U.S. billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has set a new record in political donations by giving $70 million to help Republicans in the 2012 elections, nearly triple the previous highest amount, according to news outlet Politico on Monday.

Just for one minute today, let’s try to imagine all the people who might have been helped by the $70M that Sheldon Adelson has pumped into Super PACs for the 2012 election. I’m not saying that Adelson’s money has been wasted — it’s too soon to know whether he’s backing some election winners — but I am saying that the people who might have been helped are different people from the ones he’s helping.

It’s not my business, of course, to tell Adelson that he ought to donate to this charity or that. I just think it’s noteworthy that Americans have almost unlimited resources to spend on political campaigns … and that hunger and homelessness are problems in our society.

The Politico piece — with its interview with Adelson — is here.