Koch executives vow to 'continue to fight' in Wisconsin

[Bjorn Against]

Source: Madison Capital Times

In their first published remarks since a prank caller tricked Gov. Scott Walker into thinking he was speaking with big-bucks backer David Koch himself, Koch executives said that that hoax and nearly two weeks of Madison protests have only strengthened the Koch brothers' determination to continue to use their billions to promote a national agenda that includes gutting the power of unions and deregulating industry.

Their statements in a Thursday night story by Robert Costa of the National Review Online, itself a bastion of conservatism, were defiant.

"With the Left trying to intimidate the Koch brothers to back off of their support for freedom and signaling to others that this is what happens if you oppose the administration and its allies, we have no choice but to continue to fight," says Richard Fink, the executive vice president of Koch Industries. "We will not step back at all."

Koch industries, a private, Wichita-based company with diverse holdings, is one of the richest companies in the world. Here in Wisconsin, David and Charles Koch own extensive oil and lumber interests, from Georgia Pacific paper mills to coal and shipping companies. The business employs 3,000 people directly in the state and 8,000 more indirectly through related businesses.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_f32e55de-40e1-11e0-8f7b-001cc4c002e0.html

---

When the Koch brothers have to vow to continue the fight it shows they are on the ropes. Let's keep fighting back and continue show them that the American people will not accept their agenda.

I am going back to Madison tomorrow, the Kochs will not win this battle.

[rfranklin]

1. The massive balls on these guys...

They are openly admitting that they are interfering with the government of Wisconsin. They have no standing there except as a corporation that does business there. How does a "free market" philosophy include strongarming the people of Wisconsin?

[HereSince1628]

5. Totally agree with that. This looks like the Koch Putsch

to finally move them into public control.

[DBoon]

8. they are admitting their goal is to own the state government

they have gone far beyond "interfering"

They see themselves as the sole sovereign, popular will be damned

[defendandprotect]

78. ... and the Supreme Court let them loose on us -- maybe it's just as well we can see this more ....

clearly now -- ?? Maybe it will finally wake us up?

[aquart]

10. Inherited balls. Poster children for a heavy estate tax.

[Lorien]

91. Exactly. They're nothing more than lazy entitled brats, squealing for MORE! nt

[unionworks]

31. It's On Now

...no doubt about it.

[truth2power]

48. Exactly!! They are admitting that they already had their hands in the pot...

Not that we didn't already know this, but the fact that they don't even try to hide it is astounding!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

54. Remember that they inherited their balls. Were it not for Daddy, they'd be sans balls.

[HereSince1628]

2. They pretty brazenly link their effort to the bill

are they finally coming out to take control?

Looking to be Pro-Consuls in the New Rome?

[BonnieJW]

46. It seems they think Scotty is blowing it,

so they're taking over. If people can't see this blantant attempt at taking over the government for what it is, I have no hope.

[stubtoe]

66. Yep - their hand-picked governor isn't living up to expectations

But then, he's a bozo.

[mindem]

3. Did the Koch brothers have their name on a ballot somewhere?

How many votes did the Koch brothers get? This shit is getting real old, real fast.

[JosefK]

17. An election isn't needed

..in the post Citizens United world. All you need is enough money to buy enough votes for those candidates who are on your payroll.

[guitar man]

82. No, just a check

Must have been a big one :grr:

[hedgehog]

4. I am amazed at how brazen these guys are!

[cyclezealot]

44. I hope Fascist Hunter below is right.

But, our democracy is a marginal democracy.. Money rules and as the Bircher's remind us; its a republic.. Lots of these nuts even want to make the senate unelected. As if money doesn't almost buy seats.. Yes.. These guys are brazen and think they own the country.. Considering their wealth , they almost do.

[fascisthunter]

6. and they will lose in the end

[BanzaiBonnie]

7. "support of freedom"

What utter bullshit.

They mean freedom from business regulations.

[DBoon]

9. their ideal of freedom is the People's Republic of China

Where a corrupt authoritarian government supports the "right" of business to treat their employees as poorly as possible

[Populist_Prole]

29. To cons, freedom is a dog whistle word for money. Always has been..

[Betty]

43. THEIR freedom

to fuck everyone who's not a billionaire.

[Raster]

45. Oh yes. THEIR freedom. THEIR rights. THEIR choice.

THEIRS, not yours.

[Tsiyu]

11. What's amazing is that Teabaggers cannot see through this

Those folksy, cleancut grassroots politicians they elected to do the "people's business" are actually doing the corporations' business, this nation be damned. And Teabaggers cheer this on like toddlers!

