Fighting Back Agains the Wealthy Patrons of Libeertarian.Conservative Politics

glynch · Jan 31, 2011

In an encouraging sign that ordinary folks are starting to get the tie in between the billionaire Koch brothers and their funding of libertarian/conservative causes there was a protest at one of their confabs for conservative politicians.

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Twenty-five protesters were arrested in Rancho Mirage, California today, at a protest in front of the Rancho Las Palmas resort, site of the “Billionaire’s Caucus,” an annual meeting put on by the Koch Brothers and other corporate entities and conservative movement operators.

...Nieburger estimated between 800 and 1,000 activists at the “Uncloak the Kochs” event. Event organizers chartered buses from several locations around Southern California and claimed 1,500 people signed up for those buses, on top of any local activists who attended. It appeared from the ground that well over 1,000 protesters were there.

..The Koch Brothers, billionaires who have generously funded conservative and libertarian causes for over a generation – including the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and tea party groups like Americans for Prosperity – put together an annual meeting, typically held in the California desert, with fellow corporate CEOs and conservative operatives, to plan the year ahead.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain were reputed to attend the gathering at the sprawling Rancho Las Palmas resort. The Kochs bought out the entire resort for Saturday and Sunday. Some activists who stayed at the resort Friday night and booked dinners at their restaurants on Saturday had their reservations canceled by the resort, and were given $150 each for their trouble.

Common Cause organized the protest weeks ago, and set up a stage in the parking lot across the street from the Rancho Las Palmas resort. But from the beginning, activists were far more interested in the resort site, and they massed themselves across the street and then eventually in the driveway of the resort. The police, in their riot gear, came out very early to guard the resort, only letting in authorized personnel. Hotel guests, presumably attendees to the Koch Brothers meeting, looked on, holding smart phone cameras and taking pictures of the display.

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/01...ed/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

rhadamanthus · Jan 31, 2011

It's always important to point out these sorts of events to refute the idea that the rich end empowered don't consciously plan their methods and efforts to broaden their influence and control and instead coast on the backs of particularly seedy politicians.

Thanks glynch.

DonnyMost · Jan 31, 2011

Exclusive photos from inside the meeting:

jo mama · Jan 31, 2011

which libertarian candidates are the koch brothers supporting?

AroundTheWorld · Jan 31, 2011

glynch said:

..The Koch Brothers, billionaires who have generously funded conservative and libertarian causes for over a generation – including the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and tea party groups like Americans for Prosperity – put together an annual meeting, typically held in the California desert, with fellow corporate CEOs and conservative operatives, to plan the year ahead.
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I was wondering what he has been up to. Cato institute...not surprising, he always seemed like a scholar to me.

weslinder · Jan 31, 2011

A column from the best muckraker in the business today, Tim Carney, who spoke at the evil libeertarian (sic) meeting:

The Kochs vs. Soros: Free markets vs. state coercion

Palm Springs, California -At the front gates of the Rancho Las Palmas resort, a few hundred liberals rallied Sunday against "corporate greed" and polluters. They chanted for the arrest of billionaires Charles and David Koch, and their ire was also directed at the other free market-oriented businessmen invited here by the Koch brothers to discuss free markets and electoral strategies.
Billionaires poisoning our politics was the central theme of the protests. But nothing is quite as it seems in modern politics: The protest's organizer, the nonprofit Common Cause, is funded by billionaire George Soros.

Common Cause has received $2 million from Soros's Open Society Institute in the past eight years, according to grant data provided by Capital Research Center. Two panelists at Common Cause's rival conference nearby -- President Obama's former green jobs czar, Van Jones, and blogger Lee Fang -- work at the Center for American Progress, which was started and funded by Soros but, as a 501(c)4 nonprofit "think tank," legally conceals the names of its donors.

In other words, money from billionaire George Soros and anonymous, well-heeled liberals was funding a protest against rich people's influence on politics.

When Politico reporter Ken Vogel pointed out that Soros hosts similar "secret" confabs, CAP's Fang responded on Twitter: "don't you think there's a very serious difference between donors who help the poor vs. donors who fund people to kill government, taxes on rich?"

In less than 140 characters, Fang had epitomized the myopic liberal view of money in politics: Conservative money is bad, and linked to greed, while liberal money is self-evidently philanthropic.

Jane Mayer wrote in the New Yorker magazine, for instance, that the Kochs' anti-regulation, anti-bailout, low-tax agenda "dovetail with the brothers' corporate interest." Of Soros, Mayer asserted flatly "none of his contributions are in the service of his own economic interests."

