RE: Conservative Talk Radio Host Glenn Beck on the Left's Chopping Block

Meredith Jessup | August 14, 2009 1:29 PM

As I reported last night, Progressive Insurance Corp. has pulled its advertising support from conservative radio and TV host Glenn Beck's program on Fox News Channel. A little further digging might shed some light on why Progressive, of all corporate sponsors, had motive to abandon support for Beck.

Progressive Insurance is run by Peter B. Lewis who serves as chairman of the company. Billionaire Lewis, who inherited the business from his father, has money to spare on all his favorite political organizations, including (gasp!) Move-on.org. You'll remember from my earlier blog post, ColorofChange, the group petitioning for Beck's complete removal from on-air programming, is an affiliate organization of Move-on.org. Turns out Lewis joined his fellow billionaire buddy George Soros in donating $2.5 million each to Move-on.org. Lewis and Soros also both donated $10 million to America Coming Together, a Democratic party supporter and get-out-the-vote organization of 2004, primarily funded by Lewis, Soros, various labor unions and... wait for it... SEIU! Don't you just love when stories come full circle?

Progressive Insurance chairman Lewis has also donated generously to the Democratic Party, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Marijuana Policy Project, Young Democrats of America, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and America Votes.