Remember those news reports about the “Honoring our veterans” rally at a local motorcycle dealership in early June? Kinda? Vaguely?
Maybe you glossed over it, thinking, “It’s just another veteran’s group and just another post-Memorial Day celebration? Well, think again.
The event was staged by an “organization” called Concerned Veterans for America. If the reporters had bothered to Google that name and its operatives, they would’ve found that it’s just another ultra-right-wing 501(c)(4) front for the Koch brothers’ massive propaganda empire. It’s not an accident they turned up here, nor that the featured local speakers were hometown Tea Party favorites Ted Yoho and Susan Baird.
CVA targeted our area for a reason: the Koch brothers care about Ted Yoho and are keeping an eye on his district. If Democrat Marihelen Wheeler’s campaign begins to pose a credible threat to Yoho’s reelection, expect to see some outside intervention on Yoho’s behalf, just like CVA is doing elsewhere.
Related links & further reading
Gainesville Sun article, “Support for local veterans coalesces at rally”
Washington Post article, “The Players in the Koch-Backed $400 Million Political Donor Network”
Propublica.org (investigative journalism site) report on the Koch brothers’ propaganda empire (also click on its links to related articles)
Wikipedia articles on CVA operatives Pete Hegseth, CEO, and Gary Berntsen, regional organizer
Also see Florida CVA director Stephen Flanagan’s post on an ultra-right blog for CVA/Tea Party connections
Still not convinced there’s a Koch-a-Yoho connection? Check this out.
JimAikin Blog 