Koch brothers DEFEATED in little Coralville, Iowa!!

[bullwinkle428]

"Despite efforts by the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity to influence the outcome of Tuesday’s election in Coralville, three incumbent candidates were elected to another term.

John Lundell was elected mayor while incumbents Tom Gill and Bill Hoeft along with newcomer Laurie Goodrich won seats on the City Council in what was a record-breaking election for Coralville, according to unofficial results from the Johnson County Auditor’s Office.

Shortly after ballots were counted Tuesday, Lundell said he received a surprise phone call from Vice President Joe Biden.

“He indicated that he was very proud of our city, that we took on the Koch brothers and successfully beat them buy such a huge margin,” Lundell said. “That was another aspect of this election that was unanticipated, that after the polls closed that I’d be speaking to the vice president of the United States.”"

[kelliekat44]

1. Love it!!! nt

[freshwest]

2. Good news. No wonder Biden called - the Koch brothers are public enemy #1. They are abusing America.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

16. There was a time when what they are doing would send them to jail.

[Heather MC]

29. It helpd to have purchased enough Legislators and SC Justices before hand

to prevent that from happening

[MineralMan]

3. Excellent, and good for Joe Biden for

calling with congratulations. We will win by starting with the most local of elections and continuing up the ticket.

[B Calm]

4. Koch brothers trying to influence local elections,

how fucking low can they get!

[BlueToTheBone]

10. That was just business as usual. They have been buying

local elections since the 70s. While we were out busy living, they were busy buying up the country and building the Tea Baggers.

[Blanks]

15. It makes perfect sense.

They need to control the local politicians in order to continue (or begin) polluting.

Step one: Weaken the EPA (and state DEQs)
Step two: Buy local politicians.
Step three: Pollute the local environment.
Step four: Deny health care for local people so that health issues cannot be tied to the environmental pollution that you are creating.
Step five: Count your huge piles if money.

Makes sense, despicable but logical.

[Hestia]

40. Point by Point what Exxon is doing to Mayflower and its citizens

Just saw a link on FB about how people living around Lake Conway have inundated hospitals because of GI problems. It was posted on the Mayflower Arkansas Oil Spill Group. No link to an article but the group owner lives in Mayflower and has really kept people abreast of all health and environmental issues from the Bitumen spill.

[Blanks]

42. It's not just mayflower either...

There are other communities in Arkansas (according to the 'Koch Brothers Exposed' documentary) that are being systematically poisoned.

It should remove any mystery as to why such rich people would spend so much money to gain control of the state legislature in a little bitty state (population wise).

The day after the mayflower pipe burst U.S. representative Tim Griffin (who has decided not to run again) was on TV praising the oil companies for their quick response. Despicable.

[grahamhgreen]

19. Time to tax the "Hell" out of them;)

[calimary]

26. Hell, I'd go so far as to advocate for nationalizing some of their industries.

We ARE still at war, after all. Neutralize their power base (ie: their money). They deal in energy, petroleum, lumber, and other essential natural resources (that belong to all of America, btw). We ARE still at war, after all. Drastic steps might be necessary.

[loudsue]

5. It's a battle victory. Now we need to win the war!!

[fredamae]

6. When the electorate

is informed--it Does "render $$$ speechless"

Congrats to Iowa!!!!!

[mikeysnot]

7. Obviously they didn't spend enough money...

in their mind.

[JPZenger]

8. That is one screwed up town

As much as I hate the Kochs, Coralville is one screwed up town.

This small town has taken on about $250 million in debt - and now owns many new commercial buildings. Their debt is close to junk bond status. Read the whole article below - they have been out of control.

http://watchdog.org/107357/coralville-tif/

[bullwinkle428]

12. Here's the ironic thing - the TIF districts, which largely account for

Coralville's debt, benefit wealthy real estate developers far more than anyone else, so objections by people like the Koch brothers are curious at best!

[cascadiance]

22. This web site arguably is a bit right wing in its perspective...

... with articles arguing for "school choice" to go to private and charter schools in Chicago, etc. I'd not be trusting that article and getting independent sources to get a more balanced look at that situation.

Read the first note on this about page, and realize that in fact it is part of the Koch brothers propaganda machine you claim to hate so much.

http://watchdog.org/about/

[shcrane71]

34. Actually... the area that Coralville spent $ on developing was greatly needed.

From my understanding, the area that now has a convention center, brewery, Von Mauer store, other retail shops and new Univ of IA medical out-patient center used to be a run-down truck stop with a strip club.

Another community in the area has decided to use debt tools to revitalize their community.

[cascadiance]

41. Senator Grassley really pushed making a RAIN FOREST in Coralville earlier...

So Republicans complaining about spending in that town? They should look in their own house to make sure it's clean first! A lot of the spending that was complained about was from the redevelopment, etc. that went on in terms of infrastructure, hotels, etc. in anticipation of this great project!

http://thegazette.com/2011/07/06/grassley-supported-rain-forest-in-iowa/

Another interesting part of Iowa to study culture clashes is down in Fairfield, Iowa. It used to be home to Parson's College, which is where my mom went to school many years back when she grew up on a family farm there with a large extended family that still is around there. Now Parson's College has been replaced by Maharishi University, which advertises meditation and helping people levitate, etc. They've bought a good part of the land around there which has lead to a lot of construction changes to have buildings meet religious beliefs of the Maharishis on which direction the doors and windows should be facing, etc. It has made for interesting discussions with the extended family when I traveled down there on their feelings about the Maharishi presence there.

