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Subscribe to RSSHerman Cain enthusiastically embraced the Koch brothers -- saying he is their "brother from another mother" -- just hours after facing a legal complaint challenging his campaign's ties to a Koch brother affiliated non profit.
"Just so I can clarify this for the media, this may be a breaking news announcement for the media: I am the Koch brothers' brother from another mother," Cain said during a speech at the Americans for Prosperity gathering in Washington, D.C. "Yes. I'm their brother from another mother! And proud of it!"
Cain said: "I'm proud to know the Koch brothers." He said a recent New York Times article made it sound like "we've had time to go fishing together, hunting together, skiiing together."
Charles and David Koch, whose company, Koch Industries, is one of the country's largest privately-held energy firms, have been major donors to conservative causes and, through their group, Americans for Prosperity, have been widely credited with helping to spur the emergence of the Tea Party. (David Koch was in attendance for today's speech.)
But Cain's ties to the Koch brothers and Americans for Prosperity have received new scrutiny this week. A watchdog group, the Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW), on Friday filed a legal complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) charging that Cain and his campaign manager, Mark Block, violated election laws by using $40,000 in funds from a non profit founded by Block to pay for iPads and charter flights for Cain's presidential campaign.
Cain made his remarks Friday in direct reference to a story published Friday in the New York Times outlining those ties.
Non-profits are barred by law from spending money for presidential campaigns. Internal documents from the non-profit, Prosperity USA, were published this week by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. They contain apperent references to expenses paid by AFP on behalf of Prosperity USA and Cain -- "From AFP- H. Cain travel," one reads -- and an AFP spokesman this week confirmed the group was reviewing what it called "financial dealings" between the groups.
Asked about the FEC complaint filed by CREW, Cain campaign spokesman, JD Gordon, emailed Friday: "As with any suggestions of this type, we have asked outside counsel to investigate The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's suggestions and may comment, if appropriate, when that review is completed."
The campaign finance allegations have added to Cain's problems this week. The candidate has found himself under siege this week for his acknowledgement of settlements that existed between two women and the National Restaurant Association related to allegations of sexual harassment brought against Cain during his time as the restaurant lobby's chairman. Cain did not address that controversy in his Friday speech.
The event was Cain's last in D.C., where he's spent most of the week. He's set to travel next to Houston, where he'll debate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a fellow Republican presidential hopeful.
GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain defends his ties to the Koch brothers, at the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, an organization funded by the Koch's.
NBC's Andrew Rafferty and msnbc.com's Michael O'Brien contributed.
Updated at 3:14 p.m.
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While Mr. Cain has a long history of personal sins and offensive behavior towards women, his rampany disregard for campaign finance laws and his deeply disturbing connection to the Koch brothers and other corporate greedtsers is perhaps the most threatening aspect of his rise to the top of the Republican primary polls. Cain is a tool of the corporate far-right, the heart and soul of the modern GOP. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
There are many things about America that we can look to with pride. Our courageous American youth, who volunteer for the military and put themselves in harms way. The dedicated emergency responders who went into the World Trade Center buildings. Our hospitals and doctors who often care for those who cannot afford it. The teachers who treat every child in their class like it was their own child, and get paid so little for working so many hours. We hold them in esteem because it's about integrety. Creating "Jobs" is usually about making money, and those people are not alway concerned about integrity. Unfortunately for the Koch brothers, they have opted for the Dark Side, where integrity is of little concern. So, on a scale of 1-100, the Kock bros. get one point for creating jobs, while the Marine gets 95 points for going through the door first, and 5 points for wasting the enemy. Integrity and courage score high.
The reality is that they are not very good at creating jobs. I saw a graph and over the last 10 to 15 years the Koch bros tripled their personal wealth while laying off 10,000 workers from their companies. They do have 100 or so job openings today, but that's only 1% of the total they laid off.
And considering the smokin' dude they hired to look after Herman, I wouldn't really trust their HR department.
