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The Spectacle Blog

High on (Conspiracy Theories About) Koch

By John Tabin on 2.25.11 @ 4:41PM

Madison, Wisconsin -- As I noted yesterday, the protestors here are obsessed with the Koch brothers. (Obsessed enough that most of them even know how to pronounce their name, which sounds like "coke," not like the more phonetically intuitive pronunciation favored by former New York Mayor Ed Koch.) Yesterday afternoon a bunch of them migrated from the capitol to the office building where the lobbying firm Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC has an office.

As I said yesterday, it's been reported that this office just opened -- the Capitol Times sources that to "an unidentified tenant" of the building -- but it's worth noting that disclosure documents indicate that a Koch lobbyist had an office on the eighth floor of the building in 2009; the newer office on the seventh floor probably reflects that the firm has expanded to seven lobbyists from the five they had in 2009, hence larger office space (I left a message to confirm this but they may be ignoring calls from the media these days).

Koch Industries employs about 3000 people in Wisconsin; their interest in influencing legislation and regulation there is nothing new. The conspiracy theory among the protestors is that Governor Walker's budget includes provisions to sell state-owned power plants to private companies on a no-bid basis, and these power plants must be going to the Kochs. But Koch Industries has said they "have no interest in purchasing any of the state owned power plants in Wisconsin and any allegations to the contrary are completely false."

Robert Costa talked to Koch executive Richard Fink yesterday; "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," he said.

More pictures after the jump.

Classy!

And while it would be unfair to hold this against the protestors as a group, I'll just note that, as with most left-wing protests, one of these guys showed up:

View all comments (36) | Leave a comment

Ellis Wyatt| 2.25.11 @ 4:49PM

Is that last picture Alex Jones looking for Charlie Sheen?

Dixie Pixie| 2.25.11 @ 10:22PM

Just a quick question Ellis.
Were you referring to the Police or the Wookiee.

On a completely unrelated matter::::
http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesom.....ookieleaks

Alan Brooks| 2.26.11 @ 9:22PM

The conspiracy sign at the bottom foreground is a Communist, Workers World-influenced sort written sloppily to make it seem more folksy. In big cities they use stencil, in college bubble towns stencil would appear too squaresville.

Clint| 2.25.11 @ 4:58PM

More Unemployed Theater Arts Majors looking for an audience.

Curly| 2.25.11 @ 6:04PM

Too bad these clowns aren't more interested in the nefarious actions of George Soros.

Curly| 2.25.11 @ 6:06PM

The Left is full of dirtbags and slime balls--what's new?

Dixie Pixie| 2.25.11 @ 7:03PM

I have always wondered why the Liberals assume there is a mastermind behind the Conservatives.
I for one, had never heard of the Koch brothers.

For the Liberals to assume the Koch brothers are a threat then there must be a Liberal mastermind who is threatened by them.
Unfortunately there is a surplus of Liberal masterminds and would be masterminds.
Pelosi,Soros,Stern and the list goes on and on.

That is why the Liberals still can not believe the TEA Parties were wide-based and decentralized.
After all most of their friends are not.
Why else would they come up with the term "AstroTurf".

Dixie Pixie
Member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy
Dilettante, Third Class with Oak-Leaf Clusters.

Patriot| 2.25.11 @ 8:38PM

David Axelrod is one of the architects who pioneered the use of " pseudo-front groups known as astroturfing." Cynical, hypocritical Leftists don't know or understand true grass-roots activism. They're phonies.

Dixie Pixie| 2.25.11 @ 10:08PM

Greetings Patriot
If I have my history correct, "pseudo-front groups" date back to the Early Roman Republic.
Then there was no distinction between the Public and Private Sectors as they were all the same thing.
During that era, political power flowed to whoever could put the most men into the streets.
As a result "Rent a Mobs" was a common usage in politics.
Maybe someone with a better grasp of Early Roman History can explain it better than I can.

For the record, I was referring to Nancy Pelosi's comment deriding the TEA Parties as AstroTurf.
I was using the term to nail down my comment and to spur further thought.

Patriot| 2.25.11 @ 11:15PM

"Rent a mob" nails it. The democrats are pros at it. What chaps me is when they accuse us of their shady tactics.

"Projection is a pillar of Leftist thought."

Dixie Pixie| 2.25.11 @ 11:36PM

Greetings Patriot
And that thought would bring us back to the Meme of the Thread.
Who are the masterminds of the public sector riots and why are they using insults as a method of political discourse and disorder?

