defending the am dr koch
<font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">found in horner:</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" /><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div><div>11/2011</div><div><a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/11/attorney-with-group-targeting-climate-scientists-e.html">http://www.southernstudies.org/2011/11/attorney-with-group-targeting-climate-scientists-e.html</a></div><div>
</div><div>Attorney with group targeting climate scientists' emails featured at Koch-funded conference</div><div>
</div><div>The American Tradition Institute -- a global-warming denier group that's using the Freedom of Information Act in controversial ways to discredit climate scientists -- suffered a legal loss this week when a judge allowed one of the scientists to intervene in a lawsuit against the University of Virginia.</div><div>But ATI's director of litigation is not letting that setback slow his crusade against environmental regulation.</div><div>
</div><div>Christopher Horner is one of the featured speakers at this weekend's Defending the American Dream Summit sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation,the nonprofit sister group of Americans for Prosperity, a corporate-interest advocacy group. AFP was founded and is heavily funded by the Koch brothers, the billionaire owners of the Koch Industries oil and chemical conglomerate.</div><div>
</div><div>Horner is also a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free-market advocacy group that has been one of the main organizers in the effort to block regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. CEI has received generous funding from ExxonMobil, Texaco and the Koch Family Foundations.</div><div>
</div><div><b>Horner is scheduled to speak at 3:15 p.m. today on a panel titled "Extreme Power Abuse: The EPA's Job-Crushing Regulatory Assault.</b>" He will be joined on the panel by U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), who has close ties to Koch Industries, which is located in his district. Pompeo's chief of staff is a former lawyer for the company, and Pompeo has proposed legislation that would benefit many of Koch's business interests, according to the Washington Post. A political science professor at the University of Kansas has characterized Pompeo as "the congressman from Koch."</div><div>
</div><div>Also speaking on today's panel with Horner are Kathleen Hartnett White of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank that is funded by the Koch Family Foundations, and Ann McElhinney, maker of the film "Not Evil, Just Wrong: The True Cost of Global Warming Hysteria."</div><div>Another featured speaker at the conference is Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), who's also involved in an ongoing legal action against U.Va. seeking the emails of former professor Michael Mann, one of the scientists targeted by ATI who this week was allowed to intervene in the group's FOIA suit against the school. However, Cuccinelli is not speaking about that action or his effort to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency's finding that greenhouse gas pollution endangers human health. Instead, he is speaking about his effort to challenge President Obama's health care reform law on a panel titled "Critical Care: Your Health Care After the Takeover."</div><div>The summit kicked off last evening with screenings of the documentary films "The Cartel," which attacks teachers' unions and supports vouchers, and "Free or Equal," an update of the 1980 film "Free to Choose" that featured free-market economist Milton Friedman. The gathering continues tomorrow with a "Cut Spending Now" rally and sessions on tax policy, grassroots mobilization, promoting school choice, killing collective bargaining, and how to "pimp" (their word) one's website.</div><div>----</div><div>
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</font><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-dec52818-a999-82b7-ab41-85f0b75c3d78"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition to plutocrat elite conclave, for the last few years Koch’s AFP has put on the </span><span style="font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defending the American Dream Summit </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(“summit” suggests elite, but it’s more for lower level, though it does have high profile up and comers such as Ted Cruz, Malkin, Cuccinelli, and red-meat regulars such as talk radio’s Mark Levin. </span></font></span></div><div><span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></span></div><div><span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> However, some seem surreal if you’re from outside the ideological bubble: Paul Ryan : Hands Off My Health Care. Equally surreal panel topics: “Progressive Practices: Exposing & Combating the Left's Tactics“ also surreal as it features the main rightwing trickste<b>r<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> James O’Keefe</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> and a woman fired from ACORN for using her work credit card for personal use; both were flogging non-existent voter fraud, </span>crucial topic for right because it explains why they lose and thwarts legitimate franchise (they know they can win the money fight, but we can still outvote the 1%). Breitbart legacy/honorific. At a previous DFAD conference,<b> Chris Horner (ATI, spoke on a panel titled "Extreme Power Abuse: The EPA's Job-Crushing Regulatory Assault."</b></font></span></span></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">srcwtch</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">AFP hosted an event in </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Washington D.C. entitled "Defending the American Dream Summit" on October 5, 2007.