Topic: Slappy Statist Candidates for US President 2016 - page 7. (Read 17936 times)

Bernie Sanders to Announce Presidential Run

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a blunt self-described socialist who has become a favorite of progressive activists for his denunciations of big banks and the financial elite, will jump into the 2016 presidential campaign on Thursday, according to two people familiar with his plans.

One ally — who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Sanders’s timetable — said the 73-year-old senator is expected to make his intentions known this week and hold a rally in Vermont next month. He plans to run as a Democrat, according to his associates.

Sanders presents a notable left-leaning challenge to Hillary Rodham Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, who announced her second campaign for the White House on April 12.

Former Rhode Island governor and ex-Republican Lincoln Chafee announced his pursuit of the Democratic nod this month, but his campaign has so far generated little interest from rank-and-file party members. Others on the Democratic radar — former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley and former Virginia senator Jim Webb — have not formally decided on running.

Sanders shares many of the same political stances as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a darling of liberals who has repeatedly said she is not running for president. That means Sanders may end up serving as the most prominent voice for the left wing of the party — particularly voters who are suspicious of Clinton and her close ties to Wall Street.

Sanders’s backers said they hope he can serve as a proxy for Warren’s disappointed drafters, helping to animate small-dollar Democratic donors with his brash persona and speeches condemning the “billionaire class.”

More...http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-bernie-sanders-to-launch-presidential-bid-on-thursday/2015/04/28/2b2802b8-edf0-11e4-a55f-38924fca94f9_story.html

Presidential contenders use Baltimore riots to intro political talking points

The Baltimore riots, spurred by the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, have allowed those vying for the presidency to hone their messages on policing methods, race relations and family values. Not all politicians benefit from the exposure, though.

Republicans and Democrats alike jumped at the opportunity to get publicity from the national media, which has flocked to Maryland after unrest broke out into looting and riots Monday night. Their attempts to address the situation have had varying levels of success.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the first to jump into the presidential arena, issued a statement that focused on the need for law and order and condemning the violence in Baltimore.

"Every case deserves justice, and the facts surrounding Freddie Gray's death should be thoroughly and impartially investigated. But rioting and mayhem are not the answer,” he wrote. "While we continue to pray for a peaceful conclusion to the events in Baltimore ‒ and pray for the families of those injured ‒ I hope we all remember that our nation's law enforcement consists of thousands of heroic officers who deeply respect the dignity of each person they serve to protect. Targeting law enforcement for violence is wrong, and it cannot be allowed to persist.”

Real estate tycoon Donald Trump, who is exploring a bid for the Republican nomination, blamed President Barack Obama for the violence in a tweet, which drew irate responses on social media, according to the New York Daily News.

Another potential Republican candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, commented on the Baltimore unrest, which he called “heartbreaking”from Puerto Rico, the New York Daily News reported.

“Look, when you have a situation where nursing homes that are under construction to deal with frail elders are burned to the ground ‒ there has to be a commitment to the rule of law and to law enforcement,” Bush said. “And at the same time it needs to be balanced with the fact that if there is this case, it ought to be investigated as quickly as possible so that people know that the system works for them."

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton, who declared her candidacy on April 12, made comments about the Baltimore riots at a New York fundraiser on Tuesday.

"Baltimore is burning," she told campaign donors, according to New York Magazine. "The tragic death of another young African-American man, the injuries to police officers, the burning of peoples' homes and small businesses. We have to restore order and security. But then we have to take a hard look as to what we need to do to reform our system."

Former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-Maryland) is expected to run for president. He is reportedly planning to announce his candidacy in Baltimore, where he served as the city’s mayor for two terms. O'Malley cut a trip to Europe short to return to his hometown, tweeting, “I’m saddened that the City I love is in such pain this night. All of us share a profound feeling of grief for Freddie Gray & his family,” and “We must come together as one City to transform this moment of loss & pain into a safer & more just future for all of Baltimore’s people.”

http://rt.com/usa/254341-presidential-candidates-react-baltimore-riots/

Articles and headlines like this one never cease to amaze me. They get a quote from one fan girl, and the media decides that Carly matters, and is picking up speed. Even though she's at less than 1% in most of the polls.


http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2015/04/28/carly-fiorina-picking-speed-iowa-gop-activists-say/26543889/

Webb joins Democrats questioning Obama trade plans

A former senator who is likely to challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination is questioning President Obama’s plans on key trade issues.

Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb today said congress has a right to see the details of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership that would impact U.S. trade with a dozen countries before the House and Senate vote on a separate proposal that gives the president authority to negotiate trade deals that cannot be altered by congress.

“I don’t think it’s right for the administration to be trying to move ‘fast track’ ahead of showing this agreement to the congress for its scrutiny,” Webb said.

Webb made his comments during a news conference in Des Moines after he met with Democrats who serve in tbe Iowa House and Senate. Webb told reporters he’s all for a “pivot to Asia” to strengthen relations with places like Vietnam, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

“That part of the world is vitally important to the United States, but with respect to the TPP agreement itself, I believe the administration needs to show the agreement to the congress,” Webb said.

President Obama is facing growing opposition from his fellow Democrats to the Asian trade deal and Obama, in turn, has warned China will fill the void in the region if the U.S. doesn’t seal with this deal.

More...http://www.radioiowa.com/2015/04/27/webb-joins-democrats-questioning-obama-trade-plans-audio/
Webb held events in central Iowa on Sunday and Monday. Webb told reporters he doesn’t have “a specific date” set for announcing whether he’ll run for president.

Next Wave of GOP Presidential Candidates: Carson, Fiorina, Huckabee

The next wave of what is expected to be a very crowded 2016 GOP presidential candidate pool is set to crash next week as Dr. Ben Carson, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are all expected to officially jump into the race.

Carson, a political commentator and retired neurosurgeon, is expected to make his presidential bid official on Monday, May 4, in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan.


Carson recently took a jab at Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, for the new revelations from the book Clinton Cash, which is exposing new information about foreign donors to her foundation.


“It is my strong belief that not only should they definitely give back the money and cease accepting foreign donations, but should also make every effort to find missing documents that would shed light if in fact they are innocent,” Carson said.


Also on Monday, May 4, Fiorina is expected to launch her official campaign via Twitter–as Breitbart News has previously reported–followed by a conference call with national reporters, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Like Carson, Fiorina has been outspoken against Clinton.


“Because I am a woman, there are many things she can’t say,” Fiorina said. “She can’t play the gender card. She can’t talk about being the first woman president. She can’t talk about the war on women.”


Huckabee, a former Fox News host, is set to announce his run for president the day after Fiorina and Carson. He will make his official announcement from Hope, Arkansas, on Tuesday May 5.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/27/next-wave-of-gop-presidential-candidates-carson-fiorina-huckabee/

Walker Responds to Cruz: 'I'm Going to Stand With the American Worker'

Potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker appeared on "Fox and Friends Weekend" to weigh in on the Clinton Foundation controversy and to respond to pointed comments from Ted Cruz about Walker's immigration policy.
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Walker also weighed in on his recent head-butting with Ted Cruz over immigration and amnesty.

In a recent Washington Examiner interview, Cruz promoted legal immigration and criticized Walker for suggesting that he supported limiting legal immigration if it has a negative impact on the wages of American workers.

"When we talk about what should be the policy on legal immigration, it should be driven by the economic impact. And number one on the list of priorities should be: What is the impact on American workers and American wages?" Walker said.

"If unemployment is high and labor participation is low, why would we want to open the door and flood the market with more workers at a time when our own people here are looking for work?"

Walker said that we are a country of immigrants, but we are also a country of laws. He asserted that we should be looking out for the American worker in everything we do.

"From immigration to tax policy to welfare reform and everything, I’m going to stand with the American worker."
...

http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/04/25/gov-scott-walker-responds-ted-cruz-im-going-stand-american-worker

The Ted Cruz Blimp, Coming to a Sky Near You!

