In an effort to rally the base and go on the offensive following the killing of the Keystone XL pipeline plan, President Barack Obama turned on the pro-free market Koch brothers, releasing a campaign ad that refers to “secretive oil billionaires attacking President Obama.” The effort did not escape the attention of Koch Industries, which promptly released a statement saying that it is “unfortunate that the president demonizes Koch and other job creators for political gain rather than create an environment that will promote job growth and help businesses and the people they employ flourish.” (RELATED: Obama re-election ad targets Koch brothers, touts ‘green tech’ jobs)
“President Obama’s first TV advertisement of the 2012 political season refers obliquely to Koch while claiming credit for a thriving energy sector,” wrote Philip Ellender, president of government and public affairs at Koch Companies Private Sector. “It’s a message that is divorced from the facts, and only makes sense to a federal bureaucrat or a campaign focus group. In reality, the administration has been ambivalent or, more often, outright hostile to many of the affordable and practical solutions that would increase America’s domestic energy supplies, including pipelines and offshore drilling permits.” (Left-wing activists cited as ‘independent watchdogs’ in new Obama ad [VIDEO])
“While the Obama 2012 campaign pays political consultants to create misleading ads and talking points, Koch employs nearly 50,000 American workers who create value every day and contribute to the economic prosperity of their communities and our nation,” the statement continued. “With the nation’s unemployment rate at more than 8 percent, it is unfortunate that the president demonizes Koch and other job creators for political gain rather than create an environment that will promote job growth and help businesses and the people they employ flourish.”
The Kochs donate large amounts of money to free market causes. Since the rise of the tea party, they have come under increased scrutiny from leftists who allege that they are behind a conservative and libertarian surge in the United States.
