Politics

Report: Google Now Giving Money to Major Conservative Groups

Why is Google, which is traditionally considered liberal-leaning, donating money to conservative organizations and even cosponsoring the most recent Republican GOP debate alongside Fox News?

Google Going Bipartisan Giving Money to Conservatives, Hiring More Lobbiests

According to the Huffington Post, Google has been giving money to ”the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Republican Governors Association, the GOP firm The David All Group, Crossroads Strategies, the Republican Attorneys General Association and the Republican State Leadership Committee, among others.”

Interesting. HuffPo reports:

Republicans in the House and Senate reacted with pleasant surprise when told by HuffPost that Google had started donating to movement conservatives. “Are you saying they’re finally becoming bipartisan? That’s a good thing. Bipartisanship is a positive thing,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the head of the Senate GOP’s fundraising arm and one of three Republicans on the subcommittee holding the antitrust hearing. “I understand why people feel like they need to have people they can talk to on both sides.”

Google’s new found bipartisanship, as reported by the Huffington Post, seems to stem from its long-standing conflict with Microsoft, which has donated more than 10 times the amount of money than Google to those in the political arena:

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, speaking to reporters after his sworn testimony Wednesday, said that Microsoft had been lobbying hard to pressure Congress to bring the antitrust hammer down on Google — the blunt pain of which Microsoft knows all too well.

Schmidt’s rivalry with Microsoft has deep roots, dating back to his days as an executive with Sun Microsystems in the 1980s, when Microsoft — in the eyes of Silicon Valley start-ups and, ultimately, the U.S. Department of Justice — threatened to lock down the digital free market in America. The top tech executives have been at each ever since.

[...]

The conflict between Google and Microsoft has also triggered an international war over the nature of intellectual property, as to how — and whether — knowledge should be owned.

Google is benefiting from the freedom-loving street cred it won by theatrically bailing from China — or at least publicly proclaiming its independence — to shield its drive to succeed where Microsoft failed a decade ago. Meanwhile, Microsoft is using its remaining influence to fight Google, allied with the American entertainment industry and a loose coalition of tech companies, from Facebook to Travelocity to Yelp.

Last week, Google Chief Executive Chairman Eric Schmitt testified before the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee against allegations that Google was stifling websites that were competitive to its own on Google searches. Microsoft allies Yelp and Nextag were present to testify against. According to the Huffington Post, Microsoft hasn’t hid its efforts to try and “rein in Google:”

Its complaint to the European Union, for instance, was made publicly, and it fully acknowledges its lead participation in a coalition, FairSearch.org, organized to lobby on behalf of antitrust action against Google. “Clearly Microsoft were the first people to start to blow the clarion call” on anti-trust issues, said one top Microsoft mercenary. “They had the resources to get people engaged in thinking about it, but I don‘t think they’ve had any trouble getting people to agree.” Indeed, Google’s public critics have been multiplying almost as quickly as their lobbying roster.

Google Going Bipartisan Giving Money to Conservatives, Hiring More Lobbiests

Google Chief Executive Chairman testifies before the Senate antitrust subcomittee last Wednesday. (Photo: AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

Google is also reportedly upping the number of lobbying firms it employees — up to 18 firms — making it the third largest lobbying spender in the technology industry. Both Google and Microsoft have lobbying firms that, according to the Huffington Post, work on antitrust, patents, copyright, trade and China issues.

Some of Google’s anti-conservative efforts include removing conservative blogs and other sites from its news section because they were “offensive” in 2006, according to American Thinker. American Thinker also reported similar reasons for a YouTube video from Fox News pundit Michelle Malkin being removed.

Comments (59)

1 2
  • WakeUp
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:23pm

    Also, NO PACS. People give directly only.

    Report Post »  
    • Marci
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:41pm

      I am fed up with all of them lobbying. Microsoft has a point as they were targeted for merely being successful before, but at the same time, Gates didn’t play by all the rules either. Google is no better, and MS is probably just a wee bit pissed that there are seminars held daily teaching people how to rank on Google because Bing is just pure random crap! But the lobbying? Enough. Republicans who do their bidding based on that will be called out on the carpet. We don’t excuse the left, we sure as heck will not excuse the right.

      Report Post » Marci  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 4:32pm

      i bet they are contributing to conservatives because they had a HUGE, unreported, downfall in traffic, due to their liberal agenda… i, along with many others, have stopped using google…

      Report Post »  
    • cgizzy
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 5:15pm

      Funny, my first thought as to why the started donating to conservatives was to have their bases covered… want to make sure they are in good terms with whichever ideology succeeds in the next round of elections.