A group of zealous supporters of Sen. Ted Cruz’ (R-TX) 2016 presidential run is planning to launch a ‘Ted Cruz Air Force’ (TCAF) in the coming months prior to the Republican primaries that begin in less than a year.
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TCAF says its most prominent air feature will be the “Ted Cruz Blimp,” but it also plans on recruiting “antique aircraft, towed aerial banners, light sport aircraft … [and] parachutes.”

Member of TCAF Jerry Collette says he’s going to do everything he can to help Cruz win the GOP nomination.

“I support Ted Cruz because, like Ron Paul before him, Ted Cruz stands on principle, even if people on both sides of the aisle oppose him for doing so,” said Collette.

According to Collette, he’ll be joined by several members of the team who launched and operated a blimp for former Rep. Ron Paul during the 2008 GOP primaries.
...

http://thenewrevere.com/2015/04/the-ted-cruz-blimp-coming-to-a-sky-near-you/

Rand Paul skips hearing on State funding, hits Clinton on Benghazi

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Funding for the State Department, including requests for funds "that will allow us to improve the safety and security of U.S. citizens, government employees and facilities overseas," according to Heather Higginbottom, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, who testified on Wednesday.

Instead of attending his committee hearing, the 2016 Republican presidential candidate spent his time blasting Clinton as "oblivious" to and denying requests for additional security at the Benghazi consulate. The compound was later attacked by terrorists who killed several diplomats there, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stephens.

"The Benghazi thing is going to be very difficult for (Clinton) to dig out of that hole because people want their president to be someone who will defend American missions, diplomatic missions around the world," Paul, who was in Washington Wednesday, told WVLK radio that morning.


More...http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/22/politics/rand-paul-benghazi-committee-hearing/

Lindsey Graham: 'I may have the first all-Jewish cabinet in America'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) spoke bluntly about his plans for raising campaign funds for his prospective presidential campaign in an interview published today on “Washington Wire,” a Wall Street Journal blog. Over a glass of Riesling, according to the account, he answered a series of questions, including how he plans to finance his campaign.


He described “the means” as the biggest hurdle facing his potential campaign, adding:
If I put together a finance team that will make me financially competitive enough to stay in this thing… I may have the first all-Jewish cabinet in America because of the pro-Israel funding. [Chuckles.] Bottom line is, I’ve got a lot of support from the pro-Israel funding.

Graham hasn’t made any secret of his desire to curry favor from the RJC’s pro-Netanyahu, pro-Likud board of directors. But suggesting that “pro-Israel funding” may determine his choice of cabinet secretaries (as well as his policies) may make even his potential benefactors squirm just a little bit in light of the purposes to which real anti-Semites who believe “Jewish money” controls the U.S. government might put such a statement.

Indeed, pro-Israel heavyweights, such as Sheldon Adelson, Paul Singer, and other heavyweight donors of the Republican Jewish Coalition, are emerging as the go-to funders of the Republican Party. Graham’s observation—whether meant lightly or not (or uttered under the influence of the Riesling)— tends to confirm that access to their millions is critical to the fortunes of any Republican presidential candidate in 2016.
Graham’s Desires

More...http://republicbroadcasting.org/lindsey-grahams-all-jewish-cabinet/

Owners of Gay Hotel Face Boycott After Meeting With Ted Cruz
  
HELL'S KITCHEN — The owners of gay hotel and wedding spot The OUT sparked outrage and a boycott after meeting with Republican presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz Monday.

Co-owners Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass, who also own a large stake in gay beach resort the Fire Island Pines, faced mounting criticism both online and from hotel clients after the meeting.

AIDS charity Broadway Cares canceled a May 10 event set to be held at the hotel's club, 42 West, because of the meeting, they said in a release.

