Koch brothers' effort to take over Cato Institute appears over (LA Times)

[pinto]

"The picture is, of course, more complex than the official party line." Ain't that the truth. ~ pinto

Koch brothers' effort to take over Cato Institute appears over

By Matt Pearce
June 25, 2012, 7:04 p.m.

The Koch brothers’ attempted takeover of the libertarian Cato Institute has come to an end, at least for now.

Charles and David Koch — the Kansas billionaires at the center of a network of conservative financial and intellectual influence sometimes derisively called “the Kochtopus” — have reached an agreement that changes the structure of the Cato Institute in exchange for its current chief executive, Ed Crane, stepping down.

So ends one phase of a power grab that had tossed one of the most famous think tanks in Washington into confusion.

Who wins here? Everybody, as the Cato Institute’s official release on Monday would have it:

“For a majority of Cato's directors, the agreement confirms Cato's independence and ensures that Cato is not viewed as controlled by the Kochs. For Charles Koch and David Koch, the agreement helps ensure that Cato will be a principled organization that is effective in advancing a free society.”

The picture is, of course, more complex than the official party line.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-koch-brothers-cato-institute-20120625,0,251626.story

[momsrule]

1. Believe it or not!

This is one for the book. The Koch brothers don't seem to let go of anything so far. If there is some kind of agreement, you can bet the money spent by the brothers has met them with considerable gain.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Ignore those two clowns behind the curtain

bellowed the flaming head

[drm604]

3. Exactly.

This is exactly the spin we would see if they had succeeded in the takeover.