Koch stooges booed off stage in disastrous attempt to meddle in Montana’s Medicaid

[ashling]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/koch-stooges-booed-off-stage-in-disastrous-attempt-to-meddle-in-montanas-medicaid-debate/

State Rep. Frank Garner has refused to sign a blanket pledge against expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and Americans for Prosperity-Montana is campaigning against him and two other lawmakers — state Reps. Jeff Welborn and Tom Berry — who have done the same.

The Koch-sponsored group is blanketing their House districts with mailers that show each lawmaker’s face superimposed over a photograph of President Barack Obama.

****

“You have pissed me off,” one voter said. “Character assassination does not go down well in Montana. If he has to take a pledge then I want it to be the Pledge of Allegiance, because they don’t represent you, they represent me.”

*****

“Why did you call this a town hall meeting?” said voter Nathan Kosted. “I didn’t get an invite. I wish I’d been invited, because I want to know how we get the Koch Brothers out of politics. I want to know how we get you out of politics.”

[montanacowboy]

1. My God

is Montana finally waking up?

[freshwest]

2. I hope so. I know some who lived there who'd given up!

[Nay]

3. NOw, don't everybody get their hopes up. I was in Montana for 3 months last

summer visiting relatives and the place is still redder than hell. However, in a bit of a twist, many western states harbor the sort of RWer who doesn't like the govt OR ppl like the Kochs, so they'll rise up like this. It does NOT mean they are progressive, liberal, or anything like that. They still think that a poor person should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but that local farmers should get all the federal aid they need to keep their incomes up. My RW SIL actually was frothing at the mouth at "all the ppl on welfare in MT" -- well, there are about 7,000 Montanans out of 1 million on any kind of welfare, probably mostly families with kids, since individuals are usually thrown aside -- so she's full of shit, but that's never stopped her.

[IronLionZion]

4. A lot of people in western states don't like being told what to do

by anyone, whether its big government or big business outsiders. Billionaires from Kansas are usually welcome to go f themselves in Montana, based on my few visits.

[Delmette]

5. I am pleasantly surprised

Hurrah, for the brave folks in Kalispell and to Rep. Garner. Because of them perhaps more reasonable people will speakup. I am going to email Rep. Garner right now. He isn't from my district but that doesn' t matter.

[ErikJ]

6. Montana has a history of plutocratic bribery, William Clark bought Senate seat in 1899.

Are the Koch Brothers the New "Copper Kings"?

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/19569-are-the-koch-brothers-the-new-copper-kings

To understand the present, you have to understand the past, which brings us to the story of William A. Clark.

Clark was one of the so-called Montana “Copper Kings” of the 1800’s.

After making millions in the booming mining industry, and trying his hand in the electric, newspaper, banking, and railroad industries, Clark set his sights on political office.

Clark had always had a lifelong ambition of becoming an elected official, and of achieving the fame and power that came with it.

In 1899, Clark made a serious push to become a U.S. senator from Montana.

Back then, U.S. senators were chosen by their respective state legislators.

So one afternoon Clark walked into the Montana State Legislature, and announced that he would be standing in the back of the room, holding envelopes filled with thousand-dollar bills.

He said he’d give those envelopes to anyone who voted for him.

Enough legislators voted for him and took his money that Montana sent him to Washington, D.C. as their senator for the 1900 legislative session.

But Clark’s bribery scheme was so public and brazen that even the largely corrupt U.S. Senate was horrified. They refused to seat him after reading newspaper stories about his passing out thousand-dollar bills to get elected.

And it was the notoriety of Clark’s naked bribery attempt in Montana, well reported in newspapers across the country, that helped lead to the passage of the 17th Amendment, which says that U.S. senators are elected by the people instead of by state legislatures.

With all this notoriety, Clark quickly became public enemy number one in the early 1900’s.

...................................clip

[nikto]

7. Clark would probably have it made now, in our Citizen's United world where $$=Free speech

[ErikJ]

9. Yes. Gov. of Montana called Guilded Age Robber Barons "pikers"

compared to todays oligarchs. Kochs alone spending $1 billion in 2016 election

Montana Governor: Gilded Age robber barons ‘were pikers compared to what we’re doing now’
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/montana-governor-gilded-age-robber-baro

[healthnut7]

8. Not sure

I suspect that Kalispell being close to the Canadian border knows full well that Canadians have health care and probably would like to have the same. I think they looked forward to getting access to that and for the Koch Brothers to come in there and tell them their Representative was wrong for wanting that for them, would not have gone well. IMO of course. I'm glad they stood up to them! Wish more would kick them to the curb!!

[flygal]

10. Flathead (Kalispell) republicans made national news about 10 years ago trying to distance themselves

from the religious extremes of the party. Unfortunately too many tea partiers made it into office, but Montana has had a "middle of the road" republican manner which is why we have had Dem senators and governors. Hopefully this exposes them more and we regain more dems in the leg.