The Koch brothers are planning to throw massive amounts of money at the 2018 midterms.

Courtesy of Axios:

The Koch network will spend 60% more on the 2018 cycle than it did on the 2016 presidential election, the largest midterm investment it's ever had, Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity told reporters Saturday. This includes up to $20 million on “communicating the benefits of tax reform," along with other policy and politics efforts. The network spent about $250 million on policy and politics in the 2016 cycle.

I would REALLY like to say this won't work because Americans are too smart to be manipulated by money and advertising, but we all now know, without a shadow of a doubt, that that is simply not true. 

This most certainly WILL have an effect, so it is up to all of us to focus on strong grassroots organizing and a huge get out the vote campaign.

Right now these elections are ours to lose.

Let's not give these assholes the satisfaction.

The Koch brothers may have gained some editorial control over Time Magazine, and that cannot be good news.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

Charles Koch, the chief executive of Koch Industries, and David Koch have long sought to shape political discourse through their support of nonprofit organizations, universities and think tanks. But in its announcement of the deal, Meredith said that the private equity fund, Koch Equity Development, would not have a seat on Meredith’s board of directors and would “have no influence on Meredith’s editorial or managerial operations.” 

Steve Lombardo, a spokesman for Koch Industries, also said that the Kochs had no plans to take an active role in the expanded company. “This is a passive financial investment made through our equity development arm,” Mr. Lombardo said. The company’s role in the transaction, he said, was similar to that of a bank.

However that is just the official position. It may not reflect that actual long term goal:

Some Koch allies have suggested that the brothers would view their investment purely as a moneymaking opportunity. But others familiar with the Kochs’ thinking speculated that they could nonetheless use the media properties — which reach millions of online and print readers — to promote their brand of conservatism. The investment would also give the Kochs a way to combine the arsenal of voter information held by a data analytics company controlled by their network, i360, with the publishers’ consumer data. 

Remember that one of goals for these conservative money men is to somehow take over the mainstream media and start making sure that they print a version of reality that supports their political ideology.

Strictly speaking facts simply do not often lend themselves to such support.

Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, another dedicated Koch sucker, gets a prime time speaking slot at the GOP national convention.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:

Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has nabbed a prime-time speaking slot at this year's Republican National Convention. 

Sullivan will take the dais Tuesday evening with nine of his freshman Republican Senate colleagues in a bid to recount the party's 2014 wins that allowed Republicans to capture the Senate majority, which they hope to retain this year, according to the senator's office. 

Sullivan will deliver a speech onstage.

I personally have heard so little about Sullivan since he was elected that I almost suspected he might be in a witness protection program somewhere.

I actually had to go to his Senate page to find out what he has been up to and the answer is as little as possible.

Essentially Sullivan hasn't done dick.

And if he did that it's because one of the Koch brothers slapped one against his cheek and told him to earn his keep.

This guy is NOT an Alaskan, he is NOT working for Alaskans, and the only reason he has a speaking slot is because the people whose ass he kisses want him to have one.

Conservative groups, including the Koch brothers, spending millions of dollars on media to spread misinformation about climate change.

Charles and David Koch

Courtesy of Desmog: 

Millions of dollars have been pouring into conservative media outlets and student journalism projects from the same groups funding climate science denial, a DeSmog analysis has found. 

Analysis of IRS tax filings shows the funding groups, including some linked to the oil billionaire Koch brothers, are trying to combat a perceived left-wing bias in media with cash to ideologically-aligned projects. 

Many of the funded journalism projects also produce stories that claim human-caused climate change is either a liberal hoax or that policies to mitigate it, such as promotion of renewable energy, are an unnecessary drag on the economy. 

DeSmog found that two linked funds — Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund — have been a key source of cash for organisations attacking climate science and opposing policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

DCF and DT have been described as the “dark money ATM” of the US conservative movement.

