Saturday 23 October 2010

The secret meetings of Koch Industries revealed: Plotting the Republican victory and the corporate domination of America


As a person who writes for a blog which is sometimes accused of promoting the "conspiracy theory" that Sarah Palin is not the biological mother of Trig, it's refreshing for me to see the REAL conspiracies exposed. But these do not concern that birth of a baby in Alaska. These are the plans which are plotted by the rich and powerful, in order to maximize wealth and power. The plans that the general public or Sarah Palin courted "little guy" doesn't usually hear about.

So we are incredibly grateful to "Think Progress" who have obtained and analyzed a document that proves how Koch Industries uses their vast resources in order to ensure the Republican victory in the 2010 elections and secretly "rallies the troops" in business, politics and media. This document makes it blatantly obvious that the "elites" are in fact the ones who are pulling the strings, when at the same time the Republican "stars" like Palin and Beck try to blame the "elites" for the current economic problems - the DEMOCRATIC elites, of course. This is all just a huge scam, and these new revelations are hugely embarrassing for everybody involved.

And the "little guy" is the last thing these people care about.

Other media outlets report this story as well, for example Salon, Huffington Post and The New York Times. However, it's not my impression that this story is real "frontpage news" - which is a mistake, as it's in my opinion one of the biggest scandals we have heard about this year.

It is already known that Koch Industries organize regular meetings in order to influence politics, as Think Progress writes:

"In 2006, Koch Industries owner Charles Koch revealed to the Wall Street Journal’s Stephen Moore that he coordinates the funding of the conservative infrastructure of front groups, political campaigns, think tanks, media outlets and other anti-government efforts through a twice annual meeting of wealthy right-wing donors."

However, the details of these meetings were not public. This has now changed:

"While the Koch brothers — each worth over $21.5 billion — have certainly underwritten much of the right, their hidden coordination with other big business money has gone largely unnoticed.
ThinkProgress has obtained a memo outlining the details of the last Koch gathering held in June of this year. The memo, along with an attendee list of about 210 people, shows the titans of industry — from health insurance companies, oil executives, Wall Street investors, and real estate tycoons — working together with conservative journalists and Republican operatives to plan the 2010 election, as well as ongoing conservative efforts through 2012.
According to the memo, David Chavern, the number two at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Fox News hate-talker Glenn Beck also met with these representatives of the corporate elite. In an election season with the most undisclosed secret corporate giving since the Watergate-era, the memo sheds light on the symbiotic relationship between extremely profitable, multi-billion dollar corporations and much of the conservative infrastructure. The memo describes the prospective corporate donors as “investors,” and it makes clear that many of the Republican operatives managing shadowy, undisclosed fronts running attack ads against Democrats were involved in the Koch’s election-planning event."

I believe in the power of documents, and this memo, which can be downloaded HERE, is incredibly powerful, as it completely exposes the secretive Koch Brothers, their strategies and the network which they have "accumulated."

Right at the beginning of the document, Koch Industries make it clear that they are on a mission, and they are announcing the next meeting to be held in Palm Springs in January 2011:


"If not us, who? If not now, when?"

Memo 1

Memo 2

Conveniently, Koch Industries explain exactly what their "Goals & Missions" are - and don't forget about "confidentiality and security":

"In order to understand issues and develop strategies more effectively, the proceedings of these meetings are confidential. The meetings are closed to the public, including media. Please be mindful of the security and confidentiality of your meeting notes and materials."

Well, dear Koch brothers, I guess that somebody didn't follow your instructions this time.


Memo 3

Then follows the agenda of the previous meeting in Aspen in June 2010, where in a plush environment the strategy for the elections in November was discussed in great detail:


Memo 4

Memo 5


Memo 6


Memo 7



Memo 8



Memo 9



Memo 10



Memo 11


Then follows another fascinating piece of information - Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas were "featured" at previous meetings:

Memo 12

How can this be reconciled with the fact that Scalia and Thomas were also involved in the landmark decision "Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, in which the Supreme Court was holding that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited under the First Amendment?

The list of attendees at the meeting in Aspen in June 2010 is long, and is a clear indication of the immense power which is behind these meetings: Business leaders are secretly meeting with the leaders of "front groups" as well as with journalists, for example from Fox News (Glenn Beck, Nancy Pfotenhauer), the conservative outlets National Review and Weekly Standard and Charles Krauthammer from the Washington Post. I don't believe that any journalist who attends such a secret meeting would be capable of "independent" reporting, and the involvement of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas in earlier meetings is even worse.


