Let's Overturn Citizens United in the name of you and me!

[merrill]

Citizens United cuts off democracy at the throat.

 

[Seawytch]

The unlimited buckets of anonymous money IS the problem and we need to get ALL of it out of our political system.

 

[bripat9643]

If you want to "overturn" the 1st Amendment you would be better off just finding a new country to live in.

Money isn't speech. Money is access.

Wrong. If you buy an ad in a newspaper to express your opinion on some issue, that is obviously speech. That takes money. You can't tell people not to spend money expressing their opinion without violating the !st Amendment.

Anonymous speech isn't protected speech.

Of course it is. Where does the 1st Amendment make an exemption for anonymity?

Anonymous money is corrupt money.

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Why don't you post your real name, address and phone number on this bulletin board since you think anonymity is "corrupt?"

And playing fast and loose with the First Amendment is unworthy of an elected official.

You're the one playing fast and loose with the 1st Amendment.

 

[whitehall]

Corporations ain't your enemy neo-socialists. Government corruption is. Why do you think the OWS socialists protest Wall Street? Because they like democrats and they can't protest a friendly administration even if it is corrupt.

 

[Steelplate]

The disdain in which some of these lefty assholes hold the US Constitution is appalling.

The bastardization of the Constitution by the right to fit their agenda is equally appalling... worse, actually.

 

[Steelplate]

Corporations ain't your enemy neo-socialists. Government corruption is. Why do you think the OWS socialists protest Wall Street? Because they like democrats and they can't protest a friendly administration even if it is corrupt.

Yep... gubmint is the DEBIL! Fucking Corps that rape the economy, rape the environment, and rape the American worker? They be GAWDS!

Sell crazy somewhere else, chief.

 

[merrill]

Corporations ain't your enemy neo-socialists. Government corruption is. Why do you think the OWS socialists protest Wall Street? Because they like democrats and they can't protest a friendly administration even if it is corrupt.

Private industry provides the seed money to corrupt the government. Private industry is also the most reliable source of fraud.

Consequently private industry provides corruption and too many elected officials cave in...

 

[HUGGY]

Haven't you heard? Information is the currency of the 21st century. It's the media that is the recipient of most of the money that corrupts our government. Luceille Ball discovered that with a laugh track the American viewer will laugh at ANYTHING.. Obscure example...not really. Now the true masters of communication have figured out how to convince the American public of ANYTHING. People like Palin and Perry would have had a hard time getting on a local TV station 40 years ago. Now these "clowns" are useful to national media because they can be used to up the anti and keep the dollars rolling in during these election and pre election cycles. It wasn't twenty years ago that these State caucuses and primaries didn't even get mentioned on national TV...oh ya maybe on meet the press or a passing mention on the evening news ...now they get the same attention candidates only got after the nominations. These wannabes and their PACs are spending MILLIONS just to get recognition in places like Iowa which has almost NO significance in the general election. You can whine all you want about the corps and the lobbiests and the congressmen and senators but the conductors of this crazy orchestra are the media the ones that decide what we see and hear...the ones that get most of this pig trough money. That is why the OP of this thread will go nowhere. The media will never relinquish their grasp on the right to decide what information we see. Keep in mind that TV shows are only meant to keep your attention so you will watch the commercials. This clown show reality show is only meant to keep your attention so the media can justify raking in BILLIONS from the candidates and their PACs while they have you glued to the television.

The internet will never be focused enough to compete with the proffesionally scripted message of nationally broadcast media.

Ya...Ya...I know ..it's fun to express yourself...but it means no more in reality that opening up your window and shouting into the night "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any longer".

 

[Quantum Windbag]

It is no secret that our political system is corrupted by the influence of corporate money in elections. Pick any issue - financial regulation, energy policy, healthcare reform - and its problems can be traced back to unspoken quid quo pro agreements between politicians and their campaign backers.

Polling on the issue is striking. Despite a fiercely partisan national climate, Americans agree across the board that limits should be set on money in politics. Following the landmark Supreme Court case that removed a bulk of those limits, Citizens United v. FEC (2010), a poll taken by ABC News/Washington Post revealed that eighty percent of Americans opposed the ruling. Seventy-two percent stated that they would support efforts by Congress to reinstate the restrictions that were stripped away by the decision.

Under Citizens United any meaningful legislative workaround would suffer the same fate of the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002, key portions of which were overturned by the Roberts Court. In fact, there now remains only one option for addressing America's campaign finance problem, and a galvanizing one at that: we must amend the Constitution.


Marge Baker: Overturning Citizens United: A Movement Moment

Why does everyone think CU was about money?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The Repubs are going to cry like little bitch slapped school girls when they see what the dem pacs do with complete anonymity.

Passing the "Patriot Act" didn't teach these fuckwits a damn thing.. They will rue the day they idiotically ran the Citizens United case in front of the Supreme Court.

Repubs have the forsight of fruit flies...

Just sayin...

