Big Times for Koch Industries and Other Kingpins of Big Coal – But Not Everywhere

The effects of Big Money on politics are loathsome indeed, though it’s gratifying to know that there are places that this corruption simply can’t reach.  Take Oregon, for instance.

Far be it from me to tell the Koch Brothers how to spend their money, but when they dumped $3.6 million into the U.S. Senate race in Oregon this year, in an attempt to replace the extremely popular and vigorous environmentalist Jeff Merkly with their pawn Monica Wehby, I knew they were wasting their resources.

Here’s a counter-attack ad that the Merkly camp ran, as part of a campaign that won him a decisive victory.

But there is scarcely a reason for celebration; here’s Merkley himself lamenting that Koch funding was effective in swing states around the country.