"We cannot in good conscience hold an event at a venue whose owners have alienated our community," they said in a statement.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150424/hells-kitchen-clinton/owners-of-gay-hotel-face-boycott-ted-cruz-meeting-with-ted-cruz

Finally some good news. 
I read ~7 posts above this one and they are not what I'd consider good news. Jeb being caught in a big financial scandal would do wonders to slow down his fundraising.

Iron President 2016

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Even more hilarious is the section on Cruz’s website titled “Our Standards: The Constitution”. Now there, Cruz gloats about having “Led the way on several cases including a U.S. Supreme Court case that preserved the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance.” Yeah, that makes us freer, doesn’t it? Every time we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, an unconstitutional federal law will be automatically repealed, right Ted? No? Shucks, that ain’t right! You know what? His political accomplishments read like the resume of an 18 year old. He should join Carly Fiorina on her cooking show and teach us how to make Canadian-style hot dogs. Sonoran-style hot dogs are popular out here in Arizona, so who knows? Maybe Canadian-style hot dogs will take off.

Let’s talk about Jeb Bush. Now, we can’t talk about the Bush political family without talking about the Clintons. These two families are like the one stray cat you fed one time and the next day, five of them showed up on the porch wanting to be fed. Seriously. This all started with Papa Bush, the original stray cat. Ok, we elected this guy one time—ONE TIME!!!—and now we’ve had Bushes and Clintons on the porch ever since! Someone needs to call animal control because we just can’t have this. The neighbors are starting to complain. I mean, seriously, it’s a public health risk. None of them have had their rabies shots or anything. This just goes to show you, no good or even ambivalent deed ever goes unpunished. We fed Papa Bush, the old tomcat, on the porch and people said, “Hey, do you think that’s a good idea? You’ll have every cat in the neighborhood coming around…” Awww…it’s just Papa Bush! He was old man Reagan’s cat, remember? Then the Clintons showed up on the porch and people said, “See? Now look at these cats that showed up! The tom of this bunch has been after every female cat in the neighbourhood! See what we got started?” Nah, they’ll go away after they eat.

Yeah, that’s what we thought! Then we had Bush Jr. “There! See! What’d I tell ya! This one’s from a litter that old Papa Bush sired! Now we’re feeding the kittens from the first cat we fed! See what we got started? And the Clintons are still coming around begging to be fed, too. Look, the female of them is looking for a handout, running for president and so on.” Yeah, but we didn’t feed her when she came around in 2008, she’ll go away. “But will you look at what’s happened now?! We’ve got the Clinton female coming around begging to be fed AND another kitten from the litter Papa Bush sired and both of them are sitting outside the door meowing to be fed! This is a nightmare! Seriously, this can’t go on. We have GOT to call animal control. None of these cats has had rabies shots! They’re fighting with all the other cats in the neighborhood, getting into the trash cans and making a mess, howling all night, and crapping in peoples’ gardens. If we don’t stop feeding them, we’ll have more of them coming around! And their litters of kittens!” Yeah, see, that’s the problem with feeding politicians. You feed one and then the next thing you know, you’ve got a whole army of them hanging out in your yard. The neighbors ask, “Are those your cats?! Do you know they shredded my patio chairs with their claws?! And they don’t get along with anyone else’s cats, either!” See the mess we got started?
...

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/04/jack-perry/forget-the-presidential-election/

Rubin attacks Walker on immigration

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has been dinged by principled conservatives for reversing course on ethanol and letting go of social media guru Liz Mair under heat from Iowa Republicans. One might chalk up those actions to the inevitable small adjustments one makes given the exaggerated import of the caucuses. (Well, it’s Iowa, so what do you expect?) Unfortunately, Walker now has created concern that he is doing the same with regard to immigration, going to the extreme right in the GOP to warn against legal immigration.

