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Ignorant Maher: Romney Only Gives to Mormons - 'His Cult'; 'That's Not a Charity - They're Not Poor People'

By Noel Sheppard | April 28, 2012 | 10:19

A  A
Noel Sheppard's picture

Bill Maher on Friday evening once again displayed a level of ignorance and intolerance that should completely disqualify him as a political commentator.

On HBO's Real Time, the vulgar anti-theist said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney doesn't give to charity. "All his charitable donations are to Mormons. He gives to his cult. That’s not a charity. They're not poor people" (video follows with transcript and commentary, serious vulgarity warning):

S.E. CUPP: Let's make the distinction though, just real quick, between Mitt Romney the person and Mitt Romney the politician, because Mitt Romney the person has donated millions of dollars to poor people.

BILL MAHER: To Mormons.

CUPP: To poor people.

MAHER: Not poor people. No, no, no. Wait, wait, I gotta call bullshit on that one.

CUPP: Yes.

MAHER: All his charitable donations are to Mormons. He gives to his cult.

CUPP: So what?

MAHER: So what? That’s not a charity. That’s not a charity.

CUPP: So we can’t help certain poor people.

MAHER: They're not poor people.

CUPP: Yes, they are.

MAHER: Name one poor Mormon. Alright, I’ve got to move on.

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Now watch one of the most shameless liberal shills in the nation - someone completely comfortable with lying on television without batting an eye to promote his agenda! - actually disagree with Maher and agree with Cupp:

PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The church does do a lot of good. The church does a lot of good for a lot of poor people.

MAHER: That is some serious bullshit. That is some bullshit.

CUPP: So we're judging charity now based on religion?

MAHER: I don't really think you should judge charity. I don’t think giving to opera is charity either, or giving to Cornell which has plenty of fucking money and never needs any…

CUPP (Who also went to Cornell University): Plenty of our money.

Now watch another liberal expose Maher as being a selfish, greedy millionaire:

ANDREW ROSS SORKIN, NEW YORK TIMES: Are you a giver?

MAHER: Never.

SORKIN: Never. Okay.

MAHER: Why should I be? They have a giant endowment - as does President Obama.

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Yes, they have a giant endowment because people give money to them. That's how you get an endowment.

But Maher as usual was demonstrating that his ignorance on a variety of subjects knows no bounds.

Observe Romney's charitable giving as reported by the Christian Science Monitor in January:

While Romney is not thought of as a great philanthropist, his rate of giving is considered high. For example, in 2010 he gave $2.9 million or 14 percent of his income to charity. A typical person gives 2 to 3 percent of their income. And people who made $10 million or more typically gave 6.5 percent to charity, according to Roberton Williams of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington.

“Romney’s rate is very high,” says Mr. Williams.

Part of the reason for the high rate of giving is Romney’s contributions to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon church. According to the church, members are expected to tithe 10 percent of their income. In Romney’s case, in 2010 he gave $1.5 million, closer to 7 percent of his adjusted gross income. In 2011, he gave $2.6 million, or 12.4 percent of his income.

But Romney and his wife also gave a considerable amount of money – some $1.5 million in 2010 and $500,000 in 2011 – to other charities, mainly through the Tyler Charitable Foundation, apparently named for a street Romney and his wife lived on in Belmont, Mass. In 2010, the foundation had more than $10 million in assets.

In 2010, the largest beneficiaries of the Tyler Charitable Foundation included the Mormon Church ($145,000), the Friends of George W. Bush Library ($100,000), and the Center for Treatment of Pediatric MS ($75,000). However, the foundation also made contributions to organizations including the US Equestrian Team Foundation ($10,000), Harvard Business School ($10,000), and Homes for Our Troops ($20,000).

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As is plainly evident, Romney doesn't only give to the Mormon Church as Maher ignorantly claimed. But even if he had, like most churches, Latter-day Saint Charities gives substantially to the poor:

Latter-day Saint Charities helps people become self-reliant and improve their quality of life through initiatives such as clean water, health, and food production. Latter-day Saint Charities also relieves suffering by providing life sustaining support during emergencies...100 percent of all donations go to help those in need. No administrative costs are deducted by LDS Philanthropies or our affiliated charities

LDS Charities actually has six charitable categories:

  • Humanitarian Aid Fund
  • Clean Water
  • Humanitarian Food Production
  • Neonatal Resuscitation Training
  • Mobility (wheelchairs, artificial legs, etc)
  • Vision Treatment Training

Click on any of those links and you'll find tremendous services for the poor.

