They don’t expect sympathy, but the billionaire Koch brothers, on every Democratic hate list for funding anti-Obama groups, are saying ‘Enough!”
Their “had it up to here” moment came this week when they were held out as the reason Democrats wanted to pass the Disclose Act, which would require outside campaign groups to publicly list donors over $10,000. It failed.
During the debate, Sens. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Dick Durban of Illinois all assailed the brothers as evil for planning to spend up to $400 million via GOP interest groups like Americans for Prosperity to beat President Obama. Lautenberg went so far as to highlight the products Koch makes its money off producing and selling, hinting at a boycott.
Now the owners of Koch Industries, such as Georgia-Pacific, and makers of consumer goods including Stainmaster rugs, Dixie Cups and Angel Soft toilet paper, are directly taking on their critics in a rare assault for the reclusive brothers, David and Charles Koch.
In a statement and in documents provided to Secrets, the two are putting Koch workers in Illinois, New Jersey and Michigan on notice that their senators are threatening their jobs by calling out the products Koch makes in their states. The global giant employs 113 workers in New Jersey, 400 in Michigan and 600 in Illinois.
In a statement they urged the Democrats to “cease their irresponsible and reckless attacks against Koch, its 50,000 U.S. employees.” They also raised the ante, suggesting that the president and Democrats have created a Nixonian “enemies list” with the brothers at the top, ironic since Lautenberg claims he was on the Nixon list.
Koch also said that the “attacks are just the latest in the ongoing orchestrated campaign against Koch by the Obama administration, the Democratic party, and its allies, who oppose the Kochs’ longstanding 50-plus year advocacy for individual liberty, limited government, and economic freedom.”
