Senate Democrats propose to amend the Constitution to keep corporate money out

[konradv]

The only solution I see is total public financing of elections. Have lots of debates. Weed out candidates with regional sub-primaries, dole out media money equally to the top two or three in each major party and to any independent or minor party candidate that gets over a certain percentage of support. That way any money that's going to corrupt the system will come in the old-fashioned way, through the back door, and be dealt with in the old-fashioned way, in the courts, instead of the present system of everyone hiding behind the legal marketing our representives' votes.

 

[Seawytch]

This is a big issue with Dylan Ratigan. I signed his petition.

Dylan Ratigan | Free America

I signed it and told all my friends about it!

 

[Nic_Driver]

This is the thorniest problem facing our nation.

Getting money out of campaigns is something that we can do, but we cannot get money out of the POLITCAL process entirely.

ASsume that we limit the amount that candidates can spend. That is, doable.

But can we also limit the amount of money spent on propaganda that does not specifically support any candidate?

No we cannot. In that case I have to agree with the SCOTUS that money = FREE SPEECH.

Which means that we would have candidates who do not spend a lot on advertising, but their supporters who are not directly associated with the campaigns COULD.

See the problem?

Most of the candidates expenses would be outsourced to "citizens groups" who would simply advance that candidate arguments without specifically mentioning that candidate. (we already see quite a bit of that, now)


And That would still be perfectly legal.

I disagree with giving corporations the same rights as individuals however, which is the basic assumption in the SCOTUS ruling. Until corporations bear the same responsibilities as individuals they should not claim the same rights. Corporations should not have the right to free speech, their speech should be regulated and kept out of the political process entirely.

 

[konradv]

The only solution I see is total public financing of elections. Have lots of debates. Weed out candidates with regional sub-primaries, dole out media money equally to the top two or three in each major party and to any independent or minor party candidate that gets over a certain percentage of support. That way any money that's going to corrupt the system will come in the old-fashioned way, through the back door, and be dealt with in the old-fashioned way, in the courts, instead of the present system of everyone hiding behind the legal marketing our representives' votes.

Oh yeah, no third party media buys for several weeks before any primary or general election.

 

[Flaylo]

How the hell anyone can say it's a 'great idea' when they clearly haven't read the damned bill is beyond me. It might be an idea if people learned to investigate what they're supporting before they support it. The OP is a dumbass.

Shut he fuck up for God's sake and discuss the topic instead of always attacking the messenger and how to you know what I have and haven't read?

 

[Sallow]

The only solution I see is total public financing of elections. Have lots of debates. Weed out candidates with regional sub-primaries, dole out media money equally to the top two or three in each major party and to any independent or minor party candidate that gets over a certain percentage of support. That way any money that's going to corrupt the system will come in the old-fashioned way, through the back door, and be dealt with in the old-fashioned way, in the courts, instead of the present system of everyone hiding behind the legal marketing our representives' votes.

Oh yeah, no third party media buys for several weeks before any primary or general election.

The whole campaign process is fugazi now. It's ridiculous that people WE PAY to do the tough work of governing this country are involved in election/re-election campaigns that go on for years.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

How about this, when Congress stops taxing and spending our money, they can pass laws that limit our ability to have a say so?

Deal?

 

[California Girl]

I wonder how many morons signed that without actually understanding what they're supporting? 236,542?

 

[konradv]

The only solution I see is total public financing of elections. Have lots of debates. Weed out candidates with regional sub-primaries, dole out media money equally to the top two or three in each major party and to any independent or minor party candidate that gets over a certain percentage of support. That way any money that's going to corrupt the system will come in the old-fashioned way, through the back door, and be dealt with in the old-fashioned way, in the courts, instead of the present system of everyone hiding behind the legal marketing our representives' votes.

Oh yeah, no third party media buys for several weeks before any primary or general election.

The whole campaign process is fugazi now. It's ridiculous that people WE PAY to do the tough work of governing this country are involved in election/re-election campaigns that go on for years.

That's right, an upside I forgot to mention. More time for OUR business, if they're not constantly spending it at fund raisers, sucking up to big donors.

 

[California Girl]

How the hell anyone can say it's a 'great idea' when they clearly haven't read the damned bill is beyond me. It might be an idea if people learned to investigate what they're supporting before they support it. The OP is a dumbass.

Shut he fuck up for God's sake and discuss the topic instead of always attacking the messenger and how to you know what I have and haven't read?

