"There’s a Big Difference Between Union Money and Koch Money"

There’s a Big Difference Between Union Money and Koch Money

By DAVID FIRESTONE at the NY Times

http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/theres-a-big-difference-between-union-money-and-koch-money/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1

"SNIP......................


For dozens of readers, our editorial this morning on the Democratic criticism of the Koch brothers left out something crucial: the big financial muscle of unions in backing liberal politcians.

“As the editors of The Times must know, unions in America far outspend the Kochs in their funding for Democratic candidates,” wrote Yitzhak Klein of Jerusalem wrote in the comments section. “What Harry Reid is doing is cheap demagoguery. Also this editorial.”

Mr. Klein, like many other commenters (some of whom are prominent) has his figures wrong. As the Washington Post and the Center for Responsive Politics recently reported, unions poured about $400 million into the 2012 elections. That almost matched the $407 million raised and spent by the Koch network in that same election cycle.

But think about what those numbers mean. Two brothers, aided by a small and shadowy group of similarly wealthy donors, spent more than millions of union members. The fortunes of just a few people have allowed them an outsized voice, and they are openly trying to use it to turn control of the Senate to Republicans.




.....................SNIP"