Astroturf = Koch Brothers

**maxx** · August-26-10, 11:22 AM

George Soros is the right's whipping boy, but when you think of secretive billionaires secretly funding think tanks and organizations that spin their own libertarian views, then the Koch Brothers [[Brawny Towels, et al.) are at the top of the heap.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...0fa_fact_mayer
"...the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute named Koch Industries one of the top ten air polluters in the United States. And Greenpeace issued a report identifying the company as a 'kingpin of climate science denial.'”

On NPR's "Fresh Air", today, Mayer reported that she had no problem talking to Soros about his political actions. The Kochs OTOH are so secretive she called them "underground."

Remember when Hillary talked about a vast rightwing conspiracy?

**Jimaz** · August-26-10, 11:51 AM

MSNBCs Rachel Maddow - Energy giant Koch Industries' lock on health care AstroTurf™ outfit AFP

**old guy** · August-26-10, 03:06 PM

These guys are really scary. I hope more information about them is made public. I almost feel bad for some of the older tea baggers that are being snookered by them. Up until several months ago, I'd never even heard of them.

**Patrick** · August-26-10, 03:26 PM

They are probably butt buddies with Richard Mellon Scaife

**maxx** · January-12-11, 03:03 PM

http://www.truth-out.org/tea-party-b...pollution66723
"...Koch Industries — the largest private corporation in America — thrives on emitting carbon pollution and other forms of pollution for free. Much of Koch Industries’ $120 billion-a-year revenues are derived from burning fossil fuels: oil refineries and pipelines, chemical plants, fertilizer plants, manufacturing factories, and the shipping of coal. Moreover, Koch Industries owns Georgia Pacific, one of the largest timber companies, so Koch also contributes to global warming by decreasing the world’s carbon sink capacity. .."

**maxx** · January-29-11, 11:34 AM

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/01/28-2
The Billionaires Are Coming: Obama's Richest Enemies to Hold Summit

Koch brothers to host rightwing politicians and business leaders at California resort to discuss how to influence politics

"...This will be a meeting of "doers", men and women willing to fight the Obama administration and its perceived attack on US free enterprise and unfettered wealth.."

[Give these people a couple billion and they still want more.]

**oladub** · January-29-11, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by maxx

George Soros is the right's whipping boy, but when you think of secretive billionaires secretly funding think tanks and organizations that spin their own libertarian views, then the Koch Brothers [[Brawny Towels, et al.) are at the top of the heap.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...0fa_fact_mayer
"...the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute named Koch Industries one of the top ten air polluters in the United States. '”

You could have just said 'the tenth largest air polluter because they are listed in tenth place although, according to the article, Koch is the second largest company in the country. Here is the list of the top 100 air polluters:http://www.peri.umass.edu/toxic_index/

Another list of the top US 20 polluters from 2006 doesn't even mention Koch. Maybe the Koch brothers weren't funding tea parties then which, from your article, seems to be a bigger concern than all their pollution. Most of the top rated polluters are extractive industries, chemical companies, or coal burning utilities. The size of a company and the industry in which it operates have a lot to do with the total amount of it's pollution. Nuclear waste with 100,000 year half lives is, of course, not air pollution and is therefore not measured. One question your article didn't answer is how Koch's businesses stacked up to it's competitors with regards to air pollution. In other words, how much pollution does the average Koch paper towel or carpet factory produce compare to it's competitors. Otherwise it is just indicting the use of paper towels, carpets, etc. to carry out a vendetta against libertarianism, the opposite of authoritarianism comfort zones favored by liberals. If 95% of the pollution turned out to be the nature of the industry and the Koch brothers were actually more polluting than their competitors by , say, 5%, you should stop buying metal or wood products, carpets, toilet paper, etc. that cause the pollution you worry about; especially if you can't even cite the differences. Why take a chance?