This is the Obama campaign's tune, too. While decrying Republican campaign contributions in an Obama fundraising e-mail, someone at Organizing for America apparently got self-conscious about the irony and tagged the e-mail with a subject line saying: "Our Donations Are Different."

So, is Soros' money really different from the Kochs' money?

On one level, they're equivalent: They are rich people using their wealth to advance their favored policies.

But the core CAP claim -- that the Soroses and Peter Lewises of the world are trying to help the poor, while the Kochs are not -- is ungrounded.

The Kochs argue, with plenty of evidence, that economic freedom and the prosperity it yields are the best things a government can offer to the poor.

And the accompanying liberal claim -- that pro-free market donations boost the donors' profits while pro-big government donations don't -- is also false.

First off -- and this was the point of a talk I gave Sunday at the Koch conference -- many of the industrialists in the audience could profit more through regulations and subsidies than they could through the free market. Some oil executives, for example, have supported California's strict refinery regulations because they kept out competitors. Natural gas companies like Enron have backed cap and trade because it hurt oil and coal. As for bankers -- the Wall Street bailouts made it clear that big government is their mother's milk.

Second, until Soros discloses all the investments and short positions of all his funds and all his personal wealth, it's not possible to conclude whether his advocacy is motivated by public interest or personal gain. Is he short coal? Has he invested in GE's Greenhouse Gas Services, which, dealing in greenhouse gas credits, depends on a cap-and-trade law in order to be profitable?

We know that other liberal philanthropists use their wealth to advance big-government positions that enrich them. Take Warren Buffett, that relentless champion of the estate tax. His support for a high inheritance tax could be civic-mindedness, but it could also be related to his life insurance holdings and his tendency to buy up successful family businesses forced to sell out by the death tax -- that's how he got the Buffalo News.

Finally, while Soros money and Koch money are superficially equivalent, there's a crucial distinction. If we take both sides at their word, Soros and other liberal donors spend in order to impose their preferences on others while the Kochs and other free-market donors spend in an effort to be left alone to buy and sell with willing parties.

The moral difference is this: Only one side is trying to compel others to conform to its preferences.

Consider how each side profits from its favored policies: The Kochs benefit if government takes less of their profit. To be sure, they could pocket the difference and not make charitable contributions to the poor. In moral terms, that would be selfish or just plain greedy.

Soros and his wealthy supporters profit from the government taxing or threatening to tax the children of a business owner. That's the moral equivalent of mugging.

--- DISCLOSURE: I was not paid for my Palm Springs talk, but in the past, for editing, mentoring, speaking, and the like, Koch-affiliated non-profits have paid me -- approximately $3,000 over the course of my decade in Washington.
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link

Disclosure: I worked for a Koch-owned company from December 2007 until May 2008.

SamFisher · Jan 31, 2011

But the core CAP claim -- that the Soroses and Peter Lewises of the world are trying to help the poor, while the Kochs are not -- is ungrounded.

The Kochs argue, with plenty of evidence, that economic freedom and the prosperity it yields are the best things a government can offer to the poor.
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Regardless of anything Soros-related, anybody who bears a message of "You see, just keep making us rich richer and the poor will make out just fine!" needs to be laughed at.

Freedom is about the last thing they want - sure, they want economic freedom in theory...but in practice it's not what they want at all? Why? Because practical economic freedom is very expensive. It involves people having equal access to resources, which entails reducing access to the people who use "freedom" to control of those resources, owing to birth/hard work/luck etc.

What they actually want is more like stasis. It's cloaked in silly semen-encrusted Randianism in order to soothe the conscience, but let's call it for what it is.

rockergordon · Jan 31, 2011

One interesting difference is that Soros actually divulges what he donates to while the Koch's are secretive. Heck, they don't even give interviews! At least Soros will agree to discuss his beliefs in a public forum.

bingsha10 · Jan 31, 2011

rockergordon said:

One interesting difference is that Soros actually divulges what he donates to while the Koch's are secretive. Heck, they don't even give interviews! At least Soros will agree to discuss his beliefs in a public forum.
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the rich people I like aren't as evil as the rich people you like!

basso · Jan 31, 2011

rhadamanthus said:

It's always important to point out these sorts of events to refute the idea that the rich end empowered don't consciously plan their methods and efforts to broaden their influence and control and instead coast on the backs of particularly seedy politicians.

Thanks glynch.
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the protest was paid for by George Soros.

Thanks indeed.

