Koch Brothers target Alan Grayson and Suzanne Kosmas in Florida's Congressional races.

[seafan]

Nicole Belle reports from Crooks and Liars:

August 29, 2010

If you haven't already read Jane Mayer's chilling account of the stealth political dealings of the Koch brothers, do yourself a favor and take some time to do so. It's critical to know exactly how far those tentacles stretch.

The Koch brothers have their conservative little fingers in a lot of pies, from the tea parties to the climate change Prop 23 in California to systematically de-legitimizing the Obama presidency on multiple levels. And yet, their plates are not too full for them to add two more targets to shape the world to their right-wingnut liking: Rep. Alan Grayson and Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, both running for Congress in Florida.:

Orlando TV viewers may have caught new commercials, funded by Americans for Prosperity, and directly targeting the Congressional re-election bids for Alan Grayson and Suzanne Kosmas.

The national advocacy group, founded by billionaire David Koch, has paid for $1.4 million in TV ads in four states, including Florida, where Grayson and Kosmas face a GOP eager to claim their seats. The ads will also run in Arizona, Ohio and Pennsylvania until Sept. 8.

The ad, which you can see on the group’s YouTube page, prominently feature House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and “her big government policy agenda,” particularly the federal stimulus bill, cap and trade and the government bailouts, said Apryl Marie Fogel, state director for the Florida chapter of Americans for Prosperity. It’s part of a larger campaign that will also include bus tours and grassroots campaigning in these weeks building up to the November election.

Koch, owner of the Koch Industries oil and manufacturing conglomerate, has funded millions of dollars of TV ads that have made the Americans for Prosperity a big player among the many conservative groups trying to influence the midterm elections.

Something tells me that Alan Grayson will bite back against the Koch Brothers' corrosive influence on our democracy.

[flamingdem]

1. This should help to expose what Koch Bros is all about nt

[Oceansaway]

2. K&R...n/t

[tridim]

3. Expose them Grayson. I know he won't let us down.

[zipplewrath]

4. They may be making a mistake

Kosmas is vulnerable, and is probably going to lose. She won mostly because her GOP predecessor screwed up and got caught in the Abramhoff mess. But Grayson is fairly popular in his district. He has a well connected opponent, but there's a long list of GOP stars that turned down the opportunity to run against him. I've seen the ad, and it does a better job of connecting Kosmas to Grayson than either of them to Obama or Pelosi. It could actually help Kosmas. Furthermore, as Grayson fights back (and he has the cash to do so) it will by extension help Kosmas. Grayson is in a district that 10 years ago was a "safe" GOP district. But it's been 10 years and the demographics have moved decidedly "left". Kosmas is one that has tried to appeal to her right flank and it hasn't paid off well for her. But if she gets re-identified as "another Grayson" it could actually help her.

[Subdivisions]

5. The Supreme Court decision to allow corporations to influence elections

is only going to make this more common.

[OHdem10]

6. Gayson is a Democrat with a spine and a strong voice. Koch's

and Conservatives always target any Democrat who could
become a potential leader. Conservatives remain in power
if not strong Liberal is allowed to flourish. This is
how they gained power and so far have been able to keep
power.

[Subdivisions]

7. But, but, but...the AFP is a GRASSROOTS effort!

At least according to this photo from the Glenn Beck rally yesterday it is...

[seafan]

8. Lies wither in the face of facts. Facts are funny that way.

Fact: There are, unfortunately, many people who are walking billboards for the theft of our democracy. When these people of rigid mindset are forced to confront this reality, it will shatter their perceptions.



(Hat tip to DUer Subdivisions for photo)



Fact: The Koch Brothers fund Americans For Prosperity and countless other front groups.



As I posted recently:

This is just the beginning of extensive collateral damage ahead for our democracy, thanks to the hard right-wing members on the Supreme Court, who unleashed the Citizens United ruling in January, 2010.

Citizens United, along with the nightmarish Dred Scott decision in 1857, will go down in history as two of the very worst decisions, if not the two most damaging, ever handed down by the Supreme Court.

And, thanks to the Supreme Court's Citizen United ruling this year, these billionaire-funded front groups will buy off the remaining pieces of our democracy.

It's the war of great wealth against all the rest of us. Regular citizens will no longer be able to influence the election process, because Big Money is now unleashed and is viciously stealing our representation from us.

[Blue Owl]

9. Take those fucks out at the kneecap, Alan!

No mercy -- both knees out, and then a death blow right in the face.

The Krotch Brothers can take their filthy blood money and go fuck some other country over with their big business bullshit.