Yesterday, The Nation released more damning audio from a recent secretive summit hosted by the Koch brothers and attended by key Republican candidates. This time, the cajoler-in-chief was Arizona gubernatorial candidate Doug Ducey, who made his adoration for the Kochs’ Americans for Prosperity clear, saying “I can’t emphasize enough the power of organizations like this.”
In his attempt to solicit Koch money, Ducey promises to enact an extreme agenda similar to the one Scott Walker jammed through in Wisconsin — one which is highly unpopular, gutted education funding, and has left Wisconsin’s economy reeling.
Well, last night, Brahm Resnik at KPNX in Phoenix, called Ducey out, asking him about his connection to these shady billionaires. But as luck would have it, fellow education raider and noted loudmouth Chris Christie was in town, so before Ducey was forced to defend himself, Christie went into one of his patented angry, dismissive rants, belittling the question.
RESNIK: You’ll hear Christie jump in before Ducey could answer my question about why he meets in secret with the Koch Brothers. Now those brothers, Charles and David, are billionaire industrialists who host these beauty pageants for candidates for the benefit of their wealthy donors. Ducey’s campaign has benefited from several hundred thousand dollars from Koch-connected organizations, all the money from anonymous donors. Ducey is also supported by Sean Noble, an Arizona operative who is one of the leading bundlers of Koch brothers’ cash. Now watch Ducey begin to answer my question a few minutes ago, before Christie jumps in.
DUCEY: [mouth open, looking terrified…]
CHRISTIE: Well that’s your opinion. Your opinion is that are that these folks are folks with dark money…
RESNIK: You’re saying the Koch brothers and these entities are not dark money givers?
CHRISTIE: Listen, what I’m saying very clearly is that everyone has a right to participate in the political process … but no, I don’t believe the Koch brothers are that.
Watch the entire priceless interaction above.