Thread: Charles Koch: 'Possible' Clinton could be better than GOP nominee

Charles Koch: 'Possible' Clinton could be better than GOP nominee

By Tom LoBianco, CNN
Updated 3:30 PM ET, Sun April 24, 2016

Washington (CNN)Oil tycoon and conservative mega-donor Charles Koch had kind words for both Bill and Hillary Clinton in an interview Sunday, saying there was an outside chance he could support her in November.

"We would have to believe her actions would be quite different than her rhetoric. Let me put it that way," he said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday. "But on some of the Republican candidates we would -- before we could support them, we'd have to believe their actions will be quite different than the rhetoric we've heard so far."

Earlier in the interview, Koch said Bill Clinton was better than George W. Bush on issues of economic growth and government spending but did not offer a full-throated endorsement of either Clinton.

READ: Without winning strategy, GOP donors stay on sidelines

"As far as the growth of government, the increase in spending, on restrictive regulations, it was two-and-a-half times under Bush than it was under Clinton," Koch told ABC.

Asked if it was possible another Clinton could be better than a Republican, Koch said: "It's possible."
But Clinton fired back Sunday on Twitter, saying she wasn't interested in his support.

"Not interested in endorsements from people who deny climate science and try to make it harder for people to vote," she tweeted.



Trump attacks as rivals court Kochs 02:52

Koch and his brother, David, have been prolific funders of conservative groups and instrumental in the growth and sustenance of the tea party movement.

They have also been perhaps the most consistent antagonists for Democrats during all eight years of President Barack Obama's tenure.

And Clinton herself has often fired away at the Kochs.
As recently as last month, Clinton tied her Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders, to the Koch brothers for his opposition to the Export-Import bank, something the brothers have made a key issue for conservatives.

"I just think it's worth pointing out that the leaders of the fossil fuel industry, the Koch brothers, have just paid to put up an ad praising Sen. Sanders. You know, there are a lot of different powerful interests in Washington. I've taken them on," Clinton said at last month's Democratic debate in Miami, shortly before the Florida primaries.

But Charles Koch has blasted Republican front-runner Donald Trump throughout the Republican contest. He kept up the fire Sunday, when he compared Trump's call to create a Muslim registry to Nazi Germany.

"I mean, this isn't Nazi Germany. I mean, that's monstrous as I said at the time. So, obviously we totally oppose that," Koch told ABC.

The Kochs have long been conservative stalwarts, but not always aligned with the Republican Party. David Koch ran as the vice presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party in 1980. And Charles Koch became a vocal critic of the Iraq War during Bush's tenure.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/24/politics/charles-koch-hillary-clinton-2016/index.html

Koch brother: Trump plan would 'destroy free society'

Charles Koch: Why I Didn't Try To Stop Donald Trump


ALEXANDER MALLIN and JONATHAN KARL
April 24, 2016


Charles Koch: Why I Didn't Try To Stop Donald Trump (ABC News)More

Charles Koch says he won’t “put a penny” into trying to stop Donald Trump, that there are “terrible role models” among the remaining Republican presidential candidates, and that his massive political network may decide to sit out of the presidential race entirely.

"These personal attacks and pitting one person against the other -- that's the message you're sending the country," Koch said in an exclusive interview with ABC News that aired Sunday. "You're role models and you're terrible role models. So how -- I don't know how we could support 'em."

The billionaire CEO of Koch Industries and one of the most powerful and controversial figures in politics said he and his brother David Koch have also turned down pleas to join the "Never Trump" movement, which aims to deny the real estate mogul the nomination.

Instead Koch said he and his brother plan to stay out of the party's nomination fight.

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"We haven't put a penny in any of these campaigns, pro or con," Koch said. "That's not what we do. What we're trying to do is build alliances to make the country better.”

Koch, author of the book "Good Profit," said he would only consider contributing to either Trump or Cruz if they backtrack on some of their most controversial promises. That includes one of Cruz's favorite lines of his campaign stump speech -- to carpet bomb ISIS in the Middle East and "make the sand glow."

"That's gotta be hyperbole, but I mean that a candidate -- whether they believe it or not -- would think that appeals to the American people," Koch said. "This is frightening."

