J.B. Pritzker is one of the richest members of America’s one percent and a staunch pro-Israel Democrat. After backing Hillary Clinton in 2008–in opposition to his sister, Penny Pritzker–J.B. helped raise money for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

Among other civic and philanthropic causes, Pritzker is heavily involved in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which promotes a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. He has served on AIPAC’s national board, regularly chairs AIPAC events in Chicago, and attends the organization’s annual Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Given his devotion to a strong U.S.-Israel alliance, it is extraordinary to discover that Pritzker also contributed heavily to Media Matters for America. Through the Pritzker Family Foundation, which he leads, J.B. Pritzker has given $150,000 to Media Matters for America–$50,000 in 2008 and $100,000 in 2009, according to public records analyzed by Big Government.

Media Matters has come under heavy criticism from the Jewish community and even the liberal mainstream media for its virulent anti-Israel posture, which includes condoning antisemitic motifs such as “dual loyalty” and”Israel firster,” which other organizations have shunned and condemned. Last year, Media Matters’ senior fellow for foreign policy, M.J. Rosenberg, called Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “terrorist” and said that accusing AIPAC of “dual loyalty” was “giving it credit for one more loyalty than it holds.” (more…)

Although Connecticut is considered to be a “deep blue” state, its last two governors were Republicans (kind of), and most voters did not vote for its current governor, Working Families Party member and Democrat Dannel Malloy. Without that election’s third party candidate (have to watch out for those), who lost the Republican primary, it is likely that Republican Tom Foley would be the current governor of the Constitution State. Nevertheless, Connecticut’s longstanding Democratic legislature, friend to public sector unions and welfare recipients alike, gives it that bright blue hue on the electoral map. In 2008, the state went to Barack Obama, 61% to John McCain’s 38% share.

However, many Wall Street executives who sleep in Fairfield County, affectionately referred to as Connecticut’s “Gold Coast,” are digging into their pockets to support Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign. According to the Hartford Courant, Mr. Romney visited lower Fairfield County, just a brief train ride into New York City, five times within the past six months, to collect more than $1 million in campaign contributions.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, by the end of the third quarter of 2011, Mr. Romney had over $32 million raised, with only 10% coming from small, individual donors. Comparatively, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich had 48% and 43% of campaign funds, respectively, from small donor donations.

New Canaan, Connecticut, and two areas of Greenwich, Connecticut are among the ten highest in the nation of zip codes contributing to the Romney campaign. The others are wealthy areas of New York City and one from Houston, Texas. Three of the same New York City zip code areas were in the top ten in the nation that contributed to Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008. (more…)

From The New York Post:

Even in Zuccotti Park, greed is good.

Occupy Wall Street’s Finance Committee has nearly $500,000 in the bank, and donations continue to pour in — but its reluctance to share the wealth with other protestErs is fraying tempers.

Some drummers — incensed they got no money to replace or safeguard their drums after a midnight vandal destroyed their instruments Wednesday — are threatening to splinter off.

“F–k Finance. I hope Mayor Bloomberg gets an injunction and demands to see the movement’s books. We need to know how much money we really have and where it’s going,” said a frustrated Bryan Smith, 45, who joined OWS in Lower Manhattan nearly three weeks ago from Los Angeles, where he works in TV production.

(more…)

From the Washington Post:

Despite frosty relations with the titans of Wall Street, President Obama has still managed to raise far more money this year from the financial and banking sector than Mitt Romney or any other Republican presidential candidate, according to new fundraising data.

Obama’s key advantage is his ability to collect bigger checks from fewer donors, because he raises money for both his own campaign committee and for the Democratic National Committee, which will aid in his reelection effort. As a result, Obama has brought in more money from employees of banks, hedge funds and other financial service companies than all the other GOP candidates combined, according to a Washington Post analysis of contribution data.

This fundraising edge might seem counterintuitive in light of Obama’s thorny relations with business groups and Wall Street executives, who strongly opposed his financial reform law and have bristled at proposals to close corporate tax loopholes and raise income taxes on millionaires. In fact, he has raised just $3.9 million from the finance sector for his campaign committee itself, aside from the DNC, compared with Romney’s $7.5 million. (more…)

From Politico:

After the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent a recent email urging supporters to sign a petition backing the wave of Occupy Wall Street protests, phones at the party committee started ringing.

Banking executives personally called the offices of DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and DCCC Finance Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) last week demanding answers, three financial services lobbyists told POLITICO.

“They were livid,” said one Democratic lobbyist with banking clients.

(more…)