Today, Marco Rubio will participate in a town hall in Boulder City, Nevada organized by the Kochs’ so-called Latino outreach group, the LIBRE Initiative. LIBRE claims to advocate for policies that help Latinos, but in reality the group pushes for policies that help Charles and David Kochs’ bottom line.
In participating in LIBRE’s town hall, Marco Rubio is showing yet again that there’s only one thing he’s interested in — a piece of the $900 million the Kochs have said they’ll spend in this election. On issue after issue, Rubio’s been a strong supporter of the Koch agenda — opposing the Ex-Im Bank, fighting against net neutrality, blocking a raise to the minimum wage, opposing bankruptcy protections for Puerto Rico, and supporting tax cuts for rich special interests like the Kochs. Just this week, a new report revealed that Rubio could be the new “front-runner” for the billionaire brothers.
But by aligning himself with LIBRE, Marco Rubio is signaling that if the Kochs buy him the White House, he’ll put their agenda first, no matter who it hurts.
Despite efforts to integrate into the Latino community, the Republican-operative run organization has a reputation for taking positions that will hurt Latinos and immigrants. Their executive director, Daniel Garza, has testified against President Obama’s protections against deportation. The front group also opposes raising the minimum wage and wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, stances which will disproportionately affect the very demographic they say they represent.
The Koch network didn’t put tens of millions of dollars into the LIBRE Initiative for altruistic reasons. Making inroads in the Hispanic community and spreading misinformation is really about fostering an environment that is favorable for the candidates who will implement the Kochs’ profit-driven agenda.
Read more in Bridge Project’s report on the LIBRE Initiative.
Over the past several years, LIBRE has allocated significant resources to Nevada, including opening and office with full time staff, TV ads, and multiple events. In an effort to push their political agenda on the Latino community, LIBRE has even run driver’s education classes. The Latino community in Nevada has pushed back against LIBRE’s agenda. Earlier this year, LIBRE planned to be a top sponsor of the Cesar Chavez Festival in Las Vegas until local activists and lawmakers protested.