Discussion for article #246100
Mediate reported that a tweet from Trump campaign social media director Dan Scavino quoted former Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) saying of ALEC, “ALEC is without a doubt, one of the most honest organizations in DC.” Trump then quoted Scavino’s tweet and added, “Very Real! Highly respected Senator Tom Coburn said this about ALEC.”
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Fox: Obama continues to take advantage of Citizens United and loosen conservative’s grip on Corporations. We miss Scalia.
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So, since this has taken so fucking long…
What group has replaced ALEC and signed all their old clients? There’s absolutely no chance that this hasn’t happened by now.
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I’m surprised they haven’t virtually all of their corporate backers since Alec’s agenda have been widely exposed. Most corporations want to stay neutral on these issues by not pissing off the majority of their customers, even firms headed by or owned by right leaning executives or owners as its not wise to wear your political leanings on your sleeve. In one example, Papa John’s pizza paid the price and still is for dissing the President, hence the millions they pay Peyton Manning in a partially successful effort to regain lost, left-leaning patrons. The owner John Schnatter (sp?) did afterwards admit he was wrong and stupid for interjecting his political leanings as CEO into his corporation’s public dealings.
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I dropped Farmer’s insurance after 30 years because of its association with ALEC.
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Did you tell them “No more Farmers…sniff my bum bum bum bum bum”?
Yeah yeah…I’m low on inspiration today.
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Good for Ford. However, will they work to reverse the pernicious effects of ALEC on our society?
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I think they sell automobiles. Current evidence to the contrary.
So…the corporations that hired ALEC for position papers had to hire OTHER people to fact check ALEC? Nice work if you can get it.
It’s only fitting that Ford abandons the Koch bros backed group ALEC since Ford received 5.9 billion from the.government while declining the bailout itself.
Although Ford did not need money from the $80 billion bailout program, Ford did receive $5.9 billion in government loans in 2009 to retool its manufacturing plants to produce more fuel-efficient cars, and the company lobbied for and benefited from the cash-for-clunkers program — contrary to the ad’s testimonial that Ford is “standing on their own.”
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They got the Free Soilers part right:
They’ll be sorry. 16 states are now considering legislation that says, “Ownership of a Ford automobile is a Class A felony.”
I repeat…I’ll believe it when I see it happen.
Listen…ALEC has been a goldmine for business…a system to buy influence wholesale…down to writing bills for cooperative weasel legislators to take back to the capitol, stick in the inbox and pass with gerrymandered majorities.
Big business doesn’t like those facts being exposed and when they are they make lots of noises about dropping their participation. But believe me, there are lots of different ways to achieve the same ends and they have the time, the money and the motivation to find them. It may not be ALEC, but it will still get the job done.
As long as their is the Greenbriar and the Broadmoor and a chance to schmooze and play golf and meet behind closed doors and as long as the Kochs are around, there will be something like ALEC.
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The reason a lot of businesses originally joined ALEC is that they don’t actually care much what the regulations are but they really hate having 50 different regulations to follow in different parts of the country. Then the organization was hijacked by the Koch brothers as a vehicle for their climate change denial and it became a liability.
The US Chamber of Commerce suffered a similar fate. I worked with them back in 1995, before they were turned into an open shill shop for GOP policies.
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I think they have been, at least to a certain degree, whether by regs, high tech or free market. Love my Ford Escape. Made in my hometown (we have 2 plants in Louisville) and my nephew works there. They also have a good record in supporting community arts and other things. So from here, yay Ford!
"Google said that ALEC was “literally lying about climate change.”
As opposed to everything else where they are just figuratively lying.
You didn’t clarify that Trump must have been tweeting that in sarcasm lampooning an organization responsible for so much destructive influence from the right that Coburn called ‘one of the most honest’, since he is campaigning on a message of not being bought himself. Not only that, he knows ALEC is the Koch’s funded baby and they’ve got a bullseye aimed squarely on his back by them. This had to be a shot at ALEC.
Yup. Goes back to that money in politics thing that works its way in and corrodes every democratic institution that we have that was supposed to be looking out for our interests, from congress to the press. What started out as conservative activism 40 years ago became far more insidious when Citizens United made it possible to subvert ALEC into a legislative weapon that only represents the elite.