Topic: Citizen Koch

Sir Adam of Des Moines is recognized for his donation and his humorous claim of getting the show's address on the Koch Brothers' permanent holiday card mailing list. The hosts discuss how the election results invalidated Democratic talking points regarding the influence of Citizens United and the Koch brothers.

The failure of Jeb Bush's campaign, despite a $150 million "war chest," is cited as evidence that the Citizens United ruling does not guarantee electoral victory. Critics of campaign finance laws often argue that money buys elections, yet Bush's 7.8% finish in South Carolina contradicts this narrative. The discussion suggests that the media promotes the "money equals winning" theory because they are the primary beneficiaries of massive campaign advertising spends.

President Obama called for an end to gerrymandering and a reduction in the influence of money in politics. The segment argues that the success of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders proves that the "Citizens United" era of big-money dominance is being challenged by grassroots movements. Additionally, recent media attempts to link the Koch brothers' family history to Nazi Germany are dismissed as "nasty" propaganda.

A controversy emerged involving the documentary "Citizen Koch" after funding was pulled by public television entities. Reports suggest that WNET in New York and other PBS affiliates were concerned about offending major donor David Koch, leading to allegations that public broadcasting is susceptible to the same corporate pressures as commercial media.