Adelson and Romney: Politics Make Strange Bedfellows

Sheldon Adelson

There’s an old idiom that claims “Politics made strange bedfellows,” essentially meaning that people who would normally avoid each other at all costs will work together if they think it is politically beneficial to do so.

Well, it doesn’t get much stranger than the apparent union of the Republican front-runner in the U.S. Presidential race, Mitt Romney, and billionaire casino magnate, CEO of the Sands Las Vegas Corporation, Sheldon Adelson.

Adelson, who donated more than $25 million to a super PAC supporting Romney’s one-time GOP opponent Newt Gingrich who dropped out of the race, recently donated $10 million more to another super PAC, this one in support of Romney.

Along with his wife Miriam, Adelson, who has donated $100 million to Birthright Israel, as well as tens of million more to Yad Vashem and several other Jewish causes, will apparently do whatever he can to ensure that U.S. President Barack Obama is not re-elected.

According to a source inside Team Adelson, “no price is too high” to protect the U.S. from what Adelson sees as Obama’s “socialization” of America, as well as securing the safety of Israel.

So, why do the two men make strange bedfellows? Well, consider the fact that gambling, the foundation of Adelson’s more than $25 billion empire, is regularly condemned by Romney’s Mormon church. Romney also once told a Las Vegas television station that he is against legal online poker because gambling is addictive and potentially harmful to those who indulge in the evil deed.

And, the irony here is that in this case, it’s Adelson who is gambling. Still, relatively speaking, the 78-year-old’s $10 million “wager” on Romney is peanuts for a man of his remarkable wealth. In fact, Adelson, according to Forbes, is willing to dip into his pockets to the tune of $100 million in support of Romney and that the $10 million is just the first installment.

You want more irony? Adelson, who told Forbes that he believes this presidential election is the most important one in his lifetime, is reported to have made more money under the Obama administration than any other.

In an interview with Forbes, Adelson explained why he has no qualms about using his wealth to possibly steer the outcome of the American Presidential race.

“I’m against very wealthy people attempting to or influencing elections,” Adelson told Forbes in February. “But as long as it’s doable I’m going to do it. Because I know that guys like Soros has been a prominent international supporter of democratic ideals and causes for more than 30 years. Soros have been doing it for years, if not decades. And they stay below the radar by creating a network of corporations to funnel their money. I have my own philosophy and I’m not ashamed of it.”

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