April 03, 2012 12:28 AM UTC

We've Seen It All: The 1% IS The 99%, Says Front Group For 1%

• 5 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Magnificent, truly magnificent chutzpah from the well-funded Americans for Prosperity:

Americans for Prosperity-Colorado on April 4 will hold a “Give Red Tape a Rest” rally to coincide with an Environmental Protection Agency-organized mining conference in Denver. AFP-CO believes the agency’s rogue regulators and biased scientists are destroying jobs, driving-up energy costs, crippling America’s competitiveness and contributing to the country’s economic crisis.

Recent rules targeting coal-fired power plants are the latest in a long list of EPA regulatory excesses, according to AFP-CO, which will cost Coloradans jobs and contribute to already-skyrocketing energy costs. The agency relies on biased, agenda-driven “science” and “scientists” to bolster its actions, the group says, pointing to the shoddy work the agency did investigating alleged water well contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming – as well as the agency’s decision to provide a prime speaking spot at the April 4 conference to Boulder-based Stratus Consulting, a hired gun for extreme environmental groups…

As a reminder, Sourcewatch:

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a group fronting special interests started by oil billionaire David Koch [Pols emphasis] and Richard Fink (a member of the board of directors of Koch Industries). AFP has been accused of funding astroturf operations but also has been fueling the “Tea Party” efforts. AFP’s messages are in sync with those of other groups funded by the Koch Family Foundations and the Koch’s other special interest groups that work against progressive or Democratic initiatives and protections for workers and the environment.

That’s what makes it so ironic, Americans for Prosperity replies!

Some participants will also be wearing red tape handcuffs in order to drive the point home. AFP-CO is also billing the event as “Occupy EPA,” taking a page from the progressive playbook by highlighting how “1 percent” of politicians and unelected bureaucrats impose a job- and opportunity-killing regulatory regime on “99 percent” of the American people. [Pols emphasis]

Folks, it’s either the greatest act of Karl Rovian doublespeak in recent memory, or it’s the biggest joke that can possibly be made of the whole “1% vs. 99%” meme. We’re kind of thinking it will go down in history as the latter, and not in a way that ingratiates AFP, its backers, or its agenda with actual voters. It’s an idea so downright offensively wacky, like Billionaires for Bush except for real, that it should have never made it out of the brainstorming session.

On the other hand, “Koch Brothers Occupy EPA” wouldn’t be nearly as captivating a headline.