One Percent’s latest crybaby shtick: Why Koch brothers can’t whine about Harry Reid

Sure, Reid's anti-Koch crusade may be over-the-top. But by being political players, Kochs want to have it both ways

SIMON MALOY

Harry Reid is a troll. He’s an effective majority leader and he knows how to work within the sticky labyrinth of official DC to get things done, but he’s also a troll. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s a trait that lends itself to excess.

His 2012 campaign to convince America that Mitt Romney had not paid taxes for ten years is perhaps the best example of Reid’s trolling prowess. “He didn’t pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that’s true? Well, I’m not certain,” Reid said, sourcing the claim to, literally, a guy who called his office. He was using the same sort of I’m-just-asking-questions dodge that Karl Rove used this week to get people talking about Hillary Clinton’s health and age.

That’s why I’m just a bit leery of Reid’s role as chief spokesman in the Democratic crusade against Charles and David Koch. I get that the point of it is to make the billionaire brothers the mascots of economic inequality, but Reid’s enthusiasm for the role makes it start to feel like it’s just a fight between Reid and the Kochs.

As such, Reid throwing his support behind a constitutional amendment to undo the Citizens United decision gives rise to headlines like this: “Harry Reid Backs Constitutional Amendment To Limit Koch Brothers’ Influence.” The amendment, of course, would not affect just the Koch brothers, but since Reid has made them his money-in-politics bêtes noires, we’re now left with the impression that Reid is using the power of the government to go after two rich guys.

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http://www.salon.com/2014/05/16/one_percents_latest_crybaby_shtick_why_koch_brothers_cant_whine_about_harry_reid/