When I think of all the people working so hard to change this country, and all the people digging so deep into their limited budgets to send money to politicians they believe in... well this just pisses me off royally.
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that a man by the name of Emmett Cash III has been raising money under the name "Californians for Obama" and then pocketing the dough.
The state chairman of the "Californians for Obama" campaign has raised thousands of dollars in donations through promotions ranging from celebrity-studded Mexican cruises to CD sales to campaign office "grand openings" in support of the popular Illinois Democratic senator and presidential candidate.
But the official presidential campaign of Barack Obama said Tuesday it was unaware of the activities of the entirely unauthorized Los Angeles-based fundraising efforts of Emmett Cash III -- a self-proclaimed former movie mogul who was a registered Republican until last month.
Something smells fishy, huh? Well read on:
Cash's "Californians for Obama" boasted an official-looking Web site (www.californiansforobama.com) that was graced by a smiling photo of the candidate. The site pitched a star-studded Obama "Women of Power" cruise for 2,000 to Mexico that attracted donors like a 65-year-old woman from Compton (Los Angeles County), who said she has paid the $2,423 cruise fee believing the funds would help support her candidate.
But a Chronicle examination of the latest Federal Election Commission records on file for the organization for the reporting period ending June 30 shows that while Cash has raised nearly $10,000 this year, not one dollar has gone to the Obama campaign -- or any other political candidate.
In order to rake in more money he's devised high-class events such as celebrity cruises, to entice people to donate big bucks. Someone should tell the celebrities:
Cash's group has raised cash with recent advertising pitches for events such as the Sept. 21 "Women of Power" Carnival cruise to Mexico -- which boasts star attendees like singer Eartha Kitt, poet Maya Angelou and Rep. Diane Watson, D-Los Angeles.
The legendary Kitt "will be interested to know that,'' Andrew Freidman, her longtime publicist, said wryly of the chanteuse's advertised cruise appearance. "She'll be performing at the Carlyle in New York during those dates.''
Angelou, the celebrated author, might also be surprised by the invite: She's officially endorsed New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president. And staffers in Watson's Washington office insisted that they know nothing of the trip -- and it isn't on the congresswoman's schedule.
Cash said his advertisements have noted that the celebrities are "due to availability.''
OH, "due to availability." Good one! Unfortunately, this lady probably doesn't find it quite so clever:
But Ercell Hoffman, 65, of Compton said Tuesday she had put her hard-earned cash into a rare political donation to "Californians for Obama" -- $2,423.76 to go on the Obama Women of Power cruise with the double goal of rubbing elbows with admired women and helping her favorite presidential candidate.
Hoffman said she was heartbroken when The Chronicle informed her that her donation for passage on the three-day trip from Long Beach to Ensenada -- for which Carnival Cruise lines charges $349 -- isn't benefiting Obama's campaign, something she insisted cruise organizers never told her.
"You're kidding me,'' said Hoffman, a licensed marriage and family counselor. "It seems to me that's fraudulent. That's incredible. It's called Californians for Obama. ... I thought they were representatives of Obama.''
And this is what REALLY pisses me off. People are willing to part with their hard earned money out of a patriotic sense that this country needs to be set right... and what happens? Some swindler steals it from their preferred candidate and takes it for themselves. I wonder if Mr. Cash III, Republican as of a month ago, feels like he's killing two birds with one stone: keeping money from going to Obama's campaign, while enriching himself. Brilliant!
Though when you read further down the article this guy doesn't exactly sound like Karl Rove material. Check out some of his past scams:
His colorful ventures -- reported in a variety of newspapers over the decades -- have included boasts in 2002 of establishing a new, Hollywood-style movie mecca in Jackson, Miss., and an official announcement in 2000 that his movie firm had signed a historic 12-film deal with the Chinese government.
Identified alternately as a boxing promoter, an Olympics booster and the head of a minority contractor's association, Cash also was identified as director of a 1979 "Miss Black America" contest deserted by judges and lambasted by contestants who complained of living conditions that included cockroaches and meals of salami sandwiches.
Yeah, this guy's a real piece of work alright. While I can't say for sure if this guy's scam is politically motivated, or just simple greed, the fact remains that he is SCUM. He is a leech on our Democracy. I have nothing but contempt for Emmett Cash III.