How to interpret this picture? — Ben Smith at Politico reports that the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee has been soliciting campaign funds from the Koch brothers, famous (or infamous, depending on one’s point of view) right-wingers and major funders of the global warming denial machine. Koch Industries has posted their response letter. Another data point in diagnosing the problem facing the climate science and policy community.

“DSCC Asking Kochs for Cash” (Politico, July 7)

Koch companies letter to Sen. Patty Murray, Chair, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

Commenting on this, Jason Linkins writes at Huffington Post today (“Cash-Seeking Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Wants Some Of That Sweet, Sweet Koch”):

One of the generic political stories that has been told again and again over the course of the past year is the ground-level battles between progressive activists and the Koch Brothers — those uber-wealthy, climate change-denying, union-busting heads of a major energy conglomerate. … Now, you wouldn’t think that there would be much affinity between the Kochs and the establishment Democratic Party. But you’d be wrong! …

… do you ever find that sometimes — in the early morning let’s say, as you take your first gulp of fresh air and the low-slung sun, still creeping skyward, hits the corner of eye just right — you receive this distant moment of clarity, in which you come to understand that in America, we have one party that serves powerful corporate interests unabashedly, and another party that seeks to serve the same interests, only more bashfully?

Yes. Though in my case that diagnostic ‘moment of clarity’ happened a long way back, and it’s now more a matter of incorporating multiple confirmations into the analysis.

Earlier CSW posts:

Koch Industries multibillionaire Koch brothers bankroll attacks on climate change science and policy

Americans for Prosperity: Distorting climate change science and economics in well-funded campaign

Americans for Prosperity president Tim Phillips: Next steps in the war on climate science

Also, must-read article by Jane Mayer in The New Yorker:

“Covert Operations: The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama.”

Greenpeace reports on Koch Industries and the global warming denial machine