<< LAST Contents NEXT >>
PROTEST THE EXTREMIST’S WAR ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
HOW TO BUY A ELECTION:
It is impossible to explain the pros and cons of campaign finance reform in a few paragraphs. But it is enough to say for our purpose that for decadesFundamentalist Christians, billionaire capitalists and Tea-party loyalists have opposed the various attempts at reforming campaign finances.
They cheered when all those past attempts were nullified on January 21, 2010, by the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission 568 U.S. 310 (2010) that the free speech clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for communications by nonprofit corporations, for-profit corporations, labor unions and other associations.
On that day President Obama said, “This is a major victory for powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.” The leaders of the “right wing” agreed with Newt Gingrich who said, “Well, I’m delighted. And I think I would say that the real campaign finance reform under our Constitution would be to allow anyone to give unlimited amounts of after-tax money, with the understanding that they would file every night on the Internet what they’re spending and how they’re spending it, so everybody could see who was involved.”
As you decide where you stand on Campaign Finance Reform this NPR debate on the day of the Court’s decision is a good place to start. https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=122823118
<< LAST Contents NEXT >>
