Trump Tower is used by the U.S. military to provide services that need to be close to the president at all times. That includes medical, food, transportation, communications and a briefcase that allows the president to authorize a nuclear attack, the Journal said.

But here's the kicker.  

The president, however, hasn't spent a night at the skyscraper since taking office, it added.

So to be clear, the American taxpayers are paying Donald Trump for the services needed to protect Donald Trump, which he never actually needs because the taxpayers are also paying to protect Donald Trump on one of Donald Trump's many golf course.

Which are also being paid to house those protective services. 

Does that about sum this up?

As it turns out Donald Trump stands to benefit financially from launching missiles at Syria. Well of course he does.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Raytheon, the company that makes the Tomahawk missiles used in the air strikes on Syria by the United States, is rising in early stock trading Friday. 

Investors seem to be betting President Trump's decision to retaliate against Syria after the chemical attack on Syrian citizens earlier this week may mean the Pentagon will need more Tomahawks. 

The Department of Defense asked for $2 billion over five years to buy 4,000 Tomahawks for the U.S. Navy in its fiscal 2017 budget last February. 

Nearly five dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at military bases in Syria from U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea late Thursday.

Why does this matter to Trump you might ask?

Because of course he owns stock in Raytheon. And don't you feel silly for asking?

Courtesy of Business Insider:

Donald Trump's personal financial disclosure report, which was filed as part of his presidential campaign on Wednesday, contains fairly detailed information about what's in his stock portfolio.

According to the report, Trump's investments cross a wide spectrum of industries, with technology companies, financial firms, defense contractors, and energy are all represented in his portfolio. Trump also owns stock in many well-known companies including Apple, Nike, Whole Foods, Google, Philip Morris, Raytheon, Facebook, and Morgan Stanley, among others.

In other words Raytheon's stock goes up, Donald Trump gets just a little bit richer.

So not only did Trump gain politically from the attack, with plenty of pundits now calling him "presidential," but he also made his wallet just a little bit thicker.

And the best part? Well the best part is that if didn't even do anything to protect the people of Syria.

JUST IN: Syrian warplanes take off from air base hit by U.S., carry out strikes in Homs countryside - Syrian observatory for human rights

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 7, 2017

You know most of my nightmares only last the one night. But this one just goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and............

Possibly the real reason for Trump's animosity toward "Ghina." It's all about money.

Courtesy of Mother Jones:

President Donald Trump paints China as the United States' ultimate economic enemy, imperiling American jobs by engaging in unfair trade practices. "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what they're doing," Trump said last year in Fort Wayne, Indiana. "They are devaluing their currency, and we have nobody in our government to fight them," he added at a debate in September. "They are using our country as a piggy bank to rebuild China, and many other countries are doing the same thing."

I would be willing to bet that a number of Trump's opinions about foreign countries are based on his business dealing with them in the past, and his hopes for personal business deals with them in the future. 

We already know that there are "YUGE" business opportunities for Trump and his new Secretary of State in Russia, so of course they blow kisses at Putin.

Which by the way sends a rather clear and stark message to other foreign leaders.

Do business with Trump and his subordinates or get the cold shoulder.

Gee look Mother Jones ignored Stephen Bannon's demand to "shut up."

Good for them. Hopefully every news outlet sees Bannon's words as a command to do their job more aggressively and dig even deeper into Trump's skeleton stuffed closet.

SarahPAC is no more! Update!

After almost eight years of existence the Palin family slush fund is no more.

Here is the termination report on which you can see that the PAC started with $99,052.01 and spent $100,775.65. Their ending balance is a big fat zero.

Well I promised we would hound Sarah Palin until the bitter end, and this feels pretty bitter end like.

The family actually made loads of money so you would expect that they would be fine for years to come, but knowing how they spend money hand over fist, I  seriously doubt they have that much left in the ole piggy bank.

So far they have sold that giant RV they used to travel across the country lying about possibly running for office, the house in Arizona, and Bristol's house. Which leaves the plane, the snow machines, various gas guzzling vehicles, the cabin, and the Fox News studio as possible assets to liquidate.