Mormon.org elaborates:

Much of what is done in the Church is to bless and help those who are not Mormon. The Mormon Church has donated more than $1 billion in cash and material assistance to 167 different countries in need of humanitarian aid since it started keeping track in 1985. Many of these countries have few to no Mormons, but are also non-Christian. More than 53,000 Mormon missionaries serve through the world today. All of their service is to help those who are not Mormon. Joseph Smith himself taught that we are "to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all."

As such, Maher was 100 percent wrong - AGAIN!

About the Author

Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Click here to follow Noel Sheppard on Twitter.
  • Anti-Religious Bias
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Comments

Maher speaks and removes all doubt.

Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:30am.

Apparently Bill thinks money donated to the church is dispersed among the members of that church, and they don't need it.

And this is what passes for "edgy" commentary on the Left.

Of course Maher doesn't give to charities...they have "endowments" and don't need it.

The intellect of this man is truly staggering.

Oh, and don't forget: Romney shouldn't contribute to the Mormon Church anyway, because it's racist. 

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Remember Time Warner employs this cheap bigot

Submitted by frank14 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:45am.

Like most wealthy libs he thinks everyone else should contribute to the charity known as the federal government.

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Good thing Cupp was there.

Submitted by NeoKong on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:32am.

That "So what" rebuttal was devastating.

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Maher donated to Obama

Submitted by JeffC... on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:34am.

One million dollars to fund propaganda that, if successful, would enable the president and his minions to keep doing whatever it is they do to really screw up this country.

I trust the Mormons a lot more than I trust that other bunch of idiots.

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Last I heard, ol' Donkeyface

Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:37am.

Last I heard, ol' Donkeyface donated a million bucks to Boy Baraka - who isn't poor either, and IS the leader of a very sick and depraved cult, with Maher being a perfect example of the kind of people who follow this steaming pile of Kenyan Kow Krap.

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Hey, Scumbag!

Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:37am.

Giving tax money to gubmint isn't f***ing charity! And if you hate Mormons so much, how about going after Harry Reid? Oh, I forgot that you're chicken s**t.

President Obama is a Muslim (from his own lips), Kenyan (read it from his publicist) a homosexual (read it on a news magazine cover) and a Socialist (I'm alive and can see it for myself)
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I just cant

Submitted by misterbee241 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:57am.

wait for the "like" button. Cause I'd click the one on your post.

If you're not getting flak, you're not over the target.
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Not that Mahr gives to anyone but Obama

Submitted by Radical1979 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:37am.

But I guess in his world if it's not a charity that kills babies it's not worthwhile.

As far as the endowment remark, I guess that clinches it, Mahr and Obama, both gay.

Proud member of the 53%!
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Bill Maher is a hyena, and

Submitted by ray johnson on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:40am.

Bill Maher is a hyena, and how he gets to stay on the air is baffling and troubling at the same time. But his vapid, brain-dead audience probably has the answer. I wrote him off long ago.

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Somewhere along the line

Submitted by misterbee241 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 12:00pm.

he must be making money for HBO. What I don't understand is how.

If you're not getting flak, you're not over the target.
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LDS social programs should be a model for the Govt.

Submitted by tolstoyx on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:45am.

I am not LDS but I used to live in a town that had an LDS farm. My understand was that if you wanted their help, and were physically able, you had to help on the farm. I may have some of the details wrong because this was hearsay but I heard it from several people.

There was one incident that I was directly involved in where and LDS couple was receiving help from the LDS church and was trying to scam several local churches too (ours being one of them.) I came to drop off some money to help them with their rent and the manager of the mobile home park said that they were gone and wouldn't take the money. When I asked here where they were she told me that they were LDS and when the local LDS Bishop heard what was going on, he came and picked them up and put them on a bus back to where they were from so they wouldn't be scamming the local community.

I'm not LDS but I have tremendous respect for their social programs. If every church did what the Mormons do, the Govt. never would have grown so large and have all the failed social programs that they have.

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Thankfully, Maher didn't say

Submitted by balboa on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:47am.

Thankfully, Maher didn't say Romney looks like Snap, Krackle, or Pop. ;-)

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SIMPLE response..........