Not really a surprise, just a reminder that much of what is broadcast by Right Wing news outlets is propaganda paid for by one conservative group or another. And usually the misinformation is potentially damaging to this country and in this case even to the planet on which we live.

One of the notorious Koch brothers actually thinks that a Hillary Clinton presidency might be preferable to any of the GOP front runners getting into the White House.

Courtesy Politico: 

Billionaire businessman Charles Koch said in an interview airing Sunday that “it’s possible” another Clinton in the White House could be better than having a Republican president. 

Koch, the CEO of Koch industries, made the comment to ABC News’ Jonathan Karl for an interview airing on ABC’s This Week. 

The comment came after Karl asked about former President Bill Clinton’s term, to which Koch said Clinton was “in some ways” better than George W. Bush. 

“As far as the growth of government, the increase in spending, it was two-and-a-half times under Bush that it was under Clinton,” he said.

Koch was then asked if he could see himself voting for Hillary in the general, to which he replied:   

“We would have to believe her actions would have to be quite different than her rhetoric, let me put it that way,” he said. 

Personally I think that last comment is simply a way to soften his statements a little, as there is no way to determine a President's actions until after they take office.

Besides it was clear later in the interview that Koch was actually frightened by what the GOP is offering as candidates this time around.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

ABC’s Jon Karl asked him about his reaction to Donald Trump‘s Muslim ban. He said that’s “antithetical to our approach” and said he was alarmed by Trump suggesting a Muslim registry, likening it to Nazi Germany.

Koch also addressed Ted Cruz talking about “making the sand glow” with carpet-bombing in the Middle East. Koch said that’s clear hyperbole, but said for someone to think that appeals to Americans, “that is frightening.” 

I would suggest that there are probably no small number of long time Republican voters who will sit this election out or stifle their gag reflex and vote for Hillary if either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz is at the top of the GOP ticket. 

James Carville calls out both Trey Gowdy and the Benghazi Committee as creations of the Koch brothers.

Carville: "I got an idea for somebody in the media. Why don't you see if this is true, that Trey Gowdy is a creation of the Koch brothers, and the whole crime of denial industry. And this committee is nothing but a creation of Rupert Murdoch and the Koch brother. You know Fox ran over one thousand segments in twenty months after this thing."

I think we all know that Carville is big supporter of the Clintons, and just about as partisan as they come.

However he just issued a challenge to the media to prove him wrong, let's see if they take him up on it.

I think we all suspect what they will find.

In other news top Democrats are now calling for Republicans to reimburse the tax payer money that they wasted on this most recent "investigation."

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

Top Senate Democrats want to shut down the House Benghazi committee amid allegations it seeks to attack Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. And they want Republicans to reimburse taxpayers for the committee's more than $4.5 million cost. 

The senators, including Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), accused the GOP Wednesday of "operating a political opposition machine against Secretary Clinton," and called the House Select Committee on Benghazi's use of taxpayer funds "wholly inappropriate." 

"Over the past several weeks, several House Republicans have made clear what many observers have suspected all along: that the Select Committee has conducted a political inquisition aimed at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton," the senators wrote in a letter to Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus. 

"We firmly believe the Committee should be disbanded, and that every penny of taxpayer money that has financed this purely political committee ought to be repaid," the letter continued.

Hear, hear!

Tomorrow Clinton steps into the lions' den essentially wearing fang proof armor.

Not only should that be a show well worth watching I think it might also be the Benghazi committee's last hurrah.

(H/T to Democratic Underground.)

Scott Walker is dropping out. Update!

Well shit.

Courtesy of NBC News: 

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is set to drop out of the presidential race Monday night, a source close to the campaign confirms to NBC News. 

He is scheduled to hold a press conference in Madison, Wisconsin, at 6pm ET to announce his exit from the race. 

The Republican was once considered a frontrunner for the GOP nomination, topping polls in Iowa and winning accolades from conservatives for his fights against labor unions during his tenure as governor of the state.