Todd and Dakota are signed up to run the Iron Dog together, so there must still be a sponsor or two lurking around, but I don't know if there are many other sources of revenue coming in with SarahPAC now shut down and Sarah's judge show idea getting the axe.

And with Track's legal bills, and Palin having to essentially support the entire family,  I don't think she can keep up the facade for much longer.

I guess that now explains this new crappy website of hers, and why her daughter is desperately hawking tea on Instagram.

This actually gives a little more credibility to that Blind Item post from yesterday, because it really does seem that Palin went all in for Trump, who she clearly thought would provide for her in return, and he essentially left her high and dry.

You know this is the kind of thing that might force certain family members to do something desperate.

You know, like get a job.

Update: The Washington Post has the story now too.

After pointing out that the PAC spent almost every penny that it received on the PAC or the Palin, they ended the article with this statement:   

Palin's inner circle — such as it ever existed — spent lots and lots of time in the 2009/2010 period insisting that she was focused like a laser on increasing the number of Republicans in Congress, governors' mansions and statehouses. But, following the money never bore that commitment out. Palin's outlay from her PAC was always heavily tilted toward, well, herself.

The shuttering of the PAC coupled with the clear signal its spending sends — this was always for and about Palin — should put to rest any talk to the contrary.

Exactly!

Which by the way has been what we have been saying since the PAC launched in 2009.

Well this Blind Item should be a snap to figure out.

Courtesy of Crazy Days and Nights: 

Lost in the shuffle the past month or two is this former A+ list celebrity . 

All of you know her name so I guess she still has A+ list name recognition. Last year it looked like she would continue her 15 minutes and also find a way to keep on bringing in money to her secret slush funds of cash. Now? Not so much? She got into a private war with the man who was her main backer. She lost a couple of her high paying gigs in front of cameras. She also burned a lot of bridges when she chose the side of the man who has now banished her. Money is drying up quickly. She has massive bills on the home front because she pays the bills for countless family members. At least one of those family members is in trouble legally and PR wise and is always needing people paid off for things he has done. There has been quiet talk about marrying off one of her children to a very wealthy man who could restore the fortunes of this now crumbling empire.

I think besides that very last portion we already knew all of this to be true. 

So who do we think she is trying to marry off, Willow of Piper?

The RNC will be holding their annual Christmas party at the Trump hotel in DC. When asked for a response Donald Trump replied "Ka-Ching!" Update!

Courtesy of HuffPo:

The Republican National Committee will host its Christmas Party this year at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the newest property of its newfound leader. 

The event, which two GOP sources confirmed to The Huffington Post, is said to be a more exclusive and celebratory affair this year owing to the unexpected election victories enjoyed by the party this November. But in moving the proceedings to Donald Trump’s downtown D.C. hotel, which only opened this past fall, the committee risks furthering the perception that the president-elect is leveraging his newfound political power for private gains.

You know perhaps I misunderstood the definition for "crony capitalism," because if this ain't it then I don't know what is.

Remember that Trump is also making money for housing his Secret Service detail in New York, and using his new leverage to help his daughter close deals with foreign manufacturers.

Essentially Trump is using the presidency as a sort of can never be denied credit card for making purchases that benefit his businesses.

And since he apparently has no intention of putting his financial holdings in a blind trust (Though he now claims to have sold his stock portfolio. I believe that as much as I believe that he sent private investigators to Hawaii to check on President Obama's birth certificate.), he will continue to make policy decisions that fill his coffers and enrich his family, while leaving the American people to impotently protest in the streets.

Well this would seem to be the actual thing that Sarah Palin has been railing against for years, so surely she will soon come out with an epic rant on Facebook attacking Donald Trump for being a loathsome opportunist.

Yep, any day now.

Sarah?

Sarah?

Update: We are now learning that Trump has another source of income he can rely on during his part time job as president.

