In a surprise revelation today on Politico, one half of the right-wing finance machine known as the Koch brothers, broke ranks with the GOP’s new platform, as well as the various pledges the party has signed. David Koch, the second son of John Birch Society founder Fred Koch, revealed a division with the right-wing movement he has bankrolled for decades.
While serving as a delegate for New York at the convention, he made his comments at a reception held by his front organization ‘Americans for Prosperity.’ Things he said include:
I believe in gay marriage
I think it’s essential to be able to achieve spending reductions and maybe it’s going to require some tax increases. We got to come close to balancing the budget, otherwise we’re in a terrible deep problem.
He also came out for military budget cuts, and a withdrawal from the middle east and its oil reserves.
David has already begun consolidating power, trying to create a self-feeding network of organizations, co-opting existing Libertarian groups to give them legitimacy. David is considered the more pragmatic of the brothers in many circles, and less likely to engage with in-fighting as older brother Charles.
When asked about his earlier candidacy for the Libertarian party, David had something more revealing:
The Libertarian Party is a great concept. I love the ideals, but it got too far off the deep end, and so I dropped out.
But, when pointing out that his positions are against the very party he is providing a substantial part of the Republicans financing this election, says simply “Well, I disagree with that.”
Having put in a reported $400 million into the campaign, how much longer can his “disagreement” be before the party bosses relent to his viewpoint? Or instead is this a further sign of dissent in a party which is increasingly finding itself intolerant of dissenting voices, calling those which step even a toe over the line, Republicans In Name Only (RINOs). They then are isolated, excommunicated, and removed from office.
“Be careful what you wish for, because you just may get it.” David Koch wished for a Republican party which was a hard right-wing party. He’s now gotten it, and it is only a matter of time before the monster has turned on its creator.
