#1220 Fighting the Dark Money Machine
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 19 October 2018
⏱️ 78 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 10/19/2018
Today we take a look at the Koch brothers and the movement they spawned to better understand exactly how to fight back
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Jane Mayer on the positive vision the Kochs paint - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-3-18
Jane Mayer explains how we need to fight the Koch brothers by understanding that their policy ideas go far beyond greed and need to be taken seriously
Jane Mayer on the Koch brothers’ takeover of Republican Party politics
Democracy in Chains details the anti-democratic origins and trajectory of free market fundamentalist, Koch Brothers-aligned economists who have come to profoundly shape and warp American politics to fit their dystopian vision.
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment.
Ch. 5: Supreme Court Forces Dark Money Disclosures - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 9-23-18
The Supreme Court denies a stay in a dark money decision, effectively forcing campaigns to disclose the identity of all contributors who donate more than $200 in a year
Ch. 6: Campaign Finance at a Crossroads - On the Media - Air Date 9-28-18
Michelle Ye Hee Lee, a national reporter for the Washington Post, describes to Bob the multiple pathways for high-rolling donors going forward, and the obstacles that may delay or weaken court-ordered disclosure policies.
Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig gives a lesson on what it really means to call for an Article V Convention and why it’s the logical path to address money’s corrupting influence in politics.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: What we call socialism - Francisco from Northampton, MA
Ch. 11: Death with Dignity needs to be a national law - Stacy from San Francisco Bay Area
Ch. 12: Final comments asking about the pro-choice litmus test
THE MIDTERMS MINUTE
TOSS UP BATTLEGROUND DEMOCRATIC SENATE SEATS
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC:
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Donder - Darby (Blue Dot Sessions)
- A Palace of Cedar - The Pine Barrens (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Eventual Victory - Codebreaker (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Open Flames - Aeronaut (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Insatiable Toad - Origami (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Andelo - Pacha Faro (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This program is made possible by members and donors to the show. |
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| 0:17.6 | Sign up at patreon.com slash best of left or visit the Contribute tab at bestofleft.com. |
| 0:23.6 | Now welcome to this episode of the award-winning best of left podcast in which we shall learn |
| 0:27.4 | about the Koch Brothers and the dark money movement they spawn to better understand exactly |
| 0:32.0 | how to fight back. |
| 0:33.3 | Clips today come from the Ezra Klein show, in deep with Angie Koyro, Jacob and Radio, |
| 0:38.6 | the David Pakman show, on the media, and a speech from the godfather of the anti-corruption |
| 0:43.2 | movement, Professor Larry Lassick. |
| 0:50.4 | If the Koch Brothers had never decided to get into politics, they had just been working |
| 0:55.2 | on cancer research and being living the lives of rich, oil billionaires. |
| 1:00.3 | What do you think would be different about American politics today? |
| 1:05.2 | I don't think the libertarian movement would be anywhere near as strong as it is in American |
| 1:11.8 | politics. |
| 1:12.8 | They are the primary funders of libertarianism in America. |
| 1:16.8 | And I just think that they have been tremendously influential in spreading that ideology. |
| 1:25.0 | And I think you might be able to look at spending on elections and say it often is a waste |
| 1:32.0 | of money. |
| 1:33.0 | And you can look at, say, for instance, Tom Steyer spent a lot of money in recent elections |
| 1:38.2 | and has a pretty poor record of wins in the various elections. |
... |
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