By

Brian Montopoli /

CBS News/ February 23, 2012, 3:55 PM

JEFFREY KATZENBERG

Scott Olson/Getty Images
Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of DreamWorks Animation, last year gave $2 million to Priorities USA Action - the super PAC that President Obama recently (and reluctantly) embraced. Mr. Obama's decision to give his blessing to the super PAC, after previously opposing such outside spending groups, is attributable in part to the fact that it was having trouble continuing to attract deep-pocketed donors like Katzenberg; in January, the organization raised just $59,000.

The 61-year-old Katzenberg, a longtime Democratic donor who was born in New York City and lives in Beverly Hills, co-founded DreamWorks SKG with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen in 1994; in a book tracking the tumultuous funding of the company, he is described as "the kind of always-on achievement junkie that Hollywood considered its own breed." Speilberg has also donated to Priorities USA Action, to the tune of $100,000; Israeli-American billionaire media executive Haim Saban, whose company produced Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, is now weighing donating to the group.

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10 Comments Add a Comment
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fixingit2002 says:
we need campaign finance reform to be certain.

I propose each candidate should be allowed to spend per election no more than the office itself pays in 1 year's salary.

That money can come from family, friends, self, or individual voters. Corporations cannot vote so they cannot contribute. But neither can outsiders to our nation, like Soros.

Supporters of a candidate can give whatever amount they want but the contributions will go to a task force at the government accountability office to be administered. Anything in excess of the annual salary limit will go to pay down our nation's debt. The candidate never sees the excess.

ALL media venues will be required to give FREE equal time to EACH candidate. That's TV, Newspapers, radios...websites with news or political views printed...all of them MUST give the same time, in equitable time slots (i.e. each candidate gets the same night of the week/timeframe, in turn, the order to be determined by a random drawing), free of charge, to each candidate. This will lessen the cost of the campaign.

When it's said and done, we will get a better selection of candidates because more people could afford to run. The time/space limits for media would cut down on time wasted on negative campaigning and focus more on what the candidate can do for us. We'd have less interference from conglomerates and outside interests. Our debt would go down or if not, politicians would spend less time fund-raising because there's no benefit to raising in excess of the allowed amount. We'd get to see first hand how well candidates can manage their budgets. We might even get our democracy back!
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uisignorant says:
RobAla February 23, 2012 8:36 PM EST

You are making yourself look foolish, he was #7.
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starving1968-3 says:
Why aren't these guys having televised debates, instead of the candidates?
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skeezix06 says:
For RobAla

Soros is on page 8. Katzenburg(?) is on page 7. They were both there last night when I read it before there were any comments posted. I wonder how you missed them in your rush to judgment.

And since you apparently didn't read it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-503544_162-57383227-503544/meet-the-biggest-donors-of-the-2012-campaign/?pageNum=7&tag=next
"Soros was also one of the largest donors to either party in the 2008 election, giving $5 million to help President Obama's campaign. Yet he appears poised to sit this election out: The New Yorker reports this week the odds of Soros giving to a pro-Obama super PAC are no more than 10 percent, in part because he is concerned about the influence of shadowy money in politics that super PACs represent."
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skeezix06 says:
For RobAla

Soros is on page 8. Katzenburg(?) is on page 7. They were both there last night when I read it before there were any comments posted. I wonder how you missed them in your rush to judgment.

And since you apparently didn't read it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-503544_162-57383227-503544/meet-the-biggest-donors-of-the-2012-campaign/?pageNum=7&tag=next
"Soros was also one of the largest donors to either party in the 2008 election, giving $5 million to help President Obama's campaign. Yet he appears poised to sit this election out: The New Yorker reports this week the odds of Soros giving to a pro-Obama super PAC are no more than 10 percent, in part because he is concerned about the influence of shadowy money in politics that super PACs represent."
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skeezix06 says:
Irregardless of party affiliation, the money being spent on political campaigns is obscene and it is destroying our democracy. The Supreme Court made a very bad decision that needs to be reversed and we should be demanding campaign finance reform.
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fwd23515 says:
Every time I read about the super-rich, I want to disinfect my eyeballs.
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Mike_in_USA says:
shedhouserob--in case you missed it, the article is about super pac money. Have a 4th grader read it to you.
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RobAla says:
CBS decided to leave off Soros, who massively funds Democrats and progressives. Wonder why........
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shedhouserob says:
Lets face it. A computer has no conscience! No heart! The oil company's are the same- Golden Sach's ditto. Off shore no taxes. Wall street. When the price gets up to $5 a gallon it will bring the middle class Now the poor class to their knees. How about Romney, Rush Limbaugh, George Bush and family, Rupert Murdock, Koch Bros. if gas was $50 a gallon they could care less, only the rich would be using the interstates. The middle class will be riding bicycles, buses and second rate railroad system as the Corporate America wants to make money on arms to fight a war on foreign soul with the 300 million hamburger flippers of America. Golden Sachs made the statement the middle class of the world income will be $8000. You tunnel vision Fox News people, you feel you got yours because you earned it. Your parents were lucky in the 40's, 50,' and 60's- ( when there was a strong middle class) The country is coming to a one party republican system. (They will let a democrat in when it don't count), I don't believe we will ever see a non republican- congress, senate, president or supreme court. So self serving Narcissism selfish lets see where your Corporate, rich America controlled country comes to. Your kids and your grandkids are sure to admire you!!!
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