Courtesy of Variety: 

Donald Trump will remain an exec producer on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” which is returning Jan. 2 after a two-year hiatus with new host Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The larger issue for MGM, NBC, and the White House is the payment that Trump will receive for the series. It’s unclear what his per-episode fee is, but it is likely to be in the low five-figures, at minimum. NBC has ordered eight episodes of “The New Celebrity Apprentice.” Trump’s fees will be paid through MGM, the production entity on the show, not NBC. MGM declined to comment on the financial terms of Trump’s deal. A spokeswoman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NBC declined to comment. 

Trump is also a profit participant on the “Apprentice” franchise, which has been sold as a format in various markets around the world since it first became a hit on NBC in 2004. 

A five figure paycheck for each episode, PLUS a piece of the action on franchises, and NONE of this has been placed in a blind trust as of yet?

Does that mean that during the SOTU speech Trump will talk about his successful TV series?

Will The Apprentice be advertised in commercial breaks during televised interviews with a president Trump?

Will he make guest appearances on the program to increase ratings?

I don't know the answer to any of those questions, but I then again, maybe I do.

Creationist Ken Ham laments the millions "wasted" researching the origins of life. Yeah, it's all in the book right?

Think of the millions & millions of dollars wasted by scientists attempting to research false belief of molecules to man evolution-sad waste

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) November 16, 2016

Imagine the benefit to humans if scientists had the right worldview for their research--that God created a perfect world now marred by sin

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) November 16, 2016

Yes let's just imagine how much spare time scientists would have on their hands if they just accepted the fact that "God did it."

The millions of dollars wasted on researching the lie of Evolution could be used to benefit the human population in so many ways--sad

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) November 16, 2016

Does he mean like discovering how diseases evolve over time in order to invent better treatments to prevent them?

Because if true I have some bad news for him.

Millions of dollars are wasted on researching evolution--an anti-God false religion--what a shocking waste of money

— Ken Ham (@aigkenham) November 16, 2016

You know you would think that a guy who built a park celebrating a Biblical bedtime story would have a firmer grasp of the word "religion."

Science ain't religion.

It is probably not fair to target Ken Ham after all this guy is a special kind of stupid, but for anybody who listens to his bullshit if might be helpful for them to learn that studying evolution has provided invaluable insights into how our bodies developed the means to overcome dietary restrictions and to fight diseases, and also how many diseases evolved to overcome those developing defenses.

In fact the study of evolution and biology has provided so much data that now we are seriously discussing the possibility of immortality.

Which I would assume is yet another reason that Ken Ham hates science.

After all without impending death it is kind of hard to scare small children into fearing Hell, now isn't it?

Sarah Palin finally sells her Arizona house.

Courtesy of the LA Times: 

Onetime Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has sold her gated estate in Scottsdale, Ariz., for $2.275 million. 

Built in 2001, the approximately 8,000-square-foot house came to market last December for $2.499 million and was more recently listed at $2.375 million, records show. Palin bought the house in 2011 for $1.695 million.

So she had to face reality and drop the price $224,000, but at least she finally sold the place.

Though I still think that the buyer is a sucker for paying that much.

What special features does it even have anyway?

Designed for outdoor entertaining, the property includes such backyard features as fireplaces off the covered patio and veranda, a built-in grill station and a swimming pool and spa. A water-saving synthetic lawn, a lighted sports court and a putting green are also within nearly five acres of grounds. 

Inside, living areas have a contemporary vibe with subdued hues, vaulted ceilings and wrought ironwork throughout. Formal living and dining rooms, a media/room theater, an oversized kitchen and a wine cellar are among the common areas.

A white trash road kill grill, never used basketball court, fake grass, and a home theater that you just know showed more porn than regular movies.

If it were me I would have the whole place fumigated and disinfected, especially that bacteria incubating pool, before I ever set foot in the place.

And thus ends Palin's desperate attempt to run away from Alaska and start a brand new life. Now she is stuck here, and trust me that is the LAST thing that she wanted. 

Of course the other takeaway from this is the knowledge that Palin now has some disposable cash on hand.

