Speaking of the Koch brothers, and everyone’s speaking about the Koch brothers, here’s a pretty interesting take-down of the attacks on them on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, a clip that the GOP is sending around with delight. In it, Joe Scarborough rants against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s hypocrisy of calling the Kochs “un-American” for trying to “buy the elections” when, in fact, Reid’s own super-PAC is investing far more in the elections than are the Kochs. It’s worth all five minutes.
I remember when Kerry was running against Bush, maybe you all have forgotten. Back then there was an awful lot of valid criticism that Bush/Cheney were propped up by the military industrial complex. This line of attack started to gain some traction and the retort was: BUT KERRY IS PROPPED UP BY TONS OF MONEY FROM THE HEINZ CORPORATION!!!
Let me remind you all of the difference between apples and oranges.
The best thing you can come up with when you talk about the difference between Begich’s line of funding and Sullivan’s, is that Begich is being supported by “anti-gun activists” this line coming right out of the NRA playbook. I’m not going to waste more than a breath trying to explain to you how no one is coming for your guns, or that we have a desperately serious problem with gun violence in this country that is making us the societal laughingstock of the world. Begich’s cash flow includes people who want us to rationally think about the implications of our gun laws. There’s an apple for you.
How about an orange? The Koch brothers are a different class of creature. They are not a group of like-minded activists, they are two incomprehensibly rich men who have gotten to the point where they have maxed out the private sector capacities of their firms to grow exorbitantly. They can only accomplish further sickening windfalls by continuing to manipulate government in their own image. They are inserting their tentacles into higher education via insidious grants designed to prop up professors who echo their own selfish agenda. They demonize anything and everything they can in the pursuit of this pipe dream of a “free market”- a market where they are free to pillage and plunder as they wish.
What you have when you compare Begich’s money stream to Sullivan’s money stream is: philanthropists focused on some progressive issues vs. insanely corrupt, greedy, heartless SOBs who seek to create even more wealth for themselves before they croak.
And yes, yes I know the Koch brothers do charitable works, and yes they have donated to this and… lets compare the totals shall we? Koch brothers spend just enough on charity to try and give their sycophantic apologists enough ammo to dispel attack. It’s the same way some among us defend how the uber-rich pay lower income tax rates: “they pay more than you will in your entire life.” Look at the percentages.
There was a difference between Bush and Kerry. Bush wanted to sell our country deeper in debt to jack up Halliburton, Raytheon, Blackwater, Northrop-Grumman, etc. and he did. He made it rain for them. Look at Halliburton’s stock price during the Bush administration and recall when they overcharged us, whoops, a billion for gas. There is a difference between Begich and Sullivan. Think about it.
Harry Reid’s super pac that is funding Begich’s super pac is almost fully funded by liberal anti-gun activists (Michael Bllomberg)) and environmentalists (David Steyer, George Sorros). Democrats are becoming increasingly ridiculous with such errant charges. In Alaska we need to tell Harry Reid that Alaskans aren’t fond of his rich liberals that want to shut down development and take our guns away. Is this who you want Mark Begich to be beholden to? No thanks, I’m voting for Sullivan.
Harry Reid’s PAC has spent over $6 million on behalf of Begich.