Harry Reid attacks private Americans on Senate floor

[Jim in CT]

The Koch brothers give big $$ to Republican candidates. The senate majority leader, Harry Reid, personally attacks these guys on the floor of the US Senate. All these guys are doing is expressing their first amendment rights.

Does Reid get upset when George Soros donates to Democrats? Or when labor unions give huge $$ to Democrats?

Right out of Orwell's 1984. Everyone, not just conservatives, should be sickened that Reid would try to bully private citizens for the crime of disagreeing with him. Little fascist jerk.



http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014...k-on-citizens/

[buckman]

As Rolling Stone once stated..."If the Koch brothers didn't exist, the left would have to invent them"
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[spence]

I know what you're thinking...yea, both sides do it.

But from all that I've read, there's no equivalent to the sophistication of what the Koch brothers have managed on the Left. They appear to have an incredible machine of shadow organizations and a strategic agenda...largely focused on making their energy companies a lot of money.

-spence

[scottw]

Originally Posted by spence

I know what you're thinking...yea, both sides do it.

But from all that I've read, there's no equivalent to the sophistication of what the Koch brothers have managed on the Left. They appear to have an incredible machine of shadow organizations and a strategic agenda...largely focused on making their energy companies a lot of money.

-spence

[spence]

Originally Posted by scottw

How long to you have to wind it before it starts?

-spence

[Redsoxticket]

Originally Posted by spence

How long to you have to wind it before it starts?

-spence

[CTSurfrat]

Unions put the Koch brothers to shame - support a candidate, get them elected and then negotiate your next contract with them....get them re-elected and so on... and to boot, make it a law that you must join the union if you want to work (at least for teachers).

[Raven]

they should re-name politicians the corruptables

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by scottw

X2. Unbelievable. George Soros and the teachers unions just blindly throw money around...

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

I know what you're thinking...yea, both sides do it.

But from all that I've read, there's no equivalent to the sophistication of what the Koch brothers have managed on the Left. They appear to have an incredible machine of shadow organizations and a strategic agenda...largely focused on making their energy companies a lot of money.

-spence

Spence, I'm not "thinking" both sides do it...it's irrefutable fact that both sides do it.

"But from all that I've read, there's no equivalent to the sophistication of what the Koch brothers "

Where did you read that, in the Huffington Post? If that's true (and that's a huge "if"), your liberal pal should just follow the Koch's playbook.

Spence, if you, or anyone else, despises the Koch brothers, fine. But a US Senator has no business attacking them on the floor of the US Senate. It's grotesque, it's fascist, and it's absolutely Orwellian.

I note that in your predictable rant, you never mentioned what you think of Reid doing what he did. It's inexcusable More of that liberal "tolerance".

If Reid is paranoid about 2 private citizens now, he's really going to come un-glued in the fall when they open up a can of whoop-ass on anyone who ever voted for Obamacare.

In the 2008 election, when Obama's numbers began to tank because admitted he wanted to "spread the wealth around", the liberal response was to vilify Joe The Plumber.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

largely focused on making their energy companies a lot of money.

-spence

As opposed to what teachers' unions do? Seriously? Oh man, you are precious...

[scottw]

Originally Posted by spence

I know what you're thinking...yea, both sides do it.

But from all that I've read, there's no equivalent

-spence

"Some lies just won’t go away. In February the Washington Post published an article with the following headline: “Why There’s No Democratic Version of the Koch Brothers’ Organization.” It was the umpteenth attempt to explain, in a particularly simplistic manner, how the millionaires and billionaires who donate money to the Democratic party are nothing, absolutely nothing, like those meanie cancer-research philanthropists Charles and David Koch.

