We’ve reported before about how the Koch brothers are on a charm offensive to offset their billion-dollar effort to take over the American political system from county courthouses on up. Here, the Center for Media and Democracy reports on the PR types being hired to make the Kochs seem more cuddly. 

The privately-held corporation now has hired a cadre of PR flacks with experience defending toxic clients like the tobacco industry as the Kochs struggle to refashion their public image.

Big tobacco flacks. Perfect. If you can’t believe them, who can you believe. Just remember: electing a Kochhead can be hazardous to your health — through uncontrolled industrial pollution or slashing of government support of life-saving government health programs.

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This news comes, coincidentally, on a day I heard an unconfirmed report about renewed heavy spending by the tobacco industry at the statehouse level. They were behind the scenes in recent legislation on e-cigarettes and one of their lobbyists in Arkansas, disgraced former Republican Sen. Gilbert Baker, was on hand with his credit card to buy steak dinners for Arkansas legislators attending the Koch-backed ALEC conference in San Diego. Where there’s smoke …

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