Nothing says "liberal man of the people" quite like a white tie tuxedo.
Earlier this week, the Kochs
publicly released a smarmy letter to the few hundred people comprising their political donor network, likening their efforts to British liberal prime minister William Gladstone in just looking out for "the least fortunate." That wasn't a one-off, laughable gaffe. It's an actual PR campaign by the Kochs to convince the American public that they aren't right-wing oligarchs intent upon absorbing the federal government into their conglomerate so they can add to their billions with impunity. No, they're actually "liberals." Really. Mark Holden, the general counsel of Koch Industries,
told The New York Times so in an interview.
"Charles obviously is a classical liberal, who believes in the Bill of Rights, and limited but necessary government," Mr. Holden said. "If those are your guideposts, criminal justice reform is where you need to be."
Ah, criminal justice reform. This is where the Kochs are doing their most valiant whitewashing work, where they "have made cause with prominent liberals to change federal sentencing rules, which disproportionately affect African-Americans." (They also have a nonprofit, the Libre Initiative, which "offers driving lessons and tax preparation services to Latinos." How very white of them.) But back to criminal justice reform. Where did that all begin?
The brothers are sensitive to criticism that they are recent converts to issues like criminal justice. Mark Holden, the general counsel of Koch Industries, said the company had become active in defendants’ rights back in the 1990s, after four employees at a Texas refinery were snared in what the company viewed as an overzealous prosecution of federal clean air and hazardous waste laws.
Right. It has everything to do with their four employees and absolutely nothing to do with the environmental protection laws that they've been
violating for years and have spent
millions on fighting. No amount of donations to the NAACP will gloss over that reality, but hell, the NAACP might as well be benefitting from their efforts to try it. Just as long as they don't buy it.
Meanwhile, the Kochs have pledged a minimum of $889 million for the 2016 election cycle, all of which will go to Republicans and only Republicans who follow their tea party agenda and show adequate obeisance to their wishes. That's what will make headlines in the next two years. No amount of lipstick can obscure that hog.