The American Mind

A small little, green, California house is the source address of $200,000 in Democratic campaign contributions since 2005. $45,000 has gone to Sen. Hillary Clinton. What makes this even more interesting is the family living there doesn’t appear to be able to afford giving away that much money:

It isn’t obvious how the Paw family is able to afford such political largess. Records show they own a gift shop and live in a 1,280-square-foot house that they recently refinanced for $270,000. William Paw, the 64-year-old head of the household, is a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service who earns about $49,000 a year, according to a union representative. Alice Paw, also 64, is a homemaker. The couple’s grown children have jobs ranging from account manager at a software company to “attendance liaison” at a local public high school. One is listed on campaign records as an executive at a mutual fund.

The Wall Street Journal found the donations aligned with a former resident of the home:

The Paws’ political donations closely track donations made by Norman Hsu, a wealthy New York businessman in the apparel industry who once listed the Paw home as his address, according to public records. Mr. Hsu is one of the top fund-raisers for Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign. He has hosted or co-hosted some of her most prominent money-raising events.

Has Hsu been illegally donating to Clinton and Democrats through the Paw family? That’s the $200,000 question. With the Clinton’s history of questionable and illegal campaign contributions this isn’t a storyline Hillary would like to have revived.

“Big Source of Clinton’s Cash Is an Unlikely Address” [via RCP]

UPDATE: Allahpundit tosses out a hypothetical:

How about this as the third alternative: the son who’s a mutual fund executive — Winkle, presumably — is pals with Hsu, does business with him, gets hit up by him every now and then for a donation to his favorite candidate. As thanks, the son cuts Hillary a check and makes gifts to his family members of, say, $2,300 each, which they’re technically free to dispose of as they wish but which, per his request, they end up donating to Hillary. Campaign finance lawyers can correct me but I doubt there’s anything illegal about that. As to why he’d give them money for campaign contributions but not to water the plants, maybe they’re just fond of the house as is and don’t want to move? And as for why Hsu once listed their address as his residence, maybe he’s an old family friend and the Paws took him in for whatever reason when he was younger (the Journal doesn’t say when Hsu listed their address as his residence)? The point is, there could be an innocent explanation for all the coincidences. It’s just … unlikely.

Notice this story came out before Rupert Murdoch took control of the WSJ. Despite that fact look for Team Clinton to spin it as a Murdoch plot anyway.

UPDATE II: This Left-wing weblog goes after the story’s source. I’m not surprised:

You know, I look at this story and I cannot help, but wonder… Is the right THAT desperate to keep a Democrat out of the White House, that they would use the Right Wing Propaganda machine, that is now the Wall Street Journal, to keep Hillary out of Office? It boggles my mind.

Murdoch doesn’t own the WSJ yet, and the reporters are a far removed from the conservative editorial page. Yet they’re a part of the “Right Wing Propaganda machine.” Wrong answer! Please try again when you have some facts on your side.