The Post reports that Walker now says, “In terms of legal immigration, how we need to approach that going forward is saying … the next president and the next Congress need to make decisions about a legal immigration system that’s based on, first and foremost, protecting American workers and American wages.” He went on to cite favorably Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on the subject. The notion that legal immigration hurts the economy and native workers has been rebutted repeatedly and is widely disparaged by a host of pro-growth conservatives and scholars. Mair, whose work on immigration reform is well known, took to Twitter to denounce “the full, Olympics-quality flip-flop.” Before this, Walker had spoken favorably about the benefits of legal immigration, in keeping with his free-market outlook. He has already acknowledged changing his mind on illegal immigration, citing the president’s failure to enforce laws. (It’s not clear why that would be an issue if he were elected.)
...
Walker would be smart to get out his own plan, stick with it and put himself on the side of pro-growth immigration reform.
...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2015/04/21/scott-walker-goes-nativist-on-immigration/

Rubin can finally write about something else besides trashing Rand, which is why I'm not providing a direct link.

Clinton Cash author going after Jeb next

That landed Schweizer squarely in the crosshairs of the Clinton team and allied liberal groups, which have launched a campaign to discredit Schweizer as “disreputable” and blinded by partisan animosity. Anyone familiar with Schweizer’s work knows better: he wrote a well-regarded book about the Bush dynasty and another, detailing insider trading in Congress, that led to a new law, the bipartisan STOCK Act of 2012, which aims to curb these abuses.

That hasn’t quieted the left-wing clamor that Schweizer is simply out to get Hillary Clinton. But maybe this will: Schweizer is working on a similar investigation of Jeb Bush’s finances that he expects to publish this summer.

More...http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-23/clinton-cash-author-is-targeting-jeb-bush-next

MSNBC’s Brzezinski Grills David Brock on Clinton Emails: ‘Are We Going to Do This Again?’

A Morning Joe panel lit into Media Matters founder and Clinton surrogate David Brock Tuesday morning, picking up right where the show’s previous testy exchange with Brock over the deletion of Hillary Clinton’s emails from her private server left off.

The subject is back thanks to a new book, one Brock alleged is funded by “Clinton’s enemies,” which purports to detail quid quo pro arrangements between foreign entities donating to the the Clinton Global Initiative and Clinton’s actions as Secretary of State. It would be a lot easier to disprove those claims, the show’s hosts pointed out, if Clinton hadn’t deleted her emails.

When Brock welcomed the media to take a look at Clinton’s record, host Mika Brzezinski, who can barely conceal her disdain for Brock, objected, “But we kind of can’t. Because what should be in the public record or at least viewed by the State Department, has been scrubbed…Don’t deflect. I’m talking about the ones that were scrubbed. How can you get answers from the ones that were scrubbed that might be considered, quote, personal business? There is no answer, is there?”

When Brock said that Clinton had turned over 55,000 pages of emails to the State Department, an exasperated Brzezinski said, “Are we going to do this again?” Brock went on to claim Clinton had followed government regulation in the retention of her emails, with which Brzezinski strongly disagreed. “I don’t need you to give me a lesson on the regulations of the State Department,” she said.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/msnbcs-brzezinski-grills-david-brock-on-clinton-emails-are-we-going-to-do-this-again/

Kinda reminds me of the responses Hillary gave the Senate cmte over the Benghazi situation. These type people are your typical lawyers that make a living defending the undefendable.

Hillary Finally Comes Clean: The Economy Is “Stalled”

During Hillary Clinton’s road trip to New Hampshire on Monday, something remarkable occurred: She told the truth about the economy, telling her supporters that the economy has “stalled out” and, adding, “It’s not enough to tread water.”

A month ago while she was busy not running for president, Clinton never uttered a word about the weakening economy, giving mute evidence that she was unwilling to risk telling the truth and offending both the president and her Democrat supporters. This despite evidence that Americans have put economic worries at or near the top of their concerns for months on end. This despite the fact that the nation’s GDP fell off a cliff in January and February. This despite the fact that job growth since the start of the Great Recession has been half what it was during the Reagan recovery in the 1980s. This despite evidence that new business startups have continued their decline since 2009, and evidence that business investment in new enterprises has dropped sharply at the same time.

