AFP Nevada also promoted as a "must read" a blog post from conservative pundit Dana Loesch where she described the standoff as "harassment" from the federal government. The group also accused the BLM of "strategically regulating hard-working Americans out of business."
Two affiliates of the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity are helping conservative media promote the cause of a Nevada rancher who has made violent threats against the federal government.
Cliven Bundy, a cattle rancher in Nevada, has refused to remove his animals from public property in violation of a federal court order.
In 1993, Bundy declined to pay government fees that are required in order to allow his cattle to graze on the public land. In 1998 a court order told Bundy to remove his cattle as part of an effort to protect an endangered desert tortoise in the area. He refused. In July 2013, a federal court order told Bundy to remove his cattle from the land or they would be confiscated.
He disobeyed the order, and confiscation has begun. The government will auction the animals and use the proceeds to pay off the $1 million in fines that Bundy owes the government.
Bundy's ongoing refusal to obey the law and court orders has become a cause célèbre for the conservative media, which has compared the situation to deadly standoffs like Waco and Ruby Ridge.
In recent comments to a conspiracy theorist's radio show, Bundy said, "I haven't called no militia or anything like that, but hey it looks like that's where we're at." He added, "We got a strong army here, we have to fight." Previously Bundy told the Las Vegas Sun that "he keeps firearms at his ranch" and promised to "do whatever it takes" to defend his cattle being seized, adding, "I abide by almost zero federal laws."
Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the conservative non-profit group, was founded by and has been largely funded by billionaires Charles and David Koch. The Center for Media and Democracy reported that in its previous incarnation as Citizens for a Sound Economy, AFP received $12 million of its $18 million in funding from the Koch Family Foundation.
During the 2012 election, AFP spent $122 million in an effort to defeat President Obama and Congressional Democrats. AFP has also sponsored and organized bus rallies and town hall meetings to promote conservative ideas, including deregulation, tax cuts, and opposition to health care reform.
AFP has been at the forefront of spending in the 2014 election, launching several ads attacking the Affordable Care Act which have come under fire for inaccuracy by independent fact checkers. As of March, AFP had aired a reported 17,000 television ads.
these persons are not hero bucking the gov't they are common everyday criminals that are outwardly defying the law, AND CALLING IT ASSERTING THEIR FREEDOMS the same freedoms they mislead about as our freedoms that gov't is taking away just like your guns lie. after being given more time then they should have to comply they want to mass a bunch of armed idiots to help in federal disobedience of another to make an invalid point that should end with their demise and the cattle gone and sold at auction.
as far as he has an army, well US gov't has several armies and air force and nat'l guard, marines, state troopers the local cops are probably on the side of the dissidents. more right wing insanity they cannot and should not win, this is not a lawless gov't now but there are plenty of lawless factions out there in support of the Koch Aggression against America.