</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b> </b>The topic was government spending and taxation. Presidential candidates who attended included </span><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Rudy_Giuliani" title="Rudy Giuliani" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Rudy</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Rudy_Giuliani" title="Rudy Giuliani" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Giuliani</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Mike_Huckabee" title="Mike Huckabee" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mike Huckabee</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_McCain" title="John McCain" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John McCain</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ron_Paul" title="Ron Paul" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Ron Paul</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sam_Brownback" title="Sam Brownback" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Sam Brownback</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Mitt_Romney" title="Mitt Romney" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mitt Romney</a>, and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Fred_Thompson" title="Fred Thompson" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Fred Thompson</a>. Other speakers included <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Stossel" title="John Stossel" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Stossel</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Steve_Lonegan" title="Steve Lonegan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Steve Lonegan</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Dinesh_D%27Souza" title="Dinesh D'Souza" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Dinesh D'Souza</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Art_Laffer&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Art Laffer (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Art Laffer</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_Fund" title="John Fund" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">John Fund</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Steve_Moore" title="Steve Moore" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Steve Moore</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Herman_Cain" title="Herman Cain" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Herman Cain</a>, Dr. Barry Poulson, and AFP founder <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_Koch" title="David Koch" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">David Koch</a>.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A second Summit was held October 11, 2008.</span><sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity_Foundation#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[18]</a></sup><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> The <b>2009 </b>Summit was held October 3, in Washington, DC to address</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> health care reform l</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">egislation, economic policy, and proposed energy legislation. Speakers included </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Newt_Gingrich" title="Newt Gingrich" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Newt Gingrich</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jim_DeMint" title="Jim DeMint" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Jim DeMint</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Mike_Pence" title="Mike Pence" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mike Pence</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Paul_Ryan" title="Paul Ryan" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Paul Ryan</a>, and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Michele_Bachmann" title="Michele Bachmann" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Michele Bachmann</a>.</span><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity_Foundation#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none rgb(255, 255, 102);">[1</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity_Foundation#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background: none;">9]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: 22.4px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ONE AFTER? horner 2011</font></p></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">official</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">http://www.defendingthedream.com/</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div><p class="p1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 30px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Friday, August 21<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span>7:00am Registration Opens<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />8:30am – 12:30pm Breakout Sessions<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />12:30pm – 1:30pm Lunch & Vendor Exhibits<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />1:45pm – 4:45pm General Session<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />7:30 pm- 11:00 pm Buckeye Bash</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 30px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Keynote Speakers</span>:</b><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Governor Jeb Bush<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Governor Bobby Jindal<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Representative Jim Jordan<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Senator David Perdue<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Host of Spike TV’s <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bar Rescue, </em>Author, and Restaurateur Jon Taffer</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 30px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Keynote Speakers</span>:</b><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Senator Ted Cruz<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />CEO and Founder of Predator Warpaint, Nick Norris<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Florida State Representative Jose Oliva<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Governor Rick Perry<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Senator Rob Portman<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Senator Marco Rubio<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Representative Brad Wenstrup</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">breakouts</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.nationofchange.org/occupy-koch-brothers-and-stop-american-nightmare-1320331923">http://www.nationofchange.org/occupy-koch-brothers-and-stop-american-nightmare-1320331923</a></font></div><div><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The very name of a Washington conservative conference this weekend is the height of subterfuge. It's called the <a href="http://site.defendingthedream.org/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">"Defending the American Dream"</a> conference, which is not about defending the actual American dreams of most Americans (the focus of our own <a href="http://ourfuture.org/takeback" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">"Take Back the American Dream"</a> conference),</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> sponsored by Americans for Prosperity,</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> which is not an organization that promotes what is needed for broad American prosperity.