JustHillary asked, "How did poor family donate $45,000 [to Clinton camp]?" but facts reported by WSJ tell different story
An August 28 headline on the political website JustHillary.com read, "Wall St. Journal on Hillary campaign mystery: How did poor family donate $45,000?" However, the August 28 article to which JustHillary linked described the family in the following way: "Records show they own a gift shop and live in a 1,280-square-foot house that they recently refinanced for $270,000. William Paw, the 64-year-old head of the household, is a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service who earns about $49,000 a year, according to a union representative. Alice Paw, also 64, is a homemaker. The couple's grown children have jobs ranging from account manager at a software company to 'attendance liaison' at a local public high school. One is listed on campaign records as an executive at a mutual fund."
Moreover, The Wall Street Journal reported, "In all, the six Paws have donated a total of $200,000 to Democratic candidates since 2005, election records show," but did not report that half of the $200,000 in political contributions came from Winkle Paw, an adult son. The Journal reported Winkle Paw's statement that "I have been fortunate in my investments and all of my contributions have been my money."
According to the FEC, Winkle Paw made $100,550 in contributions to political committees since 2004. (The bulk of Paw's contributions were made in 2005, 2006, and 2007 -- his donations totaled $3,000 in 2004.) Additionally, Paw has donated $2,800 to joint fundraising committees -- committees that raise money to be distributed to other committees and are listed separately by the FEC -- since 2005.
From the August 28 edition of The Wall Street Journal:
One of the biggest sources of political donations to Hillary Rodham Clinton is a tiny, lime-green bungalow that lies under the flight path from San Francisco International Airport.
Six members of the Paw family, each listing the house at 41 Shelbourne Ave. as their residence, have donated a combined $45,000 to the Democratic senator from New York since 2005, for her presidential campaign, her Senate re-election last year and her political action committee. In all, the six Paws have donated a total of $200,000 to Democratic candidates since 2005, election records show.
That total ranks the house with residences in Greenwich, Conn., and Manhattan's Upper East Side among the top addresses to donate to the Democratic presidential front-runner over the past two years, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal of donations listed with the Federal Election Commission.
It isn't obvious how the Paw family is able to afford such political largess. Records show they own a gift shop and live in a 1,280-square-foot house that they recently refinanced for $270,000. William Paw, the 64-year-old head of the household, is a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service who earns about $49,000 a year, according to a union representative. Alice Paw, also 64, is a homemaker. The couple's grown children have jobs ranging from account manager at a software company to "attendance liaison" at a local public high school. One is listed on campaign records as an executive at a mutual fund.
The Paws' political donations closely track donations made by Norman Hsu, a wealthy New York businessman in the apparel industry who once listed the Paw home as his address, according to public records. Mr. Hsu is one of the top fund-raisers for Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign. He has hosted or co-hosted some of her most prominent money-raising events.
People who answered the phone and the door at the Paws' residence declined requests for comment last week. In an email last night, one of the Paws' sons, Winkle, said he had sometimes been asked by Mr. Hsu to make contributions, and sometimes he himself had asked family members to donate. But he added: "I have been fortunate in my investments and all of my contributions have been my money."
Sounds like the Paws are an American success story. That is wonderful for them. Looks like another attempt to smear Hillary.
I'd like to see the WSJ investigate all the contributions made to the announced Republican candidates with equal zeal.
If the American dream is http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-hsu29aug29,0,2313285.story?coll=la-home-center I can see your point.
Winkle Paw?
Winkle?
Who the hell names their kid Winkle?
In all, the six Paws have donated a total of $200,000 to Democratic candidates since 2005, election records show.
Very generous I suppose. But maybe Pa Paw wouldn't have had to refinance his little bungalow if he managed his money better--like not donating it to any political figure...and his generous [to Hillary] offspring donated their cash to Pa & Ma Paw.
Norman Hsu, a wealthy New York businessman in the apparel industry who once listed the Paw home as his address, according to public records. Mr. Hsu is one of the top fund-raisers for Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign.
In an email last night, one of the Paws' sons, Winkle, said he had sometimes been asked by Mr. Hsu to make contributions, and sometimes he himself had asked family members to donate.
Mmmmm...this Mr Hsu sounds like an interesting fellow. Wealthy, once listed his address as the Paws, top fundraiser to Hillary....SOMETIMES asks the Paw Family to donate money.
Asks or strong arms? Hey just thinking out loud. Sounds like a very strange arrangement to me.
Winkle and boy named Hsu?
You are just too clever AA :-)
Doesn't sound strange at all...
You know how much 1,280 sq. feet in San Francisco is worth? Probably $600,00 at least. So he financed it for $270,000. He's got $330,000 in equity to play with.
Maybe Pa is a wealthy man. He may have other investments in addition to his valuable house.
There's no story here, other than what some right-wing dirtbag can make up.
Know what his monthly mortgage payments are?
If Pa & Ma Paw had other investments I'm sure MMFA would have informed us.
I'm more interested in how the mysterious Mr.Hsu fits into all of this ;-)
Hsu What?
I'm not interested in Mr. Hsu at all. Why don't you go spend some time at the Drudge Report website. I'm sure they can give your brain a shot of right-wing gas.
I'm not interested in Mr. Hsu at all.
Of course you're not...no big surprise there. Bunk, it's quite clear the only thing you're interested in is refusing to believe anything that might cast any suspicion or doubt on anyone that is Democratic and/or Liberal.