Here are a couple of similar lists sans Koch:
20 Most Highly Polluting U.S. Facilities, by Weight in Pounds [[2006)
A list of the toxic ten.
US Department of Defense is the Worst Polluter on the Planet

**Jimaz** · February-07-11, 09:41 PM

From The L.A.Times: Koch brothers now at heart of GOP power

A top early goal: restricting the reach of the Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the Kochs' core energy businesses....

Perhaps the Kochs' most surprising and important ally on the committee is its new chairman, Rep. Fred Upton. The Republican from Michigan, who was once criticized by conservatives for his middle-of-the-road approach to environmental issues, is now leading the effort to rein in the EPA....

In recent months the congressman has made a point of publicly aligning himself with the Koch-backed advocacy group, calling for an end to the "EPA chokehold." Last week the chairman released a draft of a bill that would strip the EPA of its ability to curb carbon emissions. The legislation is in line with the Kochs' long-advocated stance that the federal government should have a minimal role in regulating business. The Kochs' oil refineries and chemical plants stand to pay millions to reduce air pollution under currently proposed EPA regulations....

The change on the committee is "like night and day," said Jeremy Symons, senior vice president of the National Wildlife Federation, a nonpartisan organization that lobbied the committee to stem greenhouse gas emissions.

"In the past the committee majority viewed the Clean Air Act as an effective way to protect the public," Symons said. "Now the committee treats the Clean Air Act and the EPA as if they are the enemy. Voters didn't ask for this pro-polluter agenda, but the Koch brothers spent their money well and their presence can be felt."

gdogslim · February-07-11, 11:18 PM

Some company has to be the biggest polluter. Why not the great conservative Koch brothers?
Another example of how the left attack's anyone with money or influence that goes against their agenda and tries to demonize them.

**Jimaz** · February-08-11, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by gdogslim

Some company has to be the biggest polluter. Why not the great conservative Koch brothers?
Another example of how the left attack's anyone with money or influence that goes against their agenda and tries to demonize them.

Striving to be the worst.

So mad. So sad.

**Jimaz** · February-10-11, 08:13 PM

GOP bills to defund United Nations, extend PATRIOT Act blocked

For the second time in the span of 24 hours, the new Republican majority failed to pass a bill under a procedural rule requiring a two-thirds majority that would expedite the vote. Both times, they wrongly believed they had it in the bag....

"I think the Republican leaders have a real challenge," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday morning, as quoted by Talking Points Memo's Brian Beutler. "I think their party is divided."

It's clear they understand the benefit of confidence but that drive seems to be blinding them to the cost of overconfidence.

**Jimaz** · February-10-11, 08:38 PM

The fissure [[fissures?) widens.

‘War criminal!’: Ron Paul backers crash Cheney-Rumsfeld reunion

Supporters of libertarian Republican Ron Paul shouted down former Vice President Dick Cheney at a conservative conference Thursday, in a sign of a growing foreign policy rift on the American right....

"Where's bin Laden?" one heckler shouted as Cheney stood at the podium to introduce Rumsfeld.

"War criminal!" another shouted out, prompting a heated reaction from the crowd.

Donald Trump Trashes Ron Paul At CPAC: He 'Can't Get Elected' [[VIDEO)

He continued: "I wish there was a candidate that I saw that would be fantastic because I love what I'm doing." When people in the crowd shouted Ron Paul's name, Trump said: "By the way, Ron Paul cannot get elected. I'm sorry."

Trump was promptly booed.

Watch the video below:...

gdogslim · February-10-11, 08:39 PM

awesome, if the patriot act is defeated then that is a vote for terrorism, what a great thing republicans can go on in the next election.
let sharia law rule and have democracy destroyed! as obama wants it

**Jimaz** · February-10-11, 08:47 PM

This followed a vote Tuesday on a bill that would have extended three key provisions of the PATRIOT Act, which failed 277 to 148, some 23 votes shy of a two-thirds majority.

Unlike the UN bill, it was unraveled in no small part by dissent from within the Republican caucus, as 26 GOP lawmakers voted against their party leadership.

Click & read first.