Meet Wisc. Gov. Scott Walker’s friends and supporters, the brothers Koch

Gov. Walker and the Koch brothers, photo courtesy of Wonkette.

Thanks to Nancy E.  Gertner (DFL) for the link to the NPR article below.

We hear the brothers Koch have been influential in the amateur Gov. Walker’s administration in Madison, Wisc. ; you recall how easily Scottie fell for the prank call from a pretend David Koch.

Here’s a fine introduction to the billionaire brothers from over at NPR.org:

Chances are you've never heard of Charles and David Koch. The brothers own Koch Industries, a Kansas-based conglomerate that operates oil refineries in several states and is the company behind brands including Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Lycra fibers and Stainmaster carpet. Forbes ranks Koch Industries as the second-largest privately held company in the U.S. — and the Koch brothers themselves? They're worth billions.

And in the past 30 years, they've funneled more than $100 million into dozens of political organizations, many of which are trying to steer the country in a more libertarian direction. Among the organizations they've backed are the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank that has recently raised questions about climate change, and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia — which one Democratic strategist called "ground zero for deregulation policy in Washington."

The brothers also have created several neutral-sounding groups like Citizens for a Sound Economy — which staged media events to oppose President Clinton's proposed Btu tax on energy — and Citizens for the Environment, which called many environmental problems, including acid rain, "myths." 

David Koch founded the group Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which has been linked to the Tea Party — training hundreds of activists in Texas and hosting talking points for Tea Party activists on its website. 

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