Somewhere the Koch brothers are standing in the rain with their faces lifted to the sky yelling "TRUUUUMP!!!!"

But come on the guy was NEVER going to get the nomination.

Besides after you poll at 0% why stay in the race?

Update: Here is Walker quitting and bitching about the Donald.
So to sum up God told him to drop out for the good of the party.

Can't argue with that. 

Koch brother favorite Scott Walker now polling at 0 percent.

Courtesy of WKOW:

A new national poll shows Governor Scott Walker polling at 0 percent in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. 

The CNN/ORC poll released Sunday shows there were five candidates who received less than one percent of support from likely Republican voters. Walker was among them, joined by former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and former New York Governor George Pataki. Less than one percent equates to zero percent, statistically. 

Some pundits are saying Walker won't even be in the race by the next Republican debate on October 28th. Marquette Law School poll director Charles Franklin doesn't think things are that bleak, but he says few candidates have been able to rally after such a fall.

Wow! Does anybody remember back when Scott Walker was the great white conservative hope?

Yeah I really can't remember that anymore either.

Also according to the poll Carly Fiorina has jumped to second place ahead of Ben Carson whose recent comments about Muslims have some calling for him to drop out of the race.

But there sits Donald Trump at 24 percent.

Still at the top of the heap despite his own multiple gaffes.

The Republican party really is self destructing, isn't it?

Scott Walker just officially jumped into the race for the White House.

I'm in. I'm running for president because Americans deserve a leader who will fight and win for them. - SW http://t.co/DZG253QjfP #Walker16

— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 13, 2015

Courtesy of NPR: 

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker — best known for his high-profile fight with his state's unions and for surviving a 2012 recall vote — steps into a competition for the GOP presidential nomination so crowded with contenders that he will be forced to fight for attention just to get his message out. 

"I'm in. I'm running for president because Americans deserve a leader who will fight and win for them," Walker tweeted Monday morning. He is expected to make a formal announcement later in Wisconsin.

So this is the guy that many of the  establishment Republicans have been drooling over. The guy that is going to bring a message that will unify the party behind him, and move him to the front of the pack past favored front runner Jeb Bush, and crazed attention seeker Donald Trump.

Here is a little of that message now.

Uh, is anybody else as underwhelmed as I am?

To sum up, he likes to fight, he likes to win, and he likes to brag about things that are patently untrue. (Such as improving education and creating jobs.)

So THIS is the great Koch hope for 2016?

You know this is happening behind the scenes.

Yep, today is the day that Scott Walker is expected to officially announce that he too would like to climb into the GOP clown car.

Of course it will be a little anti-climatic since somebody accidentally tweeted that he was running on Friday.

It really makes no difference who jumps into the race these days. Essentially it has now become just a mob of climate denying, Koch sucking, gaffe riddled morons.

Bernie Sanders blows the lid off of the Koch brothers dirty dealing in the documentary "Koch brothers EXPOSED."

You can watch the entire documentary for free right here.

Wow that Bernie Sanders makes a lot of good sense.

You know he should run for president or something.

Wait.....

A great day for my hometown, as Ethan Berkowitz wins big against Amy Demboski.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:

Ethan Berkowitz surged to a decisive win over opponent Amy Demboski in the Anchorage mayoral runoff election Tuesday night. 

With 98 percent of the vote counted, Berkowitz had more than 59 percent of the vote to Demboski’s 41 percent, a margin that was insurmountable. 

Berkowitz had held a commanding lead over Demboski throughout the evening. As of 11 p.m., 122 of the municipality’s 124 precincts had reported. Berkowitz will take over the mayor's office from Dan Sullivan on July 1. 

As his lead over Demboski held strong, Berkowitz stood on a chair at his campaign party in a downtown restaurant to wild applause and waving signs. He asked his supporters to continue to help when the night’s celebration was over, asking them to work on unifying Anchorage and heal the divisions that marked the final days of the campaign. 