FranchiseBlade · Jan 31, 2011

rockergordon said:

One interesting difference is that Soros actually divulges what he donates to while the Koch's are secretive. Heck, they don't even give interviews! At least Soros will agree to discuss his beliefs in a public forum.
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Thank you for pointing that merely referencing Soros and his contributions doesn't change the points of the article.

basso · Jan 31, 2011

FranchiseBlade said:

Thank you for pointing that merely referencing Soros and his contributions doesn't change the points of the article.
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the point:

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Finally, while Soros money and Koch money are superficially equivalent, there's a crucial distinction. If we take both sides at their word, Soros and other liberal donors spend in order to impose their preferences on others while the Kochs and other free-market donors spend in an effort to be left alone to buy and sell with willing parties.

The moral difference is this: Only one side is trying to compel others to conform to its preferences.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/polit...-free-markets-vs-state-coercion#ixzz1Cdazuwqm

FranchiseBlade · Jan 31, 2011

you missed...

basso said:

the point:

--
Finally, while Soros money and Koch money are superficially equivalent, there's a crucial distinction. If we take both sides at their word, Soros and other liberal donors spend in order to impose their preferences on others while the Kochs and other free-market donors spend in an effort to be left alone to buy and sell with willing parties.

The moral difference is this: Only one side is trying to compel others to conform to its preferences.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/polit...-free-markets-vs-state-coercion#ixzz1Cdazuwqm
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glynch · Jan 31, 2011

jo mama said:

which libertarian candidates are the koch brothers supporting?
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They support all of them unless you have a "libertarian" running against folks like Ron and Ran running as Republicans, like they like to do. The Tea Party that the Koch brothers heped kick off supported virtually all of the libertarian candidates and they provided important seed money and one of the initial groups the so called "Americans for Prosperity" --for the wealthy.

Sorry to confuse you that libertarianism isn't just all Ron Paul and some nice, nerdy folks who hope to make a lot of money some day.

One of the Kock Brothers actually ran on the Libertarian presidential ticket, before they decided to be more circumspect.. Their dad was in the John Birch Society and thought Eisenhauer was a communist.

basso · Jan 31, 2011

feel the civility:

<img src="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-turn/swastika_sign%201.jpg" width=700>

thadeus · Jan 31, 2011

Damn, that picture is bigger than like 21 of my screens.

jo mama · Jan 31, 2011

glynch said:

They support all of them unless you have a "libertarian" running against folks like Ron and Ran running as Republicans, like they like to do.
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the koch brothers support ron paul? and they support "all" libertarian candidates? are you sure you want to say this b/c it is 100% incorrect.

did the koch brothers support bob barr, the libertarian candidate for president in 2008?

did the koch brothers support ron paul in his bid for the republican nomination in 2008?

the answer to both those questions is 'no'.

glynch said:

The Tea Party that the Koch brothers heped kick off supported virtually all of the libertarian candidates and they provided important seed money and one of the initial groups the so called "Americans for Prosperity" --for the wealthy.
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name 1 libertarian candidate the koch brothers have supported.

glynch said:

Sorry to confuse you that libertarianism isn't just all Ron Paul and some nice, nerdy folks who hope to make a lot of money some day.
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once again, you are showing that you are the one who is confused.

glynch said:

One of the Kock Brothers actually ran on the Libertarian presidential ticket, before they decided to be more circumspect.. Their dad was in the John Birch Society and thought Eisenhauer was a communist.
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he ran in 1980. so again, which libertarian candidates are those evil koch brothers supporting in the 21st century? can you name one?

SamFisher · Jan 31, 2011

Damn, jo mama is really taking glynch to task for implying that self-described libertarians are libertarians!

Go get 'em jo.

jo mama · Jan 31, 2011

SamFisher said:

Damn, jo mama is really taking glynch to task for implying that self-described libertarians are libertarians!

Go get 'em jo.
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i could "self-describe" myself as the most handsome poster on clutchfans, but that wouldnt make it so.

the villainous koch brothers might say they are libertarian , but they sure dont support libertarian candidates or causes. glenn beck calls himself a libertarian as well, but he just pushes the republican/neo-con agenda.

so who exactly do these dastardly "libertarian" koch brothers put their money behind?

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/09/opensecrets-battle---koch-brothers.html

Political Action Committee Spending (1989 to 2010)
Koch Industries: $5,938,993 (83 percent going to Republicans)

Soros Fund Management: $0

527 Group Contributions (2001 to 2010)
Koch Industries: $574,998
* $186,598 – Democratic Governors Association
* $150,000 – Republican State Leadership Committee
* $103,400 – Republican Governors Association

Soros Fund Management: $0

Lobbying Expenditures (1998 to 2010)
Koch Industries: $50,972,700

Soros Fund Management: $860,000
Open Society Policy Center (Soros-Funded): $11,930,000

According to federal lobbying reports, Koch Industries’ top issues include energy, environmental, tax and homeland security policies. The Open Society Policy Center has mainly lobbied on issues relating to foreign relations, civil rights, and law enforcement policy.