Name(s)

Industry

Notes

Jack and Rose Marie Anderson

Finance

Culver Corp, Rose Marie and Jack R. Anderson Foundation- Financial Advisor

Neil Anderson and Amy Fisher-Smith

Runs Rose Marie and Jack R. Anderson Foundation

Phil and Nancy Anschutz

Investment

Industrialist, Owner, Weekly Standard, Examiner newspapers

Cliff Asness

Investment

AQR Capital Management

Nate and Lynda Bachman

Finance

The Bachman Group-Financial Advisor

Whitney Ball

Think Tank

Owner of a firm that helps corporations give anonymous gifts to front groups

Michael Barone

Media

Fox News

Frank and Kathy Baxter

Banking

Ambassador Frank E. Baxter is Chairman Emeritus of Jefferies and Company, Inc., a global investment bank focusing on mid-cap companies.

Steve and Betty Bechtel

Engineering

Owns the Bechtel Group (Corporation), Largest engineering company in United States

Glenn Beck

Media

Fox News

Bernard and Margaret Blasingame

Manufacturing

President and owner of Aqua Dynamics Systems, Inc

Alan and Lisa Boeckmann

Oil

CEO Fluor Corporation

Boysie Bollinger

Shipping/Commerce

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Bollinger Shipyards

Patrick and Paula Broe

Real Estate

Founder and CEO of Denver-based real estate asset management firm, The Broe Group

Arthur Brooks

Think Tank

President, American Enterprise Institute

David and Ann Brown

Think Tank

Heritage Foundation

John Bryan

Bob and Martha Buford

Oil

C. Robert Buford has been President and owner of Zenith Drilling Corporation

Tim Busch

Shelby and Nell Bush

Energy

Vice President, Legal and Administration – Hillwood Energy

Tim Carney

Media

Political Columnist, Washington Examiner

Charlies and Marla Chandler

David Chavern

Lobbyist

Executive Vice President and COO at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

John Childs

Insurance

Chairman and CEO of J.W. Childs and Associates

Paul and Lea Clifton

Runs Robert and Marie Hansen Family Foundation

Susie Coelhoe

Media

founder and CEO of Susie Coelho Enterprises Inc.

Bill Cooper and Kristin Tollefson

Finance/Banking

CEO of TCF Financial

Dino and Joan Cortopassi

Joe Craft

Coal

Joseph W. Craft III is president, chief executive officer and director of Alliance Resource Partners LP

Alex Cranberg

Energy

Aspect Holdings, LLC – Chairman

Jeff Crank

Americans For Prosperity / Radio Pundit

AFP State Director

Karl Crow

Policy Analyst

Capital Research Center

Eric Crown and Isabella King

Technology Sales

Sell Technology Equipment

Kevin Crutchfield

Coal

Kevin S. Crutchfield serves as Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Coal Sales Co., LLC.

Ravenell and Beth Curry

Jim and Shirley Dannenbaum

Engineering

Mr. Dannenbaum, Chairman of Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation

Veronique de Rugy

Think Tank

Senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center

Rich and Helen DeVos

Business

Founder and CEO of Amway

Annie Dickerson

Business

CBRE analyst

Ned and Nancy Diefenthal

Jim and Dorothy Patterson

Oil

Gulf Stream Petroleum

Dan and Kellie Peters

Non-for Profit

Daniel S. Peters is president of the Ruth and Lovett Peters Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio

Tom Petrie

Banking

Co-founder of BofA Merrill Lynch Petrie Divestiture Advisors

Dixon and Carol Doll

Technology

Co-Founder and General Partner of DCM

Karl and Stevie Eller

Advertising

Ron and Kris Erickson

Retail

Ronald A. Erickson is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Holiday Companies

Melvyn and Suellen Estrin

Natural Gas

Director of WGL Holdings INC

Dick Farmer

Peter Farrell

Biomed

Founder of Resmed

Bob Kohlhepp

Manufacturing/Services

Vice Chairman, Cintas Corp.

Charles Krauthammer

Media

Washington Post

Jim and Zibbie Ferrell

Fuel Oil

Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. engages in the distribution and sale of propane and related equipment primarily in the United States.

Dave Fettig

Natural Gas

Tank Craft, Duracraft Fuel energy

Bob Fettig

Natural Gas

Tank Craft, Duracraft Fuel energy

Steve Fettig

Natural Gas

Tank Craft, Duracraft Fuel energy

Jerry and Nanette Finger

Banking

Managing Partner, Finger Interests LTD

Richard Fink

Koch Industries

Director of Georgia-Pacific, EVP of Koch Industries

Budd and Lauri Florkiewicz

Manufacturing

Foam Fabricators

Charlie and Kaye Lynn Fote

Finance

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fotec Group LLC

Randy and Jean Foutch

Oil

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Laredo Petroleum, Inc.

Foster Friess

Investment

Mr. Foster Stephen Friess is the Founder and Chairman of Friess Associates, LLC

Steve and Polly Friess

Jerry and Leah Fullinwider

Energy/Petroleum

Vice Chairman, Hillwood International Energy, L.P.