“There is a better way,” Berkowitz said. “It doesn’t matter if you're a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, an independent or you don’t even vote. This is our Anchorage!” 

As the applause and screams almost drowned him out, he continued, “It doesn't matter if you’re a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, a Buddhist or something else. This is our Anchorage! It doesn’t matter if you’re straight or gay or lesbian or transgender.”

Yes this is our Anchorage, and fortunately the combined efforts of the Koch brothers and Jerry Prevo were not able to change that.

I want to thank every Anchorage visitor to IM who voted for Ethan in this election. As I am sure you know this city desperately needs somebody like him to help us repair the damage done during the Sullivan administration.

Ethan Berkowitz is a hard worker, and a man who really cares about the people of this city.

I could not have asked for a better start to my day today.

Koch brother paid-for Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan endorses Koch brother paid-for mayoral candidate Amy Demboski.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: 

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan endorsed Anchorage mayoral candidate Amy Demboski in a statement released by her campaign Thursday, and a Republican state senator from Anchorage, Lesil McGuire, came out in favor of Ethan Berkowitz in a radio ad that began running the same day. 

Sullivan, a Republican, appeared at a fundraiser for Demboski earlier in April. He made his endorsement official Thursday.

This of course would probably count as the least surprising news of the day, since we know that Sullivan is a Koch brother lackey who readily jumps through Koch brother hoops.

What is somewhat more surprising is that fellow Republican Lesil McGuire came out in support of Ethan Berkowitz, the Democrat.

In the ad supporting Berkowitz, McGuire, who worked with Berkowitz in the Alaska Legislature, speaks directly to listeners. The ad was produced by Berkowitz for a Better Anchorage, a union-funded independent expenditure group. 

“As a Republican, I want a mayor that gets the basics done right,” McGuire says. “Good roads, great schools and strong public safety. In this election we can also have someone with vision and integrity and a proven record of bringing people together.” 

She describes Berkowitz as a “gifted public servant who will work with all sides” and a small business owner.

I have had some issues in the past with McGuire but she shows some backbone here is refusing to support the candidate supposedly on her side of the aisle and instead supporting the one that can actually do the job. 

Ethan is indeed a talented and ethical man, and as yesterday's post proves Amy Demboski is neither.

The secret marriage, and ugly dissolution of that marriage, that Anchorage mayoral candidate Amy Demboski really does not want you to know about.

So Amy Demboski is in a runoff election with Ethan Berkowitz to decide who will be the mayor of our fair city.

Demboski is a completely unqualified candidate who nonetheless has attracted the backing of the Koch brothers and of course our Baptist minister king maker Jerry Prevo.

Essentially Prevo is drawn to Demboski because she is a family values embracing homophobe who is pushing a conservative agenda.  You could say that hate and ideology binds them.

But what if there were something about Amy Demboski that was not quite so pro-family values? You know perhaps something like a brief marriage and an attempt to force your former husband into paying child support for a child that was not his.

Because you know what? That is something that really happened.

Conservative mayoral candidate Amy Demboski inspires Facebook page. Against her.

Amy Demboski

Here is the page entitled "Young People Against Demboski." And they are more than just a little fired up.

They also posted that Demobski is now getting help from the same folks who helped Dan Sullivan get elected:  

Major conservative political groups are stepping into the Anchorage mayor’s race. The May runoff between Amy Demboski and Ethan Berkowitz is drawing increasing attention from state and national organizations hoping to influence local politics. 

Americans For Prosperity is a political group based in Virginia, backed by the Koch brothers, that advocates for conservative causes. They don’t endorse candidates, but will be seeking to inform Anchorage voters about their two choices for mayor. 

“We’ve identified Ethan’s record as one that’s troubling, and we think will be devastating to the residents of Anchorage,” said Jeremy Price, spokesman for the Alaska chapter of AFP.

