The kicker: Several Koch-owned companies reside in the state he represents, New Jersey, meaning he was calling for a boycott of his own constituents.
Via Powerline:
On the floor of the Senate yesterday, Frank Lautenberg did something that to our knowledge is unprecedented: he called publicly for a boycott of his own constituents. The context was the “DISCLOSE Act,” which would require 501(c)(4) entities to disclose the identities of their donors. The bill is opposed by a coalition that includes the ACLU and the NRA, and likely is unconstitutional, but the Democrats think it is good politics, so they wanted to see it voted down again yesterday. Which it was. […]
Next, Lautenberg did something that to my knowledge no Senator or Congressman has ever done before: he called, at least implicitly, for a boycott of an American company, simply because its owners disagree with him politically:
Where do these brothers get all this money? It is interesting. These brothers run a giant international conglomerate, one of the largest privately held companies in the world. This secretive corporation has a huge impact on our lives. Koch Industries controls oil, gas, and chemical companies that do business across the globe.
Now, while we may not notice, their products are everywhere. In fact, their products are in many American homes today. For instance, all of these everyday products are sold by Koch Industries. These Dixie cups are cups that kids drink out of, and they are sold by the Koch brothers. Paper plates that often serve birthday cakes are sold by the Koch brothers. Brawny paper towels that we use to clean the floor when our kids spill things are also sold by the Koch brothers.
You probably haven’t heard of INVISTA—it is another company owned by the Koch brothers’ global conglomerate—but they do make things you have heard of, such as STAINMASTER carpet and LYCRA fabric for clothes. We think these goods come in handy, we all buy them, but they are also a source of revenue for the Koch brothers, who fund attack ads that pollute our airwaves.
What point can this recitation of Koch’s products–products which “pollute our airwaves”–have, other than to encourage listeners not to buy them?