Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Arkansas Politics Fighting back against the Kochs
Posted by Max Brantley on Tue, Oct 2, 2012 at 12:23 PM
Nice timing, given the post this morning about the $100 million effort by the Koch brothers to take over 35 state legislatures, including Arkansas's, for a Republican agenda light on regulation of their polluting industries and heavy on tax breaks for wealthy people like the billionaires from Kansas.
Images above and below are from a four-page newsprint publication that's reportedly been circulating since mid-summer in Northwest Arkansas. I received a copy today in the mail, from an anonymous sender.
It was in Northwest Arkansas that the Koch bros. Americans for Prosperity tentacle in Arkansas got serious politically in defeating Republican candidates they deemed too moderate.
The publication doesn't identify the source or amount spent, in keeping with the Kochs' own practice. It is less politically direct than Koch organization mailings, which specifically hammer disfavored candidates. Here, in addition to lots of background on the Kochs' wealth and poisonous political agenda, is a general admonition, "Don't Buy the Lie." The little paper urges this caution to anyone in receipt of anything from Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, Club for Growth and American Crossroads, to name just some of the shadowy outfits spending huge sums to purchase the Arkansas legislature and many others. Good advice.
The flyer identifies Republican candidates Bruce Holland, Jon Woods and Bart Hester as among those "Sold!" in the Koch-financed campaign. Holland and Hester there's no doubt about. Though Woods is just their kind of candidate — and opponent Bill Pritchard was successfully pounded by Woods as a tax-and-spender against all evidence — his camp asserts his independence from the Koch-heads. If so, it's a distinction with little political difference.
Speaking of Koch Brothers, Americans For Prosperity
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Now the Kochs target newspapers
April 21, 2013The billionaire Koch brothers have a massive imprint, from energy to forest products to multi-tentacled political front groups including the likes of Americans for Prosperity, important in the Republican takeover of the Arkansas legislature. /more/
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Medicaid expansion: Two views
April 18, 2013The legislative vote to avail Arkansas of Obamacare Medicaid expansion money. Good or bad? /more/
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Koch lobby has new leader in Arkansas
April 15, 2013The Arkansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the Koch billionaires' anti-tax, anti-regulation political arm that spent a million bucks to produce a Republican legislative majority in Arkansas, has a new state executive director. /more/
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Medicaid expansion: The Kochs call in their chits
April 7, 2013A momentous week lies ahead. Against all odds, a significant Republican caucus has developed for moving ahead with Medicaid expansion in Arkansas. /more/
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Koch organization says no to Obamacare expansion in Arkansas
April 3, 2013The Kochs have spoken. Their Americans for Prosperity chapter in Arkansas has formally announced opposition to the legislature approving the Obamacare-provided expansion of health care coverage under the Medicaid program. /more/
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A compromise delay on Lake Maumelle protection
March 27, 2013JP Tyler Denton, under deserved fire for throwing in with the bad guys and joining Republican members of the Pulaski Quorum Court to delay watershed protection ordinances for the Maumelle watershed for four years, backed a compromise delay last night. /more/
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