Pretense and make-believe are thick in the air in Barack Obama’s Washington, where one’s alignment with the regnant values and priorities — one’s allegiance to, or at the very least one’s acquiescence in, the programs of the environmental lobby, the union lobby, the abortion lobby — acts as a sort of baptism, cleansing the ethical and intellectual impurities"

http://www.nationalreview.com/node/373927/print

[Fishpart]

Koch brothers aren't even in the top 10 donors. They just happen to be one of the largest conservative donors. Everyone ahead of them donates to progressives. Looks like more smoke screen..
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[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

Koch brothers aren't even in the top 10 donors. They just happen to be one of the largest conservative donors. Everyone ahead of them donates to progressives. Looks like more smoke screen..
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Can you post a list of the top 10? I'm wondering how anyone would come up with that list since the Koch brothers for example are able to "hide" the amount of their donations?

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by scottw

"Some lies just won’t go away. In February the Washington Post published an article with the following headline: “Why There’s No Democratic Version of the Koch Brothers’ Organization.” It was the umpteenth attempt to explain, in a particularly simplistic manner, how the millionaires and billionaires who donate money to the Democratic party are nothing, absolutely nothing, like those meanie cancer-research philanthropists Charles and David Koch.

Pretense and make-believe are thick in the air in Barack Obama’s Washington, where one’s alignment with the regnant values and priorities — one’s allegiance to, or at the very least one’s acquiescence in, the programs of the environmental lobby, the union lobby, the abortion lobby — acts as a sort of baptism, cleansing the ethical and intellectual impurities"

http://www.nationalreview.com/node/373927/print

Right. The teachers' unions, for example, are not acting out of self-interest when they doante to Democrats. Nope, they are just looking out "for the children", as opposed to the boogeyman Kock brothers.

Kudos to the Koch brothers, who are clearly living rent-free in Harry Reid's head.

[scottw]

Originally Posted by PaulS

Can you post a list of the top 10?

you could take a couple of seconds to Google "Top Political Donors" and pick which source you choose to believe, of course, who knows who is hiding what...

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

Koch brothers aren't even in the top 10 donors. They just happen to be one of the largest conservative donors. Everyone ahead of them donates to progressives. Looks like more smoke screen..
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Interesting - whodathunkit

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by scottw

you could take a couple of seconds to Google "Top Political Donors" and pick which source you choose to believe, of course, who knows who is hiding what...

of course I could. But I don't think I would find any list that was accurate given the Koch brothers are able to hide their donations. Fishpart made the statement that they aren't even in the top 10 (and some statement about "smoke screens") so I'm assuming somehow he has was able to find a list.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by PaulS

of course I could. But I don't think I would find any list that was accurate given the Koch brothers are able to hide their donations. Fishpart made the statement that they aren't even in the top 10 (and some statement about "smoke screens") so I'm assuming somehow he has was able to find a list.

Paul, let's say that the Koch brothers are the top donors in the country. Can we agree on two things?

(1) as far as I know, no one is suggesting that their contributions broke any laws.

(2) They are donating money to either advance a cause that they are sympathetic to, or they are trying to buy some influence. This makes them no different than just about everyone else who donates money.

If we agree on those 2 things, why does a United States senator, have any business attacking them, on the floor of the US Senate? Is it the stated business of the Obama administration, to officially wage war on those who disagree with them?

I would expect all Democrats to oppose the Koch brothers. That doesn't mean public officials have any right to use public resources to attack them.

How is that not fascist?

[PaulS]

So the so called smoke screen was by Fishpart? Is that what you are saying?

To call that fascist is no better than Macarthyism. Use the word socialism also to be consistant.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by PaulS

of course I could. But I don't think I would find any list that was accurate given the Koch brothers are able to hide their donations. Fishpart made the statement that they aren't even in the top 10 (and some statement about "smoke screens") so I'm assuming somehow he has was able to find a list.

I would bet the IRS has been keeping a close eye on them, wink wink
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[spence]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

Koch brothers aren't even in the top 10 donors. They just happen to be one of the largest conservative donors. Everyone ahead of them donates to progressives. Looks like more smoke screen..
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

That's entirely the point, the majority of their influence is completely underground.

