Monthly Archives: February 2012

Palm Beach Post: David Koch intends to cure cancer in his lifetime and remake American politics

-By Stacey Singer

Febraury 20, 2012- PALM BEACH — David Koch has become the face of conservative America's obsession with weakening organized labor, and for that, he believes, there have been death threats - 100 credible threats last year alone, he says.

Journalists tend to describe the lanky MIT-trained chemical engineer and his brother Charles with the phrase "secretive oil billionaires."

They describe a clandestinely built political machine that disdains government regulation and taxes, obfuscates the science on global warming, and now pulls the strings of decision-makers at every level, from Florida Tea Party members to Wisconsin state senators - even U.S. Supreme Court justices.

"They make me sound like a bully," David Koch says when asked about journalists, looking a little baffled. "Do I look like a bully?"

On this night, Koch wants to talk about the battle against cancer, not unions.

Wichita Eagle: Climate peaceful at ‘Occupy Koch Town’ protest

-By Hurst Laviana

February 18, 2012- About 150 protesters marched through downtown Wichita on Saturday afternoon as activists from across the country gathered for the weekend “Occupy Koch Town” rally.

Although the block-long line of protesters temporarily blocked several major intersections, the march was peaceful, and police made no arrests and issued no citations.

The rally, which was organized by the Sierra Clubs of Kansas and Missouri and area Occupy movements, began about 2 p.m. at the Grand Chapel, 828 N. Broadway. Throughout the day, speakers addressed a variety of issues dealing with energy, environmental, climate policies and the controversial Keystone pipeline.

Among those attending was Nick Brothers of St. Joseph, Mo., who said he had attended several other Occupy rallies, all of them peaceful.

“It’s well known that Koch brothers are deeply imbedded in right-wing politics, and that’s their right,” he said, “But they’re using their money to destroy the environment.”

Isthmus: Gov. Scott Walker’s corruption scandal brings shame to Wisconsin

-By Brian Austin

February 15, 2012- A government that has lost the trust of its citizens is not long for power. Under Gov. Scott Walker, Wisconsin has gone in one year from being a state renowned for open and clean government to one that is shabby and nefarious.

Actually, we need to start before Walker was elected governor — specifically 1987, when Walker ran for student body president at Marquette University. During that campaign, he was found to be in violation of the school's campaign rules, including engaging in door-to-door campaigning, which was strictly prohibited. Walker was ultimately described to be "unfit for presidency" by the Marquette Tribune. When the Tribune endorsed Walker's opponent, Walker's supporters destroyed as many copies of the newspaper as they could find. This provides a window into our governor's character. Unfortunately, this incident received only cursory media attention during Walker's bid for governor.

Live Science: Leaked: Conservative Group Plans Anti-Climate Education Program

-By Stephanie Pappas

February 15, 2012- Update, 4:55 pm ET: The Heartland Institute released a statement this afternoon calling the document leaks "criminal" and claiming that one of the documents, which purports to be the organization's climate change strategy, is faked. However, blogger Anthony Watts and geologist Robert Carter have confirmed online and to news organizations that they have been paid or pledged money by the Institute as outlined in the documents. James M. Taylor, a senior fellow at the Heartland Institute, confirmed to ThinkProgress Green that the school educational project is ongoing.

Leaked documents from the free-market conservative organization The Heartland Institute reveal a plan to create school educational materials that contradict the established science on climate change.

The Cap Times: Plain Talk: Walker’s past comes back to haunt him

-By Dave Zweifel

February 15, 2012- We’ve got the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Dan Bice to thank for doing the research that shows once again why politicians who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Bice went back to 2006, when Scott Walker was Milwaukee County executive, to see what Walker had to say about Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle when a purchasing director in the state Department of Administration was indicted in what turned out to be a seriously flawed case initiated by a George W. Bush-appointed U.S. attorney.

When Georgia Thompson was indicted on charges that she steered a state contract to a longtime Doyle supporter, Walker, then running for the GOP nomination for governor, issued a stinging press release that accused Doyle of essentially harboring crooks in his administration.

“Unfortunately, we have a governor that condones unethical and illegal behavior,” Walker pontificated. “The people of Wisconsin deserve better.

NY Times: The Big Money Behind State Laws

-Editorial

February 12, 2012- It is no coincidence that so many state legislatures have spent the last year taking the same destructive actions: making it harder for minorities and other groups that support Democrats to vote, obstructing health care reform, weakening environmental regulations and breaking the spines of public- and private-sector unions. All of these efforts are being backed — in some cases, orchestrated — by a little-known conservative organization financed by millions of corporate dollars.

The American Legislative Exchange Council was founded in 1973 by the right-wing activist Paul Weyrich; its big funders include Exxon Mobil, the Olin and Scaife families and foundations tied to Koch Industries. Many of the largest corporations are represented on its board.

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