Media Matters, the liberal activist group that wages a rhetorical war againstFox News Channel and others in the conservative press, will announce on Wednesday the receipt of a $1 million donation from the philanthropist George Soros.
In a statement obtained by The Caucus, the organization says it plans to use the money to intensify its efforts to hold the Fox host Glenn Beck and others on the cable news channel accountable for their reporting.
This news caused wingnut rhetoric to go into overdrive, right on cue from their leader:
Today on his radio program, Rush Limbaugh reacted to the news of George Soros’ $1 million donationto Media Matters thusly: “You want to talk a little foreign money in politics? George Soros has admitted to donating $1 million to Media Matters for America.”
And the wingnuts take the charge and run with it.
Of course Soros is a naturalized citizen and has been for almost 49 years:
George Soros, however, is an American citizen, with the full panoply of rights citizenship bestows (including the right to vote or run for office). He’s been an American citizen for almost 50 years, since the age of 31 (Business Week: “George Soros became a naturalized American citizen in New York on Dec. 18, 1961, according to the Immigration & Naturalization Service”). He was born in Hungary in 1930, survived German occupation even as numerous Jews died, fled to London after the war to escape Communism, and then began working in New York in 1956. He lived and worked in the U.S. for many years and has given away many millions of dollars in philanthropy to American organizations.
So why does the right, including their leader Rush, want to deny a Jew, who escaped occupation, his rightful status as a U.S. citizen?
(and George – if you got anymore checks to hand out, just give me a call)