Background:
1. On the Deficit James Lankford Has Proven He Is Not A Man Of His Word
2. Height Of Hypocrisy 4: Republican Hypocrisy On The Deficit Is Epic!
3. Height Of Hypocrisy 5: Roy Moore Hypocrisy & Deficit Hypocrisy Show GOP Stand For Nothing. Not Family Values. Not Fiscal Responsibility. Nothing. Except Maybe Pedophiles.
This post just looks at the sorts of donations James Lankford gets (what I can find with a quick google search) that is the accepted form of bribery of political society today. In fact "lobbying" (a nice way of saying bribery) is an "honorable profession" in Washington DC. The links below go into more detail about the Koch Brothers. This helps place Lankford in context of current politics. The next post will go into more specific detail of the economic con the Koch's GOP is pulling.
First lets open with how much of the media & institutes the Kochs have bought which explains why this is so unknown in the public debate;
Will you help Senator Sanders expose the Koch Echo Chamber?- The Koch brothers fund multiple think tanks and academic centers to promote their ideology and grow their profits, a Brave New Foundation investigation reveals. Let's create an echo chamber of truth by using YouTube's SHARE tools above to protect Social Security and counter the Koch billions.
Research: New Book Exposes Koch Brothers' Guide To Infiltrating The Media
Second, lets look at James Lankford at a Koch Institute event (CATO, i.e. free publicity) and the "donations" he gets to push whatever agenda he's pushing.
Given the free exposure in the Cato Institute (Koch Owned) PLUS all the "donations" with no restrictions and oversight for "politics". James Lankford is making, easily, over 50,000 dollars a year. Sure, its not as much as Inhofe, who pushes HIS OWN counter fight against climate science as if he's a a scientist, but there must be a seniority in these sorts of things with a gradual development of the level of bull you can feed your base and get away with.
More information about the Kochs and the paws in their web of lies, deceptions and coverups;
The Koch Brothers Are Using Fox News Employees As Campaigners
Koch lobbyists and Opus Dei
1. On the Deficit James Lankford Has Proven He Is Not A Man Of His Word
2. Height Of Hypocrisy 4: Republican Hypocrisy On The Deficit Is Epic!
3. Height Of Hypocrisy 5: Roy Moore Hypocrisy & Deficit Hypocrisy Show GOP Stand For Nothing. Not Family Values. Not Fiscal Responsibility. Nothing. Except Maybe Pedophiles.
This post just looks at the sorts of donations James Lankford gets (what I can find with a quick google search) that is the accepted form of bribery of political society today. In fact "lobbying" (a nice way of saying bribery) is an "honorable profession" in Washington DC. The links below go into more detail about the Koch Brothers. This helps place Lankford in context of current politics. The next post will go into more specific detail of the economic con the Koch's GOP is pulling.
First lets open with how much of the media & institutes the Kochs have bought which explains why this is so unknown in the public debate;
Will you help Senator Sanders expose the Koch Echo Chamber?- The Koch brothers fund multiple think tanks and academic centers to promote their ideology and grow their profits, a Brave New Foundation investigation reveals. Let's create an echo chamber of truth by using YouTube's SHARE tools above to protect Social Security and counter the Koch billions.
Research: New Book Exposes Koch Brothers' Guide To Infiltrating The Media
A key element of the Koch brothers' strategy is influencing the media. Through media, they have advanced their political and ideological goals and attacked those who stand in their way. The Koch brothers and their network have paid conservative media figures to promote their message, bankrolled front groups that run aggressive anti-environmental media campaigns, and even created their own right-wing "news" outlets. Meanwhile, they've garnered some favorable mainstream media coverage by tightly controlling reporter access to their summits and other events, while attacking and otherwise intimidating journalists who dare to shine a light on their activities.
Here is how the Koch brothers and their network have infiltrated the media:
Buying A Conservative Media Echo Chamber
Creating Their Own Media Outlets
Funding Front Groups That Run Deceptive Media Campaigns
Tightly Controlling Reporter Access To Their Events And Activities
Intimidating Journalists Who Seek To Uncover Their True Agenda
Read details here.
Second, lets look at James Lankford at a Koch Institute event (CATO, i.e. free publicity) and the "donations" he gets to push whatever agenda he's pushing.