I don't recall Mother Jones ever revealing their donors.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The big money candidates are more beholden than ever to corporate special interests due to the very long nature of campaigns. How do they have time to do the job they were elected to do?

We need public financing of campaigns.

Citizens cannot afford special interest money campaigns for it is the citizens that get left out. Let citizens vote on this issue.
Home | Public Campaign

Excellent reasoning behind public financing of campaigns:
DeMinted Disclosure | Public Campaign

Citizens united was private citizens financing a movie, why do you want to prevent citizens from participating in elections?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The disdain in which some of these lefty assholes hold the US Constitution is appalling.

Really? Which "lefty assholes" in particular gave us The Patriot Act and Citizens United?

I'm starting to think that you just aren't wired right Sparky.

The ones that voted for it, or maybe the one in the White House who signed the extension of it, then made it worse by signing the NDAA.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

If you want to "overturn" the 1st Amendment you would be better off just finding a new country to live in.

Money isn't speech. Money is access. Anonymous speech isn't protected speech. Anonymous money is corrupt money. And playing fast and loose with the First Amendment is unworthy of an elected official.

You are so right, the Federalist Papers should have never been printed.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The unlimited buckets of anonymous money IS the problem and we need to get ALL of it out of our political system.

You are so right, all those anonymous donations are going to kill any chance Romney has of winning and make sure Newt actually wins.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Haven't you heard? Information is the currency of the 21st century. It's the media that is the recipient of most of the money that corrupts our government. Luceille Ball discovered that with a laugh track the American viewer will laugh at ANYTHING.. Obscure example...not really. Now the true masters of communication have figured out how to convince the American public of ANYTHING. People like Palin and Perry would have had a hard time getting on a local TV station 40 years ago. Now these "clowns" are useful to national media because they can be used to up the anti and keep the dollars rolling in during these election and pre election cycles. It wasn't twenty years ago that these State caucuses and primaries didn't even get mentioned on national TV...oh ya maybe on meet the press or a passing mention on the evening news ...now they get the same attention candidates only got after the nominations. These wannabes and their PACs are spending MILLIONS just to get recognition in places like Iowa which has almost NO significance in the general election. You can whine all you want about the corps and the lobbiests and the congressmen and senators but the conductors of this crazy orchestra are the media the ones that decide what we see and hear...the ones that get most of this pig trough money. That is why the OP of this thread will go nowhere. The media will never relinquish their grasp on the right to decide what information we see. Keep in mind that TV shows are only meant to keep your attention so you will watch the commercials. This clown show reality show is only meant to keep your attention so the media can justify raking in BILLIONS from the candidates and their PACs while they have you glued to the television.

The internet will never be focused enough to compete with the proffesionally scripted message of nationally broadcast media.

Ya...Ya...I know ..it's fun to express yourself...but it means no more in reality that opening up your window and shouting into the night "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any longer".

Are you drunk?

 

[editec]

Let's Overturn Citizens United in the name of you and me!

Much as I loathe what that ruling is doing to our society, I cannot figure out how to overtunr it without violating the FIRST AMENDMENT.

If we're going to fix our election system this won't be the way we do it.

 

[HUGGY]

Haven't you heard? Information is the currency of the 21st century. It's the media that is the recipient of most of the money that corrupts our government. Luceille Ball discovered that with a laugh track the American viewer will laugh at ANYTHING.. Obscure example...not really. Now the true masters of communication have figured out how to convince the American public of ANYTHING. People like Palin and Perry would have had a hard time getting on a local TV station 40 years ago. Now these "clowns" are useful to national media because they can be used to up the anti and keep the dollars rolling in during these election and pre election cycles. It wasn't twenty years ago that these State caucuses and primaries didn't even get mentioned on national TV...oh ya maybe on meet the press or a passing mention on the evening news ...now they get the same attention candidates only got after the nominations. These wannabes and their PACs are spending MILLIONS just to get recognition in places like Iowa which has almost NO significance in the general election. You can whine all you want about the corps and the lobbiests and the congressmen and senators but the conductors of this crazy orchestra are the media the ones that decide what we see and hear...the ones that get most of this pig trough money. That is why the OP of this thread will go nowhere. The media will never relinquish their grasp on the right to decide what information we see. Keep in mind that TV shows are only meant to keep your attention so you will watch the commercials. This clown show reality show is only meant to keep your attention so the media can justify raking in BILLIONS from the candidates and their PACs while they have you glued to the television.

The internet will never be focused enough to compete with the proffesionally scripted message of nationally broadcast media.

Ya...Ya...I know ..it's fun to express yourself...but it means no more in reality that opening up your window and shouting into the night "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any longer".

Are you drunk?

No.. I drink alcohol very little. I had one beer last week. A 12 pack lasts me about three months.

So I take it you find fault with my analysis of the true engine of campaign finance. What parts do you find fault with? I suppose you are one of those that believes the media is controlled by "the loony left". You have it backwards...The "loony left" is controlled as is the wacky far right by the media...The all have to come to the media to get their message distributed.