So, you think that Congress should regulate itself? Fucking idiot. Have we not seen enough evidence to confirm that Congress are not honest enough to self regulate? How fucking deluded are you?

 

[Sallow]

Oh yeah, no third party media buys for several weeks before any primary or general election.

The whole campaign process is fugazi now. It's ridiculous that people WE PAY to do the tough work of governing this country are involved in election/re-election campaigns that go on for years.

That's right, an upside I forgot to mention. More time for OUR business, if they're not constantly spending it at fund raisers, sucking up to big donors.

What they SHOULD be doing is legislating. We have got a huge debt and no clear cut way to bring it down. That and many other things should be priority number one. Not hitting the campaign trail.

 

[Nic_Driver]

How the hell anyone can say it's a 'great idea' when they clearly haven't read the damned bill is beyond me. It might be an idea if people learned to investigate what they're supporting before they support it. The OP is a dumbass.

Shut he fuck up for God's sake and discuss the topic instead of always attacking the messenger and how to you know what I have and haven't read?

So, you think that Congress should regulate itself? Fucking idiot. Have we not seen enough evidence to confirm that Congress are not honest enough to self regulate? How fucking deluded are you?

This is the answer from the right wing that thinks that all our problems would go away if only business would be allowed to self regulate...

 

[Truthmatters]

Free airtime will help get the money out.

 

[konradv]

Free airtime will help get the money out.

Not free exactly, because we'd be paying for it. But we pay anyway, since contributions, wherever they come from, get factored into the final price of goods and services corporations provide.

 

[Full-Auto]

Shut he fuck up for God's sake and discuss the topic instead of always attacking the messenger and how to you know what I have and haven't read?

So, you think that Congress should regulate itself? Fucking idiot. Have we not seen enough evidence to confirm that Congress are not honest enough to self regulate? How fucking deluded are you?

This is the answer from the right wing that thinks that all our problems would go away if only business would be allowed to self regulate...

That isnt even close to the message.

Have your crystal ball looked at..............................

 

[CrusaderFrank]

It would be a great idea to keep special interest money out of campaigns (ALL interest money - corporate and "non-profit")

But that amendment doesn't do that, and I don't know how to do it either.

That amendment allows Congress to regulate themselves. And we all know how well that works.

Good point. But that won't stop the partisan borg from thinking it's a 'great idea'. Most of them aren't capable of reading a bill - they prefer to get their 'opinion' from equally partisan media.

we have to pass it first to see what's in it

 

[California Girl]

Shut he fuck up for God's sake and discuss the topic instead of always attacking the messenger and how to you know what I have and haven't read?

So, you think that Congress should regulate itself? Fucking idiot. Have we not seen enough evidence to confirm that Congress are not honest enough to self regulate? How fucking deluded are you?

This is the answer from the right wing that thinks that all our problems would go away if only business would be allowed to self regulate...

I've never supported too much 'self-regulation'. Personally, I think it's a road to hell. While I am sure that the Democrats would love to see 'self regulation' for congress...they, along with the Republican, have proved consistently that they cannot be trusted.

I'm all for getting corporate funding out of our system... as long as that includes the unions, and other 'community' based funders too. But I know the Democrats too well to believe that this bill would be yet another clusterfuck that benefits them and them alone.

 

[Flaylo]

So, you think that Congress should regulate itself? Fucking idiot. Have we not seen enough evidence to confirm that Congress are not honest enough to self regulate? How fucking deluded are you?

This is the answer from the right wing that thinks that all our problems would go away if only business would be allowed to self regulate...

I've never supported too much 'self-regulation'. Personally, I think it's a road to hell. While I am sure that the Democrats would love to see 'self regulation' for congress...they, along with the Republican, have proved consistently that they cannot be trusted.

I'm all for getting corporate funding out of our system... as long as that includes the unions, and other 'community' based funders too. But I know the Democrats too well to believe that this bill would be yet another clusterfuck that benefits them and them alone.

I get it, you are attacking because Democrats proposed this while contradicting yourself.

 

[Avatar4321]

Senate Democrats propose to amend the Constitution to keep corporate money out of campaigns - Yahoo! News

Why not? I think its a great idea.

Why on earth wouldn't you like it? It's not like you care about freedom of speech.

 

[Avatar4321]

Free airtime will help get the money out.

Yeah because Congress ordering private individuals and companies to give them their labor for free is really going to "uncorrupt" the system.

Do you bother thinking out the consequences of what you are actually proposing?