Reprinted from The Nation
The billionaire Koch brothers have always had a thing for Scott Walker. But do they support him for president? Well, sort of, but, you know, um, not just yet.
According to several reports from a New York State Republican Party fundraising event on Monday, David Koch told the big donors, "We will support whoever the candidate is. But it should be Scott Walker."
That sounded like an endorsement. So did what Koch said outside the Manhattan event, at which Walker also spoke. Koch hailed the governor of Wisconsin "a tremendous candidate." Could Walker beat former secretary of state Hillary Clinton? "No question about it," chirped Koch. "If enough Republicans have a thing to say -- why, he'll defeat her by a major margin."
But hold on. As confused headline writers churned out the "news" that the monied Machiavellis had found their prince, David Koch was scrambling to clarify that "While I think Governor Walker is terrific, let me be clear, I am not endorsing or supporting any candidate for president at this point in time."
First privately and then publicly, Koch assuring the several dozen Republican wannabes that the massive political apparatus he and his brother Charles oversee -- with $900 billion raised from the Kochs and their fellow billionaires at help favored partisans win control of the federal government in 2016 -- will not intervene in GOP primaries on behalf of any candidate. Not even Scott Walker.
Click Here to Read Whole Article