Friday, October 18, 2013

Koch Brothers Pick Their Replacement For Suder

You just know that the Koch Brothers just can't allow any election to occur without their meddling:
A Washington, D.C.-based special interest group with a troubled electioneering past is getting involved in the Republican primary to replace former Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder.

The American Federation for Children has been sending out multiple mailings to residents of the 69th Assembly District supporting Alanna Feddick, a Marshfield City Council member and attorney, ahead of the Oct. 22 special election primary.

Matt Frendewey, the communications director for the American Federation for Children, said the group was impressed with Feddick’s responses at a recent candidates forum about school voucher programs.

Feddick said she had nothing to do with the mailer, as the American Federation for Children is an independent expenditure committee and cannot collaborate with candidates, but she said she was “certainly very thankful for the support” when contacted by phone.

However, she quickly changed her tune in an email an hour later.

“I really wish third parties — whether from Washington, Madison or anywhere — would stay out of this and any race,” Feddick said, adding that she intends to win while running a grass-roots campaign.

While recognizing Feddick’s wishes, Frendewey said the group will continue to support her candidacy.

“As supporters of educational choice, we believe it is important that Wisconsin children, especially those who lack educational options, have a voice,” Frendewey said in an email. “We respect that many candidates prefer that only candidates spend money in campaigns, but we believe Wisconsin students will be better off with Alanna Feddick.”
Note that sudden change in attitude towards the Koch's support. Feddick obviously forgot was the party line was and had to correct herself.

It's not surprising that such a blunder occurred. The Kochs don't hire their politicians (or their writers) for their brilliance, but for their willingness to do what they are told for the least amount of money.

And in case the gentle reader has forgotten the history of the AFC:
The American Federation for Children is chaired by Betsy DeVos, the former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, and is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council — Suder was the state chairman for ALEC — which has received increased attention during Gov. Scott Walker’s time in office.

Like ALEC, the American Federation for Children produces model legislation on school voucher programs for state politicians to introduce. One bill on the group’s website is nearly identical to the special needs scholarship for special education students that was included in Walker’s budget earlier this year. That provision ultimately was removed by the Legislature before being signed into law.

In 2009, when the group was known as All Children Matter, it was fined by the GAB for mailing out an issue advocacy ad that encouraged people to vote against then State Rep. John Lehman in 2006 during his successful campaign for the 21st Senate District without registering itself as an independent expenditure committee.
Isn't that just special?  Like our schools and our children's futures weren't endangered enough.

Betcha we won't see any story like that in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel or Wisconsin State Journal.

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