Those Christian, anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-brown people type politicians never, ever blame the war spending and tax cuts for budget woes.

It's the American worker's fault, the food stamp recipient's fault, the environmentalists' fault.

Never war. Never obscene profits from war that costs us - but nets the corporations billions. Never a peep about the fact that those same profits - won from our tax dollars being spent - are never returned in the form of any taxation.

It's outrageous and profane.

[roxiejules]

24. They sink their neighbor's life boat....

and ignore who gets the real entitlements.


Two-thirds of all US corporations do not pay federal income tax.

ONE dollar is more than the combined income tax liability of Bank of America, GE and ExxonMobil combined.

http://usuncut.org/

[tsuki]

55. Go USuncut!!

[AndyTiedye]

26. The Teabaggers are Completely Brainwashed by Their Churches and FauxNews

Is there any cure for this kind of brainwashing?

We would like to believe there is, but I have yet
to see any evidence that the process is reversible.

[Populist_Prole]

30. I don't understand either.

Try as I might ( and I really do, or did anyway ) I just cannot envision a social issue(s) so strongly held so as to cloud my judgement when it comes to my very survival. It's all just abstract made up shit in the head. Don't they see that? Whet are they, hypnotized? This goes for the left as well. I wish progressives would have a single minded push to counter the plutocrats and not get sidetracked by social issues either. Slay the dragon, then you can do good things later.

[socialist_n_TN]

36. Yatzee! Agree wholeheartedly.............

Put it ALL on the economics of this and don't get distracted by social issues, no matter how important they are. IF we can break the capitalists on economic issues, the rest will come!

It's easier to get a consensus on economic issues than on social issues. It's a simple question that resonates with everyone. Who's side are you on? Workers or owners?

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Iliyah]

13. And there you have it

welcome to CORPORATE AMERICA where everything can be bought and fuck the people.

[steve2470]

14. k&r nt

[somone]

15. They want this to be the real Wisconsin capitol:

[katnapped]

18. In KOCH We Trust

Indeed.....

[BlueIdaho]

76. Is it just me

Or does that window look like it's suffering from a brick deficiency?

[Angry Dragon]

16. What are they fighting for??

I thought corporations existed to create products. I thought they created jobs.
They are free to create as many products and jobs they want, no one is stopping them.
Or are they fighting for something else??

[Demeter]

19. that's a funny definition of "freedom" Messers Koch

What psychopaths they are!

[Roland99]

32. My first thought. Amazing how many brain-dead conservatives fall for that crap.

Freedom for corporate greed and freedom for corporations to suck up as much corporate welfare is just jim dandy but when it comes to freedom for actual people, all bets are off.

[Beartracks]

84. Well, of course - he means rich people's freedom....

... not YOURS, you silly wage-earners.

--------------------------

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JDPriestly]

21. Koch Freedom --- the freedom to be subservient to the interests of the Koch Family.

The freedom to vote as the Koch Brothers decide you should.

What kind of freedom are the Koch Brothers talking about? Their own, of course. Not yours or mine.

[savalez]

56. The freedom to take away the freedom of others. n/t

[ladjf]

22. We will 'continue to fight' translated: "We will continue to try to

overthrow the Government of the U.S. and you can't stop us."

[ladjf]

23. Why aren't the Koch brothers already in jail for attempting to

overthrow the Government of the U.S. ?

[emulatorloo]

39. It is very hard for me to believe that they have not done SOMETHING ILLEGAL somewhere in their

business dealings.

[drm604]

25. The height of arrogance.

I think inherited money tends to give people a sense of entitlement. They need to be shown that they deserve no more say in how this country is run than anyone else.

This fight is rapdily becoming bigger than the question of collective bargaining. It's about the right of people to run their own country and to not have to be servile to those who won the birth lottery.

At least they're out in the open now and publicly admitting what they're doing. I think that's a point in our column.

[Raster]

42. In 1981 I moved to Dallas from my little Arizona farming community. I became...

...an employee of a very prominent and wealthy Texas Republican family. The family patriarch had built the family's real estate empire from the ground up, and except for marrying into a minor amount of money, and was internationally lauded and considered a successful, self-made man. He knew the value of a dollar and 12-hour workdays. His children, however, did not. They were scheming, conniving, over aged spoiled brats that believed the rules did not apply to them and there were no doors that their family name or their father's money could not open. Several of the five children had criminal issues: drugs, sex scandals, etc. But these were always "handled" by the family's retainers. Things that would land you and I in prison for years, were quietly swept under the rug. Their sense of entitlement was, in a word, stunning. They truly believed that they were several steps up on the ladder of humanity because of their financial station. And their blatant disdain for "the little people" was astounding.

