Gov. Christie and David Koch in Cahoots? It's Time to Subpoena the Committee for Our Children's Futu

[WillyT]

Gov. Christie and David Koch in Cahoots? It's Time to Subpoena the Committee for Our Children's Future
By Greg Palast - Truthout
Thursday, 16 January 2014 11:26

<snip>

Far more insidious, more corrosive and dangerous than the Governor of New Jersey playing traffic warden is the story of Gov. Chris Christie's secret meetings with a gaggle of billionaires - and the legality of the spending by the front organization set up following these hidden hugger-muggers.

In 2012, a tax-exempt "social welfare organization" called Committee for Our Children's Future, CCF, ran a series of TV ads telling America that Governor Christie has performed more miracles in New Jersey than Jesus did with loaves and fish. The New York Times found some old college chums who said they set up the "Children's" crusade for Christie. But the ads cost about $6 million. The Times didn't ask how Christie's buddies, not wealthy guys, found the six big ones.

But CCF was not started in 2012. When I heard "Children's Future," my nose started twitching. I smelled Koch.

The whiff of sulfur took me back to seven thick investigation binders nearly two decades old - each one marked "KOCH." In Volume 3, I found it: CCF - Campaign for Our Children's Future.

Just days before the 1996 election, "Campaign for our Children's Future," previously unheard of, paid for some of the most vicious smear ads ever run. The nasty blast, disseminated in coordination with a mysterious operation called "Citizens United," accused one Democrat of associating with a child molester (false), another of being "a Jewess" (true) and so on.

Most of the 29 targeted Democrats, blindsided and unable to swing at the phantom "Children" and "Citizens," were creamed. The result, to everyone's surprise, was that the Republicans kept control of Congress.

<snip>

More: http://truth-out.org/news/item/21258-gov-christie-and-david-koch-in-cahoots-its-time-to-subpoena-the-committee-for-our-childrens-future

[WillyT]

1. Kick !!!

[starroute]

2. More on the Coalition for Our Children's Future

I don't know whether Palast is right that the similarity of names means the recent group is also a Koch brothers operation, but the events of 1996 are very relevant to what's going on today. In particular, the bits I've highlighted below suggest that what the phony "IRS scandal" is really about is setting up front groups to use the anonymity afforded to non-profit organizations as a basis for stealth operations.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19971102&slug=2569871

November 2, 1997

Senate investigators have pieced together evidence of a web of nonprofit groups, political consultants and wealthy conservatives who secretly intervened to help dozens of Republicans in last year's elections. ... The GOP action was carried out in extreme secrecy, using the anonymity afforded nonprofit organizations. The law allows such groups to engage in issue advertising so long as they don't advocate election or defeat of a particular candidate. The law also allows them to collect unlimited amounts of money without disclosing who gave it or how it is spent. ...

Five people familiar with the Coalition for Our Children's Future, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave a picture of how the nonprofit network operated. The coalition was formed May 30, 1995, at the behest of Haley Barbour, then chairman of the Republican National Committee. ... After airing almost $4 million in television ads promoting the Balanced Budget Amendment, the coalition fell dormant in early 1996, after Republicans had been battered by the shutdown of the government.

But that summer the group was revived by Robert Odell Jr., a Republican political consultant. He had been approached by Denis Calabrese, a Houston GOP consultant, who brought a client with money to contribute to political causes. Calabrese's client was the Economic Education Trust, which at about the same time was giving $2.8 million to two other politically active nonprofits, Citizens for Reform and the Citizens for the Republic Education Fund.

Senate investigators believe the trust is linked to Koch Industries, a Kansas-based oil company owned by David and Charles Koch. The two men have been generous to conservative and libertarian politicians and causes. A Koch spokesman refused comment. The trust contributed an estimated $700,000 to the Coalition for Our Children's Future, used to buy issue ads attacking 11 Democrats seeking U.S. and state House seats. Secrecy was extraordinary. In August, Odell asked coalition director Barry Bennett to sign an oath promising not to reveal the donor's name.

[WillyT]

3. Thank You For That !!!

[starroute]

4. Denis Calabrese is still around and still working for Koch interests

These days he's mostly involved with Tea Party affairs, and a couple of years ago he showed up as a spokesperson for James O'Keefe after the Mary Landrieu incident. But he still seems to be operating on behalf of the Koch brothers, who were behind so much of the astroturf Tea Party movement. (See, for example, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-zuesse/final-proof-the-tea-party_b_4136722.html)

http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2011/07/koch-brother-sock-puppet-show-hits-road.html

July 10, 2011

With the help of several friends and allies, we now find that the Koch Brothers Sock Puppet Show is on the road again, this time interfering with the {Wisconsin} recall elections.

Greg Sargent tripped the whole thing with this article showing that John Buckstaff, the fake Democrat in the race is actually a Republican backer and has donated money to Randy Randy "Bed" Hopper. Furthermore, Sargent tells us that a flyer that they've been distributing telling people to vote for Buckstaff is aimed at getting Republican voters to cross over in the primary and shut the real Democrat, Jessica King, out of the race immediately.

Also remarkable about Sargent's findings is that the flyer is paid for by a group called "Patriot Advisors." And this is where we go into the same sordid incestuous intermingling that the Koch Brothers are known for. Patriot Advisors is headed up by Tim Dunn and Denis Calabrese.

Calabrese, the former Chief of Staff for Dick Armey, is also on the director of the Sam Adams Alliance, yet another Koch Brother front group and money chute. This Sam Adams Alliance also funnels the Koch dollars to other groups like Americans For Prosperity and the Franklin Center for Public and Government Integrity*. ... Just to be clear, the Sam Adams Alliance, Patriot Advisors and Franklin Center are all Koch-funded groups with incestuous ties to each other.

[WillyT]

5. Thanks Again !!!

[WillyT]

6. Kick !!!

[cantbeserious]

7. Thank You For Sharing

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[WillyT]

8. Anytime...