      Report Post »  
    • lionslayer44
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 5:21pm

      @MARCI, Bill gates is a pos who wants to depopulate the planet by 80% using his, “humanitarian vaccinations.” his own words look it up. he was caught in Mexico putting birth control substances in vaccinations. he is also a bilderberger. I hope this four eyed little dweeb dies a slow painful death when the lord catches up with him. BE PREPARED COLLECT FOOD, WATER (FILTERS), AMMO. GOD BLESS AMERICA

      Report Post » lionslayer44  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:21pm

    I still cannot get google chrome to Allow” me to have FOX news on my start up page….

    Report Post » Stoic one  
    • vorpal
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 8:54pm

      Anyone who has been to the white house as many times as the Google man is in the same league as Andy Stern – I choose to use another search engine – Google is spooky. The gov would love to use Google’s technology to track us and keep us in line.

      Report Post » vorpal  
  • WakeUp
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:19pm

    The answer to all of this political manipulation is TRUE campaign finance reform. It’s real simple, real fair and campaigns would become real cheap.

    A candidate can ONLY accept contributions from people that will be their constituents. Business can only contribute based on the number of employees they have in the district or state the candidate is running to represent.

    At lease the politicians will know who they are there to support.

    Report Post »  
  • hi
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:09pm

    I was surprised Google was sponsoring the debate! I stopped using the search engine long ago when I noticed they were suppressing information.

    Maybe the libs like Google and Bloomberg are finally waking up to the liberal lie??

    Report Post » hi  
    • HKS
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:12pm

      Or maybe their hedging their bet when they smell a loosing side is about to become obsolete. Business decision.

      Report Post » HKS  
    • jdare
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 2:56pm

      I’m with HKS. They see the tide changing and want to infuence those that be the powerful, which is becoming the Tea Party and other sensible people wanting responsible and shrinking government.

      TEA! Fair Tax!

      Report Post » jdare  
    • cgizzy
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 5:16pm

      HKS, that what I thought as well. Makes business sense to not tick off either side.

      Report Post »  
  • Ryntintin
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:09pm

    Thanks God for bringing logic to a bunch of hippies. Time is amazing, it changes just like we are ready for a CHANGE to the Oval Office

    Report Post » Ryntintin  
  • LWRC6.8
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:08pm

    Think that the current Welfare system is corrupt? Help reform the current system and end the waste and corruption by signing the petition. http://wh.gov/4gw

    We have 30 days to gather only 150 votes for it to go live on the whitehouses website. Please forward the link to family and friends if you agree with this.
    thanks!

    http://wh.gov/4gw

    Report Post »  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:26pm

      Go check your petition again.. It now says 4999 are needed. your’s being the first. Do you trust whitehouse.gov under this administration?

      Report Post » Stoic one  
  • NuffSaid
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:00pm

    So, Google- You already own all the Black liberals, eh?

    Heard you’d worked up a lease for the Ku Klux KauKus, too

    Report Post »  
  • Micmac
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:52am

    It’s a ruse, plain and simple, to deflect recent comments about Google. Google (and Bing) is a step towards Orwellianism. The Google “eye” has already penetrated your home through your computer use. It’s an early step in the process, but it’s a step all the same. mwahahahaha…

    NoBama 2012

    Report Post »  
    • @leftfighter
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:08pm

      Nah- what’s really happening here is, Google has written off Dems in the last elections and want to buy their way in to the Right because that’s who they expect to win the next election.

      Yes, Google is Orwellian (by their own CEO’s “creepy line” admission), but I‘m not sure I’d agree that Bing is too.

      Report Post » @leftfighter  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:51am

    Google is engaging in bi-partisan brinksmanship; by donating funds to all sides, especially those who are in the anti-trust inquiory board going on right now, they can claim each and every side is biased politically and must remove themselves from scrutinizing them.

    All it amounts to is playing off both sides of the coin and conflict for the most advantageous of postions to continue their illegal schemes.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • TRONINTHEMORNING
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:50am

    Could be a “go with a winner” approach-at least for now. Time will tell.

    Report Post »  
  • SPOT_OF_TEA
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:44am

    Probably trying to infiltrate the groups in order to destroy them.

    Report Post » SPOT_OF_TEA  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:43am

    I wouldn’t trust Google as far as I could throw them. Violating 4th Amendments, copyright infringement, illegal medical ads, etc, etc. They are only out for #1, themselves and will use everything in their power, and ours, to go after anyone. I wish someone would file an anti-trust suit against them like they did with MS.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • ConservativeCharlie
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:40am

    Bible burning video on Google (YOUTUBE…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CshCI90Nfqc

    Koran Burning Video on Google (YOUTUBE) http://www.youtube.com/verify_controversy?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DJjpnDyfQxiw

    Report Post »  
  • cripplecreek
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:39am

    Buying influence just like the Main street republican Soros puppets.