The very rich truly are different from you and I, especially the very rich that did not have to earn their money. They truly believe that not only are they better than you or I, they believe they have every right to take what they want and control who they want. I've even heard the term "god-given" used more than once. Nothing the Koch brothers do or say would surprise me at this point. Nothing.

[drm604]

49. Spoiled brats is right.

That is the perfect meme to describe people like the Kochs.

[Imagevision]

27. Yes! bring it on Brothers Koch - lets continue the dancing in the street!

[mojowork_n]

28. Mr. Burns x 2 w/trophy wives and slightly less sweet disposition n/t

[jonthebru]

33. There should be a list of Koch products and names.

So we can avoid their fuel stations or not purchase their products, "lycra" for example. On this story I see Georgia-Pacific. Their strings lead all over the place, people should be informed so they may choose "other".

[socialist_n_TN]

37. There have been several lists of Koch products.............

posted on DU in the last few days. They're probably pretty easy to find.

[subterranean]

57. Here's one list:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/08/24/895947/-Boycott-Koch-Products

Print it out and take it with you when you shop, or memorize the names of the brands so you can avoid buying them.

[defendandprotect]

79. Georgia Pacific -- Vanity Fair paper products -- Charmin --

there's a long list -

and I heard it was Bounty ... ????

(Georgia-Pacific products)

Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft 'n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes
All Georgia-Pacific lumber and building products *more detailed list below*

[classysassy]

92. The list of products

tells a lot about the brothers ,seem they are in the shit business.

[Myrina]

34. ... so its obviously NOT - and never been - about WI's budget, is it?

:mad:

[guitar man]

35. How is it their business to begin with?

What business is it of theirs that they would insert themselves in between the public workers in Wisconsin and the state government. It's surreal...

[socialist_n_TN]

38. The puppet MASTERS speak...........

At least now we don't have to have any doubt who the pulls the strings.

[SoapBox]

40. The KKKoch Brothers...A big thank you for Citizens United from the Activist Judges on the SCOTUS.

YUP! Those KKKoch Boys are really feeling their "oats"!

And all thanks to the biased, minds-made-up-already, radicallized Activist Judges
on the Supreme Court.

Me thinks that the likes of the RushThugs, T.HaterBaggers, KKKoch Bros,
DicKKK Armey and all of their radical ilk...are feel'n the power.

Wake up America. For God's SAKES, wake up.

[zehnkatzen]

41. What Pathos!

is there nothing so sad and moving as cynical plutocrats who have to put up with the proles demonstrating?

It is to cry, I tell you what.

[truthisfreedom]

47. Trust fund tyrants.

[xxqqqzme]

50. These guys have worse PR people

than BP. This arrogance is stunning!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

51. I'll give 'em 1 point maybe 2 points for "honesty": "gutting the power of unions and deregulating

industry".

[JohnWxy]

52. these fascists should be pleased by Walkers efforts against democratic principles re unions.

[Corruption Winz]

53. The audacity...

To think, these people actually think that people out there should really be happy to hear this news. They say this with a hint of, "Yeah, we're doing this for you, America."

Sure you are.

They're going down. Everyone can feel it.

[Doc Martin]

58. I'm no longer buying Dixie cups or other Dixie products

Other consumer products, from Koch Industries website

Georgia-Pacific’s familiar consumer brands in North America include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Sparkle® , Soft 'n Gentle®, Mardi Gras®, Vanity Fair®, and the Dixie® brand of tabletop products. The company’s leading European brands include Lotus®, Colhogar®, Delica®, Tenderly® and the Demak'Up® brand of facial cleansing products. The company also markets paper towel, napkin and soap dispensing systems used in commerical settings.

[nilram]

65. Thank you for that. I'm going to make a list, too.

[JustAmused]

59. Koch phone number

I was able to locate a phone number. I don't know if it is the main office or not. Here it is.

4111 E. 37th St. North
Wichita, KS 67220-3203

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Web address: http://www.kochind.com

I called and informed them I would not be using any more of their products and why. I am sure they really care.....lol

[DesertDiamond]

60. Wow! They sound like they think they're the champions of Good and Justice! Deludenoids!

[texastoast]

61. And neither will Wisconsin, Mr. Fink

Wisconsin has the American middle class behind it, and we've only begun to rouse.

[eleny]

62. President Obama needs to address this brazen admission of the Koch's that they run the show

It's no longer just a "state issue" being addressed by the state's administration. It's a private corporation who is behind it all.