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This actually is the latest effort by the billionaire Koch brothers, founders and key funders of Americans for Prosperity, and their corporate and political allies to hijack our democracy and pillage our economy. It's their attempt to perpetuate an American nightmare of continued income inequality and a government held hostage to the whims of elites. It is thus a perfect target for the latest Occupy-style protest.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Other 98% and Health Care for America Now are sponsoring a <a href="http://www.guerrilla-drive-in.com/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">"Koch Brothers Guerrilla Drive-In"</a> Friday evening at the Washington Convention Center, where the conference is being held. The plan is to have an outdoor showing of a documentary on how the Kochs are using their fortune to pursue their grotesque mangling of American democracy.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="font-style: italic; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The conference itself brings together many of the players in and elements of their grand scheme. For example, there is </font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">James O'Keefe, t</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">he person who dressed up as a pimp in a scheme to get damaging video footage for his scurrilous slander of the group ACORN, doing a lecture on "investigative journalism." There's</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Grover Norquist on a panel on "pro-growth tax reform." (He's lately been <a href="http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-a-flat-tax-a-good-idea/flat-tax-unites-americans" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">championing Texas Gov. Rick Perry's "flat tax" plan</a>, </font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">which would allow the wealthy to slash their tax payments and would explode the federal deficit, forcing Norquist's longtime shrink-government-and-drown-it-in-the-bathtub objective.) There's</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on a panel on the Environmental Protection Agency's "job-crushing regulatory assault"; he will be speaking on behalf of the Koch brothers, his leading campaign contributor, and the oil and gas industry, his biggest <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00030744" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">source of campaign cash</a>. At least two Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and Herman Cain</font><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, are also scheduled to appear.</font></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><p /><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" /><div class="imgcontainer" style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">No conservative conference is complete without the deification of Ronald Reagan, and there will be plenty of that going on at the Friday night "Tribute to Ronald Reagan" dinner, which will be followed by a screening of "<b>Atlas Shrugged.</b>" (No, I am not making this up.)</font><p /><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">But what makes this conference significant is not the tired repetition of right-wing bumper-sticker slogans, the over-the-top characterizations of Obama administration policy or the pathetic preening of presidential candidates to show off how extreme they can be. It is the very real damage that the Koch brothers and the forces that this conference is assembling are doing to our economy and to the 99 percent of us for whom the American dream of economic security is becoming increasingly out of reach.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Consider what the Koch brothers have actually been "defending":</font></p><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 24px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Their $45 million effort to buy control of Congress.</strong> That's the amount of money <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/07/15/koch-brothers-back-their-first-2012-presidential-candidate-and-it-isnt-romney/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Forbes magazine says</a> Americans for Prosperity spent in the 2010 elections. That money helped Republicans control the House with the most extreme group of conservatives elected in modern history. With this group firmly in control, every effort by the Obama administration to move legislation to revive the economy has been thwarted and previous successes in health care and financial reform have come under unrelenting attack. The stream of anti-regulation, anti-labor legislation passed by the Tea Party-besotted House is pretty much lifted straight from <a href="http://americansforprosperity.org/issues" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">the Koch brothers legislative agenda</a>.</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">The destructive efforts of the American Legislative Exchange Council to co-opt state and local governments. </strong>Rather than promoting state and local governments as entities that are particularly equipped to respond to the public interest because of their proximity to the people, ALEC mounts campaigns that leave state and local governments facilitating private greed rather than serving the public good. In August <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/161973/koch-connection" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">The Nation's Lisa Graves</a> explained that "of all the Kochs’ investments in right-wing organizations, ALEC provides some of the best returns: it gives the Kochs a way to make their brand of free-market fundamentalism legally binding." Examples include legislation that allows energy companies to avoid fines for polluting, that push privatization of public education, and that prevent states and localities from regulating the rogue behavior of financial institutions.</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">ALEC's efforts to suppress voter turnout.