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John Templeton Jr. goes after Barack Obama, gay marriage

The world of big campaign donors is small.

A relative handful of the truly big donors give to an array of causes.

One is John Templeton Jr., a Pennsylvania physician who is the son of the founder of Templeton Mutual Funds. He started out the presidential campaign backing Mitt Romney, but now is in John McCain's camp, and has given more than $100,000 to federal campaigns since 2007.

Templeton also is playing in California. He is the second-largest individual donor supporting Proposition 8, the initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California by creating a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Now, Templeton is taking on Barack Obama. He donated $800,000 of a $1.3-million ad purchase to an independent campaign group, Let Freedom Ring.

The spot airing in swing states -- Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada, Colorado and Virginia -- lauds McCain for trying to “blow the whistle on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” and criticizes Obama for taking money from both institutions.

Colin Hanna, president of Let Freedom Ring, which is based in Pennsylvania, said there is “a finite number of people you can go to” to raise money. The souring economy adds to the challenge. But the fact that the election is near helps open wallets.

Why does Templeton give?

“He is a patriot who cares about the future of this country and this is what is at stake in this election,” Hanna said.

When not handing out campaign contributions, Templeton heads a $1.2-billion family foundation that funds organizations that seek to answer “what scientists and philosophers call the Big Questions,” the foundations says on its website.

The foundation has given millions to conservative groups, free market-oriented think tanks and institutions, including the University of California and Stanford University, to advance religious studies.

-- Dan Morain

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Comments () | Archives (3)

The comments to this entry are closed.

Yes, He is one of the people who does not like the idea that "Big Brother Obama" wants to re-distribute the wealth.

But what does it mean when Big Brother Obama says he wants "FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE" what does that really mean.

I have been to one his events in NYC and meet him and his wife last year, just for full disclosure

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

The Democrats were in the dole with Fannie Mae. Franklin Raines, former Chief Executive Officer and Office and Budget Management in the Clinton Administration, cooked the accounting books. Raines kept the financial spigots to the Democrats in order that the executives of Fanne Mae could keep their incentive pays and support of the government sponsored entitity.

The enemies of America are those who hiber hate and separtism in their hearts and who pit one group against another when we all come from the one same Source which shines on us all, good and bad, and when the blood in each of us is red, the symbol of the inner man and our oneness. These dividers who pit class against class, race against race, straight against gays are the real enimies of America -- the enemies within. From these Enemies, we must be on Guard if we are to achieve as a people; If we are to survive as a nation, one nation, indivisible under God!

"The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment - this was the time - when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."
Obama's Nomination Victory Speech In St. Paul June 3, 2008.

"Obama is a LightWorker - an Attuned Being with Powerful Luminosity and High-Vibration Integrity who will actually help usher in a New Way of Being"

http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com/2008/06/obama-is-lightworker-attuned-being-with.html


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About the Columnist
A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Andrew Malcolm has served on the L.A. Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four. Read more.
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