Even if Palin has barely made a dent in her mortgage she still stands to clear well over half a million dollars.

So the question is what will she do with that money? Something intelligent, like invest it? And can it really do much to return her to the lifestyle to which she has grown accustomed?

Probably not.

In fact she probably still needs to pay off that high priced lawyer she hired to keep Track out of jail. Not to mention all of those ongoing payments of hush money which must be getting harder and harder to maintain.

Donald Trump lied about using $150,000 t0 help small businesses impacted by the attack on 9-11. Well of course he did.

Courtesy of the Independent:  

Presidential candidate Donald Trump allegedly used $150,000 of government funds after 9/11 for cleaning and repair costs rather than helping local small businesses. 

he Republican said several times during the presidential campaign trail that he was awarded the sum for helping others after terrorists took down the Twin Towers in Manhattan, but according to an investigation by the New York Post, he claimed the taxpayers' money for “rent loss”, clean-up and repair costs for his nearby skyscraper on Wall Street. 

The discovery was made through documents obtained from the Empire State Development Corporation, which carried out the recovery program after 9/11. 

Officials told the newspaper that if Mr Trump had asked for the cash to be reimbursed for his charity work with small businesses, the claim would have been rejected. 

“He’s clearly wrong. I saw him say that and he’s obviously wrong,” said David Catalfamo, a senior adviser to former New York City governor George Pataki.

Okay I am having another one of those episodes where I can't figure out if being an unscrupulous bottom feeder taking advantage of a national catastrophe makes Trump more, or less attractive to his base?

Which also makes me wonder how they feel about the fact that he also asked for, and received, donations to his "charity" which he then turned around and donated under his own name: 

Instead, Trump had found a way to give away somebody else’s money and claim the credit for himself. Trump had earlier gone to a charity in New Jersey — the Charles Evans Foundation, named for a deceased businessman — and asked for a donation. 

Trump said he was raising money for the Palm Beach Police Foundation. 

The Evans Foundation said yes. In 2009 and 2010, it gave a total of $150,000 to the Donald J. Trump Foundation, a small charity that the Republican presidential nominee founded in 1987. 

Then, Trump’s foundation turned around and made donations to the police group in South Florida. In those years, the Trump Foundation’s gifts totaled $150,000. 

Trump had effectively turned the Evans Foundation’s gifts into his own gifts, without adding any money of his own.

In fact all of the money the Trump Foundation has donated since 2008 has been other people's money, and none of it his own.

Not only did he not give any of his own money to the police foundation, but when he received an award for his philanthropy, he rented the space to hold the ceremony to the police foundation for $276,463.

So instead of really giving ANY he actually made over a quarter million dollars and got paid for it.

Oh, and he also used $20,000 of the money donated to the Trump Foundation to buy himself this awesome painting of his favorite subject.

You know I can never take a long or hot enough shower to wash away the slime that seems to cover me after I write about this POS.

Ick!

So please, please, please, please make sure you vote for Hillary Clinton in November.

Who needs real supporters when you can just buy them?

Trump recently bought another 1.5 million fake twitter followers. He had 2.5 million fakes pic.twitter.com/7n7JxwJYC4

— RiskyLiberal (@RiskyLiberal) August 10, 2016

I think the question that every journalist should be asking right now is what about Donald Trump is NOT fake?

Right now I'm going to go with nothing. 

So does somebody actually want to buy that overpriced Palin house in Arizona?

Courtesy of Redfin:  

After 9 months on the market, the Palin family is about to say goodbye to their sunny getaway in Scottsdale, Arizona. The six-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom home is now pending, meaning someone submitted an offer. Palin originally listed the estate on December 21, 2015, for $2.499 million, but dropped the price a few months later to $2.375 million. 

The gated estate sits on more than four acres of land and includes equestrian facilities, a basketball court, putting green, pool and an outdoor entertaining area with a built-in grill. Inside, there are Jacuzzi bathtubs, chef’s appliances in the kitchen, gorgeous fireplaces, a wine cellar, media room and rooftop deck complete with stunning mountain views. Palin purchased the home back in 2011 for $1.7 million, so she stands to make some money from the deal if it sells for anything near the current listing price of $2.375 million.

