There have been a lot of people charging that Arizona gubernatorial nominee Doug Ducey is a tool of the Koch brothers, but it turns out that no one has made the case better than Ducey himself.
Ducey, the former CEO of Cold Stone Creamery who won the Arizona Treasurer post four years ago, didn’t make the pronouncement at a debate or in a TV ad. Instead, his confession was captured on a secret recording of a speech he made at a top-secret Koch brothers getaway that was captured first by the Undercurrent and then exposed at The Nation in a story that broke yesterday.
The Nation reports:
The tape shared by The Undercurrent with The Nation illustrates how gubernatorial candidates appealed for the blessing not just of the Kochs but of the network of wealthy donors that can provide support both for specific campaigns and for “independent” projects such as a primary-season ad blitz highlighting Walker’s endorsement of Arizona’s Ducey.
As Ducey told the Koch brothers summit on June 16, “I can’t emphasize enough the power of organizations like this.”
On the tape, Ducey talks about what a big influence the Koch brothers have been on him and makes it clear, in his relatively brief remarks, that he’s not just trying to win the job of governor in order to manage the state of Arizona. He wants to use Arizona as an experiment to further the ideological interests of the plutocracy that is working to prove that elections are up for grabs by the highest bidder and the winners have a mandate to deliver tax cuts for the wealthiest citizens, crush unions and generally make it impossible for public education to ever recover from the deep cuts they have endured in recent years.
The Arizona Republic has a pretty good roundup of how the Koch brothers’ deep pockets have boosted Ducey’s political fortunes here. It includes this amusing clip of Brahm Resnick trying to ask Ducey about the revelations, only to have New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie butt in to defend to defend Ducey like he’s his big brother keeping him safe from a media elite bully.
It’s not exactly a 47 percent moment, but it’s clear that Ducey said very different things behind walls of a seemingly secure location—check out the lengths organizers went to ensure that no one but the chosen could hear what was said—than he tells voters on the campaign trail.
This article appears in Oct 2-8, 2014.
Do the polls have you nervous? It looks like DuVall has never lead one of them.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2014/governor/arizona_governor_race.html
44-38 according to AZ Central…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Ducey has a six-point lead over his Democratic rival Fred DuVal and the race for attorney general is wide-open, polling information released Monday suggests.
people have the government that they deserve. do not cry later on
The Dems are tools of the DNC PAC biggest in the Cty., Union $$, and Soros. Get real and drink the Kool AId
It’s encouraging to me that these neo-nazis just can’t help but shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly while trying to create an American underclass.
Sadly for the above sociopaths; they’ve been duped into thinking that they will be on the “us” side of the Koch Reich, instead of nameless untermenchen like the rest of “them”
Oh and since I couldn’t hear the audio I am guessing Chris Christie said “We’ll cross that bridge if it’s open”
Why that sounds just like a conspiracy doesn’t it?
Is anyone really surprised by this?
So the Governor of New Jersey believes he knows what the voters of Arizona think about the Koch Brothers and their “Dark money” ? Right. Ducey is just another Koch $ucker. I won’t be surprised if he wins, but that won’t change my opinion of him, or his relationship with the Koch’s.
Tell Scrooge McDucey that you cannot kickstart the AZ economy by imposing austerity on the state.
Don’t believe me, check out how Kansas is doing?
You can throw anything you like. Dirt, facts, wishes, it all boils down to the record. What have the Republican done to this state, what do they have in store for us next?
It’s not Koch brothers or special interests.
It a Vision, stupid.
Paint a picture of the GOP record with a vision of the future based on their Congressional record.
Repeal Affordable Care Act throwing millions off of health care.
More government shut-downs, medicare vouchers, ending Social Security as has been in place 75 years.
Just compare the record of where the Obama Administration has taken us. Constant growth in jobs, forward steps in education, rebuilding industry and infrastructure, enforcing environmental and occupational safeguards.
Obama and the Democrats have proud records of accomplishment and the GOP record of doing nothing and stonewalling progress. Moving forward or more doing nothing but making war.
‘Kemo Sabe’ means ‘soggy shrub’ in Navajo.
Don’t like that, try this.
I’m rubber, you are glue, everything you say bounces off me and sticks on you.
Voters need to read the mission statements of the Koch brothers, both are socialists. They are against anything that helps the nation or the people, It all about the billions in profits they can earn. The Koch brothers mission is to control people from the community level, state and the nation. They are using the Tea party and Republicans to achieve that mission. They are against voting rights for the people, renewal energy, healthcare, and the list goes on.
It is scary that people would vote for and elect those in a political party that wants to destroy them, take away their freedoms. I think that situation happened during WWII. The people supported those that killed them. I hope the USA voters have learned that lesson. And we all know that the 1st amendment allows these candidates to LIE and say anything to get votes.
This election in November is important if people want to keep their freedom. It will be lost if Republicans win.
Sam Smith, there you go again. Are you off your meds again? “The Koch brothers are socialists.” ROTFLOL
Those would be business oriented wealthy socialists to the untrained eye. But socialists none the less.
If you support something, if you believe in what you are doing why do you need to be anonymous? People who believe in the American Way say they want freedom of speech, religion, right to vote etc. so why the need for secrecy, bribery, thought control. There is that ugly, greedy and self centered part of the business community that believes that money, their money should be used to manipulate, control and abuse “democracy” for their and only their purposes of selfishness. They are basically cowards, hiding behind their paid right wing stooges, with “Jobs” as slaves, “Religion” as justification, “military” as cannon fodder for profitable wars, “Politicians , as government, by the businessmen, for the businessmen and against the smaller businessmen, “Deregulation, of laws necessitated by their rabid exploitation of resources, ” Taxes” which they don’t pay but they exploit, Patriotism, where they and their children don’t serve. If you are proud of what you do, why hide? Their businesses are in China , Russia, Middle east but they hide in America, Europe, Canada, Australia. They make cool aid, meds, sugar and salt for their stooges with names like : Douche, Flaky, McPain and McSelly. They don’t call it dark money unless it hides in the shadows from shame.
Open Society with George Soros money is out there for all to see. Communism.
Unfortunately most Americans don’t know what they’re looking at.
Ducey is another rich white right wing follower. If you vote for a man that will no doubt be another embarrassment to Arizona then you get what you deserve! Without a quality public educational system AZ will never attract quality jobs. Public education is the great equalizer…a ticket to a better future. A good education is a right, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy. Who could possibly respect a governmental body that steals funding from a child’s education? ” If you think education is expensive try ignorance.” AZ has a history of electing officials that are laughable. Ducey will no doubt be one of them!
Just for Sam, here is the Mission Statement for Koch Bros Americans for Prosperity.
Mission
Americans for Prosperity describes its mission as educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing them as advocates of lower taxes and limited government. The organization focuses on eight issue areas: budget and spending; taxes; property rights; health care and entitlements; banking and financial services; labor, education, and pensions; energy and environment; and technology.[1] wikipedia
This must be some new kind of socialism, eh sam? Expanding government has only helped government. I would like to return to the freedoms we once had.