It’s being reported that global talk show icon an avid Barack Obama supporter Oprah Winfrey  accepted money from one of Obama’s chief political enemies.  Dallas Billionaire Harold Simmons an avid John McCain supporter not only paid almost 3 million to pay for ads linking Obama to Bill Ayers, once gave Winfrey 1 million (5 million pledged) for her girls school in South Africa.  Mind you this is the same cat that funded that scam “swift boat” ads that buried John Kerry and his heroic Vietnam tour. 

I applaud Winfrey for understanding how to play the game righteously.  She gets it!  Get what you ask?  Gets the fact that just because you take money or donations for one cause, it does not mean you have to compromise your morals, beliefs, or integrity for another.  Historically in most cases, folk get it all twisted and just hide behind some public relations firm.  Not Oprah!  She’s was not bought out like some soft feeble minded folks.

Now some people will just say that Oprah is paid so therefore she can afford to do what she does.  Not altogether true.  If it were like that she could have merely funded the project herself.  She has enough loot to do that for sure!  Not to mention I have a friend who spoke privately to baseball Hall of Fame member Ozzie Smith.  The subject of money came up and being rich after a lucrative career.  Ozzie said it this way, “I don’t care how much money you’ve made.  When you are used to making millions of dollars and used to seeing those checks coming in twice a month, you miss it. ”  

The point is that a 5 million dollars is 5 million dollars.  People who make that kinda money desire ways to make more of it.  So I don’t see Winfrey as being less ambitious.  It’s simply understanding that you can take the money but the money doesn’t have to take you.  To the contrary: Accept the money.  Use it for your purposes, and still keep your integrity. 

Too bad many other celebs and politicians don’t get that.

You go Oprah!