Billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch look like they're easy graders. Their Tea Party group released its rankings this week of senators and congressman who tow the Koch line most, and it gave a total of 44 A+s for the 112th Congress.
Americans for Prosperity, the Tea Party group funded by the Kochs, based its grades on opposition to affordable health care, clean air, alternative energy and net neutrality. Scores were also boosted if the elected official signed the tea party group's anti-revenue pledge.
In sum, the five senators who scored 100 percent on the Americans for Prosperity how-can-we-make-the-Kochs-richer test received $187,400 in campaign contributions from the Kochs and their allies.
These senators are Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and potential Republican vice presidential nominee Marco Rubio, a freshman from Florida. Indeed, Rubio, Johnson and Coburn have a lifetime of A+ scores!
Though the brothers are worth about $42 billion, a little political donation here and there goes a long way. Factor in the brothers' self-serving "philanthropy" with the Kochs' numerous other nonprofit foundations and academic think tanks and you've exposed a vast echo chamber of perpetuating myths and distortions designed to make the Kochs richer.
While the Koch brothers use their enormous wealth to influence democracy in the Capitol, they're also funding or supporting groups that aim to replace the values of working families with policies that make the Koch brothers richer. At the same time, the Kochs are working to bolster their clout with influential members of the political and media elite to favor devastating environmental developments that would boost the soaring profits of Koch Industries.
To complement their political giving, the Kochs are also working with partners to curb access to the voting booth. The Kochs fund the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has helped facilitate the proliferation of voter suppression laws across the country. These laws would have their most adverse effect on students, seniors, minorities and disabled citizens.
At a local level, a Americans for Prosperity chapter helped make a community North Carolina school board race the most expensive in recent memory and favored candidates who pledged to resegregate public schools. They were ultimately rebuked by voters last year.
Exposing the Kochs reveals a pattern of selfish and manipulative priorities that consistently favor the most fortunate among us. In an era of Patriotic Billionaires, Occupy Wall Street and a decaying democratic process, the Koch brothers and their allies continue to demonstrate their satisfaction obstructing progress and social justice.
What do you think Martin Luther King Jr. would have to say about it?
I invite you to comment and take action at our Koch Brothers Exposed page on Facebook.
Buying our democracy so they can keep the good times rolling for the top 1%.
Those of us without the means will never have access to affluence, nor to our elected officials.
$1 Million = 1 Vote.
Coming soon courtesy of the GOP.
demisfine: Buying our democracy so they can keep the good times
In their arrogance publishing a please support list they identify and prioritize the very people we need to remove from government.
Score one for the blindness of extremists.
Rodger_leMonde: In their arrogance publishing a please support list they identify
Interesting that Dian and Barbara California's Senators only have a D,
I have often found their votes to be too conservative for me.
Not that I would vote Republican to spite my face.
Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Cardoza, and Anna Eshoo, our leader Rep, and the two Reps in who's districts I hae lived and voted for all have F.
I have often found Dennis to be too conservative, he lives in and represents a very conservative district. I was always angry that Dennis was co-chair of that stinko Blue Dog Coalition.
He representes dairymen and farmers, lots of subsidies, (welfare) and the big ones are awful and not many of their workers vote, just say illegal immigrant. ...and FauxNews capitavates the ones who do . . .say remnants of the Depression Diaspora.
CenaW: Interesting that Dian and Barbara California's Senators only have a
the more these members of congress are called out be they democrats or republicans that work solely for the rich instead of their constituents the more the voter will realize how they've been had. these members of congress have to be outed objectively without bias nor constraint with all facts presented.
white_mende_man: the more these members of congress are called out be
Unfortunately, too many voters will not believe the facts unless they see them on Fox News, which isn't likely. We aren't going to change their minds, so all we can is convince everyone else to get out and vote.
drwtsn: Unfortunately, too many voters will not believe the facts unless
what is the difference between the Koch brothers and any other political families pushing an adgenda and working to influence government? No much except one family is a Demacrat versus Republican.
too much money in government and until you control campaign financing, term limits and have balanced budgets, you will have both sides fighting for the power and money that comes with political process. Crony capitalism is stong on both sides and having the "evil" Koch brothers offset 100 years of the Kennedy family. It is on both sides..... government should be like a referee, good ones do not get in the way of the game/life
Less_Taxes_is_better: what is the difference between the Koch brothers and any
The difference is that the Democrats are working to make society better while the Kochs are solely working to make themselves wealthier at the expense of the rest of us.
I'd be the first to admit that the Democrat policies haven't always been successful in this regard but the Republican policies have been a disaster for those who aren't part of the 1%.
Dad24: The difference is that the Democrats are working to make
The K0chs as reveree now dictates that the government help them step on anyone who wants to climb up.
You are poor because of their influence. If you don't know that, why don't you?