[rurallib]

9. The Kochs got outed and the public didn't like them

Had they not been outed what would have happened?
I don't know, but my guess is that the lesson the Kochs learned is to go even more surreptitious, more hidden.
Whoever outed them gets my thanks.

[JEB]

11. The nasty little Koch-roaches are scurrying for the shadows, but

they will be back. Orkin man of politics, where are you?

[Arugula Latte]

13. These fascist thugs flew under the radar for way too long.

I'm glad their names, faces, and evil intentions are becoming more well known.

[HoosierCowboy]

14. Lets See

How the spin masters will show how this is actually a victory for the Baggers. For a Democrat to win anything in Iowa is a flash of light.

[bullwinkle428]

17. Hey, we've been electing Tom Harkin to the Senate for 30 years!

One of the best of that "august body" if I do say so myself!

[cascadiance]

24. Coralville is actually in effect part of two towns along with Iowa City that is the Univ. of Iowa

I would say that it should be leaning Democrat, though it is part of the more residential suburbs of the university campus, and might be a little more conservative than Iowa City is but still is a lot more liberal than the rest of Iowa. I used to live there as a student way back when...

Make no mistake about it. This was a strategic move on the part of the Koch brothers. Iowa City used to be represented by Republican moderate congressman Jim Leach for many years and got voted out by Iowa City voters back in the swing towards a Democratic House by Democrat Dave Loebsak in the elections that a lot of "moderate" Republicans got pushed out of office.

Iowa of course is still the first election battleground of 2016, and I'm sure that Kochs wanted to make Iowa City more Republican before that time to impact both Democratic and Republican party caucuses then, and would also like to try and affect the state in who they vote to replace Tom Harkin in next election.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

28. Hmmm ... six of the last seven Presidential elections won by D in Iowa.

Going back to Reagan's '84 electoral blowout of Mondale, only Jr.'s '04 campaign has taken Iowa in the Presidential race and that was 49.9% to 49.23%.

Sure, Steve King is a nutjob (sadly, I have Bachmann in Minnesota) and Grassley went hard looney right in the past 20 years, but Iowa also gives us Tom Harkin. Very sad to see the senator retire - we need more Dems in Washington to start acting like him.

[Peacetrain]

32. How little you know about Iowa..

It is a split of red and blue.. Coralville happens to be in right next to Iowa City.. and it does not get any bluer than that..nada.. nowhere.. anywhere

edit to add.. I live in the western part of the state which is crazy red.. dutch reformed red.. seriously.. dutch reformed..

they (the Dutch Reformed red crazies) refer to Iowa City and vicinity that includes Coralville as the Peoples Republic of Johnson County..

[Sognefjord]

38. More specifically, Christian Reformed (they are the ones to fear) and the Netherlands Reformed also.

We lived in far NW Iowa awhile and know these people.

[PatrynXX]

18. that and the two of them are friends

since I live in Iowa this race was well watched but heard nothing about the Koch brothers which shows me how well the media plays this game even in local news

[pansypoo53219]

20. prosperity for who?

[Blue Owl]

21. The war on thugs

Now that's one battle I can get behind!

[Dawson Leery]

23. Democrats need to come out for every election.

[Rebellious Republican]

25. Here is to a trend!

[Roland99]

27. Wonder how much more money these Koch (suckers) will dole out until they decide it's enough?

[sheshe2]

30. K&R!

[TacoD]

31. Proud Coralville resident here. (nt)

[Politicub]

33. I see a pattern

Everything the Kochs touch turns to shit and blows up in their ugly mugs.

[CoffeeCat]

35. If someone told me that the Kochs were funding a local Republican candidate...

...not only would I be hell-bent on voting for the Democratic opponent--I would volunteer, phone bank and do everything I could to defeat any Koch candidate.

The Koch name is associated with political corruption. They symbolize everything that has gone haywire with our democracy--that many see as corporate controlled by a bunch of rich assholes who have more say that "We The People."

So go ahead, Koch brothers--attach your name to more races. You will ignite the other side.

Also--I live in Iowa and I'm amazed that the Kochs would pay attention to Coralville, Iowa. Was this some kind of testing ground for them? Is this their idea of viral campaigning? They think they can take over this country, one small community at a time? No, sorry.

I'm surprised they would target Coralville, which is a suburb of Iowa City--home of the University of Iowa. The U of I is one of the most liberal cities in this country, and is definitely the most liberal city in Iowa. I lived there for a while, and still miss it.

[silvershadow]

36. +1 bump. Do you have a source to the story? :) nt

[ReRe]

37. K&R

I promote progress in any way, shape or form. It's a start for that little winger-corrupted town.

[hue]

39. Love this!! It's like David & Goliath!! A great example for all!!