We get that.
A wealthy donor named Hsu has given the Paws address as his own in the past. The Paws, a family of modest means donates a total of $200,000 over 2 years to Democratic candidates. But Bunk says 'hey I don't care! Nothing to see here!'
Bet you'd care if this was about Republican/Conservatives.
Perhaps it's you that needs a shot of something....
Apparently Pa is a postal employee who makes less than $50,000 a year.
It seems that we don't know the story at all. There may be nothing, but to dismiss it out of hat when you first heard about it on MMFA seems to be a rash decision.
"But maybe Pa Paw wouldn't have had to refinance his little bungalow if he managed his money better"
A financial emergency is but one reason someone may refinance.
Getting a lower interest rate is also a reason.
Getting out from under an exploding ARM is another reason.
Cashing out equity for a home improvement project is yet another reason.
Donating more money?
Pete, I understand Pa Paw could have refinanced for any number of reasons. My post was meant to be more tongue in cheek than serious only because this sounds like an odd story....because of Mr. Hsu.
He once gave the Paws address as his own? He hits them up for donations. A tad mysterious. Something just doesn't sit well here with me.
Or maybe I'm bored ;-)
Agree J, Sounds like a faux Paw to me here, somewhere?? Might I suggest a little donation shenanigans going on here? If I was Winkle Paw, I would be weally weally upset, I would Hsu their a$$!
Might I suggest a little donation shenanigans going on here?
Could be Tommy, but they don't need to worry cause I'm sure if Hillary gets to be President she'll Pawdon them all ;-)
Who is this JustHillary anyway? I mean, I guess more power to them if they want to waste their time looking at fund raising records. Why don't they just serve their blog better by posting about what candidates actually are planning to do on tough issues?
Sheesh. WITH???
;-)
Yeah, I concede the whole thing is odd. I guess it boils down to what justifies reasonable suspicion, because the WSJ does not produce any evidence of wrongdoing. All we really have at this point is a family's unusual financial MO spread wide open on the pages of a newspaper for all to see. I wonder how much more we'll hear about this.
Pete,
Right now it just looks a tad odd. Could there be something nefarious going on here? Possibly. Or there might be nothing. It is interesting enough to at least investigate.
If the WSJ uncovers anything else I'm sure we'll hear much more.
Pete...
None of these reasons exist in right-wing nutland.
But maybe Pa Paw wouldn't have had to refinance his little bungalow if he managed his money better--like not donating it to any political figure...and his generous [to Hillary] offspring donated their cash to Pa & Ma Paw.
half of the $200,000 in political contributions came from Winkle Paw, an adult son
Pawpers for Clinton?
Smells alittle of Johnny Trree and the 1996 Campaign Finance Scandal?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_United_States_campaign_finance_controversy
Sorry. I got in rut after digging through the lettuce thread.
Could be worse. I found out yesterday Ted Nugent was not just some wacky hunter, but also a rock star.
I am awake...check.
Have pulse...check.
Its not April 1st...check.
A bank loaned $270,000.00 to a 64 year old man with an income of $49,000.00 per year...check.
A man making $49,000.00 per year with a house payment on a $270,000.00 loan has lots of extra money to invest...check.
Hes a Democrat???...check.
Sniff,sniff,sniff....check.
Funky names...check.
Hummmm...check.
Smealls of Loons?
Politician...fund raising...Clinton...simple...direct....does not compute.
mmfa might want to be careful on this defense of Hillary.
Yes this story reads a bit odd but perhaps this statement answers the question of where the money comes from, "I have been fortunate in my investments..." Or maybe it does not -- if that is the case the right wing media will scream or in the case of the former be silent.
Question who did Haliburton give money to during the elections and how much did they earn in no-bid contracts? More than a postal worker? Just curious. And I am not defending Hillary, just saying ask all the pertinent questions not just those that favor your political agenda. This is one of the most dangerous internal threats facing our Democracy and Nation.
In this case, even MM hasn't gone far enough with this story. I found this statement from people who actually know the entire story:
Ya think it might be a good idea to, maybe, check out the facts before spouting off about corruption and stuff? It took me all of one minute to find this in a Google search. It was at TalkLeft.com.Sorry--had a little formatting problem.
Mr. Barcella's statement ends with "in whose values they believed."
The rest is my commentary.
Democratic fundraiser is a fugitive in plain sighttemplate_bastemplate_basCalifornia authorities have sought businessman Norman Hsu for 15 years. Since 2004, he has carved out a place of honor raising cash for such candidates as Hillary Rodham Clinton.By Chuck Neubauer and Robin Fields, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers August 29, 2007 WASHINGTON -- For the last 15 years, California authorities have been trying to figure out what happened to a businessman named Norman Hsu, who pleaded no contest to grand theft, agreed to serve up to three years in prison and then seemed to vanish."He is a fugitive," Ronald Smetana, who handled the case for the state attorney general, said in an interview. "Do you know where he is?"Hsu, it seems, has been hiding in plain sight, at least for the last three years.Since 2004, one Norman Hsu has been carving out a prominent place of honor among Democratic fundraisers. He has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions into party coffers, much of it earmarked for presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.--------------------------------------------------I'm not really sure that honest people truly want to go back to the scandal-ridden Clinton days.