You would think that before they update these stories, they would edit their grammatical errors first. I have to laugh (and cry) every time I read an internet news article. They are worse than printed newspapers (where the copy readers/proofers/editors fail to catch typos and grammatical errors.) Isikoff is supposed to be an educated journalist, yet he doesn't seem to know the difference between there, their, and they're just like so many posters on Newsvine. Then there are the dropped words (a, the, etc.) or mis-located words (words backwards from the proper grammatical order), etc. that occur in almost every article on ALL media sites.
But, back to the real "meat" of the story, we could eliminate all of this campaign mess if every poster and every reader would join the Popular Amendment Movement and help drive the constitutional amendment petition for Election/Campaign Finance Reform. Go to www.faircampaignreform.us to get involved.
Someone at NBC or msnbc.com must be reading the comments. I see in the latest refresh they have corrected "there" to "their" in the opening sentence.
Another Oil Company Puppet willing to sell out our land for a few bucks. Shame on Cain.
"I'm proud to know the Koch brothers." He would be.
Cain should sing, "turn out the lights, the party is over".
Why sing Amazing Grace?, when he flirt/fart with some bitch.
A brother from a different mother? WTF? Why wouldn't he be proud of them. They give him money. Another bought and paid for politician. Beautiful. Herman would you please sing for us again. Please!
They all are, for the most part. Someone like Ron Paul i think gets a lot of donations from small donors, but the rest are bought by global corporations. I think someone like Romney scares the establishment because he is self funded, he doesn't need much outside help... I doubt they like anyone that can't be bought.
Cain is done. Nobody wants to elect a sexual predator as president. Game over, dude.
You are right Mark. We have already put a sexual predator into the White House. We should be able to learn from our mistakes.
Cain makes Palin look like a Rhodes Scholar
Other than 999, everytime someone asks him a question they get a convoluted or different answer
He should stick to making pizza or whoopie
Stick to making whoopie!! what are you nuts? You want him diluting the gene pool?
Skookum
No, actually we want as many fools in the GOP Stupid Party as possible
They are the the world's largest reality show...WOW
I think there was a movie made about the Koch brothers years back. It was called Trading Places.
Sold my soul, lost my way, all alone...... Koch-Cain
Two sexual harassment claims filed against him and now he is accused of using illegal campaign funds. Cain is done.
I was reading about the grandpa Koch and how he made all of his money off of Stalin in Russia. They let him come in and fix their oil industry way back in the day. I guess he cashed in big time and had a pile of money during the depression to buy up businesses/equipment for pennies on the dollar. It was all timing. The son's (one of them sued the other brothers back in the day/they are probably all nuts) inherited their wealth. Nothing new there. That is how you get rich.
Good grief........ Save that wannabe street jive for the gutter you crawled out of..... Another politician swirling the toilet bowl. :( I am voting for the people to take back their Democracy.
"I'm very proud to know the Koch brothers." Cain then added: "Does this look like a pubic hair to you on this Coke can?"
None of the canidates stands out to me as anyone I want in office (includes currently serving as well) A lot and I mean alot of mud slinging and 3 card monty going on. Lobbiests , banks, and corporations seem to get whom they think is best for thier needs in office while everyone else suffers. Protests are the begining just look at the turmoil in other countries .
I am all for the Herminator. I am tired of life long politicians. Go Herman
Why is it OK for Dems to be rich but not Republicans? Rich doesn't make you happy ... not in the least, so why jealousy, envy, or whatever it is that brings out the hate?
At least he knows his Massas
An unprincipled whore from a different mother seems a more appropriate description.
Live to Ride-Wake Up! all of the Republicans and Tea Partiers are tied to the Koch Brothers don't you listen to the news they all have the same talking points-where do you think that comes from
Obama has destroyed the USA. I can't wait until it is over a year from now.
Explain yourself, Stevie, with specifics.
It Cain't get any crazier then this, Cain't it?
Sadly, I fear not only it Cain, but it will. The election is still a year away.
It Cain't get any crazier then this, Cain't it?
Crazier than what? what have the Koch brothers done that is so evil?
I was going to ask "is this man nuts?", but I guess he's already answered.