Richard and Leslie Gilliam

Coal

Richard Gilliam has been President of Cumberland Resources Corporation since 1993.

Susan Gore

Think Tank

Founder, Wyoming Liberty Group

Oliver and Carolyn Grace Jr.

Med and Telecom

President and chief executive officer of Anderson Group, Inc.,

Judson and Joyce Green

Energy and Med

Mr. Judson C. Green is the President and Chief Executive Officer of NAVTEQ Corp.

Ken and Anne Griffin

Investment Banking

Founder and CEO of Citadel Investment Group

Gretchen Hamel

Fred and Jane Hamilton

Oil

Mr. Frederic C. Hamilton served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of BHP Petroleum, Hamilton Oil Company and various Hamilton Oil Corporation subsidiaries and affiliates

Bob and Mary Sue Hawk

Communications

President of Hawk Communications

Dick and Ethie Haworth

Retail

Head of Haworth Furniture, Multi-national corporation, 3rd largest corporate furniture company in US

Robin and Barbara Hayes

Government

Former NC Congressman

Dan and Carolyn Heard

Manufacturing

Executive Officer of John H. Carter Co.,

Diane Hendricks

Manufacturing

Husband of Ken Hendricks

Steve and Regina Hennessy

Auto Sales

Auto Sales

James and Heather Higgins

Think Tank

Independent Women’s Forum

Paul Hill

Oil

Paul J. Hill serves as the Chief Executive Officer and has been President of Harvard Developments Inc. since 1978. Mr. Hill serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President of The Hill Companies.

John and Joan Hotchkis

Education

Board of Directors for Teach for America UC Berkley

Allan and Kathy Hubbard

Chemicals and Manufacturing

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, E & A Industries, Inc.

Stan and Karen Hubbard

Communications

Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc.

Ethelmae Humphreys

Think Tank

Cato Institute

Manley and Mary Johnson

Political Consultant

Merritt Johnson

Gerry and Priscilla O’Shaughnessy

Oil

Gerald Eugene O’Shaughnessy Co-founded Geopark Holding Limited in 2002.

Michael O’Shaunessy

Technology

Petters Consumer Brands, LLC develops consumer electronics and appliances.

Tim O’Shaughnessy

Media

Hungry Machine, Inc., doing business as LivingSocial.com, is a social discovery and cataloging network.

Marshall Johnson

Kyle and Kirsten Johnstone

Mike and Beth Kasser

Real Estate

President, Holualoa Inc

Ken and Randy Kendrick

Education/Technology

Chairman, Datatel

Phil and Joanna Kerpen

Advocacy Group/Think Tank

VP of Policy, Americans for Prosperity

Gerry and Kathryn Kingen

Restauranteur

Red Robin, Happy Guests Int’ll

Scott Kirkpatrick

Investor

Teton Capital

Charles and Liz Koch

Koch Industries

Chase and Annie Koch

Koch Industries

David and Julia Koch

Koch Industries

Elizabeth Koch

Koch Industries

Bob and Cindy Koch

Koch Industries

Bob Kohlhepp

Manufacturing/Services

Vice Chairman, Cintas Corp.

Dennis Kuester

Banking

Retired CEO of M&I Bank

Andrew Kupersmith

Consultant

MD, Cardiology Consultants

Andre Lacy

Investment

Chairman, Lacy Diversified Industries

Ken and Elaine Langone

Retail

Invemed, Home Depot

Jay and Sally Lapeyre

Services

Laitram Corp

Ken and Frayda Levy

Investment

JLM Investment Mgmt

Tom Love

Retail

CEO, President, Love’s Country Stores

Bob Luddy

Manufacturing

President, Captive Aire Systems

Fred and Marlene Malek

Investment Management

Thayer Capital Partners

Elaine Marshall

Homemaker

Pierce Marshall

Administrative Management

MAROPCO

Preston Marshall

Bill Mayer

Health Care

MD, Mayer & Cope Family Practice

Glen and Diane Meakem

Business Solutions

CEO, Freemarkets Inc.

Ed Meese

Think Tank

Heritage Foundation

Lew and Suzy Meibergen

Goods/Services

President, Johnston Enterprises/WG Johnston Grain Co

Don and Deede Meyers

Attorney

Self Employed

Jerry and Caroline Milbank

Investment Management

CEO/Principal, Milbank Winthrop & Co.

Jack and Goldie Miller

Retail

CEO/President, Quill Corp.

Mark Mix

Advocacy Group

President, National Right to Work Committee

Joe and Mary Moeller

Koch Industries

Vice Chairman

Steve Moore

Media

member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board

David Murfin

Energy

President, Murfin Drilling Co.

