The Limbaugh crisis

[elucidator]

Nope. Wrong again. Meant every word.

[samclem]

[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold]
How on earth did it raise that much on ebay? It sounds to me like this is the kind of thing where some random person has bid millions for a laugh, and the correct amount will be much smaller.
.
[/QUOTE]
As Scylla said, totally legit.

The letter was purchased by the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, a $294 million foundation in Gaithersburg, Md., that has given money to a wide range of organizations, including the Washington Opera and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. In a statement, the foundation said its purchase was intended to demonstrate its belief in freedom of speech and “to support Rush Limbaugh, his views and his continuing education of us.”

from
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/20/washington/19cnd-letter.html?ref=us

Also, from the article

Marcus S. Owens, a lawyer who until 2000 headed the division of the Internal Revenue Service that oversees charities and foundations, said the Casey foundation might be liable for taxes because it would have difficulty demonstrating that the purchase of the letter furthered a charitable purpose. “They’d have to establish the link between the transfer of money for that letter and promoting free speech, and that’s going to be tough,” Mr. Owens said.

[Mr.Moto]

[QUOTE=elucidator]
Nope. Wrong again. Meant every word.
[/QUOTE]

Keep in mind that the foundation also helps the families of slain cops.

Now, I know you are an old hippie from way back, but I thought you stopped hating the pigs a long time back.

[Revenant_Threshold]

For once, i’m entirely happy to be proved wrong.

[Kimstu]

@Mr. Moto

Keep in mind that the foundation also helps the families of slain cops.

Now, I know you are an old hippie from way back, but I thought you stopped hating the pigs a long time back.

What’s “hating the pigs” got to do with it?

Surely one can admire the charitable philanthropy of an organization, while still opining that if they’re willing to pay over $2 million to own a letter from some politicians, they must have more money than good sense.

You seem to be trying to imply that anybody who mocks such a purchase by a charitable institution must be denigrating the noble causes to which the institution contributes, and by extension must hate the beneficiaries of those contributions. That’s quite a stretch.

[elucidator]

(Forget it, Kimstu said it better. And shorter. I fold. Post go poof! Gone!)

[Revenant_Threshold]

[QUOTE=Kimstu]
Surely one can admire the charitable philanthropy of an organization, while still opining that if they’re willing to pay over $2 million to own a letter from some politicians, they must have more money than good sense.
[/QUOTE]
To be fair, I imagine actually owning the letter is seen as a side effect at best.

[Mr.Moto]

[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold]
To be fair, I imagine actually owning the letter is seen as a side effect at best.
[/QUOTE]

Which is why I don’t see the foundation getting into any tax trouble - all of their donation is going to another charity.

[EddyTeddyFreddy]

[QUOTE=Mr. Moto]
Which is why I don’t see the foundation getting into any tax trouble - all of their donation is going to another charity.
[/QUOTE]

But does the payment qualify as a charitable donation by the first-party payor if the funds must transfer through a third party who receives them in payment for goods or services and then makes the actual donation to the charitable recipient? Tax lawyer needed here, stat!