These folks spent millions to get Sullivan elected, and if they want Demboski bad enough they can make this a very tough fight for Ethan Berkowtiz despite his impressive poll numbers. 

So yes as that graphic above says, WE need to make damn sure that we vote on may 5th.

It's official, Dakota Meyers is Sarah Palin's newest surrogate.

As was pointed out to me yesterday Meyer is scheduled to appear during a 10-city tour kicking off in Norfolk, Virginia on May 23rd and making stops in Ohio, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina and Florida  as well, for the group called Concerned Veterans for America.

Now as it turns out Concerned Veterans for America is actually a Koch funded non-profit that advocates for a reduction in federal spending and free market policies, which as we all know are things that most veteran's groups could not give two shits about.

They were also instrumental in driving that whole VA hospital waiting list "scandal." (You remember, the scandal that has been going on for over twenty years but only became an issue with conservatives once the black guy was in charge. )

Here is what The Nation said back then:

An ever-present force in this debate was a group called Concerned Veterans for America. Its leader, Peter Hegseth, frequently appeared on cable news segments about the scandal, and CVA was often mentioned on the floor of the Senate. 

Though the group doesn’t disclose its donors, it has for a long while been clear the group is funded in part, or perhaps even in full, by the Koch brothers. Any remaining doubt can now be erased thanks to audio from the secretive Koch donor retreat this summer, obtained by The Undercurrent and reported here. 

Hegseth addressed the crowd and not only confirmed that the Koch network “literally created” CVA but explained giddily “the central role that Concerned Veterans for America played in exposing and driving this crisis from the very beginning.”

Now it appears that Meyer has been associated with this group pre-Palin but just in case you were not convinced about his absorption into her network, here he is appearing on Fox and Friends to discuss ISIS and attacking the President.

Click image to play video

Gee where have we seen that background before?

And don't those talking points sound awfully familiar?

And look, he is even using this appearance to promote his "Never Outgunned" line of clothing.

Oh yeah, this guy is exactly what Palin has been searching for her whole life. A real chip off the old blockhead.

And all she had to do to corral him was to pimp out her oldest daughter.

Just your average Christian value embracing family.

Koch brothers plan to spend 889 million dollars in 2016. Did anybody else's blood just run cold?

Courtesy of Politico: 

The Koch brothers’ political operation intends to spend $889 million in the run-up to the 2016 elections, according to an attendee at the operation’s annual winter donor gathering in the California desert. 

The spending goal, shared with donors at a Monday morning session at the Rancho Mirage Ritz Carlton, reflects the sweeping ambition of a private conservative political network that in many ways has eclipsed the power of the official Republican Party.

The $889 million spending goal dwarfs the $404 million the Republican National Committee spent during the 2012 election and the $188 million it dropped during last year’s midterm campaign.

Almost a billion dollars spent by one family in an attempt to buy elections. That should frighten just about everybody. 

Unless of you are the beneficiary of that kind of spending of course.

From this same gathering comes this quote:

“Americans have taken an important step in slowing down the march toward collectivism,” Charles Koch said in his speech, seemingly in reference to the Republican takeover of the Senate during the 2014 midterm elections.  

“But as many of you know, we don’t rest on our laurels. We are already back at work and hard at it! In fact, the work never really ends. Because the struggle for freedom never ends,” Koch said.

You know there is a part of me, a hopeful part of me, that wants to believe in the American voter and trust that they cannot be swayed by enormous ad buys in local markets by outside groups.

But then I remember what happened up here in Alaska this last election cycle, and I know I am being naive.

There is simply no way that Dan Sullivan should have beaten Mark Begich, and simply pit without the Koch brothers and Karl Rove he wouldn't have.

Since the Citizens United decision politics has become a numbers game.

In many ways it has ALWAYS been a numbers game, but these days it is not the number of voters that seems to count, it is the number of dollars spent for each of those voters.