No Republican President has done anything but increase the national debt.
Reagan trippled it
Bush the first doubled it.
W. trippled it $11.9Tril, plus his $2 Tril in war debt that he hid from you.
This gang is the one that put the "crony" back in 'merican capitalism and gave you
all the corporate money in election finance, yet here you
are
defending them.
Not one of their gang of
Grade A''s is anti-debt, never have been. They talk it up then run off and start fresh new war, they are already backing the bomb Iran gang.
CenaW: The K0chs as reveree now dictates that the government help
The Koch's brothers will use the Tea Party and will discard them when they serve no purpose for them. The Senators that think they will be taken care of because they are doing the Koch brothers bidding will wake up in the cold and alone. A leach will make its host feel like nothing is wrong until there is no more blood left if unattended.
mirrorwrlds: The Koch's brothers will use the Tea Party and will
people should have learned this from the Clintons or the Obamas..... President Clinton was a better Republican president then Bush and the Obamas made so many campaign promises that it would take 20 years to collect, especially when the President is not a leader, does not put any plan on paper, does not have a budget yet under his watch and has spent more money then the first 42 presidents combined...... it not hard to spend other people's money
Less_Taxes_is_better: people should have learned this from the Clintons or the
Repeating conservative lies does not make them factual.
Bush officially left $11.9 tril, now add the War Debt he left off that was
added to the debt after Obama took office. . . .
Oh you don't want to accept what belongs to you and your
Republicans. . . . . http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
What none of you Republican voters seem to know, the last Bush/Cheney budget did not end until 9/30/2009 the largest deficit in history (and included that TARP you love so much.
Now why didn't FauxNews and the radio conservatives tell you that?
The reason the "voting Rs" vote against what _you_ take to be their interests is because they aren't interested in that. They divide into the few remaining Eisenhower Rs who believe in Social Security, civil rights, and infrastructure on one hand, and on the other those whose primary motivation is being, becoming, or remaining richer than as many of the rest of us as possible (whether that means richer than 99.999%, or at least richer than the very poor); those who consider the rest of us servants of the Antichrist, or worse, of Darwin; and frank racists. In Buddhist terms, that means those whose minds are on fire with the fires of greed, delusion, and hate.
Antibogotes: The reason the "voting Rs" vote against what _you_ take
The Kochs are an example of why we need to tax the rich a lot!
Maybe 2%, not just the 1%
Those of us without the means will never have access to affluence, nor to our elected officials.
$1 Million = 1 Vote.
Coming soon courtesy of the GOP.
This will be a non-starter for anyone who isn't TP affiliated.
Score one for the blindness of extremists.
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/scorecard
I have often found their votes to be too conservative for me.
Not that I would vote Republican to spite my face.
Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Cardoza, and Anna Eshoo, our leader Rep, and the two Reps in who's districts I hae lived and voted for all have F.
I have often found Dennis to be too conservative, he lives in and represents a very conservative district. I was always angry that Dennis was co-chair of that stinko Blue Dog Coalition.
He representes dairymen and farmers, lots of subsidies, (welfare) and the big ones are awful and not many of their workers vote, just say illegal immigrant. ...and FauxNews capitavates the ones who do . . .say remnants of the Depression Diaspora.
too much money in government and until you control campaign financing, term limits and have balanced budgets, you will have both sides fighting for the power and money that comes with political process. Crony capitalism is stong on both sides and having the "evil" Koch brothers offset 100 years of the Kennedy family. It is on both sides..... government should be like a referee, good ones do not get in the way of the game/life
I'd be the first to admit that the Democrat policies haven't always been successful in this regard but the Republican policies have been a disaster for those who aren't part of the 1%.
You are poor because of their influence. If you don't know that, why don't you?
No Republican President has done anything but increase the national debt.
Reagan trippled it
Bush the first doubled it.
W. trippled it $11.9Tril, plus his $2 Tril in war debt that he hid from you.
This gang is the one that put the "crony" back in 'merican capitalism and gave you
all the corporate money in election finance, yet here you
are
defending them.
Not one of their gang of
Grade A''s is anti-debt, never have been. They talk it up then run off and start fresh new war, they are already backing the bomb Iran gang.
Bush officially left $11.9 tril, now add the War Debt he left off that was
added to the debt after Obama took office. . . .
Oh you don't want to accept what belongs to you and your
Republicans. . . . .
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo5.htm
What none of you Republican voters seem to know, the last Bush/Cheney budget did not end until 9/30/2009 the largest deficit in history (and included that TARP you love so much.
Now why didn't FauxNews and the radio conservatives tell you that?
Please try to remember debt and deficit are two different numbers.
You can't get more conservative than CATO
Here is what they say, and that is a low ball number.
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/dont-blame-obama-for-bushs-2009-deficit/