U.S. Sen. Mark Begich has said repeatedly that he doesn’t support a carbon tax. Reputable fact-checking groups have said that those who continue to claim otherwise are wrong. Yet the Koch brothers and their various political arms continue to insist that he does. Below is the most recent ad making that claim, among other claims. This one is funded by the American Energy Alliance, a political action group funded by the Koch brothers. Along with ads targeting Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall from West Virginia, the total spend on the two campaigns is reported to be $630,000.
The other ads about Begich’s supposed carbon-tax support were funded by Americans for Prosperity, another Koch-funded group. The brothers’ insistence that Begich support something he doesn’t support is beginning to borderline on odd. It would be like insisting that he was born in Denmark, say, or maybe Kenya. Perhaps they’re counting on the fact that some people will believe anything if they hear it often enough.
Breaking news: Tom Begich supports his brother!
It frustrates me to read the comments on this site sometimes. Mark has never supported gun-control. He was one of the earliest concealed carry permit holders in the state. That’s a simple fact, not speculation. I should know I’m his brother. And on the Carbon tax, he’s not supported it. That’s why actual fact checkers say the Koch Brothers are not telling the truth about this. Your dislike for Mark us fine. You don’t have to vote for him if you don’t want to. But have a little respect for other Alaskans and Amanda Coyne’s column and stop spreading your speculative falsehoods. It just weakens us all.
I would suggest that if the Koch brothers want to impress Alaskans, they would have used that additional money to further mitigate the 3 mile by 2 mile by 600 foot deep sulfolane groundwater contamination from their Flint Hills Refinery.
That’s just too funny!
Great example of what is wrong with the Citizen’s United ruling. Our SCOTUS is turning over the democracy of our country to the insanely wealthy. This is not what the founding fathers had in mind. This goes beyond freedom of speech.
Well there is a “theme” that goes with this… Koch goes after those who think for themselves. Basically those who vote how they choose not how someone thinks they should vote.
Think about it.
Koch has no interest in Alaska. They shut down their refinery. BUT that dang Begich. Voting here, voting there, holy crap! It’s like he has a mind of his own and with Alaskans best interest in mind. Koch says he must be stopped.
Begich did support taxing use of carbon-derived fuels – a carbon tax. Now during this election year he does not. Begich did support gun control when he signed Anchorage up as one of Bloomberg’s cities against guns, but then last year he pushed back against the Obama plan to confiscate many guns from average gun owners. It’s difficult to keep up with all this.
Politicians who read the wind before they take a position or a vote are subject to the sorts of controversies generated by these ads. Most people elected to Congress come down firmly on both sides of many issues.
I think the Koch’s know a “cover vote ” when they see one.
I have followed this issue with some interest. You may be partially right and the Koch brothers’ ad partially riight. Both sides have fairly solid yet contradictory arguments.
It is very difficult to pin Begich down because he jumps around and votes on all sides of an issue sometimes. This was one of them I think.