    Report Post »  
    • Micmac
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:57am

      What planet have you been grazing on?

      NoBama 2012

      Report Post »  
  • ConservativeCharlie
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:36am

    Google up until recently stacked there search results in this manner as well.
    If you searched the Truth about christianity you got alot of anit christian content, absolute foul stuff.
    If you searched the Truth about Islam you got a bunch of Imams telling how wonderful islam was, this was not an accident. The same was the case on Youtube.. I dont know if they have ever changed it or not.

    Report Post »  
  • ConservativeCharlie
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:34am

    If you watch Youtube at all, you will see a constant and steady effort to push liberal videos to the veiwers which by he way are mostly younger. Case in point they are now featuring a Gay Military Member coming out to his father on the Youtube home page. They often mark conservative leaning videos as offensive. You can find a million bible burning videos that you can watch directly on Youtube, but all Koran Burning videos are marked with disclaimers saying that the content is inappropriate and offensive. Google has been a shchill for the left. Hard to see them change there stripes. Here is a video that they will likely be removing soon.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s17Jh2tc04A

    Report Post »  
  • rdietz7
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:32am

    Look what happens when you Google Rick Santorum. Disgust! Google is in bed with demons and they spy on us.

    Report Post » rdietz7  
    • UlyssesP
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:47am

      They aren’t that bad. it goes both ways.
      Google “bad obama” in the images section.

      Report Post » UlyssesP  
  • ConservativeCharlie
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:30am

    If you watch Youtube at all, you will see a constant and steady effort to push liberal videos to the veiwers which by he way are mostly younger. Case in point they are now featuring a Gay Military Member coming out to his father on the Youtube home page. They often mark conservative leaning videos as offensive. You can find a million bible burning videos that you can watch directly on Youtube, but all Koran Burning videos are marked with disclaimers saying that the content is inappropriate and offensive. Google has been a shchill for the left. Hard to see them change there stripes. Here is a video that they will likely be removing soon.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s17Jh2tc04A

    The following video below they sent an email to the maker saying it was not family friendly, therefore no ads would be played on the Video.. Look at this vid and tell me what is not family friendly about this video..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz2EniavDIA

    At the same time this following video has no such restrictions. And ads were being played on this video Warning this is not a family friendly video. Lots of foul language and suggestive content. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzspsovNvII

    I know Youtube well., I use to maintain a conservative channel on Youtube, until one day they shut down my account with out much explanation.

    Report Post »  
  • wisehiney
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:26am

    Another Trojan horse.

    Report Post »  
  • cessna152
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:25am

    I guess “huff-po” is trying to make up more stories that Conservatives are in the pockets of big business and visa-verse. More class warfare, more slandering…

    It is a well known fact that Google has been on the side of the Marxists for quite some time.

    Report Post » cessna152  
  • heavyduty
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:22am

    I bet that it’s not going over very good in the Obama camp. I guess they are trying to straddle the fence so to speak.

    Report Post »  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 12:34pm

      the problem with straddling the fence is that your ****** can get mashed!

      Report Post » Stoic one  
  • bhelmet
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:21am

    This IS the problem with capitalism today – big business in bed with big govt – no matter which side. I don’t care if they “support” Conservatism or Liberalism – it is wrong and should not be allowed. if we were truly a free market we could just stop using their product(s) and they would disappear, but b/c of their govt relationship(s) that is next to impossible.

    Report Post » bhelmet  
  • Mandors
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:21am

    Google is a fraud engine. Companies pay to have themselves come up in your searches. I stopped using Google and now use Bing or Yahoo!

    Let Google explain this:

    http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/09/24/googles-hypocritical-anti-bullying-pulpit/

    Report Post » Mandors  
    • seekingone
      Posted on September 26, 2011 at 4:31pm

      Use Ixquick as your search engine. They don’t track you. Go to Startpage.com and download the search engine. Then Click on the downarrow beside Search and you will be allowed to choose Ixquick. That is the only way you will be allowed to select them as they are not listed as even a possible selection until you download the engine.It takes only about 3 minutes start to finish.

      Google, Yahoo and Bing will no longer be allowed to collect information about your browsing habits.

      Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:10am

    ..and right before the debate, Google’s CEO was calling for tax hikes. Watch the other hand.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • Jenny Lind
    Posted on September 26, 2011 at 11:08am

    Don‘t trust ’em, not one bit.

    Report Post »  
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