Dana Milbank – A Tea Party of populist posers

[…] a radio appeal from the de facto leader of the Tea Party movement, Glenn Beck, who told them: "Put your money where your mouth is. If you have a dollar, please go to . . . the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and donate today." Chamber members, he said, "are our parents. They’re our grandparents. They are us."

They are? Listed as members of the chamber’s board are representatives from Pfizer, ConocoPhillips, Lockheed Martin, JPMorgan Chase, Dow Chemical, Ken Starr’s old law and lobbying firm, and Rolls-Royce North America. Nothing says grass-roots insurgency quite like Rolls-Royce — and nothing says populist revolt quite like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In describing the big-business group as "us," Beck (annual revenue: $32 million) provided an unintended moment of clarity into the power behind the Tea Party movement. These aren’t peasants with pitchforks; these are plutocrats with payrolls.

There is genuine populist anger out there. But the angry have been deceived and exploited by posers who belong to the same class of "elites" and "insiders" that the Tea Party movement supposedly deplores. Americans who want to stick it to the man are instead sending money to the man.

Dana Milbank – A Tea Party of populist posers

ThinkProgress » Rove In 2004: Influence Of ‘Billionaires Who Write The Checks Give Me Some Concern’

“I am a firm believer in strong (political) parties, and things that weaken the parties and place the outcome of elections in the hands of billionaires who can write checks and political consultants who can get themselves hired by billionaires who write the checks, give me some concern,” [Karl] Rove said [in 2004].

Of course, these days Rove isn’t as big a believer in strong political parties, as he works to build a “shadow RNC.” He also isn’t as concerned about the subversion of democracy at the hands of a few wealthy donors. Instead, when President Obama makes the argument that Rove did in 2004, the Rove of 2010 slams him for having an “enemies list” and engaging in a “desperate political ploy.”

ThinkProgress » Rove In 2004: Influence Of ‘Billionaires Who Write The Checks Give Me Some Concern’

ThinkProgress » MEMO: Health Insurance, Banking, Oil Industries Met With Koch, Chamber, Glenn Beck To Plot 2010 Election

In 2006, Koch Industries owner Charles Koch revealed to the Wall Street Journal’s Stephen Moore that he coordinates the funding of the conservative infrastructure of front groups, political campaigns, think tanks, media outlets and other anti-government efforts through a twice annual meeting of wealthy right-wing donors. He also confided to Moore, who is funded through several of Koch’s ventures, that his true goal is to strengthen the “culture of prosperity” by eliminating “90%” of all laws and government regulations. Although it is difficult to quantify the exact amount Koch alone has funneled to right-wing fronts, some studies have pointed toward $50 million he has given alone to anti-environmental groups. Recently, fronts funded by Charles and his brother David have received scrutiny because they have played a pivotal role in the organizing of the anti-Obama Tea Parties and the promotion of virulent far right lawmakers like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). (David Koch praised DeMint and gave him a “Washington Award” shortly after the senator promised to “break” Obama by making health reform his “Waterloo.”)

While the Koch brothers — each worth over $21.5 billion — have certainly underwritten much of the right, their hidden coordination with other big business money has gone largely unnoticed.

ThinkProgress » MEMO: Health Insurance, Banking, Oil Industries Met With Koch, Chamber, Glenn Beck To Plot 2010 Election

In the Culture of Prosperity, anyone can get rich, and if you haven’t done so, then fuck you, loser.

ThinkProgress » Steele Claims No GOP Candidates Are Calling For A Government Shutdown

In recent weeks, a growing number of Republican lawmakers and candidates have voiced support for the idea of shutting down the government if they win control of the House next year. Reps. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Steve King (R-IA), Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), and Alaska GOP Senate nominee Joe Miller have openly called for a shutdown, while Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has given a tacit endorsement. Meanwhile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was the architect of the first shutdown in 1995, has already devised a scheme to repeat the failed tactic.

However, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is apparently oblivious to the words of his own party’s candidates, or intentionally trying to ignore them, as he said today on Fox News that he hadn’t heard of “any candidates” calling for a government shutdown. He then quickly pivoted away to irrelevant GOP talking points, without ever denying that he or his party support the idea of a shutdown …

ThinkProgress » Steele Claims No GOP Candidates Are Calling For A Government Shutdown

Well, who can blame Steele for not listening to Republican candidates or ignoring what they say.