Koch brothers network rules out anti-Clinton ads

[ErikJ]

Last edited Sat Jul 30, 2016, 08:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: CNN

Colorado Springs (CNN)The powerful political network helmed by Charles and David Koch is ruling out running advertisements intended to hurt Hillary Clinton, another sign of their insistence on avoiding the presidential race.

The Koch network has previously said they will not back Republican candidate Donald Trump, but on Saturday officials told reporters that they would not run negative Clinton spots, a position taken by some Republican groups that are uneasy with the controversial GOP standard-bearer. The group is laser-focused on maintaining and expanding the Senate majority -- in the midst of a $42 million television advertising campaign focused on a half-dozen states -- and would only use Clinton to bash Senate Democratic hopefuls.

Network officials outlined their plans here as 400 of their donors prepared to hear from a roster of Republican leaders. House Speaker Paul Ryan is among the politicians who scored invites to one of the nation's most sought-after political retreats at a lavish campus nestled in the Rocky Mountains.

Ryan will be joined here at the summit hosted by the Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce alongside up-and-coming Republicans like Senators Cory Gardner of Colorado, Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Mike Lee of Utah, Koch spokesman James Davis said Saturday. Other speakers will include Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado.

The Koch network is sitting out of the presidential campaign entirely, a blow to Trump's presidential ambitions. Trump claimed in a tweet Saturday that he declined a meeting request from Charles and David Koch this weekend, though Koch officials say that they were not aware of any contact with him on Friday when both the Kochs and Trump coincidentally were in Colorado Springs at the same time.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/30/politics/koch-retreat-paul-ryan/index.html

[Blandocyte]

1. Them Koch boys is good people

who'da thunk?

[thucythucy]

5. I doubt it. It's just that they know

batshit crazy when they see it. Hell, they've probably met the man in person, and KNOW for a fact he's a risk not worth taking.

They're willing to let the planet cook AFTER they die, but they'd prefer it not be incinerated by Trumple-thin-skin while they're still here to enjoy their billions.

[uawchild]

7. you go too far!

Joking, we both know the Koch Brother's are miserable right-wingers.

[salin]

22. They just don't like the role they played in prepping their audience for a Frankenstein.

Only now they see the obvious extension of what they have been seeding all these years?

[awoke_in_2003]

25. No

they are just turning their attention to the senate, so that when HRC is president, they can continue to stymie things.

[AgadorSparticus]

27. they are NOT good people.make no mistake. their decision to not place anti-clinton ads

has nothing to do with benevolence. they are just giving up on the presidency and are now in defense mode hoping to save their downline. this is all strategic.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Trump isnt getting any better, he says the first thing wich comes to mind.

[63splitwindow]

19. And that mind is quite sick and twisted.

[Thinkingabout]

20. Sure is.

[bekkilyn]

3. Don't underestimate them just because they avoid the presidential race

Hillary *needs* a majority senate too. We need to be vigilant about the local races just as much as for president.

[thucythucy]

6. Precisely.

Good point.

[ErikJ]

12. And theyre ONLY going to use Hillary to "bash" congressional Democratic candidates.

"The group is laser-focused on maintaining and expanding the Senate majority -- in the midst of a $42 million television advertising campaign focused on a half-dozen states -- and would only use Clinton to bash Senate Democratic hopefuls."

Which is an insidious way to campaign against Hillary too.

[rpannier]

18. 1996 All Over Again

[hedda_foil]

31. ^^^ "The group is laser-focused on maintaining and expanding the Senate majority" ^^^

[7962]

4. "I declined to meet with them"....."we werent aware we offered to meet Trump"

I know I'm making those quotes up, but seems to be pretty accurate

[stupidicus]

8. in other words, they are clinton supporters

much like all of those lefties who vote third party or don't vote are assisting/supporting trump

A rightwinger would try to have it both ways on this, but we're better than they are, aren't we?

[ehrnst]

9. I think the Kochs understand that even they won't come out ahead

if the world markets collapse.

[bulloney]

10. Further evidence that the media are making up the closeness of this POTUS race.

Prominent Republicans didn't show up for Trump's convention. Other prominent Republicans can't give you a straight commitment on Trump's candidacy. Koch Bros. won't attack Hillary in their ads. You hear and read stuff like this every day and you wonder if this race is really as close as the media say it is.

Trump's going to get his head handed to him in November unless the election is rigged.

[rocktivity]

11. And now for something completely...coincidental?

Donald Trump says fundraising 'crushed' goals, rejects money from Koch brothers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141536992

...(T)he billionaire Koch brothers...turned off by Trump's rhetoric and policies, brushed aside efforts to meet with the GOP nominee.

rocktivity

[ErikJ]

14. Frankly I like that Trump is going after the Kochs

whom I hate 10 times worse than Trump. Hopefully all his followers will learn to hate the Kochs as well.

[mountain grammy]

13. It's critical that we flip the Senate, and make it filibuster proof.

lots of vacant judge positions left open by the GOP Senate.

http://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-vacancies

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Obama's speech told us too

Rare for a sitting President to mention other races, but O did go there

"up and down the ticket" for "mayors, and sheriffs, and state’s attorneys,
and state legislators. That's where the criminal law is made."

He must think we can make some headway

[bulloney]

29. If Hillary is elected POTUS, but the Repubs retain control of the Senate,

I wouldn't put it past the Repubs to keep Scalia's SCOTUS seat vacant for Hillary's entire term, along with leaving the other appointments in the lower courts unfilled.

I have a BIL who has been repeating the RW tune that the Senate should not fill Scalia's seat with an Obama appointee since Scalia's death, and they should wait until after the election. It's all because of the abortion issue.

I asked him how quickly the Senate should act if Hillary becomes President. He wouldn't give me a straight answer, only to say there's no way Hillary will be elected.

So, I guess Trump's a shoe-in in his mind.

[mountain grammy]

30. Since I'm sure we don't have the same BIL

it pains me to know there's two of them, and quite a few more according to my ever shrinking friends list on facebook.

[ericson00]

15. the Kochs are useful when they do nothing

this is an example of that.

[Lucky Luciano]

23. They are targeting the senate - that is something. nt

[ananda]

24. This worries me.

I mean, if the Reeps keep the Senate, Clinton's hands
will be tied and nothing will get done.

I hope the Dems are putting money and ads into these races.

[ErikJ]

28. Hell, the Kochs are targeting every govt in the US, national and local

Theyve been meddling in Oregon and Portland politics for 30 years! I despise their guts.
Then there's ALEC which is theirs too.

[meow2u3]

17. The Toxic Tangerine is so rotten to the core

Not even archvillians like the Koch Bros. would touch him with a 100-ft. pole.

[safeinOhio]

21. Looks like the courts are helping out.

Just in time.

[turbinetree]

26. SO they "said" that they aren't going to run smear ads, but they will

run ads in the local, Congressional and state elections--------------right, and Pence goes to Koch functionary meeting called ALEC this weekend in Indianapolis


http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2016/07/29/pence-addresses-bikers-ahead-alec-speech/87680158/



Honk---------------------for a political revolution