More...http://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/sectors/item/20707-hillary-finally-comes-clean-the-economy-is-stalled

Trying to distance herself from the obvious despite her policies would continue the same routine.

Koch brothers will offer audition to Jeb Bush

Charles and David Koch are considering throwing their massive wealth and sophisticated organization into the Republican presidential primary for the first time, a potentially game-changing boost that could make even a second-tier candidate instantly viable.

In another surprise, a top Koch aide revealed to POLITICO that Jeb Bush will be given a chance to audition for the brothers’ support, despite initial skepticism about him at the top of the Kochs’ growing political behemoth.
Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Rand Paul and Sen. Ted Cruz debated at the Koch network’s winter seminar in January, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker made a separate appearance. Those were the candidates who appeared to have a chance at the Koch blessing, and attendees said Rubio seemed to win that round.

But those four — plus Jeb – will be invited to the Kochs’ summer conference, the aide said. Bush is getting a second look because so many Koch supporters think he looks like a winner. Other candidates, perhaps Rick Perry or Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, may also get invitations.

The New York Times’ Nick Confessore reported Monday afternoon that David Koch had indicated the brothers favor Walker, citing remarks he made to donors who had just heard from the Wisconsin governor. The article runs on page A13 of the print edition: “G.O.P. Donors Signal a Favorite: Wisconsin Governor.”

This prompted an online frenzy, including the HuffPost banner, “KOCHS FIND THEIR MAN.”
Koch insiders dismissed that conclusion, saying the brothers have made similar comments about several of the candidates, and are far from settling on a favorite. “It’s really early, and a lot is going to happen,” the aide said. “We wouldn’t want to take options off the table by getting behind one of them now.”

More...http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/koch-brothers-will-offer-audition-to-jeb-bush-117177.html#ixzz3Y1AJSMWm

Seriously, there must be plenty of establishment schmucks in this group to get them to even entertain a Bush. Unreal, they clearly don't have a clue that the party's base wants nothing to do w/ another Bush.

Jeb's favorite part of Obama's Presidency? NSA Spying

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) really likes at least one part of Barack Obama's presidency: the NSA's mass collection of Americans' phone records.

During an interview on Michael Medved's radio program on Tuesday, Bush called the program, which was revealed in disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the best part of Obama's presidency.

"I would say the best part of the Obama administration has been his continuance of the protections of the homeland using the big metadata programs, the NSA being enhanced," said Bush, who is considering a 2016 presidential run. "Even though he never defends it, even though he never admits it, there has been a continuation of a very important service, which is the first obligation of our national government is to keep us (he means the state-USgov-interests) safe."

Bush added that there was technology in place that could be used to guard both the United States and the civil liberties of Americans.

More...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/21/jeb-bush-nsa_n_7113264.html

This forum and community is filled w/ brain power so I know you all get what's up here besides the neighborhood troll and her socks. Rubio is on board with this and Walker hasn't even bothered to make a statement on this major issue, I can't trust Cruz either at this point. This issue combined with foreign policy is why we all have to line up behind Rand in the primary and the general.

U.S. politics is like security software such as truecrypt or mega; we won't know who might be any good until they are Wellstone'd.  My guess is that Paul is OK and consequently, that he'd have a little accident if he cannot be dealt with in some other way.

What I'd like to see happen is for two gawd-awful candidates be out in front (Hillary and pick-just-about-any repub) then have Ventura charge up from Mexico.  If he came in late after everyone is thoroughly disgusted, and if he hired private security who are very very good, it might work and we might be able to salvage some of our constitution.

Kochs Signal Support for Scott Walker

"Charles G. and David H. Koch, the influential and big-spending conservative donors, have a favorite in the race for the Republican nomination: Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin."

“We will support whoever the candidate is,” said Mr. Koch, according to two people who attended the event. “But it should be Scott Walker.”

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/20/koch-brothers-signal-support-for-scott-walker/?_r=0

So much for these Koch bros being libertarians of any sort, thos this is about what I expected after all was said and done.