No one on the conservative side answers to the Koch Brothers.
Certainly not the Wisconsin legislature or governor.
So who does the "protesters" answer to?

Patriot| 2.26.11 @ 12:03AM

Marx.

Dixie Pixie| 2.26.11 @ 1:04AM

Greetings Patriot
!!!!Great answer!!!!
Neatly done too.

But I was thinking of someone with a corporeal existence.
What is Andy Stern doing this days.
Why is he continuing to meet with the White House daily when he is no longer a leader of the public sector unions.
AKA...SEIU....?

Patriot| 2.26.11 @ 4:47PM

Ken's right--they're just a bunch of Commies (no apologies here), nothing new under the sun. Stern's a skinny little weasel, too.

Osamas Pajamas| 2.25.11 @ 11:37PM

The artsy-fartsy crowd have a major case of twisted knickers.

Mike | 2.25.11 @ 11:37PM

John,

It's not a theory. In the 144 page bill is the provision to sell state owned power plants.

This effort to obfuscate is really amateurish, even by TAS standards.

Mike | 2.25.11 @ 11:42PM

P.S. Loved the photos. Nice way to divert the attention of the loyalists from the core issue. Not that I think they would have gotten the import of the substance of the issue any way.

Patriot| 2.25.11 @ 11:54PM

Please educate us on " ..the import of the substance of the issue" of which you speak, dear Yoda. You know you want to, insufferable tool.

Mike | 2.26.11 @ 12:22AM

Let us try it from the other direction, Patriot. I know you are dying to show us the following:
1. Why the collective bargaining rights of unions are in a budget bill when the unions agreed to concessions.
2. Why the sale of public power plants without legislative oversight and in a no bid process is in the bill.
3. Why the Koch brothers, who financed Walkers' campaign, found it necessary to hastily issue statements about the power plants when the sale provision came to light.
4. Why Walker's conversation with the prank caller shows that Walker has always been ethical.
5. And why none of the signs are plants ( you know, like the outrageous ones at the TEA parties were).

Patriot| 2.26.11 @ 5:08PM

You're the one making claims without proof; you have to put up or shut up, troll.

tj| 2.27.11 @ 10:58AM

Mike get with the program.. you people are going down and fast.

Patriot| 2.25.11 @ 11:58PM

What's that got to do with the Koch Brothers?
You'd be doing backflips if George Soros bought those power plants, hypocrite.

Mike | 2.26.11 @ 12:42AM

Patriot,
You have answered none of my questions.

Hint: George Soros is not a part of the answer to any of my questions.

Care to try again?

Dixie Pixie| 2.26.11 @ 1:21AM

OK...Mike....I will bite.
May the Moderator forgive me for feeding a Troll.

What part of the categorical denial did you not understand in the above Article.
The Koch Brothers deny any intent to buy any power plant.

So you must believe everyone is lying about everything.
Thus you are complaining about Wisconsin public authority giving up control of a private sector production facility in defiance of Socialistic / Marxist Theology.
Do I have the intent of your argument correctly?

Mike | 2.26.11 @ 8:43AM

Pixie,

Why was their ever a need for a categorical denial?

Dixie Pixie| 2.26.11 @ 1:29PM

Mike .... Because of people like you who can not accept the existence of any idea outside of their personal beliefs.

Kitty| 2.28.11 @ 8:36AM

Thank you!

Patriot| 2.26.11 @ 5:09PM

Put up or shut up, Mike.

Clint| 2.26.11 @ 10:07AM

Because The Mainstream Media Agendists Pimp The Liberal Socialist Agenda.

Parrot in the house| 2.26.11 @ 4:35PM

Love these NAZI parrots. Just wish they would recycle the older talking points. These are stale as Gingrich's first wife.

Clint| 2.26.11 @ 8:16PM

Angry American Taxpayers Far Outnumber Big Government Union Parasite Leeches.

"A new Rasmussen Reports poll showed 48 percent of likely voters agree with Walker.

According to the poll released Monday, 38 percent sided with the public employees. The survey of 1,000 likely voters was taken Feb. 18-19 and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

A national Clarus Poll released last week also found that 64 percent of voters think government workers should not have union representation. Just 29 percent said the opposite, in a survey of 1,001 registered voters taken Feb. 4-8.

And a Pew Research Center survey taken Feb. 2-7 found approval ratings for unions remain at historically low levels. The poll of 1,385 adults showed just 45 percent of people surveyed gave unions positive marks. The approval rating was comparable when people were asked how they feel about corporations. "