2016 GOP hopefuls gear up for 'Koch' primary

[jpak]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/2015/07/29/charles-koch-donors-meeting-california/30803357/

WASHINGTON — Billionaire Charles Koch and his growing political empire have yet to align behind a single candidate in the Republican nomination fight, but the free-market views he and his conservative allies support already are helping to shape the primary.

For instance, the Koch network’s fierce opposition to the Export-Import Bank, an 81-year-old federal agency that helps U.S. companies sell their goods abroad, quickly emerged as a litmus test for the GOP field. Despite the bank’s popularity with major business groups, most of the major White House candidates have endorsed shuttering the bank, including former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Rick Perry, a former governor of Texas who had warned Congress just a year ago that failing to reauthorize the bank’s charter would hurt American companies and cost U.S. jobs.

Now, Bush and four other GOP candidates are headed to California to tout their conservative credentials in person before Charles Koch, his younger brother David Koch and the hundreds of wealthy donors who share their political leanings.

Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina will participate in question-and-answer sessions during the gathering of about 450 contributors who have pledged to spend nearly $900 million ahead of the 2016 election.

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[Buns_of_Fire]

1. I imagine the candidates have been drinking everything thru a straw all week.

Gotta get the pucker and suction JUST RIGHT for their hosts. I'm sure the Koch's don't approve of butt-hickeys.

[Gothmog]

2. The Kochs are calling the shots in the GOP

[Hortensis]

3. Hoping for a good "Koch" effect. As is, Pew says only 24% of adults identified Republican in 2014.

(Total of GOP + independent-who-vote-GOP has also declined - to 39-40%.) In any case, most people had never heard of the Kochs 4 years ago -- just the way the Kochs have liked it for 40 years.

[Angry Dragon]

4. someone should do a cartoon of the gop hopefuls with price-tags

[hifiguy]

5. Will the Kochs let the attendees use knee pads?

Or will they just have to toughen up and kneel on the floor?