Koch also slammed Trump's rhetoric towards Muslims, saying his proposal of a temporary travel ban was "antithetical."

"What was worse was this 'we'll have them all registered,'" Koch said. "That's reminiscent of Nazi Germany. I mean -- that's monstrous as I said at the time."

Koch went so far as to say the GOP nightmare of another Clinton presidency might be a better alternative to the remaining Republican candidates at this point.

"It's possible," he said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/charles-k...436.html?nhp=1

Charles Koch: Political System 'Rigged' But Not by Me


ALEXANDER MALLIN and JONATHAN KARL
April 24, 2016


Charles Koch: Political System 'Rigged' But Not by Me (ABC News)More

Conservative billionaire Charles Koch and Sen. Bernie Sanders may be on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but both are in agreement on one issue: the American economy is "rigged" in favor of the wealthy.

"That's our number one policy objective -- to change that," Koch said in an exclusive interview with ABC News that aired Sunday.

Where he and Sanders disagree is the solution.

It's 'Possible' Hillary Clinton Could Be Better President than GOP Pick, Charles Koch Says

Meet the Koch Brothers - Again

David Koch on the Plane Crash That Helped Change His Life

Koch, author of the book "Good Profit," acknowledges his own company, Koch Industries, has been a direct beneficiary of "corporate welfare." But he says he and brother David Koch have lobbied -- so far unsuccessfully -- for the broad repeal of subsidies and exemptions carved out of the U.S. tax code, including those benefiting them.

"We've got to get rid of this rather than have more government control, but [Sanders has] at least identified the problem," he said.

Koch said while Republicans have been successful in blocking many big-spending initiatives he believes would be bad for the country, they have mostly ignored pleas from he and his brother to reform the tax system.

"I can see why [Republicans] say, 'Well, there's a tax break over here, we need one here.' Well, that's the wrong attitude. We got to get rid of all of them," Koch said. "It's been disappointing because it's hard to find somebody in politics with the courage to go against what's popular and do what they believe will help people improve their lives."

It's why he says there's no evidence to Democrat's claims that he and his brother act as puppeteers over the GOP.

"If I control the Republican Party, we would not have a two-tiered system," Koch said. "We would not have welfare for the wealthy. We would not have a tax code that subsidizes the wealthy. We would get rid of all of that, so obviously I don't control anything.

Koch says it's another reason why he hasn't been able to throw support behind any of the Republican presidential nominees.

"I don't hear any of the Republican candidates talking about this two-tiered system and getting rid of it. So that's why we haven't supported any of 'em," he said.

"We haven't put a penny in any of these campaigns, pro or con."

As for the American political system, Koch said he and his brother "would like to get the money out" despite the hundreds of millions his political network Freedom Partners have pumped into Republican campaigns over the past decade.

"The only way to get the money out is get all the goodies that the government's giving to special interests out and that's what we're trying to do," he said. "We now have two-year presidential campaigns, which is all everybody talks about. It's because we have this system of control and dependency, so everybody is dependent, including big companies, on the government to set the rules to give them an advantage."

As for his return on their investment, Koch praised initiatives passed by lawmakers at the state and local levels, but joked that it hasn't all been positive.
"I've gotten a lot of abuse out of it," Koch said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/charles-k...511.html?nhp=1

But Charles Koch has blasted Republican front-runner Donald Trump throughout the Republican contest. He kept up the fire Sunday, when he compared Trump's call to create a Muslim registry to Nazi Germany.

Trump didn't call for the creation of a Muslim registry. Never, not once, ever. A reporter asked him if Muslims entering the country should be registered, and Trump said, yes they should be. All immigrants and visitors are registered. We have an immigration tourist system that issues green cards, visas and permits to all immigrants and visitors, and their information is kept in a database file, a "registry" I suppose. It's so sad that the stupid reporter who asked Trump this question didn't already know that there already is a "registry" of all immigrants and visitors including immigrants and visitors from Muslim countries.

K bros are for open borders & the ensuing chaos so they can continue to POLLUTE while they make $$billions. They are very much against cleaning up their industries to passable levels of pollution for the health and safety of our citizens.

Koch brothers and big utilities campaign to unplug solar power