So you dissagree that advertising revenue stream is the reason television exists? So you dissagree that what the media designs to show you is intended to keep you tuned in and interested so you will watch the commercials?

Why don't you take the time make a note of the advertisements during one hour of prime time on most any popular channel. How many of these commercials do you attribute to "the loony left"?

I would equate election cycles to television and other media to christmas for retail sales in America. It isn't the everyday steady revenue stream but it is clearly an extremely lucrative period of time for the media and they are clearly trying to find ways to extend it and make it produce more revenue. I take it you dissagree with the last sentence.

Please enlighten me and the others viewing this thread to a better model of where the campaign money ends up.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Haven't you heard? Information is the currency of the 21st century. It's the media that is the recipient of most of the money that corrupts our government. Luceille Ball discovered that with a laugh track the American viewer will laugh at ANYTHING.. Obscure example...not really. Now the true masters of communication have figured out how to convince the American public of ANYTHING. People like Palin and Perry would have had a hard time getting on a local TV station 40 years ago. Now these "clowns" are useful to national media because they can be used to up the anti and keep the dollars rolling in during these election and pre election cycles. It wasn't twenty years ago that these State caucuses and primaries didn't even get mentioned on national TV...oh ya maybe on meet the press or a passing mention on the evening news ...now they get the same attention candidates only got after the nominations. These wannabes and their PACs are spending MILLIONS just to get recognition in places like Iowa which has almost NO significance in the general election. You can whine all you want about the corps and the lobbiests and the congressmen and senators but the conductors of this crazy orchestra are the media the ones that decide what we see and hear...the ones that get most of this pig trough money. That is why the OP of this thread will go nowhere. The media will never relinquish their grasp on the right to decide what information we see. Keep in mind that TV shows are only meant to keep your attention so you will watch the commercials. This clown show reality show is only meant to keep your attention so the media can justify raking in BILLIONS from the candidates and their PACs while they have you glued to the television.

The internet will never be focused enough to compete with the proffesionally scripted message of nationally broadcast media.

Ya...Ya...I know ..it's fun to express yourself...but it means no more in reality that opening up your window and shouting into the night "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any longer".

Are you drunk?

No.. I drink alcohol very little. I had one beer last week. A 12 pack lasts me about three months.

So I take it you find fault with my analysis of the true engine of campaign finance. What parts do you find fault with? I suppose you are one of those that believes the media is controlled by "the loony left". You have it backwards...The "loony left" is controlled as is the wacky far right by the media...The all have to come to the media to get their message distributed.

So you dissagree that advertising revenue stream is the reason television exists? So you dissagree that what the media designs to show you is intended to keep you tuned in and interested so you will watch the commercials?

Why don't you take the time make a note of the advertisements during one hour of prime time on most any popular channel. How many of these commercials do you attribute to "the loony left"?

I would equate election cycles to television and other media to christmas for retail sales in America. It isn't the everyday steady revenue stream but it is clearly an extremely lucrative period of time for the media and they are clearly trying to find ways to extend it and make it produce more revenue. I take it you dissagree with the last sentence.

Please enlighten me and the others viewing this thread to a better model of where the campaign money ends up.

I found fault with your post, it was incoherent, which is why I asked if you were drunk. Even when I disagree with you you at least make sense.

Maybe you should take the time to do some fundamental research on just how much impact money actually has on a vote, start here.

Freakonomics » Does Money Really Buy Elections? A New Marketplace Podcast: Full Transcript

 

[JakeStarkey]

This is a poor ruling that will be overturned eventually. James Madison believe money would corrupt and end the American experience. This ruling is a big step to exactly that.

 

[merrill]

Today you have an important opportunity to take an essential first step to fight back against Citizens United and the deregulation of the campaign finance system.

Click here to urge President Obama to clean house at the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=115599

Already in this important election year, new Super PACs are flooding elections with huge expenditures from million-dollar donors. Because they are supposedly “independent” from the candidates, and with new loopholes from the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts from corporations and individuals, and they can do so with limited disclosure.

While there are different avenues that can be taken to fight back against Citizens United and cut the influence of special interests, you can join us by taking the first step today by urging President Obama to appoint new commissioners to the FEC. Among other duties, the FEC can define what election efforts are “independent” from the candidates.

The FEC is supposed to be the agency that enforces campaign finance laws, but it is dysfunctional. Of the six commissioners at the agency, three of them staunchly refuse to enforce the law, and five of the six are serving despite expired terms. It is time to clean house.

We need real campaign finance reform, and getting President Obama to nominate new commissioners to do their duty and enforce campaign finance laws is a good place to start. In the next 30 days we need to gather 25,000 signatures of support.

Don’t just sign it yourself; post the petition on Facebook, Tweet about it and forward this note to all of your friends. Together we can make sure that the citizen’s voice is heard.

For extra reading, click here for an interesting discussion of the new Super PACs presented by PBS.
http://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=115599

League of Women Voters
1730 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036



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