Stephen Colbert…for the Supreme Court???

Bob Edgar, opinion contributor at POLITICO both pans and applauds Stephen Colbert's creation of Colbert Super PAC in this article: Stephen Colbert for Supreme Court justice! Mr. Edgar says:

The Super PAC launched Thursday by the satirist Stephen Colbert and blessed by the Federal Election Commission is a terrible idea. It makes a mockery of our campaign finance laws, inviting politicians of all stripes to launch their own Super PAC-linked TV "news" shows and then use those programs to raise buckets of money from corporations, labor unions and other special interests. It’s the sort of thing Common Cause has always been against. We hate it. And it’s positively brilliant!
But "...inviting politicians ... to launch their own... TV 'news' shows..."??? What if we flip it, and TV "news" shows launch their own politicians? Uh, oh. Too late.

Continue ReadingStephen Colbert…for the Supreme Court???

Private campaign contributions = corruption. It’s THAT simple

Cenk Ugyur reports on the new proposal for unfettered circumvention of current law. "In 2010 alone, GOP congress members received more than $58,797,874 in contribution from the financial industry. They are not your representatives. They are the representatives of the multinational corporations who buy them." At 2:30 of the video, Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the relatively few members of Congress with any scruples, discusses the need to "take apart" Citizens United, including the need to pass a constitutional amendment pointing out that a corporation is not a person. At 4:00, see the arrogant quote by Republican James Bopp, who believes that money runs everything and that there is no way for the people to fight back. We need to "educate and organize." Sanders argues that there is to fight this corruption using a grass roots movement. How genuine are the philosophical arguments of the politicians who are seeking the free flow of money from big corporations to politicians? See Sanders' discussion at 7:00. Ugyur aims his arrows at Republicans but Sanders, the only Independent representative sitting in the Senate, points out the problem extends to Democrats too.

Continue ReadingPrivate campaign contributions = corruption. It’s THAT simple

Russ Feingold accuses Democrats of resisting campaign finance reform

According to TPM, Russ Feingold has accused both Democrats and Republicans of backing "corporate interests in Congress by opposing an executive order under discussion in the White House that would require government contractors to reveal their political donations."

This culture of corporate influence and corruption is precisely what we as Progressives United want to change," he wrote. "So we've decided to take on those legislators who are unwilling to stand up to corporate power, and we're naming names." The names included House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). In addition, the email targeted Sens. Mitch McConnell, (R-KY), Rob Portman (R-OH), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-CA).
We need far more of this plain talk that transcends party politics. Who is letting Wall Street commit its crimes? Who is allowing telecom megamergers that threaten consumers? Who is allowing an unaccountably enormous military budget to drain the treasury instead of investing in the people of America? It's members of both parties, it's shameful and it's got to stop. I applaud Russ Feingold's courage in speaking out.

Continue ReadingRuss Feingold accuses Democrats of resisting campaign finance reform

Name one good reason to oppose this campaign spending disclosure proposal

How can any honest person or business oppose a campaign spending disclosure law like this one described by Alternet?

It's a good rule of thumb: If the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- the trade association for large corporations -- is whipped up about something, there's probably good reason for the public to strongly back whatever has sent the Chamber into fits.

Well, the Chamber is apoplectic over a modest Obama administration proposed executive order that would require government contractors to reveal all of their campaign-related spending.

What the Chamber fears is that the new law would would require disclosures regarding "secret contributions that corporations funnel through trade associations and front groups to influence elections," and this would include the Chamber itself.

Continue ReadingName one good reason to oppose this campaign spending disclosure proposal