Submitted by GregE on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:52am.

.........would have been to simply say alot of the money given to the Mormon church, or anyone's church, doesn't STAY inside the church. What does the church do? It helps people.

Maher's argument was stupid and should have been easily slammed by telling him that's like saying the money you give to the Salvation Army stays in the Salvation Army and they don't use it to help people.

What a dolt. And no one slammed his dumbarse.

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Well, we know what Maher is.

Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:59am.

My question is what happened to SE Cupp? Has her atheism moved her so far left she can't even speak intelligently about conservatism any longer? She's really moderated. She'll be a Frum after the election.

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SE Cupp

Submitted by Joe W. on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:24am.

She showed a very poor sense of judgement by even appearing on his show yet again. Her appearance simply gives him credibility where none should be given. I lost a lot of my respect for Ms. Cupp in the process.

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I agree

Submitted by Radical1979 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 12:13pm.

In light of Mahr's repeated crude statements about conservative women, I cannot imagine why any conservative woman would go on his show. If her career relies on such an appearance, that career is not worthwhile.

Proud member of the 53%!
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Being popular, and well-liked

Submitted by ray johnson on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 12:05pm.

Being popular, and well-liked and "edgy" is very much the attraction for some. Marketing oneself to positively affect speaking and appearance fees, and selling books is the number one criteria for success. That, and using the good conservative following she has built ( recognizable, attractive, and generally provocative ) is one formula for continued high income.

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I just looked at Cupp's

Submitted by misterbee241 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 12:09pm.

Wiki page. She describes herself as an athiest who "aspires to be a person of faith someday." There is hope for her.

If you're not getting flak, you're not over the target.
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Charity

Submitted by robbieby on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:22am.

After WWII the Mormons had train loads of food and supplies ready to be sent into Europe and Japan to help They are always there when help is needed. They fast the first Sunday of every month and give the cost of the meals to the poor.

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"I don't really think you

Submitted by LinTaylor on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:34am.

"I don't really think you should judge charity."

"...Except that I'm going to do exactly that, because of my knee-jerk reaction to anything that isn't Socialist."

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If Caesar's cut

Submitted by misterbee241 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:54am.

wasn't so blasted big we'd all be donating more to charity.
Romney has the right and privilege to donate to whomever he wants and however much he wants. Liberals do not understand that because their charity is government and they tithe every payday.
Maher's charity is the DNC. And that's his right too.
But I don't understand the meanness and hatred in him. Ive only known one person like that personally in my life. I just don't understand living in hatred.

If you're not getting flak, you're not over the target.
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Maher should keep his money

Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 11:56am.

Maher should keep his money because he certainly isn't endowed with anything mental or physical.

Non, je ne regrette rien. "You aren't angry because I might be a racist, you're angry because you know I'm right".
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Why are Democrat politicians and leaders so comfortable

Submitted by OxyCon on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 1:43pm.

Why are Democrat politicians and leaders so comfortable...going on the bigot's show?

That says alot about Democrats and the Democrat Media Complex (CNN) that such an intolerant, uninformed bigot is high on their guest appearance list.

I think it would be beneficial if the MRC compiled a complete list of all Democrat politicians and Democrat apparatchiks, and the number of times they appeared with Maher so that the next time they try to speak out on civility or attack anything a Conservative says, their hypocrisy can be shown.

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If you want to beat a dog, any stick will do

Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 3:54pm.

Mohair doesn't give any money to charity and he criticizes Romney for the charities he donates to? Talk about not having a horse in that race.

So Mohair's complaint is only a way to take a shot at Romney. It's not like Mohair is pushing something he believes in and supports, like, you know, the freedom to say b*** and c*** any time he also mentions a Republican or conservative woman's name.

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Anyone notice..........

Submitted by GregE on Sat, 04/28/2012 - 10:41pm.

..........the Left has no problem with Harry Reid's mormonism?

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My friends church collects

Submitted by ant on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 11:05am.

My friends church collects gifts every Christmas for poor children, regardless of their religious affiliation if any, but the genius Mahrer would think the church members were passing these gifts among themselves...what a dope.

I guess he got confused since the Obama administration has written rules stating that any religion that helps others outside of it's own faith cannot be defined as a religion. So...we got a whole regime of dopes there.

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