Wisconsin Recalls

Koch Group Mails Suspicious Absentee Ballot Letters In Wisconsin

Eric Kleefeld | August 1, 2011, 2:08PM

Updated: August 1, 2011, 4:40PM

Is the Koch-backed conservative group Americans For Prosperity up to no good in the Wisconsin state Senate recalls?

As Politico reports, mailers have now turned up from Americans For Prosperity Wisconsin, addressed to voters in two of the Republican-held recall districts, where the elections will be held on August 9. The mailers ask recipients to fill out an absentee ballot application, and send it in -- by August 11, after Election Day for the majority of these races.

"These are people who are our 1's [solid Democrats] in the voterfile who we already knew," a Democratic source told Politico. "They ain't AFP members, that's for damn sure."

There are two other recall elections being held on August 16, targeting two Democratic incumbents, but they are both a distance away from the recipients of these particular mailers.

Furthermore, a close look at the mailer shows a continuation of irregularities that have already involved conservative groups and absentee ballots in the state.

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2012 elections

Koch Bros. Aide: DSCC Chair Patty Murray Asked Me For Contribution!

Eric Kleefeld | July 8, 2011, 12:19PM

David and Charles Koch

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee might want to double-check their fundraising database.

Koch Facts, the Web site set up by the conservative financier Koch Brothers to counter liberal publicity campaigns against them, has posted a letter penned by public affairs president Philip Ellender, claiming that he received a voicemail from DSCC chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), asking him for a large donation in order to attend a retreat in Kiawah Island, South Carolina:

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Howard Dean

Howard Dean's Koch Brothers 'Freudian Slip' (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 17, 2011, 9:41AM

MINNEAPOLIS -- Howard Dean gave a classic Netroots Nation keynote here last night, hitting all the buttons with the crowd of progressive activists and bloggers gathered here for their annual conference.

One of the most Netroots-friendly buttons he hit accidentally. Or so he told the crowd. While launching into an attack on the right and the conservative funders/progressive bogeymen known as the Koch Brothers, Dean first pronounced their name more like a famous part of ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner's anatomy than the classic cola.

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Wisconsin Protests

Palin Headed To Madison, Wisconsin This Weekend

Eric Kleefeld | April 14, 2011, 3:07PM

Former GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be headlining a Tea Party rally this weekend, at a venue that has served as the stage for some very high-profile protests of late: The Wisconsin state Capitol building in Madison.

The state Capitol, of course, was the site of massive protests both outside and inside the building, as tens of thousands of people gathered to show (and shout) their opposition to Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union agenda. But now, as the Wisconsin State Journal reports, Palin will be coming to town to rally the other side.

And check out this nugget from the paper's report:

Americans for Prosperity is organizing busses to the event. Last year's gathering featured former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson and others.

Americans for Prosperity is, of course, a Koch financed group. The Koch name has popped up quite a bit in the Wisconsin protests -- most notably after Walker's 20-minute phone call in late February with blogger Ian Murphy, who was posing as David Koch. During that call, Walker discussed his ideas for tricking the Democrats into coming back by pretending to negotiate, his ambition to bust the public employee unions in the mold of President Reagan firing the air traffic controllers -- an event that Walker said had led to the downfall of the Soviet Union -- and that he had considered (but ruled out) planting troublemakers in the crowds of protesters.

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Americans for Prosperity

'Anonymous' Targets Koch-Backed Americans For Prosperity

Evan McMorris-Santoro and Jillian Rayfield | February 28, 2011, 10:13AM

The online hacking collective 'Anonymous' is targeting groups like Americans For Prosperity who are backed by the conservative billionaire Koch brothers, because of their support of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's anti-union proposals.

In a press release, 'Anonymous' explained that it "cannot ignore the plight of the citizen-workers of Wisconsin, or the opportunity to fight for the people in America's broken political system."

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Wisconsin

Walker At Press Conference: I Said That 'Crushing The Bastards' Wasn't A Good Idea

Eric Kleefeld | February 24, 2011, 8:34PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

MADISON, WI -- Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) just finished a press conference early this evening, in which he continued to warn about the specter of layoffs of government workers if his budget does not pass, and called upon the absent state Senate Democrats to return to the state. Predictably, he continued to face questions over the biggest story of the last two days: His phone call with blogger Ian Murphy, who was posing as Republican financier David Koch.

Walker took five questions in total. The first two questions were both about the "Koch" call, followed by three questions about the budget bill itself and his efforts to end collective bargaining for public sector workers.

In his initial speech, Walker said he had spoken to a small businessman in Wisconsin, who was concerned about the strife going on in the state, and who asked why Walker did not simply take the deal of the increased contributions by public employees to their health care and pensions.

"You look at what's happened at the local level over the past two weeks with this measure...actions speak louder than words," Walker said. "Over the past few weeks we've seen in cities and counties and schools in a rush to pass contracts that don't have a 5 percent and 12 percent contributions. In fact, what I've seen, they have no additional contributions for pensions and health care costs for government employees. In fact, in some cases they've rammed through contracts that have an increase in the salaries."

