Todd M. Siebert: Charles Koch calls for political change at donor summit; Trump says candidate attendees are ‘puppets’

Monday, 3 August 2015

Charles Koch calls for political change at donor summit; Trump says candidate attendees are ‘puppets’

Billionaire Charles Koch on Sunday told 450 business leaders, politicians and GOP donors that America is “done for” if conservatives don’t do a better job building support for smaller government.

Koch implored the crowd, gathered by invitation at a luxury resort in Southern California, to help his massive political policy organization eliminate government intrusions to a “truly free society” by focusing on things like eliminating corporate welfare and cronyism.

The conservative movement, Koch said, should model itself after those that led to such mammoth historical victories for freedom as the American Revolution, abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement.

“All of these movements struck a moral chord with the American people. They all sought to overcome an injustice,” Koch told the crowd, according to reports. “We, too, are seeking to right injustices that are holding our country back.”

Koch said that the country is currently on track to becoming a two-tiered society, with room only for the very rich and the very poor.

“Misguided policies are creating a permanent underclass, crippling our economy and corrupting the business community,” he said, adding, “present company excepted of course.”

According to the business magnate, big banks who have taken government bailouts and big businesses relying on corporate welfare from the government to pad bottom lines are part of a cycle of destruction which “goes on and on.”

Big business and the financial industry, Koch said, must make tough decisions today to stave off U.S. economic ruin in the future.

“Short term, taking the principled path [will] cause some companies some problems, as it will Koch industries,” Koch said. “But long term it will allow business people to continue to own and run their businesses.”

GOP presidential hopefuls, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, addressed the crowd at the Koch event.

Most gave heavily positive speeches and praised the donors for their contributions to the political system.

“I wish the whole world could see what goes on here,” Walker said during his speech.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was invited to speak at the conference but declined to attend.

Also noticeably absent from the event was current GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who was not invited to the Koch event, where donors discussed how they will spend $889 million on the 2016 presidential race.

The real estate tycoon didn’t seem to mind, offering via Twitter:

I wish good luck to all of the Republican candidates that traveled to California to beg for money etc. from the Koch Brothers. Puppets?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2015