Quotes of the day

“On the walk into the capitol today, I saw these six signs in the space of 10 minutes:

Scott, How Much KOCH Have You Done?
Scott Walker is a KOCH Whore
CONFIRMED: Walker and Koch, Brothers With Bats
KOCH-SUCKERS
Drunk With Power—High on Koch
Recall Koch Bro’s ‘Puppets’—’Scott Walker’ & ‘Republicans’…

“When it comes to the Kochs, progressives in Wisconsin are ready to believe the absolute worst. Inside the capitol there are dozens of agitprop signs accusing the brothers of buying the election for Walker. There are detailed lists of Koch companies and which products to boycott in order to starve them. There are articles taped to the walls from Forbes magazine (‘Texas Koch Brothers Behind Wisconsin Effort To Kill Public Unions’) and the New York Times (‘Koch Brothers’ Money Fuels Wisconsin Fight’). On Wednesday, a new sign started appearing around the halls, informing protesters of a picket outside the stately office building, not far from the capitol, where Koch Companies have hired seven lobbyists.

“In sum: They have found the enemy, and it is Koch.”

***
“The KOCH brothers must be stopped. They gave $40K to Scott Walker, the MAX allowed by state law. That’s small potatoes compared to the $100+ million they give to other organizations. These organizations will terrify you. If the anti-union thing weren’t enough, here are bigger and better reasons to stop the evil Kochs. They are trying to:

1. decriminalize drugs,
2. legalize gay marriage,
3. repeal the Patriot Act,
4. end the police state,
5. cut defense spending…

“Now, I don’t know why the KOCH brothers want gay people to have the right to marry. Everybody knows marriage is for a man and a woman. Even Obama said that. Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve amirite? I haven’t figured out the angle. Maybe it’s like this:

1. legalize drugs
2. legalize gay marriage
3. sell drugs and oil to gays
4. ????
5. PROFIT$$$”

***
“In interviews with National Review Online, Koch executives responded to the incident and pledged to ‘not stop’ supporting free-enterprise initiatives, even as opponents attempt to sully the Koch name and the groups that brothers David and Charles Koch, the company’s co-owners, support. They also noted that David Koch and the governor have never met or spoken.

“‘With the Left trying to intimidate the Koch brothers to back off of their support for freedom and signaling to others that this is what happens if you oppose the administration and its allies, we have no choice but to continue to fight,’ says Richard Fink, the executive vice president of Koch Industries. ‘We will not step back at all. We firmly believe that economic freedom has benefited the overwhelming majority of society, including workers, who earn higher wages when you have open and free markets. When government grows as it has with the Bush and Obama administrations, that is what destroys prosperity.’…

“Fink tells us that he does not see the Walker prank as an isolated act. ‘This is not just left-wing bloggers,’ he says. ‘This is part of an orchestrated campaign that has been going on for many months. It involves the Obama administration, the Center for American Progress, aligned left-wing groups, and their friends in the media. This is just the latest salvo in their attacks on the Koch brothers and Koch Industries. But it is an escalation — they’re now bringing in some labor groups, which they have not done before. We expect this to be part of an ongoing effort against [Koch Industries] as the 2012 presidential campaign approaches.’”

***
“There may be a reasonable debate over the role the Koch family is actually playing in Wisconsin, but today’s front pages from the state make clear that they’re playing an increasingly central role in the politics.

“This will have some effect on the local politics, but it’s also being watched closely from Washington as a dress rehearsal for 2012. The focus by key Democratic Party surrogates like the Center for American Progress on the Koch brothers is driven partly by the fact that they’re less likable figures than, say, Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty.

“So don’t be surprised to see Obama running in 2012 against David Koch, and if there are any pictures of the Kochs standing beside the actual nominee, expect to see a lot of them.”

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