Walker also spoke of the concern that he said he had for state workers. He said he wanted to avoid layoffs that would hurt people's families, and in response to workers' concerns would strengthen civil service protections on issues of grievances, terminations and discipline etc.

"We've also got to give those workers the right to choose," Walker said -- restating his point from yesterday's press conference that he would give workers the ability to save about $1,000 per year by not paying dues to a union.

But a great deal of interest still focused on Walker's statements on the recorded prank phone call released yesterday morning.

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Wisconsin Protests

Wis. AFL-CIO Ad Features Walker-'Koch' Phone Call (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | February 24, 2011, 5:06PM

Ad by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, "Scott Walker and David Koch's attacks on Wisconsin's middle class"

The Wisconsin AFL-CIO is up with a new ad attacking Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal to strip public employee unions of most of their collective bargaining rights -- making quick use of Walker's phone call with blogger Ian Murphy, who was posing as Republican financier David Koch.

Around the Capitol, the phone call is something people are talking about -- a lot. From the protestors yelling about Walker's "Koch habit," to reporters who kept asking him about the call during Wednesday's brief press conference. Indeed, it seems likely Walker will find it difficult to put the call behind him anytime soon -- from his discussion of political gamesmanship, brief considerations about planting fake protesters to start trouble, or his passion for busting the public employee unions in the mold of Ronald Reagan's firing of the air traffic controllers, this thing, as they say, has legs.

Enter the AFL-CIO's ad:

"Gov. Walker is set on eliminating collective bargaining for nurses, teachers, people who live and work in our communities," the announcer says. "He tells us it's for the taxpayers of Wisconsin. But to wealthy GOP funders like David Koch, it's a different story."

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Scott Walker

Walker On 'Koch' Phone Call: 'I Take Phone Calls All The Time'

Eric Kleefeld | February 23, 2011, 4:26PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

MADISON, WI -- Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) held a tense press conference Wednesday afternoon, following the revelation that he had a 20-minute phone conversation with a prank caller pretending to be Republican financier David Koch, a call in which Walker and "Koch" discussed possible ways to disrupt the protests against his budget bill, and to bring the Democrats back to the Capitol.

The presser took place in the governor's press room, with the thick, wooden double doors closed in order to block out the ever-present sounds of the protesters inside the Capitol.

Walker started off by taking shots at the 14 state Senate Democrats who have left the state, in order to block the three-fifths majority needed for a budget quorum. "I'm here today working. I appreciated the fact that the state Assembly is here today debating the budget repair bill, and I appreciate that Senate Republicans are in the Capitol preparing to debate a number of measures...And I hope that by the end of the day we might receive some updates from the state Senate Democrats who are not here in the Capitol, not doing their job, that we might get an update as to when they might come back and start doing their jobs."

Walker also touted the savings he says would come to local governments from his budget repair bill's various cost-saving measures. He also touted the savings for workers themselves -- from not joining a union. "It also give them an option of whether they want to participate in a union, and no longer mandates that their union dues will be deducted from their paycheck," said Walker, explaining that this would save employees $1,000 a year, or $2,000 for a married couple who are both government employees: "That's real money that helps the bottom line, and we're giving those employes the right to choose whether to have that money taken out of their paycheck, and to choose whether to be part of the union."

Then came the Q&A -- which was very brief, with only four questions, but which featured a notably loud ending.

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Scott Walker

Top Wisconsin Democrat: We Won't Be Falling For Walker's Prank Call Scheme

Brian Beutler | February 23, 2011, 12:41PM

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Mark Miller, the leader of the Wisconsin Senate Democrats, says members of his party won't be falling for any of the tricks Governor Scott Walker might use to lure them back home and jam his union-busting bill through the legislature.

A bit of back story: Walker spent about 20 minutes on the phone yesterday with a man he thought was David Koch, one of the wealthy Koch brothers who bankroll a bunch of conservative causes. In the course of the call, Walker revealed that he was gaming out a bait-and-switch plan to tempt Democrats back to the state for bad-faith negotiations. Once they arrived, they could spend some time arguing with the governor over policy, but at the end of the day the Republicans would have a quorum in the Senate and could pass his legislation with no problem.

On a conference call organized by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, I asked Miller whether the Democrats were prepared for these sorts of antics.

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CA-SEN

Koch Industries Among Hosts Of Carly Fiorina Fundraiser

Christina Bellantoni | September 22, 2010, 11:08AM

US Senate candidate Carly Fiorina (R-CA)

Republican Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina will attend a high-dollar fundraiser Thursday night that includes Koch Industries PAC, a conservative megadonor that has been the subject of some high-profile magazine pieces of late.

The Koch brothers have become conservative super-villains for Democrats this year, igniting Democrats in the same way George Soros' spending on liberal causes enrages the right.

According to the invitation for the Thursday night reception at the National Republican Senatorial Committee headquarters near Union Station, hosts -- including Koch -- donated $2,500. It includes a special reception for sponsors Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn, Sen. Jon Kyl and the 26 hosts including Koch Industries PAC. The general reception with the Senate Republican caucus follows. Sponsors paid $5,000 per PAC or $2,400 for an individual sponsorship. The plastic surgeons' political action committee, Plastypac, also is a host.

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