Koch’s bid to buy “free speech” in America

To the editor:

Every American should be concerned about the Koch brothers' announcement to spend close to $1 billion on the 2016 campaign. That amount will exceed the combined amount that both the Democratic and Republican parties spent in 2012. It will give these two brothers the unprecedented advertising power of a third political party and the ability to pick and choose individual candidates.

They held their first audition of possible 2016 Republican presidential candidates last week at their secret meeting in Palm Springs. Directing their vast sums of money for a specific candidate or aiming it against their opponent, the Kochs will be able to dictate the choice for voters. The two Kochs, ranked 5th and 6th richest men in America, could conceivably buy all the total advertising time of every television and radio station in America leading up to the 2016 campaign.

The 2010 Supreme Court decision, (Citizens United) case which struck down limits on corporate and individual campaign spending was based on a 'right to free speech” argument. It is now obvious that it has enabled the wealthiest Americans to buy up all the free speech and the ability to silence every opposing voice in America.

Rick Smith

Urbandale