Good read from The Guardian today:
Key conservative groups backed by the billionaire Koch brothers and their network of rich allies are plowing millions into Senate races after becoming frustrated by the overheated rhetoric and policies of leading Republican presidential candidates – especially frontrunner Donald Trump – and opting to stay out of the primaries.
Three leading groups – Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, and Concerned Veterans for America – supported by the Koch donor network spent almost $4m on ads in just the last month to boost Republican Senate candidates facing tough races in Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, for instance, Americans for Prosperity, the Koch network’s political flagship group, has begun a $1m effort to back the Republican senator Ron Johnson in his battle against Democratic former senator Russ Feingold, who is ahead in the polls.
“We plan to be active in a number of key Senate states this spring,” said James Davis, a spokesman for Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, the fundraising hub for the Koch network, which last month poured $2m into an Ohio ad drive attacking former Democratic governor Ted Strickland, who is attempting to unseat Republican senator Rob Portman.
As the Senate ad blitzes have accelerated, many Koch donors have been advised to ignore the “cult of the presidency” and think long term by focusing instead on states where Koch-backed groups have recently scored victories over labor and green groups, according to a private letter obtained by the Guardian.
“With the eyes of the nation fixated on ‘he-said, she-said’ character attacks and the ‘race for delegates’, the prospects for a freer, more prosperous future can seem bleak,” began the 16 March letter to big donors from the Americans for Prosperity CEO, Luke Hilgemann.
“It’s understandable that many Americans succumb to the ‘cult’ – putting all their eggs in the basket of one person as the way to solve underlying cultural and economic challenges facing our nation. Then, after rising to power, they fail to deliver on even their most basic promises, namely reining in a government spending spree.”
The article mentions that U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R. NH) won’t be getting the Koch Brothers help because of her support for an EPA initiative to limit carbon emissions. The article did mention that Tea Party Congressman Ron DeSantis (R. FL) might be getting some help soon to win his crowded GOP primary. Makes sense because DeSantis was already cozying up to Kochs early on. So lets prepare ourselves for some pretty expensive races filled with grossly false attack ads. Click below to donate and get involved with these Democrats’ campaigns:
Catherine Cortez Masto (D. NV)
Ted Strickland (D. OH)
Russ Feingold (D. WI)
Patrick Murphy (D. FL)