It sounds like they're behind all the states that want to do this.

I need assurances that the country is not a fascist state. And if it is we deserve to know the truth from the POTUS.

[slay]

67. They do run the show

that's the sad part. We are held hostage by the oil, pharmaceutical, insurance, health care, and banking industries and the billionaires and their pals who run them. Obama knows this but I'm not sure what he can do about it. Seemingly he chooses to cooperate with them in most instances so far. :shrug:

I am afraid you will not get your assurances - because we are a corporate/fascist state at this point IMO. Sucks people are so easily brainwashed by right-wing crap - brainwashing paid for courtesy of the rich evil fuckers at Koch Inc. :puke:

[eleny]

69. agreed :(

[alp227]

63. Disgusting greedy fools. They've been smeared by a prank caller, but just say "oh well let's do it"

Eww. Despite the liberal prankster who wanted to break them, they don't act nobly and try to distance themselves. They proudly keep on going with their agenda. :puke:

[slay]

64. So basically right wing billionaires have openly declared that they have bought our government

and will keep doing so. At least on the Republican side - and just enough Dems to make Dems ineffective in fighting back. Why do people stand for this? What can we do? I'll be out at my local protest tomorrow but really - war has been declared on everyone else by the super rich!!! :mad: :grr:

[mvd]

68. The right has turned "freedom" into a 1984-type word

Freedom to them means freedom to plunder, screw everyone but the super-rich, and to dictate. We will not back off either - and Koch will be forced to stop when the public is against them.

[stubtoe]

70. More media exposure of the Koch Bros is in order.

The Kochs, a Nazi Past, Oil and the Foundation of the Right

[Auntie Bush]

71. I don't blame the Koch brothers of wanting to get rid of unions.

With all the people they employ...look at the money they would save on payroll if they got rid of all those greedy union employees and hired some cheap replacements...probably without health insurance, weekends off, or holidays etc. Then with no regulation they can pollute our air as they see fit...then leave the scene without any clean up. Man...they could save millions...maybe even billions. Name one corporation who wouldn't want that opportunity. Just think...we'll have corporate America if we don't already.

[vssmith]

88. Let us hope they don't blame us for trying to stick it to them--it's just business

[Crunchy Frog]

72. The billionaires are the real victims in all of this.

The prank phone call was an act of persecution against them.

[DeadEyeDyck]

73. Rec

[Doctor_J]

74. These gutless pigs need to put some skin in the game

fucking cowards.

[Kablooie]

75. Their support for FREEDOM! YES! Their freedom to eliminate the right to organize! Hooray!

My freedom's much more important than your freedom because I'm super rich!

[emulatorloo]

87. Their freedom to pollute, their freedom from paying taxes

Their freedom to destroy the rest of us.

[defendandprotect]

77. Now that they're fully exposed, we should continue to fight them -- and their money ...

long used for mischief and overturning of our democracy/people's government!!

Everything the right wing has and does is bought and paid for --

from the GOP giving start up funds for the Christian Coalition to the "pro-lifers"

who hired patients from Methadone clinics to protest at women's clinics -- to today's

T-BAGGERS --

All of the right wing think tanks --

GOP/NRA agenda polluted to target liberals and moderates in both Dem and Repug party --

And right wing members of Congress were subsidized -- their campaigns funded by CIA

money -- and CIA took money from any right wing source -- including KKK and Nazis.

Two members of Congress we have learned about were Sen. Strom Thurmond and Rep. Gerald Ford.

Pat Buchanan also got CIA money. No wonder our politics haven't made sense in more than

50-60 years!

And then there are the GOP voting computers -- how have let that go on so long?

Did we expect the Dems to remove them or do something about our election situation after

2000? Well, I did--!! :blush:

[unkachuck]

80. kick and Sieg Heil!....n/t

[Blandocyte]

81. I, for one, welcome our new corporate masters

Just saying.

:sarcasm:

[Beartracks]

83. Eh, "support for freedom"? OH!!!! He must mean...

... like the freedom to negotiate a fair wage?

:sarcasm:

Just more classic Koch. :eyes:

---------------------------

[Enthusiast]

85. I sometimes wonder

if their actions aren't designed to provoke a violent reaction. You know, so they could use 'their' Patriot Act against us.

[goforit]

86. Koch Bros= Gadhafi

[alfredo]

89. We need the Kochs to be more public in their anti American activites.

Let's make them the face of Corporate fascism.

[underpants]

90. I haven't SEEN THEM in Wisconsin

I have seen the people they hire but not them personally

in fact we haven't seen them anywhere for a while.