Two-hundred-thirty-six years ago, American colonialists rebelled against England for the sort of abuses of power that the Obama Administration is now systematically waging against two private American citizens, the philanthropists Charles and David Koch. Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson pens a must-read piece in today’s Wall Street Journal on the tactics the Obama Administration is using against the two men, whom they see as political enemies.

The Koch’s, whose companies employ more than 50,000 Americans, and who have donated tens, indeed, hundreds of millions of dollars to medical research, the arts, and other charities, are being targeted because they are supporters of organizations that advocate personal liberties and small government. How ironic. 

Mr. Olson’s piece begins: 

How would you feel if aides to the president of the United States singled you out by name for attack, and if you were featured prominently in the president’s re-election campaign as an enemy of the people?

What would you do if the White House engaged in derogatory speculative innuendo about the integrity of your tax returns? Suppose also that the president’s surrogates and allies in the media regularly attacked you, sullied your reputation and questioned your integrity. On top of all of that, what if a leading member of the president’s party in Congress demanded your appearance before a congressional committee this week so that you could be interrogated about the Keystone XL oil pipeline project in which you have repeatedly—and accurately—stated that you have no involvement?

Consider that all this is happening because you have been selected as an attractive political punching bag by the president’s re-election team. This is precisely what has happened to Charles and David Koch, even though they are private citizens, and neither is a candidate for the president’s or anyone else’s office.

The Obama Administration is aided in its harassment tactics by an army of left-of-center editorial writers and journalists, who, one would think, would care about civil liberties. They only seem to weigh in, though, when it is to their political advantage. They are all too willing to watch, or participate in, public lynchings when the targets support organizations that philosophically disagree with them. How pathetic. 

What the Obama Administration is doing to the Kochs has gotten zero attention from the so-called mainstream media. It’s a great story. Someone brave should jump on it. 

(Editor’s note: My company does work for David Koch.)