Okay I'm going to suggest that if somebody is actually making an offer that it is certainly not for any $2.375 million. Not for a house that has sat on the market collecting dust for nine months. 

Actually after paying off the rest of what she owes I would be surprised if Palin walked away with even a million bucks when all is said and done.

In Alaska that would easily allow most people in their fifties to live out the remainder of their days in comfort.

However this is Sarah Palin we are talking about so what do we think, two years?

Wait, I thought the media were in the pocket of Hillary Clinton?

Anti-Hillary MSNBC Chuck Todd's wife, co-founder Maverick Strategies and Mail, got $1,342,293 from Sanders Campaign: https://t.co/0S7B5pTocN

— ABetterDay (@StudioChira) May 28, 2016

Well now isn't THAT interesting?

60 Minutes expose reveals that members of Congress spend up to 30 hours a week on the phone raising money.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

“The number one priority they tell new members of Congress is: raise money, raise money, raise money,” David Jolly (R-FL) told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell as part of 60 Minutes Overtime. 

The story that O’Donnell was covering for 60 Minutes dealt with the call centers that elected officials spend upwards of 30 hours per week inside of with one express purpose: make phone calls to influential donors to raise money. 

Holy crap! This is stunning!

No wonder nothing ever seems to get done in Washington.

I think that this "Stop Act" is a good first step in getting money out of politics, which clearly is something that needs to happen as asking for money seems to be the job one for politicians in Washington right now.

And then after that we need campaign finance reform and for a new Supreme Court to reverse the Citizen's United decision.

Just imagine how politics would be changed for the better if all of that were to happen.

I'm fantasizing out loud again aren't I?

Still a boy can dream, can't he?

Well this explains a lot.

FACT: State prison spending has grown faster than education spending. Let's fix that. https://t.co/fcgqxCDQAH pic.twitter.com/j4DEMRUhFo

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 23, 2016

Could you imagine how much more successful we would be as a country if these numbers were reversed?

I have been saying for years that our schools are not failing out country, our country is failing our schools.

If every politician who claimed that they were determined to improve education in this country actually meant what they said we would be a nation filled with highly educated, highly motivated young people just aching to take us into the future.

Another reminder that money is getting tight in the Palin household.

Just sipping on my #310Shake , obsessed with this deliciousness and best way to start my day! 💪🏼🙆🏻 @310nutrition

A photo posted by Bristol Palin (@bsmp2) on Apr 19, 2016 at 5:53am PDT

I somehow doubt that this brings in a great deal of revenue so I cannot help but wonder when the rest of the Palin crew will start doing their part?

Willow could endorse crazy neon colored hair dyes.

Piper could offer baby sitting services to other parents of DS children in the area. After all she has literally tons of experience.

Todd could help introduce a line of airbags for snowmachines.

And of course Track could make a hand protection ad for for men who want to keep their women in line without suffering undue damage to their knuckles.

Of course when Sarah Palin hits it big with her new "I'm going to judge all you haters" reality show I am sure everybody in the family will be right back on easy street. (Damn, I almost typed that with a straight face.)

Here is George Clooney's MTP interview in its entirety.

This is important to share because since fairly early yesterday the only part of this interview that has been showing up repeatedly on the internet is this part: 

CHUCK TODD: 

Let me start with dinner you co-hosted on Friday night, a big fundraiser. I know that you have plans for later tonight. Do you look at how much is being raised and, I think the cost of the friday night dinner $353,000 a couple to be a co-chair, do you look at it yourself and think, "That's an obscene amount of money?" 

GEORGE CLOONEY: 

Yes. I think it's an obscene amount of money. I think that, you know, we had some protesters last night when we pulled up in San Francisco and they're right to protest. They're absolutely right. It is an obscene amount of money. The Sanders campaign when they talk about it is absolutely right. It's ridiculous that we should have this kind of money in politics. I agree completely.

