Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014
Posted by Michelle Moquin on May 20th, 2014
Good morning!
As promised, you can watch the live press briefing and premier of the Koch Brothers Exposed: 2104 Edition, live stream @ at 2:45 PM PST/5:45pm EST, right here!
KOCH BROTHERS EXPOSED: 2014 Edition
Press Briefing and Premiere of Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition with Senator Harry Reid, Representative Nancy Pelosi, and Filmmaker Robert Greenwald.
On May 20th, 2014, Brave New Films will host a press briefing and premiere* of our upcoming documentary Koch Brothers Exposed: 2014 Edition with Senator Reid and several other congressional leaders. Senator Reid will be opening the event with statements about the Koch Brothers and the effect of money in politics. This will be followed by segments of our upcoming documentary and statements from several members of Congress who will share their plans to overturn Citizens United.
*****
Readers: I realize the live stream is right in the middle of the day but if you can watch it, I encourage you to. I think you’ll also be able to watch on Brave New Films.org as well if for some reason you can’t see it here. Although, I tried to get onto the site last night and couldn’t. Let’s HOPE we can all watch it today.
And then…Blog me.
In the meantime, here is a segment from the Ed Show interviewing Robert Greenwald:
Ed, Evelyn, Julie: Keep saying it, because I can’t say it enough – Get out and Vote out the republicans!
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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May 20th, 2014 at 12:47 pm
20 turncoat Democrats sold us out to AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. These Democrats signed an industry-backed letter telling the FCC not to re-regulate broadband Internet as a public utility. If the FCC listens to these turncoat Democrats and fails to treat broadband as a utility, what we’ll end up with is nothing short of the corporate takeover of the Internet and an end to Net Neutrality.
This is unacceptable. Sign the petition telling these Democrats that you strongly object to their decision to side with the wealthy telecommunications Corporations over average Internet users like us. We need to keep a free and open Internet for all.
These 20 Democratic Congressmen went for the bribe money just as we would expect from Republicans. It appears that it makes little difference anymore. Money Talks!
We were under the impression that the answer to our problems was voting out Republicans and voting in Democrats.
This does not appear to be the solution anymore since members of both parties like money — and that is how modern politics works. It does not matter which party, they will vote where the money tells them to.
http://act.credoaction.com/go/4376?t=7&akid=10735.5840018.g8ElVb
Sign this if you are agsainst this issue
May 20th, 2014 at 1:04 pm
Sorry, this is the right link to petitio9n for Net Neutrality:
http://act.credoaction.com/sign/dem_turncoats_2014?akid=10735.5840018.g8ElVb&rd=1&t=4
Please sign this thing!
May 20th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
Thanks Howie. I’m on board.
May 20th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
Just this morning, Karl Rove started attacking four Democratic senators with a record-high $10 million in TV ads. These Democrats are deadlocked in the polls today, but Rove’s attack surge could hand the lead to their Republican challengers:
DEM GOP ROVE ATTACK
NC Hagan 41 Tillis 41 $3.5 million
CO Udall 45 Gardner 44 $2.8 million
AR Pryor 43 Cotton 42 $1.7 million
AK Begich 42 Sullivan 37 $1.8 million
May 20th, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Scary news: Karl Rove is launching his “largest TV offensive of the midterm cycle” THIS MORNING — a jaw-dropping $9.4 million in attacks against Senators in North Carolina, Colorado, Alaska, and Arkansas.
This isn’t an exaggeration: If we let Rove run over us in these four states, the Republicans WILL win the Senate. We’ll be forced to watch Mitch McConnell’s Senate repeal Obamacare and totally end President Obama’s agenda.
We KNOW that we can stop a Republican takeover once again — but the threat we face now is so much greater.
We need every single Democrat on board to answer this onslaught, or Rove’s attacks WILL cost us the Senate. The regret we’ll feel will be excruciating. You can’t let that happen.
Get your asses to the polls and vote. And for the country’s sake take a too lazy to vote on his/her own with you.
May 20th, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Sure you are right Howie. We need more committed to calling these crooks on it.
May 20th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Terrifying: Politico just reported that TOMORROW, Karl Rove is launching his “largest TV offensive of the midterm cycle” — a four state, $10 million barrage focused purely on flipping control of the Senate.
