There is a fascinating story today in the Wall Street Journal about Harold Simmons. In a lengthy 2010 story, we called him “Dallas’ Most Evil Genius” (not for his political leanings but because he’d found a way to get the federal government to pay him to bury toxic waste that, in essence, he’d created). The WSJ story offers more proof that the man knows how to get his way. Simmons was fined by the Federal Election Commission for surpassing contribution limits in 1988 and 1989. Now, though, he’s got Karl Rove’s super PAC, American Crossroads. With no limit on how much he can donate, Simmons has doled out $18 million to Republican super PACs, making him the 2012 election’s single largest contributor. He says he plans to give $36 million before the election.
Here are some other choice tidbits from the WSJ story:
He told the reporter: “Any of these Republicans would make a better president than that socialist, Obama. Obama is the most dangerous American alive … because he would eliminate free enterprise in this country.”
The lake at his Dallas house is encircled by 17,000 tulips. He sips lemonade iced tea (which the reporter fails to mention is called an Arnold Palmer) made with lemons grown on his California estate east of Santa Barbara. His Arkansas ranch is filled with 35 bears and 100 elk. He gives $50 and $100 bills to panhandlers to and from work. He often goes to Luby’s Cafeteria for a $5.95 lunch.
Anyway, those details are just fun to ponder. The political stuff, how the money flows, that’s the most important story of this election. You should read the entire story.
