Scott Brown needs money for his next campaign!

Knowing who your elected representatives get campaign donations from and how it affects their voting record is the most important question any voter can ask. So who is Scott Brown asking for donations?

David Koch, the billionaire who funds Americans for Progress, Freedom Works, and doesn't believe in big government yet gets billions in taxpayer subsidies. I recommend this piece about David and his brother Charles from the New Yorker, which I wrote about last September.

A cynic would question how much influence a campaign donor has over an elected official, but this prank call from 'David Koch' to Scott Walker shows how eager Walker was willing to talk to and get advice from his top campaign donor. What advice will the Kochs give Scott Brown and the People's Senate Seat?

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Apparently the Kochs don't always get what they want from their campaign donations, which is more taxpayer money, less regulation, and a government compliant with their wishes.

What I read today.

I just finished two very different, and very long, pieces on some major personalities in American politics.

Michael Joseph Gross of Vanity Fair's piece on Sarah Palin, while probably satisfying for most people who dislike her politics, lacks real sources.  It feels like a confidential kitchen rant over coffee, rather than a portrait of a national figure. 

On the other hand, Jane Mayer of The New Yorker nailed the subject of the Koch Brothers and the astro-turfing of the political landscape.  Even Clive McFarlane referenced her piece today!  (I expect a rebuttal from Robert Z. Nemeth sometime in January of 2012.)  ThinkProgress.org had two fun pieces on the Kochs combining their love of astroturf organizing and hypocrisy. 

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This piece made me see red.  By all means, former Senator Simpson- cut off funding for veteran's health care to balance the budget, and eliminate Social Security.  I wish you were still retired, along with your co-worker, David Cote.

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I will be attempting this recipe, this recipe or this recipe this weekend....but adding candied bacon and caramel.