There is no sugar coating it: If we let Rove buy these four states, the Republicans WILL take over the Senate. And then they’ll repeal Obamacare, ban abortion rights, and completely end President Obama’s agenda.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:05 pm
There are two easy things you can do today to help protect our planet and fight back.
* First, you can join the audience.
We’re in a new TV program about how climate change is harming people and our planet.
Today, analysis from CMD is airing on the Showtime series “Years of Living Dangerously.”
Tune in at 8pm ET/PT, learn more about wind power, and see America Ferrera interview me and Brendan DeMelle as we debunk climate change denier Joe Bast of the “Heartland Institute.”
Our research has helped discredit Bast, a so-called “expert” ALEC has featured to tell legislators there is “no global warming trend” but, incredibly, a warmer planet would “be beneficial” to humans and our environment.
This TV appearance is especially poignant to me because I was invited to participate after having a surgery that saved my life and increased my sense of urgency to do whatever I can to help our planet and our future.
* Second, you can literally double the impact of your money, today.
Starting today and for the next two weeks, every dollar you give to support CMD’s research and reporting will be matched by a generous supporter.
With your help, we’ve made great strides in exposing Heartland and other propaganda groups like ALEC, which has received millions from the Koch family fortune and other global oil and coal companies.
But, I really need your financial support to continue and to expand our research on the carbon kings funding groups trying to thwart efforts to address climate change.
Our ground-breaking reporting on the Koch brothers has helped push research to wider audiences by national newspapers, like the New York Times and the Guardian, and TV programs, like Showtime, MSNBC, Democracy Now, and the Thom Hartmann Show.
And, with CMD’s merger with The Progressive magazine, we’re expanding our influence in combating the greedy plutocrats distorting our democracy; our work on a blockbuster special issue is already underway.
Please give as much as you can give today to help our work thrive.
I’m counting on you to help us change the course of history for the better.
Your gift will be DOUBLED dollar for dollar up to $25,000 and your generosity and commitment will help our investigations reach more and more people.
With deepest appreciation,
Lisa Graves
President of the Progressive Inc.
Publisher of The Progressive, PRWatch.org, ALECexposed.org, and SourceWatch.org
P.S. Help us do more to expose the Kochs and their robber baron buddies and defend our planet by giving as much as you can give today, please.
P.P.S. I promise that we don’t bombard you with notes about every TV show featuring CMD’s work, but we regularly post new videos to PRWatch.org, and we’ll post a link to the Showtime episode as soon as it is online.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:23 pm
Put the corporate tax rate back up to levels prior to Reagan when things worked. Giving tax breaks to tyrants just furthers their ability to cause more exploitation and suffering. tax them or let them
May 20th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
To the republicans paying workers lower wages so the rich can get richer for doing nothing is moral, but paying workers more is redistribution of wealth and Communism
May 20th, 2014 at 4:25 pm
These people have never tasted poverty, have no ideal the damage to the soul that poverty does. Soon they are not going to have a nation to exploit
May 20th, 2014 at 4:26 pm
The good news is they’re working on eliminating building codes so you’ll be allowed to live in a shack made from scrap metal like the people earning 28 cents per hour in China do.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:28 pm
We urge the removal of campaign finance laws.” — David Koch running for President
May 20th, 2014 at 4:28 pm
Under a Democracy, everybody votes on every issue. Under a Republic, the people elect Representatives who in turn pass legislation.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:28 pm
Citizens United = Citizens Exploited
May 20th, 2014 at 4:30 pm
It has started to become apparent to me that there are more than a few Democrats in the Senate and House who are voting with conservative, right wing ideologies. Basically selling out both their parties and their constituents.
I am hoping that this is not becoming some kind of ploy against Democratic principles, and that voting the republicans out (if we can do it) will have the desired effect that most of us are hoping for.
Politics, in general, has always been shady business, and those with political ambitions can change course in a heartbeat. Some seem to be very ambidextrous. Realizing my own civic duty as a citizen, I know I must follow the issues and vote accordingly, even though I really would rather not at times.
Just keeping track of what is happening, who is doing what, and how all this affects the welfare of this countries citizenship can seriously alter one’s piece of mind.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:31 pm
To those idiots that prefer having business run things I would point this out.