</strong> The Koch brothers' fingerprints are all over the efforts by various Republican governors and legislatures to pass voter ID laws that use trumped-up allegations of voter fraud to deliberately disenfranchise voters most likely to oppose their agenda. "It was ALEC’s draft legislation that inspired a spate of recently passed voter ID laws that, if allowed to stand, are expected to marginalize the impact of students and people of color at the polls in Texas, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Kansas," <a href="http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/10/17/block-the-vote-how-the-koch-backed-american-legislative-exchange-council-aims-to-keep-you-from-voting/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Adele Stan reported for the AFL-CIO blog</a>. <a href="http://prospect.org/article/who-stole-election-0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Patrick Caldwell at the American Prospect wrote</a> that "the rules are often configured specifically to favor the Republican base at the expense of excluding likely Democrats."</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Their assault on public workers.</strong> Scott Walker won the governorship of Wisconsin and the ability to execute his attack on public workers there <a href="http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/wisconsin-scott-walker-koch-brothers" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">with the help</a> of $43,000 in direct contributions from the Koch Industries political action committee and indirectly through the $1 million that Koch's PAC gave to the Republican Governors Association. The Kochs are also <a href="http://www.progressohio.org/blog/2011/06/in-secret-video-gov-kasich-thanks-koch-brothers-union-busting-front-group-americans-for-prosperity-f.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">major supporters of Ohio Gov. John Kasich</a>, who earlier this year credited "the strong support" of Americans for Prosperity for his now faltering attempt to strip Ohio state workers of their bargaining rights.</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">The dominance of extremist candidates in the 2012 presidential race.</strong> Koch bothers money can be found in the pockets of at least three of the most extreme Republican presidential candidates: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/07/15/koch-brothers-back-their-first-2012-presidential-candidate-and-it-isnt-romney/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/28/989152/-Rick-Perry-Meets-With-Koch-Brothers" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Texas Gov. Rick Perry</a> and, especially, Herman Cain.<a href="http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/25/8479624-koch-brothers-pop-up-candidate-herman-cain" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Rachel Maddow reported</a> that the Cain connections include a campaign manager from the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a now ex-spokesperson from another Americans for Prosperity affiliate, and the economic advisor who came up with Cain's infamous "9-9-9" tax plan, who was a member of Americans for Prosperity's advisory board. This is no surprise, because, as the Associated Press has reported, Cain has historically been a shill for the Americans for Prosperity legislative agenda. The Kochs have said they will pour at least $200,000 into the 2012 presidential campaign. "At least" is the operative phrase; expect the Kochs to funnel millions of dollars into the 2012 campaign through a variety of channels, most of which—thanks in part to the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling—will be unrestricted and largely untraceable.</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Their ability to violate the law with impunity, and to punish those who hold them accountable.</strong> A <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-02/koch-brothers-flout-law-getting-richer-with-secret-iran-sales.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Bloomberg Markets magazine investigation</a> published in October calls it "the Koch method," in which employees of the brothers' oil and gas companies "were shown by their managers how to steal and cheat." The stealing and cheating, according to Bloomberg, ranged from not paying royalties for oil extracted from federal land to bribing foreign officials to win contracts—and firing the company compliance officer who discovered the bribes and called them to the attention of top corporate officials. "For six decades around the world, Koch Industries has blazed a path to riches -- in part, by making illicit payments to win contracts, trading with a terrorist state, fixing prices, neglecting safety and ignoring environmental regulations. At the same time, Charles and David Koch have promoted a form of government that interferes less with company actions," the magazine wrote.</font></li></ul><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Unregulated, unaccountable corporations. Extremist elected officials who disdain the concept of a government serving the common good. Workers stripped of the ability to negotiate collectively for fair pay, working conditions and benefits. Hundreds of millions of corporate dollars drowning out the voices of working-class and middle-class people. Voters forced to jump over ever-higher obstacles to vote for candidates who represent them, assuming those candidates can even get on ballots. This is the Koch brothers' dystopia. What they are defending is indefensible.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">For at least a few hours on Friday evening, the Washington Convention Center should be the focus of Occupy movement and its allies, for the Koch brothers embody just about everything the Occupy movement is against—members of the 1 percent who act as if our economy and our democracy should be their personal servant, and that the 99 percent should feel satisfied with the crumbs off their table.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It is time for us to declare that we are the real Americans for prosperity, those of us who believe that workers should receive a fair wage for a fair day's work and be treated with dignity; that companies should be accountable for the harm that they do to people and the environment; that health care is a basic right for every person; that the education of our children shouldn't be turned into yet another corporate profit center; that government can and should work for all of the people, not the privileged few; that our democracy is the property of the people and cannot be owned by those with the most money.</font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We cannot allow the Koch brothers' so-called "American dream" to continue to be our national nightmare.</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">==</font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>