300 Koch-Led Businessmen Pledge $500 Million to Turn the Senate Over to Republicans

[babylonsister]

300 Koch-Led Businessmen Pledge $500 Million to Turn the Senate Over to Republicans
The beauty of our country's present system of government? Anyone is perfectly free to buy a member of Congress.
By Jim Hightower

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July 2, 2014 |

snip//

So, twice a year, the Kochs convene a secret summit of superrich supermen to plot strategy and pledge millions of dollars to their political transformation of America. In June, about 300 of the billionaire brotherhood gathered with Charlie and Dave at the St. Regis Monarch Bay Resort on the Southern California coast. As investigative reporter Lauren Windsor wrote in The Nation, the Koch confab, which bore the heroic title of "American Courage," took over the entire luxury resort, including its golf course and restaurants, for three days, at the cost of nearly a million bucks—not counting charges for guest rooms.

David Koch provided a keynote talk, modestly titled "Saving America," and attendees were treated to a feedfest of right-wing boilerplate from a gaggle of GOP congress critters summoned to the summit. The billionaires were especially delighted to hear Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell assure them that he would defend to his last sour breath their right to buy our elections.

Then, reports Windsor, the 300 Koch-headed supermen pledged to do just that, promising to put up $500 million this year to turn the U.S. senate over to Republican control.

You see, the beauty of our country's present system of government is that anyone is perfectly free to buy a member of Congress. And isn't that what democracy is all about?

snip//

What we have here is a perfect example of Big Money looping full circle to strangle The People's right to be self-governing. The Koch boys and their gang of supermen write huge checks to candidates and front groups to elect lawmakers who serve their interests. Some of those lawmakers, like Nickles, later slide into lucrative lobbying slots, getting paid a bundle by Koch & Company to fend off democratic, anti-corruption reforms. Thus, the Kochs and their ilk can keep making bulk purchases of lawmakers...and the circle is drawn ever tighter around democracy's neck.

[kelliekat44]

1. The Dems need to put an ad out there in every state revealing this. The media won't do it.

It would be well worth the cost to spend the money in the 2014 election than 2016 because if they get the Senate, it won't matter that much who sits in the WH.

[Crowquette]

2. How piggishly anti-American. USA Founders would blow chunks reading this

[JustAnotherGen]

3. I would like to know

Who attended. Someone has to have that info.

[mindem]

4. Even more amazing news

I'll betcha over the course of this rich man's fandango, a grand total of $13.07 was made in tips by the staff.

[tanyev]

5. May all that money be completely wasted.

At least it's getting out of their bloated bank accounts and back into the economy.

[WhiteTara]

7. +1000

[Uncle Joe]

6. This should go viral, "Saving America" what a tragic joke.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. Agreed

Everyone should tweet the headline as a hash tag.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Money being spent for a power grab and permanency.

Money not being invested in their own businesses.

Money not being paid for taxes.

Money not being donated to charities.

Money not being given to build public institutions.

[rurallib]

10. with 34 races (or maybe 33) that is @ $15 million/race

hard for any Democrat to compete with that. Plus there will be bundles of other money beyond that.
Jesus Christ, that is depressing.

They must spend an incredible amount because the product they are selling is packaged horse shit, packaged hate and bigotry. But as H.L. Menken so keenly observed "a man will never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

Then those senators will really have to open up the Treasury (our money) to pay those good old boys back.

[djean111]

11. The media will be happy as pigs in shit - because this will be the title of

every fund-raising email I get, I bet.
The answer from the Dems will be hey! We need to match that!
No end to this that I can see.

[etherealtruth]

12. I apologize if it is there (I am sometimes, very oblivious)

Is there a link to the full article? I would love to read it and share it ...? again I apologize if I have missed the obvious

[CatWoman]

13. ...

http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/300-koch-led-businessmen-pledge-500-million-turn-senate-over-republicans

[etherealtruth]

14. Thank you

After posting I googled and found it (obviously I am oblivious and lazy at times)