Soros and the Koch brothers have all donated to federal political campaigns and committees. While Soros has far out-spent the Koch brothers in donating to 527 groups, especially when considering his incredible $23.7 million in donations to the groups between 2003 and 2004, the Koch brothers have donated more money to federal candidates and committees.

The Koch brothers give almost exclusively to Republicans just as Soros donates predominately to Democrats and Democratic organizations. Overall, Soros has spent $34.24 million and the Kochs have spent $4.06 million. (Note: This study only covers donations to federal candidates - to see donations to state candidates, go to Followthemoney.org and search for Soros and Koch. For example, as Ben Smith of Politico wrote recently, David Koch and his wife have given $74,000 to a Democrat, Andrew Cuomo, New York's State Attorney General.)

Individual donations to federal candidates, parties and political action committees (1989 to 2010)
Koch Brothers: $2.58 million
George Soros: $1.74 million

David Koch: $2,224,170
* $667,500 – National Republican Congressional Committee
* $555,000 – Republican National Committee
* $191,400 – National Republican Senatorial Committee

Charles G. Koch: $363,100
* $58,900 – National Republican Senatorial Committee
* $50,000 – Republican National Committee

George Soros: $1,748,627
* $252,670 – Democratic National Committee
* $147,216 – Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
* $259,716 – Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

David Koch’s Favorite congressional members:
$17,100 – Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.)
$7,600 – Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.)
$7,200 – Mark Foley (R-Fla.)
$6,600 – James Inhofe (R-Okla.)
$5,000 – Sam Brownback (R-Kan.)

George Soros’ favorite congressional members:
$6,500 – Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)
$6,200 – Jon Cranley (D-Ohio)
$6,000 – Ken Salazar (D-Colo.)
$6,000 – Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.)
$5,500 – Tom Perriello (D-Va.)

Individual donations to 527 organizations (2001 to 2010)
George Soros: $32.5 million
Koch Brothers: $1.5 million

So-called 527 groups are non-profit, tax-exempt organizations that are allowed to raise money for political activities including voter mobilization efforts, issue advocacy and other actions. They are allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations and unions. Until earlier this year, they could not use these unlimited contributions to expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a federal candidate. Federal court rulings -- including Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission -- have broken down that restriction. For more information go here, here and here.

As mentioned previously, Soros spent $24 million in under two years and did so in his determination to defeat George W. Bush in 2004. He told the Washington Post in November 2003, "America under Bush, is a danger to the world. I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is." Since December 2008, Soros has only donated $4,000 to these types of groups. On June 30th of this year, David Koch made a $1 million donation to the Republican Governors Association, his largest one-time donation to date.

David Koch: $1,472,000
* $1,352,000 – Republican Governors Association
* $100,000 – Americans for Better Government

George Soros: $32,506,500
* $12.05 million – Joint Victory Campaign 2004
* $7.5 million – America Coming Together
* $2.5 million – MoveOn.org
* $3.65 million – America Votes
* $3.5 million – The Fund for America
* $150,000 – Win Back Respect
* $120,000 – Majority Action
* $100,000 – Campaign Money Watch
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SamFisher · Feb 1, 2011

jo mama said:

i could "self-describe" myself as the most handsome poster on clutchfans, but that wouldnt make it so.

the villainous koch brothers might say they are libertarian , but they sure dont support libertarian candidates or causes. glenn beck calls himself a libertarian as well, but he just pushes the republican/neo-con agenda.

so who exactly do these dastardly "libertarian" koch brothers put their money behind?
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joseph - Why don't we cut to the chase, and you tell me your exact criteria to avoid libeling former Libertarian Party candidates for President and founders of Libertarian think-tanks and magazines and benefactors of Libertarian causes and self-avowed Libertarians as "libertarians".

I mean I got to tell you, if I'm on the board of and the primary funding source for the Reason foundation, http://reason.org/about/ - it's very difficult to avoid the L word:

Founded in 1968, Reason Foundation is a nonprofit organization advancing "free minds and free markets."

Reason Foundation advances a free society by developing, applying, and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets, and the rule of law
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You might as well try to argue that a duck doesn't quack or have feathers.

Simply because they kick their campaign cash out republicans in order to advance their goals rather than howling libertarian fringey candidates who have no chance in hell (like they once were) doesn't make it not a duck either - though I see that's the principle you're trying to outline here. What's a matter, are you a t-shirt libertarian or something?

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