We can vote out politicians, try bringing your problems to a CEO
May 20th, 2014 at 4:31 pm
If we let the FCC pass that stupid bill then we won’t be able to watch things like this.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:35 pm
Although the republicans didn’t win the Senate or the White House because they won the House Congress and the Supreme Court let them do all this destruction to our political structure and fuck up the people on nearly every case SCOTUS takes.
If they are allowed to continue to do this we need to look at our weak Congressmen and vote the bastards out in november.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:36 pm
The Koch brothers are the only people in America other than Dr. Paul who are trying to uphold the Constitution.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Gotta’ love the folks that made this happen ! Thanks.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:40 pm
Having Billions IS Intrinsically Bad Under Our incredibly primitive system. Our Constitution was designed at least a century behind its own times, completely unaware of threats well known to its framers from such familiar forces as corporations, speculation, and wealth concentration from trade and finance.
Billionaires and the US Constitution.
Pick one.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Michelle, thank you for keeping your spotlight focused on these men. Their network comprises not only the greatest threat to the American political ideal, but to a human-habitable earth.
Don’t let up.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Excellent Work! The intricate, malevolent web of interconnected machinations spun by the Koch brothers to increase their own wealth and advance their dystopian ideology is perhaps the most corrosively toxic challenge faced by our democracy. Thank you for shining your spotlight on them!
May 20th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Keeping the shenanigans of the Koch’s on the forefront is crucial. Thanks for taking on that role. Your work is important for America.
People act on the outside how they feel on the inside. If you acknowledge it, you can change it.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
Goose#22, That’s not entirely true. Many of the Founders were aware of the threat posed by aggregated wealth, including Jefferson and Franklin.
Others, like John Jay, saw themselves as rightfully privileged.
There were Kochs of that day, and they were in the room when our founding documents were written. That’s why slavery was legalized in the Constitution, against the strenuous objections of those who could see where we were headed.
Jefferson, who was one of the biggest plantation owners in the room (and a huge racist), hated slavery but couldn’t see a way out of it other than granting land to millions of small yeoman farmers who would presumably not need slaves, eventually, somewhere down the line, at some point when it wouldn’t affect his own bottom line.
We all know how that worked out. But make no mistake, there were in fact Founding Fathers who worried deeply about this very issue. You can see the debates playing out in the Federalist Papers.
You can see it in the flyers distributed outside Constitution Hall on the streets of Philadelphia in 1787, by the “Privates Committee,” which was advocating for wealth redistribution long before Karl Marx was a twinkle in his mother’s eye.
For at least 100 years before that, the colonies were riven again and again by violent protests, often carried out by farmers who were angry about the economic advantages enjoyed by privileged British aristocrats living high off the hog.
(See the Bacon Rebellion and the Regulator Movement, as well as Shays’ Rebellion after the Revolution.) These are stories not often told by historians, and it’s time we started telling them. The history of the U.S. in many ways has been one long fight over who gets to control wealth.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:49 pm
I would like to see a documentary that establishes the efforts of American industrialists during the 30′s to finance Hitler’s rise to power and their parallel effort to overthrow FDR and establish a Fascist USA.
http://www.secretsofthefed.com/…
From what I have read over the years, I believe the Depression here and in Europe in the early 1900′s was not only orchestrated, but was meant to usher in the NWO at that time headed by the old Aristocracy and the industrialists. Charles Lindbergh predicted just such a situation when the Federal Reserve was created:
http://www.ourrepubliconline.com/…
Here we sit, it took longer than anticipated, but the Bush family has had two presidencies and a VP slot and looking for another in 2016 and we are owned by the corporations.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Thx for the link! I didn’t know Lucky Lindy’s dad Charles Lindbergh predicted just such a situation when the Federal Reserve was created:
was a Congressman.
My first thought on reading this was that the kid was doing pretty well for a 12-year old!
You never know what you’re gonna learn around here–thanks again!
May 20th, 2014 at 4:53 pm
That is why I think it is so important to document and connect the dots. Many of the conspiracy theories that have been maligned over the years have proven to be true.
Most are hidden in plain sight, they are just not in the history books.
May 20th, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Pat#28, And “Lucky Lindy” was a racist to the bone. This followed his trip to Nazi Germany, invited by Goering and given an award there.
