PHILANTHROPY OVER POLITICS

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American Spectator:

One would never guess who attended Dick Scaife’s memorial service on the Pennsylvania countryside last week. Scaife has been referred to as the “father of modern conservatism.” In his lifetime he donated a fortune across a whole range of philanthropic endeavors, from the arts to medical research to politics—conservative politics. His conservative causes were very elevated—sophisticated thinks tanks, professorial chairs, intellectual reviews—but also at times they were very partisan. In the 1990s Scaife was a leading opponent of Bill Clinton, and he frequently drew blood. When Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke of the “vast right-wing conspiracy” she doubtless had him in mind.

 

Yet at the memorial service, standing there with the conservative chieftains was a lone Democrat, Bill Clinton, yes, the very same. The 42nd President not only put in an appearance but he actually spoke on Dick Scaife’s behalf, saying “Our political differences, our philosophical differences, our religious differences, our racial and ethnic differences, they’re important…They help us to define who we are. But they don’t have to keep us at arm’s length from others.” And he concluded, “I think the counterintuitive friendship we formed is a good symbol of Richard Mellon Scaife’s legacy…. He fought as hard as he could for what he believed, but he never thought he had to be blind or deaf” to reviewing his positions.

 

Yale Gutnick, Dick’s lawyer, explained both men’s affinity best. Gutnick said they became friends because they “shared a mutual love of America.” After all the battles of the 1990s they came together for the country they loved, Dick giving over $100,000 to Bill’s foundation for the victims of AIDs. Dick was a great philanthropist. Bill is learning. Dick had said that of all the people he wanted to have speak at his funeral he wanted the former president. They had buried the hatchet.

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Charles Koch: Welfare, food stamps 'addictive'

 

Charles Koch, the businessman and major Republican donor, argues against food stamps and welfare in a new op-ed.

"Costly programs, such as paying able-bodied people not to work, are addictive disincentives," Koch wrote in the Wednesday edition of USA Today. "By undermining people's will to work, our government has created a culture of dependency and hopelessness."

 

Over the words "programs" and "able-bodied people," he linked to articles about the disadvantages of food stamps and welfare.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/214449-charles-koch-writes-op-ed-against-welfare