October 14, 2010 11:02 AM UTC

The Kochtopus Has You Pwnd!

• 4 Comments
• by: ardy39

Subtitle: You’re not an activist in the tea party wing of the Republican Party. You are a pawn of the Kochtopus!

Or: “This is a grassroots citizens’ movement brought to you by a bunch of oil billionaires.” *

Or even: Looks like somebody needs a refresher.



What is the Kochtopus? Defined and coined and even despised by some libertarians.

If you recall, billionaire anarcho-libertarian oil tycoon David Koch (of Koch Industries, AKA “The biggest company you’ve never heard of”, AKA one of the top 10 toxic air polluters in the world), while taking credit for starting and funding the front group Americans For Prosperity, has denied that he is in anyway connected to the tea party wing of the Republican Party. Indeed, recently he told New York magazine:

“I’ve never been to a tea-party event. No one representing the tea party has ever even approached me.” [emphasis added]

You’re surprised that this claim is a lie, right?

No? Well what if I told you that back in April the Kochs also claimed:

“… no funding has been provided by Koch companies, the Koch Foundations, Charles Koch or David Koch specifically to support the tea parties.” (see video below)

OK, no more jokes. You’re right. Not only are these claims false (guffaw, more feigned surprise), but there is video evidence (below) that he was briefed about his funding of tea parties at an AFP convention in Virginia on October 3, 2010. Enthusiastic minions from 25 state chapters breathlessly informed Koch of their astro-turfing on his behalf.

“… we helped organize huge tea parties all throughout [California] …” (0:48)

“… we have led the largest tea party in the state …” (1:05)

“… the largest tax day tea party in the nation [in Georgia] …” (1:08)

“… we’ve held 29 tea parties …” (1:13)

“… we’ve organized dozens of tea parties …” (1:17)

“… we had over 9,000 Colorado activists attend the Patients First bus tour …” (1:38)

“… Mr. Chairman, our grassroots efforts are engaged …” (2:27)

Etc.

[Times indicate locations for these passages found in the video below.]

When informed of all this, what was David Koch’s response? He clapped.

“This is a phenomenal success, in my judgment.” (1:20)

So you think you’re going to change the world with those tea bags stapled to your hat?

Pwnd!

Not this year. You are just being used by the paranoid sons of the paranoid Fred Koch to ensure that the Kochtopus can continue thriving on government subsidies while poisoning your air. If this is what gets your rocks off, well ok, go nuts (pun only partially unintended).

If you want to make the world safe for the Kochtopus, then go ahead and staple another teabag to your cap. If, on the other hand, you want to work towards making America a better place for real people, you can start by thinking for yourself. Learn who is playing you since you’ve willingly allowed yourself to be a sucker. Work to level the playing field so that you become less of a sucker. At the same time, you’ll become more attractive to members of the opposite sex.

Here’s the promised video. Note the numerous signs and t-shirts with Americans For Prosperity emblazoned thereon. Note the bus. Note how the earnest people at the end of the clip sound much like the shills that frequent CO Pols.

This video segment is from the an upcoming documentary (Astro) Turf Wars: How Corporate America Faked a Grassroots Revolution.

.

*The quote in the alternate subtitle is from David Axelrod, as reported by Jane Mayer in The New Yorker.

h/t DeSmogBlog