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ThinkProgress has discovered that the oil billionaire brothers, David H. [6] and Charles G. Koch [7], who played a key role in creating and funding [8] the Tea Party [9] movement, hold a quiet annual, invitation-only gathering where they coordinate their political agenda with other titans of industry -- including the big health insurers, oil executives, Wall Street investors, real estate tycoons, conservative journalists and TV opinion show stars like Glenn Beck [10]. ThinkProgress obtained a memo [11] (pdf) that gives details about the Koch's last gathering in June, 2010. It exposes a symbiotic relationship between multi-billion dollar corporations and much of America's conservative infrastructure. Corporations represented at Kochs' meeting include businesses with a strong profit motive to block the progressive reforms President Obama [12] is pursuing, like in areas of health care and clean energy. Participants also include consultants, like Tim Phillips [13], who specialize in creating fake grassroots [14] "movements. The memo also shows that Fox News Channel [15] opinion star Beck has been collaborating with the Kochs and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce [16], which explains why Beck asks his viewers to donate to the Chamber and why he claims that the Chamber -- the biggest and best-funded business lobby in the country -- simply "defends the little guy." [17]
Links:
[1] http://dev.prwatch.org/users/5684/anne-landman
[2] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/corporations/corporate-campaigns
[3] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/politics/right-wing
[4] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/front-groups
[5] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.prwatch.org%2Fspin%2F2010%2F10%2F9554%2Fkochs-glenn-beck-and-titans-industry-met-plot-2010-elections&linkname=The%20Kochs%2C%20Glenn%20Beck%20and%20Titans%20of%20Industry%20Met%20to%20Plot%202010%20Elections
[6] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_H._Koch
[7] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Charles_G._Koch
[8] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tea_Party_movement_funding
[9] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tax_Day_Tea_Party
[10] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Glenn_Beck
[11] http://images2.americanprogressaction.org/ThinkProgress/secretkochmeeting.pdf
[12] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Barack_Obama
[13] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Timothy_R._Phillips
[14] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/grassroots
[15] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Fox_News_Channel
[16] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._Chamber_of_Commerce
[17] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBP-OKWH79w
[18] http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/20/beck-koch-chamber-meeting/