How To Avoid Bankrolling Right-Wing Attack Ads

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Have you eaten at White Castle recently? Or caught a movie at Regal Cinemas?

If so, you may be unwittingly helping finance right-wing attack ads.

That’s because many of the country’s most common brands are run by rich conservatives who are using their personal wealth to bankroll outside spending groups that are running attack ads smearing progressives. From Marriott Hotels to Brawny paper towels, and from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Coachella music festival, corporate executives at these organizations have given millions of dollars to groups like Mitt Romney’s Super PAC Restore Our Future.

Some corporations, like Waffle House, give direct donations to conservative attack ad groups like Karl Rove’s American Crossroads.

The following list of consumer brands either have leaders who wrote checks to outside right-wing attack ad groups or gave money directly from the corporation. Only entities that gave $25,000 or more were included in this guide.

Next page: how are these brands working for the right-wing agenda?

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Photo: sue peacock/flickr

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Stanley B.

12:29PM PDT on Aug 18, 2012

We need to arrest the KOCHroaches for illegal trading with Iran. Where is the political will for justice? TThe brothers should be extradited to the International Court of Human Rights and tried for Human Rights violations. All and anyone bringing valid evidence to the court should be rewarded with a prize of $1 million and successful prosecution a $1 billion distributed to the disabled and elderly living in poverty. The balance to forgive all student debt and Universal Health Care. Stop the KOCH funded wars and slavery of the working poor.

August 18
send a green star

Marie W.

9:15PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

Georgia Pacific is the one that's hard to avoid.
First are Georgia-Pacific consumer products: Angel Soft, Quilted Northern, and Soft n Gentle toilet paper; Brawny paper towels; any of the Dixie plates, bowls and napkins; Sparkle, Vanity Fair and Zee napkins; Georgia-Pacific's paper products.
Second are Georgia-Pacific building products. The list is quite extensive so I'll just refer you to Shoq Value's rundown of them at http://shoqvalue.com/anticipating-a-koch-boycott-a-few-of-their-products
Third are a whole bunch of products under the Invista banner: Coolmax, Cordura, Solarmax, Supplex, and Thermolite fabrics, as well as those containing Lycra; Comforel fiberfill; Dacron fibers; Somerelle bedding products; Stainmaster carpets and Tactesse carpet fiber. There are also a number of resins on the list.
In addition to those three big areas, Koch Industries is involved in huge range of activities: Pollution control equipment, oil refining, fertilizers--as well as the Matador Cattle Company.

July 22
send a green star

Leah h.

3:44PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

Alison M. - I downloaded a list of Koch products, but I don't remember the exact site. There is one available, however. AngelSoft and Brawny, Vanity Fair napkins, Chervon and Union gas, and a whole bunch of fabric related products, such as CoolMax, Supplex, dacron, Comforel, and solarmax are on it. They are off my shopping list. I may not be able to stop the Kochs, but I don't have to support them.

3:38PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

Paula M. The companies represented in this list have already damaged our society and they are trying very hard to damage it further. They are also involved in legislation such as Stand Your Ground (go ahead, shoot someone and claim afterward that you were afraid as in Trayvon Martin), anti-woman attacks, and voter suppression laws. If you feel sorry them, I feel sorry for you.

Diana B.

2:41PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

Just switch to another brand, there are plenty, the more people who do, hopefully they will get the idea, no company wants to lose........business.....but it will take a lot of people, not just a ....FEW.......so..................PASS IT ON. Diana.

Alan G.

2:27PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

"The one critical difference between those boycotts and the ones on this site is that those companies are pushing a social agenda. The ones on this site are only guilty of donating to republican candidates." Elizabeth M C

You actually believe that the Republicans don't have a social agenda? Really?!

2:20PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

"Is it right to politicize life to this extent? I worry that this kind of exclusionary thinking may damage our civil society if taken too far." - Paula M. -

It seems to me that it is the companies who are politicizing things for us.

Besides perspective makes everything political, or as Aristotle said ""Man is by nature a political animal".

Shan D.

1:18PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

"Wealthy individuals and corporations even make the machines that COUNT YOUR VOTES." - Greg K. -

In Canada, we count votes by hand. HUMAN hands, *not* machines. And it's only in the last federal election that we've had any significant issues with stolen elections and an illegitimate Prime Minister - who learned his lessons in dirty politics from Lyin' Brian Mulroney and his AMERICAN friends.

1:07PM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

"Is it right to politicize life to this extent? I worry that this kind of exclusionary thinking may damage our civil society if taken too far." - Paula M. -

Your kind already damaged civil society - decades ago. If the shoe was on the other foot, damn right you'd be leading the cry to boycott. Oh, wait - you already did...

"I've never heard of "One Million Harpies" before this." - Elizabeth M.C. -

If you protested against the protest against Ellen DeGeneres, as you claim, you must have heard of them - they call themselves "One Million Moms." But the word "Harpies" suits them much better.

Tierney G.

11:11AM PDT on Jul 22, 2012

Angies list is another I recall. They also still advertise on Rush Blimpo's show.

So far so good I don't use any of these brands. Something interesting though about Georgia Pacific. I had owned that stock for years and just recently like two years ago sold it because it was not being managed well. Hmmmm gee I wonder why....