Great to join @TaxpayersEllis, @RominaBoccia, @MrRBourne, & @CatoEdwards for today’s #CatoEvents “Curbing Wasteful Spending in 2018”— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) December 7, 2017
We can’t cut what we can’t see. It’s time Congress passes my Taxpayers Right To Know Act: https://t.co/SJC6S9JZCl pic.twitter.com/N1V5PNmufH
Open Secrets: Koch Industries donations
Open Secrets: Top Recipients
Given the free exposure in the Cato Institute (Koch Owned) PLUS all the "donations" with no restrictions and oversight for "politics". James Lankford is making, easily, over 50,000 dollars a year. Sure, its not as much as Inhofe, who pushes HIS OWN counter fight against climate science as if he's a a scientist, but there must be a seniority in these sorts of things with a gradual development of the level of bull you can feed your base and get away with.
More information about the Kochs and the paws in their web of lies, deceptions and coverups;
At least 15 Fox News hosts and contributors have recently campaigned with two political organizations created and heavily funded by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. Many of those same Fox News personalities have also defended the Kochs from attacks and praised their political efforts on-air.
The controversial conservative brothers founded the 501(c)(4) group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and its 501(c)(3) sister group the Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) in 2004. David Koch has called AFP the group he feels "most closely attached to and most proud of" and chairs AFPF's board. (The Washington Post notes of the IRS code distinction: "A 501(c)(4) is allowed to do considerably more issue advocacy work than a 501(C)(3), however. Neither group has to disclose the identity of its donors or the amounts of money those contributors have given.")
Politico's Ken Vogel reported that AFP "intends to spend more than $125 million this year on an aggressive ground, air and data operation benefiting conservatives, according to a memo distributed to major donors and sources familiar with the group." The Washington Post wrote that with a paid staff of 240, split between 32 states, AFP "may be America's third-biggest political party." In 2012, "More than $44 million of the $140 million the organization raised in that election cycle came from Koch-linked feeder funds."
AFP and AFPF are part of a massive $400 million network of political groups spearheaded by the Kochs. The Huffington Post's Paul Blumenthal noted, "It is the electoral focus of the Koch nonprofits and their sophisticated efforts to shield donors' identities -- plus the vast sums of money they move -- that has brought them the unwanted attention of both Democratic Senate leadership and reporters. There exists no outside network or organization supporting Democratic Party candidates in elections, while not disclosing its donors, that spends money in comparable amounts."
AFP states that it "mobilizes citizens to effectively make their voices heard in public policy issue campaigns" and "educates citizens about where their elected officials stand on our issues." AFP campaigns have included false attacks about health care reform, clean energy, economic issues, and elected Democrats like President Obama.
Fox News personalities are the public face of many AFP/AFPF events. Promotional materials heavily tout the speakers' affiliation with Fox News to increase attendance. According to a Media Matters review, the following Fox News personalities have participated in AFP and AFPF events since 2012: Guy Benson, Tucker Carlson, Monica Crowley, Jonah Goldberg, Greg Gutfeld, Mary Katharine Ham, Mike Huckabee, Laura Ingraham, Andrew Napolitano, Sarah Palin, Charles Payne, Dana Perino, John Stossel, Cal Thomas, and Juan Williams.
The Koch/Fox News events are aimed at rallying attendees to support conservative causes and fight progressive initiatives. For example, an invitation for a May event featuring Tucker Carlson stated the rally will "send a message to the Left that we know the truth and support free market solutions." Information for a November 2013 rally with Monica Crowley said participants will "learn how you can fight back against government restrictions, taxes, and out-of-control spending." And an October 2012 event with John Stossel was a "Hands Off My Health Care Rally" which sought "to fully repeal Obama's deeply flawed health care bill."
Media Matters previously documented how numerous Fox News personalities campaigned for Republican candidates and organizations during the 2011-2012 election cycle.