Before he leaves the Senate Alaska's Mark Begich would like to do something about those SuperPAC robo-calls.

Courtesy of The Hill:

Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) is taking a departing shot at super-PACs following his defeat in the Alaska Senate race. 

 Begich introduced legislation Thursday that would add super-PACs and other outside groups to the list of groups that must comply with the National Do Not Call Registry. 

His legislation, titled The Do Not Disturb Act, would also keep people on the list from receiving robocalls and "push polls," which are surveys that attempt to get a desired result with leading questions. 

"I have long been an advocate for protecting Alaskans’ privacy and for limiting the ability of outside groups to spend endless amounts of money on our elections,” said Begich, a member of the Commerce Committee. 

“I heard from Alaskans all across the state during the campaign, and enough is enough. My bill will allow individuals to opt out of receiving these sorts of pestering phone calls from super-PACs and similar groups,” he added. 

If Begich is successful this may be the most impactful, and welcome, legislation that he has ever introduced.

As I have mentioned before the number of calls I received from pollsters, recorded campaign messages, and other interested parties, was completely overwhelming.

I quite literally hated the sound of my phone ringing. It seemed like it was never a call that I wanted to take.

Personally I think this is a good step, but I would also like to see something done about the advertisements that pop up on every YouTube video that I tried to watch this last few months, and the avalanche of television advertising that seemed to use up every second of commercial airtime since August.

And it is no wonder that Begich is the one to spearhead this effort.

I think it is pretty clear that he lost this race solely due to the efforts of outside groups, and that without the interference of the folks like Karl Rove and the Koch brothers he would have almost certainly retained his Senate seat.

Instead we are stuck with a political whore bought and paid for with corporate money, who has little interest in anything that Alaskans need or want, and is solely focused on pleasing his masters.

Dark money in politics and the honesty of Senator Mark Begich.

Courtesy of TPM:

Republican dark money groups are outspending their Democratic counterparts by an incredible margin, according to data from the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation. 

During this cycle, conservative groups that do not disclose their donors have spent more than $94 million, while liberal dark money groups have spent more than $28 million.

The data this cycle confirms Republican dominance of dark money spending. In the 2012 election cycle, about 80 percent of dark money spending backed Republican candidates.

Of course as we know there has been untold millions spent up here in Alaska in support of Dan Sullivan, hell anybody trying to watch a You Tube video, listen to the radio, or watch television can tell you that. 

And when asked about that Dan Sullivan ran away like somebody was trying to take his lunch money.

Now undoubtedly Mark Begich has received some money from outside groups, and some of those are certainly from shady PACs that don't want to disclose their donor list.

However Begich is not one to shy away from scrutiny as evidenced by the fact that he has voluntarily provided documentation as to how his campaign money is spent.

This from ABC News:  

Senate campaigns aren't required to tell us by Election Day--they submit spending reports to the Federal Election Commission on paper, a seemingly antiquated system that prevents reporters and the public from being able to dig effectively through their latest receipts and expenses. For most campaigns, sortable expense data is only available through June. Weeks or months later, we'll get a fuller picture. 

But Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, apparently out of the goodness of his heart, has been filing his disclosures electronically since October 2013, giving us a window into how Senate campaigns are spending their millions of dollars these days. 

Since Oct. 1, 2013, Begich has spent $7.3 million, a middling total for campaigns. Alaska isn't the most expensive state in which a candidate can run, and it's outside the top 10 this election cycle for candidate spending, although, including outside money, it's the sixth most expensive of all 2014 Senate races, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Can anybody imagine Dan Sullivan being this transparent? Nope me either.

As if we needed another reason to support the only REAL Alaskan running for the Senate in 2014.

Don't let this be you.

The conservatives expect us to stay home, the pundits expect us to fail our representatives, and Koch brothers have spent a fortune to convince us that we are wasting our time and the election is already lost to us.

I want to prove all of them wrong.

How about you?