Walter and Suzette Negley

Mina Nguyen

Larry and Polly Nichols

Energy

Executive Chairman, Devon Energy Corp

Sean Noble

Front Group

Americans for Prosperity

Tim and Teresa Oelke

Advocacy Group/Construction

Teresa – State Director of Americans for Prosperity, Tim – Crossland Construction Corp

Eric O’Keefe

Front Group

Sam Adams Alliance

Kurt and Nancy Pfotenhauer

Media

President of MediaSpeak Strategies/former political commentator on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC and former Senior Policy Advisor and National Spokesperson with the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign

Tim Phillips

Advocacy Group

president, Americans for Prosperity

Ramesh Ponnuru

Media

National Review magazine

Art and Kathy Pope

Goods/Services

Senior Exec, Variety Wholesaler

Russ Roberts

Attorney

Roberts, Ashby & Parrish

Corbin and Barbara Robertson

Energy

President, Quintana Minerals Corp

Richard Roder and Karin Hsu

Construction Management

CEO, Cmt-Construction Management

Gary and Kathleen Rogers

Goods

Former CEO, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream

Durk Rorie

Manufacturing

United Air Specialists

Chris Rufer

Goods/Manufacturing

Morningstar Company

Peter Schiff and Martha O’Brien

Investor

Schiff: Euro Pacific Capital Inc.,

Steve and Christine Schwarzman

Financial Services

CEO/founder, Blackstone Group

Rick and Sherry Sharp

Retail

Former CEO, Circuit City

Mike and Lin Simmonds

Services

CEO, Simmonds Restaurant Mgmt

Peter Smith

Services

CEO, Service Group of America

Dick Strong

Investment Services

Strong/Corneliuson Capital Mgmt

Michael Sullivan

Investment Services

CR Intrinsic Investors

Ray and Ladeline Thompson

Manufacturing

President/CEO, Semitool

Lynn Tilton

Investment Management

CEO, Patriarch Partners LLC

Dave and Melanie True

Oil

Partner

Steve Twist

Consultant

Rose & Allyn PR Consultants

Jim and Gayla Von Ehr

Research/Development

CEO, Zyvex Corp

Rick and Debra Waller

Manufacturing

Owner, Rollmeister Inc

Peter Wallison

Think Tank

Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Bill and Sarah Walton

Real Estate

Allied Capital Corp

Lew and Myra Ward

Oil

Ward Petroleum Corporation owns and operates wells. It engages in oil and gas exploration and production. The company was founded in 1963 and is based in Enid, Oklahoma.

Dick Weekley

Real Estate

Weekley Properties

Fred and Susie Wehba

Real Estate

Bentley Forbes Real Estate

Nestor Weigand and Darcy Buehler

Real Estate

JP Weigand & Sons Real Estate

Dick and Mary Beth Weiss

Life Insurance

Wells Fargo, Hawthorne Rances

Howard and Rhonda Wilkins

Insurance

Diversified Insurance

Don and Sue Wills

Oil

Bob Kohlhepp

Manufacturing/Services

Vice Chairman, Cintas Corp.

Bob Kohlhepp

Manufacturing/Services

Vice Chairman, Cintas Corp.

Larry and Lorraine Winnerman

Real Estate

Win Win Enterprises

Joe Woodford

Earl Wright

Finance

AMG Natinal Trust

Karen Wright and Tom Rastin

Energy/Manufacturing

Tom Rastin, vice president of marketing and engineering, Ariel Corp – Karen Wright, Ariel CEO

Cliff and Susan Yonce

Investment Banking

Goldman Sachs

Fred and Sandra Young

Services

Diversified Search, LLC provides senior-level executive and corporate board search services in the United States and internationally. It provides recruitment services for various organizations in consumer and industrial, education, not-for-profit, arts and culture, financial and professional services, business, healthcare and human services, life sciences, media and entertainment, sports and leisure, energy and utilities, private equity, retail, and technology and communications industries.


It's also especially interesting to see that Fred Malek, who is one of the people pulling the strings in the background for Sarah Palin, has attended the event in June 2010.

There are of course many more connections to Sarah Palin: For example, Glenn Beck, Bill Kristol's Weekly Standard and of course Fox News in general are firmly on Sarah Palin's side.

It's fascinating to see the scale of these meetings, which the public never really knew about. The Koch brothers must spend a fortune. But it's certainly worth it: If everything goes according to plan, then the top 3% of the population will make a nice cut, and maybe they can get rid of some of these pesky regulations, so that they can pollute the environment even more (their ambitious goal is to get rid of 90% of all regulations).

The Koch brothers are in fact "political businessmen", as is now more obvious than ever.

And where is the "little guy" in this plan?

He can worship Sarah Palin and watch Glenn Beck and listen to Rush Limbaugh. It's not certain that he will have social security or healthcare, but only evil liberals want these kind of things anyway, not the "real Americans."

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I would like to include again the clip I made about the Koch brothers:



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