They don't just donate to Republicans, the Koch brothers objective is to eliminate progressivism. There's nothing like this within Liberal circles. Yes, Soros donates a lot of money but it's transparent.

I think they've tried hard to keep a very low profile for decades but the visibility of the Tea Party has pulled their actions to the surface.

-spence

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by PaulS

So the so called smoke screen was by Fishpart? Is that what you are saying?

To call that fascist is no better than Macarthyism. Use the word socialism also to be consistant.

I'm not saying anything about a smokescreen.

I'm saying that's disturbing to me, that a United States Senator is using his office for the specific purpose of attacking two citizens, who are guilty of nothing more than the fact that they are political opponents who are effective.

That should disturb everyone.

SInce you brought it up, Macarthy called people 'communist' with no evidence whatsoever. We now have all kinds of evidence to claim that Reid is a fascist - he is using his office to attack and bully those who aren't political allies of his.

What do you call that, Paul? Please tell me what you call that?

[buckman]

Originally Posted by spence

That's entirely the point, the majority of their influence is completely underground.

They don't just donate to Republicans, the Koch brothers objective is to eliminate progressivism. There's nothing like this within Liberal circles. Yes, Soros donates a lot of money but it's transparent.

I think they've tried hard to keep a very low profile for decades but the visibility of the Tea Party has pulled their actions to the surface.

-spence

Don't you just cringe when you use the word " transparent" ? Meaningless word in your circles.
" their actions". .... So evil when put that way
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[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

.

They don't just donate to Republicans, the Koch brothers objective is to eliminate progressivism. .

-spence

Let's say that's true...why does that deserve any attention on the floor of the US Senate? Spence, why is it the official business of the United States Senate, that the Koch brothers want to end progressivism? Is it a crime for a private citizen to advocate for the elimination of progressivism?

If Reid wants to bash the Koch brothers during a campaign speech or fundraiser, I have no problem with that. He has zero business doing that while serving in his official capacity. The Unites States Government has no business taking the stance that the Koch brothers are any sort of malignant presence.

I guess I missed the proclamation that liberal politicians are now officially maintaining an enemies list?

[Fishpart]

http://www.nationalreview.com/campai...e-jim-geraghty

The overwhelming majority is to the Democrats in the list in the article. Don't see Soros either, but you know he donates more than the Koch Bros.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

There's nothing like this within Liberal circles. .

-spence

Right, right. The prime-time hosts at MSNBC wouldn't love to bring about the death of conservatism. They have the same mirror-image goal as the Koch brotherts(death of conservatism), they just happen to suck at it.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

http://www.nationalreview.com/campai...e-jim-geraghty

The overwhelming majority is to the Democrats in the list in the article. Don't see Soros either, but you know he donates more than the Koch Bros.

I don't care if the Koch brothers are by far the biggest donors. If they are obeying the law, then their political ideology is not the concern of the United States Senate.

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

http://www.nationalreview.com/campai...e-jim-geraghty

The overwhelming majority is to the Democrats in the list in the article. Don't see Soros either, but you know he donates more than the Koch Bros.

Thanks for providing a link. I can't see it on my work computer so I'll have to look later.

[spence]

Originally Posted by Fishpart

http://www.nationalreview.com/campai...e-jim-geraghty

The overwhelming majority is to the Democrats in the list in the article. Don't see Soros either, but you know he donates more than the Koch Bros.

All this list shows is how some donations are consolidated, large groups, bundling.

It doesn't say anything about total donations, I think it's generally pretty equal DNC/GOP when you average it all out.

It also doesn't say anything about political action outside of what's Federally reported for political purposes - i.e. a lot of money into lobbying

Lastly, are they influencing how money is being used to skew races in violation of state laws? A Koch linked group got nailed for this in California just last fall...follow the money.

-spence