Maybe even Republicans will get the point (like Senator John McCain does): the Citizens United decision by the Roberts Supreme Court requires a massive overhaul of campaign finance law by Congress because corporations are not people.
Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson who gave $20 million to that idiot Newt Gingrich, keeping alive the primary run of a candidate who never would have passed first base otherwise, is giving $10 million to the 2012 election efforts of the Koch brothers, the Washington Post reports.
The Koch brothers plan to spend about $400 million on the election, but I am guessing that the Republican super PAC money will be closer to $1 billion. I am also guessing the Democrats will raise, for super PAC's, less than $100 million. Maybe much less.
According to the Huffington Post, Adelson has also committeed at least $10 million to the Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, a pro-Republican group advised by Karl Rove, and $5 million each to two groups backing GOP House candidates.
How does that make me feel when candidates come calling, for $100 or $200 or $2500 contributions? Or $20,000 contributions to have a photo taken with the president? Do you think my voice carries as far as Sheldon Adelson or the Koch brothers or any of the other billionaires who are turning the United States into an American version of an oligarchy?
One appropriate response is for voters to refuse to listen to any television advertisements at all and trash all the mailers before opening them. Turn off your TV, become informed on candidate positions through responsible journalism, and do vote!
Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson who gave $20 million to that idiot Newt Gingrich, keeping alive the primary run of a candidate who never would have passed first base otherwise, is giving $10 million to the 2012 election efforts of the Koch brothers, the Washington Post reports.
The Koch brothers plan to spend about $400 million on the election, but I am guessing that the Republican super PAC money will be closer to $1 billion. I am also guessing the Democrats will raise, for super PAC's, less than $100 million. Maybe much less.
According to the Huffington Post, Adelson has also committeed at least $10 million to the Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, a pro-Republican group advised by Karl Rove, and $5 million each to two groups backing GOP House candidates.
One appropriate response is for voters to refuse to listen to any television advertisements at all and trash all the mailers before opening them. Turn off your TV, become informed on candidate positions through responsible journalism, and do vote!
9 comments:
Thanks for writing this. I don't think America is ready to turn off the Boob tube but they can give donations in large numbers to the Obama campaign to try to neutralize the PACs. If a Dem signs up for $20 a month that is $80 through October.
Agree on all fronts -- turn off the awful ads that are coming our way and dig as deep as you can to donate to Obama campaign. It is going to get ugly -- but I still think he can win if we don't get lazy
No, corporations are not people. Neither are unions, charities, churches, universities, PACs, or newspapers. But people do not lose their freedom of speech when they join together in some corporate form to amplify their speech. Remember the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech", with no exception as to corporate form of united people. THAT was the holding in Citizens United, NOT that corporations are people. Yeah, it sucks when right-wing guys (Koch brothers) throw millions into political speech, but it sucks when left-wing guys (like Soros) do the same. But take some solace that corporations cannot vote, so your vote equals that of George Soros or Sheldon Adelson.
Let's suppose, just for the sake of argument, that the two parties were rivals for anything other than their share of the political revenue stream; that they were actually representatives of fundamentally different and opposing social interests; that they were, in the true sense of the word, enemies rather than just sportsmen and women.
In that case, we should be glad for vehicles like Citizens United and the ALEC and all the agency/industry revolving doors. Without them, these people would be funneling their considerable money into weapons.
Just as they do everywhere else they do business.
These contributors to Mitts election must be making their money on products sold and consumed by Americans. I would like to know their products and commodities. Many, many of us would not purchase. Lets go the old fashion way stop buying and then the money may not stop but we sure can slow it down.
Brawny paper towels is Koch.
Angel Soft
Brawny
Dixie
Mardi Gras
Quilted Northern
Soft n' Gentle
Sparkle
Vanity Fair
Zee
Georgia-Pacific also distributes paper towels, napkins and soap dispensing systems used in commerical settings. Some GP commercial toilet paper brands: Envision, Coronet®, SCA, Tork and Fort James. GP produces Pacific Garden liquid soaps...
I think that in times like these we need grass roots candidates. I remember one candidate in 2009 running for City of Miami Commission who was not indebted to anyone. I'm sure that is why many were afraid of him. I wonder where he is now. I wish he was running again. His name was Denis Rod.
Dictionary definition of Corporate:
"Pertaining to a united group, as of persons: the corporate good"
I think we need to boycott Websters Dictionary. It is not making our case that Coporations are not people very well.
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