Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's obsession with the Koch brothers, which evolved into a midterm strategy for Democrats, is spurring mockery of the candidates Reid needs to keep his iron grip on the Senate.

In last night's Iowa Senate debate, Rep. Bruce Braley used the familiar Democratic attack alleging Republican candidate Joni Ernst will "owe the Koch brothers everything" after election day.

Morning Joe‘s Joe Scarborough wasn't buying it. The MSNBC host ridiculed the Iowa congressman's attack.

"This Koch brothers thing, it's ridiculous," Scarborough said. "Especially when they're getting tons and tons of money on their side."

Scarborough was alluding to a recent revelation that while Democrats frequently decry big money in politics, they in fact are the main recipients of big donor money.

"It doesn't even work in Manhattan, where people thank God for David Koch," Scarborough said. David Koch has donated nearly $300 million to New York City medical and cultural institutions.

"If you go to the hospital for special surgery because you're mortally injured you will be thanking David Koch," co-host Mika Brzezinski said.

Morning Joe co-host Willie Geist, equally perplexed, said Reid's obsession with the Koch brothers has become a national strategy for Democrats but has been ineffective in moving the needle in midterm battleground states.

"When Harry Reid goes on the floor of the Senate every day and talks about the Koch brothers and it becomes a national strategy," Geist said. "Does that work on the ground level of state races? I don't know."