Pam and Russ Martens — Kavanaugh Hearing: Yes, There’s a Conspiracy; But It’s Not Coming from Dems

The front groups that have been funded for decades by billionaires Charles and David Koch, majority owners of the fossil fuels conglomerate, Koch Industries, are determined to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court because he has demonstrated a willingness to write decisions favorable to gutting regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. Whether Kavanaugh has a history of sexual assaults is irrelevant to that agenda.

As recently as last evening, a dark money group that keeps its donors a secret from the American people, the Judicial Crisis Network, continued running its multi-million dollar ad campaign on television in support of Kavanaugh. This week, its Chief Counsel, Carrie Severino, has made the rounds on cable news shows calling the women’s allegations a smear campaign. The Judicial Crisis Network has been running these ads since July and says it is prepared to spend upwards of $10 million to confirm Kavanaugh. When it takes that kind of an effort to confirm a justice, you know something is seriously wrong. In 2016, just one single anonymous donor contributed a stunning $28.5 million to the Wellspring Committee, another dark money group that funnels the bulk of its money to the Judicial Crisis Network. (See our prior reporting here.)

As I have said, the sex scandal is a canard compared with the hidden agenda.

Wall Street On Parade
Kavanaugh Hearing: Yes, There’s a Conspiracy; But It’s Not Coming from Dems
Pam Martens and Russ Martens

Gary Hart — America’s Founding Principles Are in Danger of Corruption

Four qualities have distinguished republican government from ancient Athens forward: the sovereignty of the people; a sense of the common good; government dedicated to the commonwealth; and resistance to corruption. Measured against the standards established for republics from ancient times, the American Republic is massively corrupt.

From Plato and Aristotle forward, corruption was meant to describe actions and decisions that put a narrow, special, or personal interest ahead of the interest of the public or commonwealth. Corruption did not have to stoop to money under the table, vote buying, or even renting out the Lincoln bedroom. In the governing of a republic, corruption was self-interest placed above the interest of all—the public interest.

By that standard, can anyone seriously doubt that our republic, our government, is corrupt? There have been Teapot Domes and financial scandals of one kind or another throughout our nation’s history. There has never been a time, however, when the government of the United States was so perversely and systematically dedicated to special interests, earmarks, side deals, log-rolling, vote-trading, and sweetheart deals of one kind or another.

What brought us to this? A sinister system combining staggering campaign costs, political contributions, political action committees, special interest payments for access, and, most of all, the rise of the lobbying class....

The question is: By adhering to its highest principles and ideals, will America continue to have the moral authority to lead all people of goodwill? The answer remains to be seen. And that answer will have much to do with whether we have the courage to drive the money changers from the temple of democracy and recapture government of the people, for the people, and by the people.

In addition to the rise of the national security state, and the concentration of wealth and power in America, no development in modern times sets us apart more from the nation originally bequeathed to us than the rise of the special interest state. There is a Gresham’s law related to the republican ideal. Bad politics drives out good politics. Legalized corruption drives men and women of stature, honor, and dignity out of the halls of government. Self-respecting individuals cannot long tolerate a system of election and reelection so dependent on cultivating the favor of those known to expect access in return. Such a system is corrosive to the soul....

Time
Gary Hart: America’s Founding Principles Are in Danger of Corruption

Gary Hart | former United States senator from Colorado

Amazingly, Dark Money Appears To Be Just As Dumb As No Money!

(Commentary posted by Roger Erickson)



Have you seen this essay about "dark art" of politics?

The Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble Moved the Kochs’ Cash into Politics and Made Millions

Amazingly, Dark Money appears to be just as dumb as no money!

(Since neither of the last 2 election cycles got as much bang as the big-spending buckaroos expected.)

Humans. Ya gotta love 'em.

Dumb enough to be resistant to their own stupidity.

Is there something awe inspiring hiding in all that stupidity?

Or is it just more dumb luck, eventually expressed on a yet greater scale? :)