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Madison, Wisconsin: Why are Protesters so obsessed with the Koch Brothers?
Slate ^ | 02/22/2011 | David Weigel

Posted on 02/22/2011 1:30:16 PM PST by SeekAndFind

I'm here right now to cover the standoff between Republicans on one side, Democrats and labor on the other, over a budget reform bill that would strip public sector unions of collective bargaining rights. (Wisconsin was the first state to grant these rights, in 1959.) A longer piece about this will be on the main page soon, and there's a slideshow coming. But first: The Koch phenomenon.



No theme pops up as often in protest signs as anger at David and Charles Koch, the industrialists who fund a plenitude of libertarian think tanks. Anger at the Kochs comes up in interviews before I've even asked about them. Protesters call Gov. Scott Walker a puppet of the Kochs, and some of them say his budget reform bill will result in a no-bid contract win for the brothers. There's a lot to learn here, but the most basic lesson is: A lot of people in Madison read The New Yorker.

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: kochbrothers; madison; protest; wisconsin; wisconsinshowdown
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1 posted on 02/22/2011 1:30:22 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Haliburton doesn’t work anymore and they needed something to scream out when they can’t reasonably produce facts in discussion.


2 posted on 02/22/2011 1:32:34 PM PST by MNlurker
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To: SeekAndFind

...to deflect attention from Soros.


3 posted on 02/22/2011 1:33:24 PM PST by texteacher
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To: SeekAndFind

All products made in America no? Should we buy imports instead?


4 posted on 02/22/2011 1:33:41 PM PST by DManA
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To: SeekAndFind

The Koch’s have given $3.2 Million to the Repubs in the last 5 years, and about a million to the Tea Party’s.

Meanwhile, Soros, NOT INCLUDING HIS KIDS, has given $32 million to Democrats and Democrat Orgs in the same time period.

GUESS WHICH EVIL CAPITALIST THE LIBERALS/GOONS are being told to hate?


5 posted on 02/22/2011 1:34:55 PM PST by tcrlaf (Democrats Outforced America's Jobs for 40 Years. Now The Bill Is Due)
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To: SeekAndFind

Because only the rats are supposed to have wealthy sugar daddies.


6 posted on 02/22/2011 1:34:55 PM PST by ModelBreaker
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To: SeekAndFind

Typical communist sloganeering. There is no doubt in my mind that Obama and his communist Democrat Party have planned this union “uprising”. They are trying to nullify the result of the November 2010 election which showed them that America really doesn’t like Obama and his Democrat Party flying monkeys.


7 posted on 02/22/2011 1:36:39 PM PST by StormEye
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To: SeekAndFind

what’s an “omass” ?

it that a mass that Obama attends?


8 posted on 02/22/2011 1:36:39 PM PST by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: SeekAndFind

Its not so much of an obsession as it is an attempt to distract from what the unionistas really are.


9 posted on 02/22/2011 1:40:23 PM PST by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: SeekAndFind
Just the Official Republican Bogeymen of the Rat party.

They took over all the foundations that industrialists funded and turned them into Communist Propaganda mills (Ford Foundation being the most egregious), but the Koch's are still out there.

So they have to slam them.

10 posted on 02/22/2011 1:41:36 PM PST by Regulator (Watch Out! Americans are on the March! America Forever, Mexico Never!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Hmmm.

I think I need to stock up on some TP and paper towels. Heck, I might even pick up some Dixie cups while I’m at it...


11 posted on 02/22/2011 1:42:53 PM PST by MAexile (Bats left, votes right)
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To: SeekAndFind
The New Yorker article that attributed the Tea Party movement to Koch family influence and funding got a lot of play on the left.

As one commenter on the site writes: "Most of the obnoxious ramblings I hear here in Madison can be immediately traced back to some [New Yorker] or Paul Krugman article published in the last two weeks."

The article answered a need for activists on the left: it provided a way to simply dismiss the whole Tea Party movement the work of evil plutocrats, rather than something genuinely popular or populist.

12 posted on 02/22/2011 1:44:47 PM PST by x
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To: DManA

RE: All products made in America no? Should we buy imports instead?


Unlike George Soros, who makes his money off speculation ( and tanking the currencies of some countries via huge bets ), the Koch Brothers actually MAKE PRODUCTS.

Koch owns Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals and Matador Cattle Company.

They do manufacturing, refining and distribution of petroleum, chemicals, energy, fiber, intermediates and polymers, minerals, fertilizers, pulp and paper, chemical technology equipment, ranching, finance, commodities trading, as well as other ventures and investments.

Looking at all the above, these are industries that actually PRODUCE things. What this country needs to do to be prosperous.


13 posted on 02/22/2011 1:47:32 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: texteacher

“...to deflect attention from Soros.”

Bingo.


14 posted on 02/22/2011 1:51:08 PM PST by y6162
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To: SeekAndFind

The Koch brothers are “robber barons” doncha know?

Koch Industries was a co-founder of Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) and have also given money to FreedomWorks and Republican governors association.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Social Teaching are nothing but a bunch of socialists.


15 posted on 02/22/2011 1:54:37 PM PST by smokingfrog ( BORN free - taxed to DEATH (and beyond) ...)
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To: SeekAndFind

The leftists have to have a behind-the-scenes devil to hate, and blaming the Swift Boat veterans for everything was getting old.


16 posted on 02/22/2011 1:59:34 PM PST by Interesting Times (WinterSoldier.com. SwiftVets.com. ToSetTheRecordStraight.com.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Because they are all mindless losers with nothing else to do? That’s about all I can think of. Few and far between probably ever put in an honest days work.


17 posted on 02/22/2011 2:05:20 PM PST by vpintheak (Democrats: Robbing humans of their dignity 1 law at a time)
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To: SeekAndFind
Per the sign: “allowed” by whom?
18 posted on 02/22/2011 2:08:14 PM PST by quadrant (1o)
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To: SeekAndFind
No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth.

Catholic Social Teaching.

Wonder if they also accept Catholic Social Teaching on abortion?

19 posted on 02/22/2011 2:33:31 PM PST by DManA
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To: SeekAndFind
lol

PBS radio ran a special on them a while back... and every since then the left has blamed them for everything bad that happens.

It's hilarious.

20 posted on 02/22/2011 2:34:47 PM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama = Carter 2.0 Epic Fail version)
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