Lindbergh began speaking out publicly on the war in Europe. He was opposed to any American involvement in the war, which he viewed as a battle for balance of power in Europe. One speech in particular, given in 1941, was widely criticized as anti-Semitic and racist.
You can dig more and read his speech.
Some humans ain’t human some people ain’t kind. They lie through their teeth with their head up their behind. You open up their hearts and here’s what you’ll find – Some humans ain’t human some people ain’t kind. John Prine
May 20th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
After the supposed kidnapping of his son, Lucky and the little woman packed up and moved to England.
There were rumors at the time that they unloaded a “defective” child. Smothered, chopped up and fed the crip to he hogs and set up the kidnap scenario.
May 20th, 2014 at 5:06 pm
Unitas#30:
Now, THAT, I DID already know! (2+ / 0-)
I remember hearing a snippet from his “…There is no Genghis Khan or Xerxes….” speech (in a(n ultimately erroneous) reference to Adolph Hitler) to America Firsters on the 1948 CBS “I Can Hear It Now….” album I appropriated from my grandfather when I was but a young teenager.
OMG, I found a Community Audio of it! (The quality isn’t quite as good as my 33 1/3 rpm record, but it’s HERE! Ah, it’s only the first track.
Ah–what a find! Here’s the entire album (apparently in the original series of 78 rpm records) on YouTube I Can Hear It Now…. (approx. 45 minutes.)
IIRC, they make some reference to his pro- (or at least, not anti-) German leanings at the Lindbergh exhibit at the Missouri History Museum in (Forest Park) STL, MO.
May 20th, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, the Koch brothers and their billionaire friends are free to spend limitless amounts of cash to drown out regular people and buy the government they want. That’s not how our democracy should work.
This week, Senate Democrats introduced a constitutional amendment to end Citizens United and get unlimited secret money out of elections.
The system we have now is totally broken: so far, the Koch brothers have spent $35 million to buy a Republican Senate that will answer only to them. And they’ve pledged to spend another $125 million to trample your voice and buy a government that will give them even more tax breaks so they can buy more yachts and private jets.
The only way we can be sure to stop this for good is with a constitutional amendment that ends Citizens United and gets unlimited spending out of elections.
May 20th, 2014 at 5:27 pm
In case you missed it, a sitting United States senator just doubled down on doubting climate science.
Senator Marco Rubio said in an interview this week that he didn’t believe scientists are right in stating that human activity is affecting climate change.
Sometimes you just have to call it like you see it: Marco Rubio is a climate change denier.
By our count, there are more than 130 of them in Congress. For anyone who knows how serious this issue is, that denial is dangerous.
May 21st, 2014 at 6:37 am
There are many petitions circulating looking for support to end citizens united. You can sign move on’s here:
http://pac.petitions.moveon.org/sign/put-citizens-united-in
I signed. I hope you’ll take a moment to sign as well.
/SB
May 21st, 2014 at 6:45 am
Looks like Dinesh D’Souza is going to jail. karma.
http://www.salon.com/2014/05/20/in_obamas_america_2014_dinesh_dsouza_likely_headed_to_prison/
/SB
May 21st, 2014 at 6:59 am
Social Butterfly: I signed, thx.
May 21st, 2014 at 7:48 am
Perhaps, you can discuss your thoughts on this AH? Maybe now, with some extensive time travel that you’ve completed you can shed light on this tyrannical idea? Are the Koch Bros descendants from you?
In February 1787, George Washington (the richest man in the United States) proposed a convention in May in Philadelphia for the alleged purposes of revising the Articles of Confederation. Upon arrival, however, delegates to the Philadelphia Convention were dismayed to discover that Washington, Madison, Hamilton and others wanted to throw out the old Articles of Confederation. In their place, Hamilton proposed a new, second Constitution of the United States, which included a powerful federal government to rule over the state governments, a president for life, a senate appointed for life, an electoral college that elects the president and an appointed for life Supreme Court with authority over the state courts.
“Nothing but a permanent body can check the imprudence of democracy,” Alexander Hamilton is quoted as saying according to the Notes of the Secret Debates of the Federal Convention of 1787 taken by Robert Yates.
May 22nd, 2014 at 9:02 am
[…] Howie: Thanks for posting. Done. […]