Oh, thank you for stepping in it!!!




This is just last night (early this morning)
Senate Dems Plan 'Midnight Vigil' For Campaign Finance Bill
Democrats are preparing to put on a two day campaign finance floor show in the Senate, scheduling a handful of votes and a “midnight vigil” for increased disclosure of who, exactly, is donating to the outside groups underwriting both Barack Obama's and — to a larger degree — Mitt Romney's campaigns for president.
The bill has virtually no chance of passage – a fact of which its sponsors are keenly aware. But Democrats hope to use the legislation to point a finger at Republicans on the new flood of cash.
Led by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Chuck Schumer, Democrats this evening will force a the first of two votes on the Disclose Act, legislation designed to force Super PACs to disclose large dollar donors.
Once that vote fails, Democrats will then hold court on the Senate floor well into the night as part of their planned “Midnight Vigil” for the legislation.
“Democrats have pledged to hold onto the Senate floor late into the night tonight in an effort to bring greater attention to the issue and force a second vote on the bill tomorrow,” Whitehouse’s office said in a statement announcing the vigil.
Then, on Tuesday, Democrats will again force a second vote on the bill that is also expected to be filibustered by Republicans.
Since the Supreme CourtÂ’s 2010 Citizens United decision undid most of the nationÂ’s campaign finance controls on corporate donations, Schumer has repeatedly pushed his colleagues to use the bill to paint Republicans as shills of corporate interests.
And on Monday, Democrats were doing exactly that.
Schumer called the lack of transparency “one of the most serious threats to the future of our democracy.”
“Disclosure would at least provide information about who is behind these ads and bring accountability that bolsters democracy in our elections. Unfortunately, a minority of senators are poised to block progress on the DISCLOSE Act and prevent necessary transparency in our election system,” Colorado Democrat Michael Bennett said in a statement.
Majority Leader Harry Reid directly into Republicans – and Mitt Romney – suggesting that “perhaps Republicans want to shield the handful of billionaires willing to contribute nine figures to sway a close presidential election”