That is the portion which has been pushed hard by the pro-Sanders people.

However as you watch Clooney's entire answer, and he is quite eloquent in his response, you learn that while he admits it is an obscene amount of money it is also a necessary amount of money as much of it is going to the Democratic party to support down ballot races.

If you wondered what Jeb Bush spent that 130 million on, wonder no more.

This comes courtesy of the New York Times:

Positive Advertising: $84 Million

Well that was money clearly well spent.   

Clubbing: $94,100 

Instead of spending last winter on the hustings of Iowa and New Hampshire, Mr. Bush held off, using the first half of 2015 to raise money in places like New York, Chicago, Texas and Florida. His goal: Raise enough money for a super PAC to scare other candidates — especially those with a similar political profile — out of the race.Over the entire campaign, Mr. Bush’s team racked up tens of thousands of dollars in dinner and event tabs at the Yale Club, the Union League Club of Chicago, Nantucket’s Westmore Club, and more than two dozen other haunts of the well heeled and racquetball-inclined.

Yep another solid tactic.

Valets: $15,800

Well gee, of course you cannot have rich bigwigs parking their own cars.

People: $8.3 Million 

As Mr. Bush’s campaign matured, he and the group supporting him built one of the largest organizations of any candidate in either party, banking that his superior fund-raising would sustain his high overhead costs, which in turn would yield him wins or near-wins in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, where organizing is critical.

Man if only other candidates had thought this far ahead and been this organized. Then they could have dropped out of the race by now as well.

Wait.....

Branding: $88,387 

Right to Rise, the super PAC supporting Mr. Bush, and then his campaign directly, retained 30 Point Strategies, a public relations company in Bethesda, Md., specializing in “thought leadership” and “brand journalism,” according to the firm’s website. But in the end, the most lasting label of Mr. Bush was supplied by Mr. Trump: “low energy.”

And the thing that must really hurt is that Trump stuck that label on Jeb! using virtually no money whatsoever. He just kept saying it in debates and stump speeches, and tweeted it a few times.  

Vegas, Baby: $48,544 

Mr. Bush and his staff racked up sizable travel bills, including $3.3 million in airfare and hundreds of thousands of dollars at hotels, ranging from a Best Western in Phoenix to the Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla. But what stands out is the Bush team’s taste for the Vegas Strip, where aides and allies patronized the Bellagio, the Wynn and the Venetian, owned by Sheldon Adelson, the Republican megadonor.

You know Vegas is where so many dreams go to die.

The Consultants: $10 Million 

A well-funded candidate tends to attract hordes of consultants, and Mr. Bush had plenty. All told, his team paid consulting fees to around 140 different companies or individuals, including senior campaign staff members, opposition research firms, and get-out-the-vote operatives in Iowa and South Carolina. 

And here we thought that Sarah Palin wasted too much money on consultants, with no real return on that investment.

And finally.

Pizza! At a whopping $4,837.

As his fortunes declined this winter, Mr. Bush sharply pared back employees’ salaries and consulting fees, even laying off some campaign staff members to bring down costs. But let it never be said that Mr. Bush allowed his team to go hungry. His campaign and super PAC were particularly fond of the pizza, whether from Domino’s or from Pizza Ranch, the Iowa chain.

Well hey, at least he fed people.

Look at that. 130 million dollars spent and he was never able to even break into the top three.

Just goes to show that no matter how much money you spend, you can never spend enough to make people forget that your brother damn near destroyed the country.

I guess nobody told the folks in charge of SarahPAC that we're all on to their con job.

Via Sarah PAC and Sarah Palin[DONOR],Wow.We are overwhelmed by the response we have received since we announced our...
Posted by US for Palin on Friday, February 5, 2016

So is THIS where that $43,869.00 in fundraising dollars gets spent?

Hey, you have to hand it to Tim Crawford and Palin, they certainly will not let a simple thing like total exposure interfere with their grift.

But then again, what else do they have?