The GOP's CEO, David Koch
Tennessee's Republican Gov. Bill Haslam spent the
better part of a year working with the federal government on a Medicaid expansion plan under Obamacare for his state, and as recently as a few months ago was
optimistic about the plan's chances for success in his legislature after getting federal approval. But last week his
plans were dashed and the expansion killed. What happened in the intervening weeks? The
Koch brothers happened.
[T]he state's chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the national conservative group whose foundation is chaired by controversial billionaire David Koch, argued Haslam was just trying to trick conservatives into implementing Obamacare in their state by giving it a new name. AFP campaigned aggressively Haslam's plans for the next six weeks, even running radio ads blasting GOP state legislators who said they might vote for it.
And the expansion was killed. That's not a one-off win for the Kochs, and Tennessee isn't the only state they're taking over.
The aggressive action in Tennessee by AFP was not unusual. The group, started in 2004, now has chapters in 34 states. The state operations' general goals, like AFP and other Koch-allied groups nationally, are to oppose tax hikes, increases in government spending and what they view as excessive regulation. […]
In Florida, AFP is opposing a bill advocated by key Republicans in the state legislature that would grant tax breaks for television and movie companies that produce shows and films in the state. In Iowa, the group is trying to block any increases in gas taxes, which have been suggested by Republican Gov. Terry Branstad.
Those are just a few examples of the Koch brothers expanding the Republican civil war and making sure moderates are either stifled or drummed out. All the way from the presidential level, where they promise to spend $889 million over the next two years, down to city and state parties, the Kochs are taking over the Republican party. They
own the entire party's database of voters, they own most of the Republican House and Senate, and now they're going to own the states.
Instead of the GOP it's now the KOP, the Kochs' Own Party.