I don't see how the success of the business lines they're in can be attributed to their political work - I think people of any stripe who owned the businesses they do would have had a hard time not making huge money - but maybe somebody can connect the dots for me.

@1: Try this: http://newsflavor.com/politics/the-koch-…

Then there's this:

http://thinkprogress.org/report/koch-oil…

This is written as if Obama isn't exploiting the fearful and selfish interests of conservative America (which includes Obama supporters). Indeed, follow the money of those contribute to his campaign and who he hires and who benefits most from his policies at home and overseas.

I know it's fun and easy to point out the corruption of the other team. But unless you hold yourself and your chosen political allies to the same standards, well, you're kind of like a political Teg Haggard.

You're suggesting a causal connection???

Spell it out!

Actually, the only cliche' going on here is a "journalist" dismissing a timeless truth.

Okay… Let’s follow the money. Here’s who’s got it and how they use it politically. Here are the 10 richest hate and fear mongers:

1. Bill Gates $59B Primarily supports Democrats
2. Warren Buffet $39B Primarily supports Democrats
3. Larry Ellison $25B Primarily supports Democrats
4. Charles Koch $25B Primarily supports Republicans
5. David Koch $25B Primarily supports Republicans
6. Christy Walton $24.5B (No Records)
7. George Soros $22B Primarily supports Democrats
8. Sheldon Adelson $21.5B Primarily supports Republicans
9. Jim Walton $21.1B Primarily supports Republicans
10. Alice Walton $20.9B Primarily supports Republicans

So the “real” money is behind the Democrats. The top 3 ($123B) are all Democrats and of the top 10 there are 4 Democrats ($145B) vs 5 Republicans ($113.5B) and one unknown ($24.5B).

@7: n=10 is a bit small, don't you think? How about the top 50? And how about some sauce?

In particular, it's pretty easy to see a connection between the Kochs and the concerted push to roll back EPA regulation or dismantle the agency altogether.

One would be tempted to term their intrusion into American politics (via ALEC and many other front groups) as a coup, except their goal seems not so much to assume control of the government as to cripple its regulatory authority so they can operate without any constraints.

They want to bring down the government but they're dumb enough to believe that everything will keep humming along fine without it. A case study in falling for your own crap; hereditary billionaires who believe they are Rand-esque self-made titans of industry.

Yes, let's follow the money.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php…

Wait, what?

What I'd like to see is a chart showing the Koch's rising wealth overlayed with a chart of how many people they employ. By their logic, since their taxes have come down and they've dramatically increased their wealth they should have also dramatically increased the number of employees they have right? I'm sure that's what's happened.

@7@10

Good job countering Paul's clearly stated argument that "All the big donors out there are Republicans," guys

Actually, the Koch politics are probably more hereditary than strategic, and are surely tinged by their father’s politics. Read his book “A Business Man Looks at Communism” if you really want to “know your enemy”. Unlike the kitchen table socialists blogging on Slog, he actually experienced firsthand what it’s like to do business in a communist state when built several plants in the USSR in the late 20’s early 30’s.

@12, It's fair to infer from his post that Paul is suggesting that since the Kochs are making more money, it must be because they are influencing the political process so much. With their money. And fear. And I hope we can agree that money and fear are the biggest tools in the box for all politicians.

But the fact is and has been that left-leaning organizations are just as, if not more, present in the gears of the political money machine. It is also a fact that Democrats use fear as often and to the same degree that Republicans do. And Paul has a well-documented tendency to focus on the shenanigans of the Republicans while turning a blind eye to the exact same shenanigans of the Democrats.

I find it kind of hilarious that funders of the Teatards are rich fucks who've speculated so successfully in oil futures that gas is $4/gallon, which in turn enrages Teatards further.

I see the connections, but isn't it a bit chicken and egg still - yes, they're certainly whipping up fearful and selfish instincts in others, but they have those instincts themselves to begin with, right? And don't they almost certainly think they're performing a noble service spreading that to others in what seems to me like a frenzy of wickedness?

I'm not convinced by the premise that they're doing all this *primarily* for financial gain rather than out of their genuinely alarmist, reactionary fear and selfishness, which has always had its place in corporate America. While that premise may be true, it's not been demonstrated quite yet, I don't think.