Oil and gas giant Koch Industries is doling out more and more money to Democrats as it works to turn the polar ice caps into puddles in bipartisan fashion.  Formerly regarded as a staunchly Republican funding machine, Koch has given nearly 30 percent of its overall campaign dollars to Democrats so far this year. 

Some of that largesse ended up in the coffers of typically environment-friendly members, including Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).  As E&E News reports ($ubscription req’d) and The Wonk Room relays, Senator Lincoln has collected $10,000 so far this year from Koch Industries, and Senator Baucus has collected $5,000.

Why are Senators Lincoln and Baucus accepting this dirty energy money from Koch?  In the League of Conservation Voter’s scorecard of pro-environment members for the 2nd session of the last Congress, Senator Lincoln scored 91% and Senator Baucus scored 100%.  

An organization called "Americans for Prosperity" has been working overtime to fight government action on climate change and greenhouse gas reduction strategies. You might remember their State-by-State grassroots "Hot Air Tour".

The Hot Air tour's tagline was "Exposing the Ballooning Costs of Global Warming Hysteria." More recently the AFP ran a $140,000 TV ad campaign in Viriginia promising to "expose the hypocrisy and outrageous economic costs of so-called global warming regulations, taxes, and green energy plans."

So who's behind the AFP? And why are they so bent on seeing further delay in government action on an issue that the top scientists at the nation's best institutes are saying needs to be dealt with now?

Our research team at DeSmog has put together a briefing note on the AFP, their history and most importantly who funds them.

AFP, and its former incarnation the Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation, are the third largest recipient of funding from the Koch Family of Foundations, which is run by the ultra-conservative oil baron Charles G. Koch. The Koch Family of Foundations has been a major funding source for many of the think tanks that are in the business of delaying action on climate change issues.

What follows is the information we've pulled together on the AFP and the Koch Family of Foundations.

You can find our permanent page on the AFP here: Americans for Prosperity - research and background information.