Supreme Court rejects limits on corporate funded campaign "speech"

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http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dorf/20100125.html


Last week, in Citizens United v. FEC (http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/08-205.ZS.html), the Supreme Court struck down a provision of federal election law that forbids corporations and unions from spending their general treasury funds to support or oppose candidates for federal office. The ruling is significant in its own right, but may be more important still for what it portends about the Supreme Court's placid acceptance of money's influence on politics.
In reaching its decision, the high court expressly overruled two of its precedents, one of them decided only seven years ago. With the Court showing such little regard for its own case law governing regulation of corporate speech, one may legitimately wonder whether Citizens United is merely the first step on the road to the judicial invalidation of all campaign-finance regulation. After all, most of the Justices in the 5-4 majority in Citizens United have previously criticized Buckley v. Valeo (http://laws.findlaw.com/us/424/1.html)—the 1976 ruling that established the modern framework for evaluating such regulation—on the ground that it permits too much regulation of campaign finance.


Have we as Americans just experienced a coup in plain site?

With no limits, corporations can dump so much money on ads for the candidates of their choice that they are basically hand picking our representatives.

In a perfect world, people would ignore all of the nonsense TV and radio ads that we are pelted with at election time and instead we would do our own research and come to our own conclusions on the best candidates, but unfortunately most people are more interested in Jon & Kate plus 8, than the political system :rolleyes:.

This ruling makes it more clear than ever that money=power.

Folks, Are we as citizens screwed? :g:

[SWedd523]

Not in the slightest. With this law change, Stephen Colbert will have a legitimate shot at the presidency. :biggrin:

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Only if there is a corporation out there that benefits from Colbert being president :)

[SWedd523]

Only if there is a corporation out there that benefits from Colbert being president :)
In the most recent presidential race, Colbert was receiving sponsorship money from companies like Doritos. He was eventually disqualified because they said he wasn't a serious candidate. However, he raised like $150K for South Carolina and Pennsylvania classrooms as part of his campaign.

He raised something like $300k for the US Speed Skating team because they were going to disband due to lack of funds. Colbert is a money machine and if he asks people to give him money... they willl. Dude is a hero lol

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My fear is that a giant corporation like Exxon gets behind a candidate. A company that size could easily drop hundreds of millions of dollars into the political system without even feeling it.

[teej]

With the declining tv base, and the channel surfing, I really don't think it'll matter too terribly much. People decide by party, and the Scott Brown victory shows that they're wising up to that.

And if there is a coup, there's always Europe...

[Keetch]

What this means to me is that the real cost of our consumption will continue to be deferred to greed and fear. When the oligarchs run unregulated they commonly replace populist values with those sustaining they're own financial power.

I think the coup in this country occured a long time ago with the establishment of the Federal Reserve; but was strongly reinforced in September 2008; the final legacy of the a horrifically weak President and a Congress on the take. The new administration hasn't done anything to change this. I don't think it has the will nor the means to do so.

At least a person can retain some core human rights as an individual, if you don't screw up. If you do, the system will own you and show little mercy.

[Ghost Kat]

This was a horrible choice by the supreme court. Big business will now throw money into comercials and law makers. People believe TV ad's they don't do research. These silly Tea Party people are proof of that. The universal health care Obama promised us was killed by bought and paid for lies pushed by the Insurence company's. With this court ruling these companies have unlimited ability to back any horrible thing they want. They care about profit not people. They will never do anything that makes this country better. This ruling also gives "american" company's like Budweiser who are owned by foreign countries access to buying control of american politics.

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I think the coup in this country occured a long time ago with the establishment of the Federal Reserve;

I agree that the creation of the Fed was a low point in American history.

A group of private corporations with their hands in the taxpayers pockets that won't allow themselves to be audited goes completely against the principles that this country is "supposed" to stand for.

One thing that I think that will happen as a result of this court decision is that we'll see Chinese and Saudi Arabian corporations flooding the American airwaves with ads for the candidates that benefit the interests of their countries. With this ruling, there is nothing to stop them.

