Supremes rule to allow corporate campaigning
It is hard to overstate the implications of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Most observers are predicting that corporations will now have no limits on their ability to inject funds into campaigns, not by contributing them to candidates, but rather by advertising for or against candidates. It should be noted that the ruling also removes restrictions on labor unions.
Click here to read the opinion. (Large PDF, not recommended for slow connections.)
Congressman Barney Frank and others feel there may be a way to legislate some restraints. See his interview with Rachel Maddow after the jump. Also see video from President Obama and read what others say about the ruling…
Rachel Maddow discusses Congressional options with Rep. Barney Frank (D- MA), January 21, 2010:
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Statement from President Obama
Commentary
OPINION: Supreme Court ruling calls for a populist revolt
The Washington Post, January 25, 2010
Court unlikely to stop with Citizens United, by Eliza Newlin Carter
Ruling on corporate election spending doesn’t bode well for other campaign regulations
National Journal, January 21, 2010
Day after: SCOTUS ruling not so bad? by Jeanne Cummings
(“It’s time for everybody to calm down,” says one expert observer.)
Politico.com, January 22, 2010
Justices turn minor movie case into a blockbuster by Adam Liptak
The New York Times, January 22, 2010
An intellectually dishonest power grab by Ruth Marcus
Washington Post, January 23, 2010
Campaign finance ruling reflects Supreme Court’s growing audacity
Washington Post, January 22, 2010
Court shows it might be willing to act boldly
Washington Post, January 22, 2010
Lobbyists Get Potent Weapon in Campaign Finance Ruling
The New York Times, January 22, 2010
EDITORIAL: The Court’s Blow to Democracy
The New York Times, January 22, 2010
It’s time to get going and save our democracy. The Supreme Court’s decision is our biggest wake-up call in living memory.
It’s easy to dispair in times like this, but the situation is far from hopeless. A people can always take back their country, even from the most brutal dictatorship, although the personal cost for particular individuals can become quite high. To make sure we don’t reach that point, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work, now!
For starters, I sent the following message to the Whitehouse Comment Page this morning:
Thank you soo much for putting these on the web. We don’t have a TV so I did not see these before. Keep up the good work. We need to get active on these events. Move On has an action in Chula Vista on the 26th – we need more local actions!