Koch/AFP Finds Support On-Air With Fox's Koch Campaigners
Fox News' Koch campaigners have defended the Kochs on-air, dismissing criticism of them as "McCarthyistic," and "a form of social control." They've also praised Koch political efforts as "effective" and "devastating" against Democrats. Here are seven examples from this year:
- During the May 8 edition of Special Report, Tucker Carlson criticized attacks against the Koch brothers and said, "Who's ever heard of Charles and David Koch? Is this really going to move voters? ... This really is telling of the global warming cult. Cross its leaders and you are accused of crimes against nature, I mean literally crimes against nature. It's a form of -- it's a form of social control."
- During the April 21 edition of The Five, Greg Gutfeld and Dana Perino promoted Americans for Prosperity's list of things conservatives can do to celebrate Earth Day.
- During the April 13 edition of The Five, Gutfeld said of attacks on the Kochs: "The government hates the Koch brothers because they make you less reliant on government. No wonder Reid hates them because he makes Reid obsolete." Perino added that the Kochs "spend less than Democratic-leaning billionaires do, they are actually more effective. That's why I guess they are being held up and targeted. It is almost McCarthyistic, the types of things you hear from the Senate floor about two Americans who are expressing the First Amendment rights."
- On the April 10 edition of Fox Business' Stossel, during a discussion about whether rich Americans should pay more taxes, Stossel stated: "Well, you're saying Donald Trump or Charles Koch, they -- I think they're strivers."
- During the March 8 edition of Fox & Friends Saturday, Tucker Carlson and Mike Huckabee criticized Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) for his attacks on the Koch brothers.
- During the February 12 edition of The Five, Dana Perino praised an anti-Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) AFP ad as "devastating." AFP highlighted Perino's praise on its YouTube page.
- During the January 3 edition of Your World, Charles Payne aired and praised an "effective" AFP ad against Landrieu.
Fox News overall has been friendly to Americans for Prosperity and the Koch brothers. The network has consistently minimized Koch campaign funding and defended them from attacks by Democrats. Fox has also repeatedly highlighted AFP ads.
Who Are The Fox News/Koch Campaigners?
Here are 15 Fox News employees who are campaigning for the Koch brothers' groups, and some of the events they've participated in:
Guy Benson (Fox News contributor). Benson spoke at a June 14 event in North Carolina and a November 2013, event in Illinois.
Tucker Carlson (Fox & Friends host / Fox News contributor). Carlson spoke at a May 27 event in North Carolina. He also spoke at October 2012 events in Montana.
Monica Crowley (Fox News contributor). Crowley spoke at a May 20 event in Wisconsin and a November 2013 event in New Jersey. She spoke at numerous events in Colorado and North Carolina in October 2012.
Jonah Goldberg (Fox News contributor). Goldberg spoke at a March 1 event in New Jersey.
Greg Gutfeld (The Five and Red Eye host). Gutfeld spoke at AFP's 2013 Defending the American Dream Summit in Florida.
Mary Katharine Ham (Fox News contributor). Ham spoke at August 2012 and May 2012 events in Colorado.
Mike Huckabee (Huckabee host). Huckabee spoke at AFP's Freedom Summit on April 12 in New Hampshire.
Laura Ingraham (Fox News contributor). Ingraham spoke at the Freedom Summit on April 12 in New Hampshire. She also spoke at an October 2012 event in Indiana, an October 2012 event in North Carolina, and an August 2012 event in Washington, DC.
Andrew Napolitano (Fox News senior judicial analyst). Napolitano spoke at October 2012 events in Florida.
Sarah Palin (Fox News contributor). Palin spoke at a July 2012, event in Michigan and a June 2012 event in Nevada.
Charles Payne (Making Money host / Fox Business contributor). Payne spoke at an October 2012 event in Virginia.
Dana Perino (The Five host). Perino spoke at an October 2013 event in Arkansas.
John Stossel (Stossel host). Stossel spoke at an October 2012 event in Florida. AFP sponsored an April 2012 Stossel book event in Texas.
Cal Thomas (Fox News contributor). Thomas spoke at a September 2012 event in North Carolina.
Juan Williams (The Five host / Fox News contributor). Williams spoke at a February 2013 event in Wisconsin and a January 2012 simulcast event on school vouchers.
Inside the NRA’s Koch-Funded Dark-Money Campaign How the National Rifle Association sold its grassroots firepower to the Kochs, Karl Rove, and conservative donors.
Koch lobbyists and Opus Dei