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This ruling also gives "american" company's like Budweiser who are owned by foreign countries access to buying control of american politics.

You beat me to that thought by 5 minutes :)

[teej]

To be fair, this sets up somewhat of a global economy, for good or for bad, that's what a lot of people have been begging for for a while, now they get it, and we're the experiment.

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To be fair, this sets up somewhat of a global economy, for good or for bad, that's what a lot of people have been begging for for a while, now they get it, and we're the experiment.

If I had my way, we'd be much, much more of a protectionist country.

The global economy benefits the corporation and the billionaires, but I don't see how it helps the common man outside of being able to by cheap stuff from Wal-Mart. I would trade that away in a heartbeat and deal with higher prices if it meant the things that I was purchasing was making America stronger instead of making China or India stronger.

To me, this Supreme Court decision seems like the tipping point.

Am I being unnecessarily freaked out ?

[teej]

^Only time will tell.

Though I doubt it will affect you as much as the next generation.

And, in a global economy, eventually the playing field equals, setting it so no country has an advantage. At least, that's what they say. I don't believe it until I see it. And I'd rather not see it.

[Dunk]

I think it stinks.

Our system has been bogged down by lobbyists and special interests already and this just pushes it over the top. Politically you just can't make the necessary decisions anymore to do the right thing (although we can argue what the right thing is --- basically, any significant reform or regulation).

We're fucked.


http://www.movetoamend.org

I'm retweeting some Green Party stuff every now and then on my twitter

[SWedd523]

I think one thing that we need to realize is that these big corporations have been donating money all along, just not in obvious ways. They WERE allowed to donate money, but only up to a certain cap. However, they were able to donate endless amounts of money by NPO's and NGO's (I believe, I didn't really pay attention that day in class).

This basically does nothing more than make their donations public. Nothing will change

[teej]

^True. But it makes it legal for non-Americans to donate now. that's the real difference.

[SWedd523]

^True. But it makes it legal for non-Americans to donate now. that's the real difference.
Don't act like they don't already have their hands in the pockets of the government already.

[teej]

Don't act like they don't already have their hands in the pockets of the government already.

This opens it up for more.

Believe me, I think every one of the elected officials in DC has more crimes against the country than anyone in lockdown at Butner or Leavenworth.

But this is still not a good sign. IMHO. THen again, if I make it big, or Swedd does, or anyone else, is it still bad? :rolleyes:

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http://comicjk.com/Pics/Comic341.gif

:rolleyes:

http://comicjk.com/

[BRNC]

When the Supreme Court first ruled that corporations had the same rights as individuals it opened the door for "garbage" rulings like this. IMO it only states what has been basically going on for years...most of the elected officials in DC are bought and payed for...but then again...the five on the Supreme Court that voted for this are also...although I'm disgusted I'm not surprised...:facepalm:

[BETCATS]

You guys have to realize this has been going on for years. Their isnt a single Senator that isnt a millionaire.

Democrats want maximum government interference with buisness, Republicans want minimum government interference with buisness, but neither want to stop buisness interference with government. That to me is the real issue here.

It has already been bad, it is now going to get out of control. We are going to be less represented than ever, as anyone in power will be doing the bidding of the lobbyists and CEOs that put them their. Election season is going to be worse than the Superbowl, commercial wise.

[Ghost Kat]

Democrats want maximum government interference with buisness, Republicans want minimum government interference with buisness, but neither want to stop buisness interference with government. That to me is the real issue here.


Republicans want there to be no regulations on business. You need rules or the economy ends up looking the way it does now. For 8 long yrs they had it there way and look what happen. Now they are being hypocrites

How is Government influence a bad thing? We act like we can live in this country without "Government" being part of our lives. Thats the crazy nonsense flowing from Fox News. The Crazies want us to revolt, call our leaders traitor's and riot in the streets. But where was all this when Bush was breaking laws and starting illegal wars??

This is all a game and people are seriously to stupid to realize whats going on. It's like everytime New Year's comes around folk just forget and we start another year off making the same mistakes. Money rules, If we can every get past the greed for power we might make it as a people