Sen. Sanders- What world are the five conservative Supreme Court justices living in?

[n2doc]

The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down overall campaign contribution limits. The law that the 5-4 ruling voided has prevented individuals from contributing more than $123,000 to candidates and party committees per election cycle. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has proposed a constitutional amendment to restore the power of Congress and state lawmakers to limit campaign donations, blasted the ruling.“Freedom of speech, in my view, does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government,” Sanders said.

The ruling gives wealthy donors like the billionaires Charles and David Koch more power to influence elections. An earlier ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC resulted in a record $7 billion being spent in the 2012 election cycle, including at least $400 million by the Koch brothers alone. “What world are the five conservative Supreme Court justices living in?” Sanders asked. “To equate the ability of billionaires to buy elections with ‘freedom of speech’ is totally absurd. The Supreme Court is paving the way toward an oligarchic form of society in which a handful of billionaires like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson will control our political process.”

At issue in the latest case was a limit on how much donors may give to all candidates and political organizations during a two-year federal election cycle. The cap now is $123,200. That includes a separate $48,600 limit on contributions to individual candidates during 2013 and 2014. A separate $2,600 limit on how much one individual may give to any specific candidate for Congress in any election is not directly at stake in this case.

The latest ruling comes on the heels of a disastrous 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United, which threw out campaign funding laws that limited what wealthy individuals and corporations could spend on elections. Since that ruling, campaign spending by Adelson, the Las Vegas casino magnate, the Koch brothers and a handful of other billionaire families has fundamentally undermined American democracy.


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http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/high-court-gives-big-money-more-say-in-campaigns

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. They're doing what no justice should ever do - voting their (evil) party line nt

[freebrew]

43. Decemeber 2000...same thing.

Started this entire debacle.

Thanks to the BFEE.

[woo me with science]

2. We need you, Bernie Sanders.

Please run.

[polichick]

14. So true. I don't see how anything will change without, as he says...

a "political revolution."

[alterfurz]

3. R.A.T.S. = RobertsAlitoThomasScalia

The people who own the country ought to run it. -- John Jay, first Chief Justice of the United States
[They do. --Noam Chomsky]
Same as it ever was, only more so...

[Supersedeas]

22. where does that leave Kennedy...a middleman, really

Haven't we seen his true colors already.

[jwirr]

4. What was that the about 80 of the richest people having more money than all the rest of us? How

does this play out in this decision. Does this idea apply to the US? How much do each of us have to donate in order to meet what the rich could donate?

[aggiesal]

19. That was last years numbers ...

Now it's down to 67 (I think).

And since these Super-PAC's don't have to reveal their donors, nothing is stopping any foreign corporation or person from influencing our elections.
Which before citizens united decision was impossible to do.

There has to be impeachment proceedings on at least Justice Thomas now.

[jwirr]

20. Something has to be done. They are not only out to destroy our unions, our schools, our safety net.

They are also out to make our election system fail the people.

[Ikonoklast]

28. China or any other foreign power can secretly fund any politician they choose to.

The Super-PACs will now rule our election process.

[aggiesal]

31. Foreign countries are already doing it ...

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/mexican-tycoon-accused-us-campaign-scheme

An excerpt from the [Font color=red]Feb. 13, 2014[/font] article.

In a first of its kind case, federal prosecutors say a Mexican businessman funneled more than $500,000 into U.S. political races through Super PAC's and various shell companies. The alleged financial scheme is the first known instance of a foreign national exploiting the [Font color=red]Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision[/font] in order to influence U.S. elections. If proven, the campaign finance scandal could reshape the public debate over the high court’s landmark decision.

Until now, allegations surrounding Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, the owner of multiple construction companies in Mexico, have not spread beyond local news outlets in San Diego, where he’s accused of bankrolling a handful of southern California candidates. But the scandal is beginning to attract national interest as it ensnares a U.S. congressman, a Washington, D.C.-based campaign firm and the legacy of one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in a generation.

[Ikonoklast]

33. This will frighten Republicans more than the Kochs and Adelson buying their party.

If they actually believed in the Constitution, they would be clamoring for an amendment limiting both corporate power and money as speech.

Both of those unlimited "rights" will make the rest of that document worthless.

[aggiesal]

36. Did you hear any RW mouthpiece say a word when this story broke?

Honestly, I don't think they care, unless the money went to Democratic candidates.

Look at this story:
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/foreign.php

[Walk away]

5. Well we all know the Clarence Thomas is a certified Idiot on top of ...

being married to his partner in evil, Mrs Teabag Thomas. That will never change. We can only hope that Scalia buys the farm ASAP and that Roberts has a complete change of heart, comes out as gay and undoes the mess he has made of all of our lives.

[daleanime]

8. ........

[Moostache]

9. From your keyboard to god's ears...

I hope to hell to see Scalia kick off and the sooner the better. Thomas is a jackass and a tool, but Scalia is on a whole different level of asshattery...

[dickthegrouch]

6. "supreme" court my ass /nt

[daleanime]

7. K&R....

[Initech]

10. The Koch Brothers should just declare themselves dictators and get it over with.

Why live up the facade of a democracy anymore? The supreme court just gave the traitor billionaires a blank check to do whatever they want.

[n2doc]

11. Think of it like a professional sports team

The Koch's pick out the 'managers' and 'coaches'. I'm sure they would rather just put their people in place to do all the dirty work.

[DhhD]

41. Looks like they are already taking over the state of Louisiana.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1054192

Koch's buying Louisiana so Governor can manage their Energy Business. Talk about Reconstruction. This gives the idea of secession a whole new meaning.

[packman]

12. The Supremes just confirmed Reality

It was always this way, wasn't it? I, and I hope you, weren't really all that naive about money controlling elections. And what is now left? Where does one get the information needed to vote even somewhat intelligently - from the media which is controlled by the rich who will let us know through their propaganda who to vote for in the future.
The only thing left that they haven't got their claws into is the internet, and that is hanging like a piece of raw meat in a tiger's cage to them.

[Dustlawyer]

13. Even the Democrats are accused of "elitism" frequently by conservatives, it is they who

believe that the wealthy, connected people should run things since us unwashed (we do bathe!) masses are too stupid and ignorant to do it right! They really believe this shit! I agree that a large portion of Americans are so busy struggling to survive that they do not keep up with politics. They are also susceptible to the misinformation and propaganda spewed by these same self serving, rich bull shit artists.
I hope there are reporters digging into the unfab 5 to find the secret bank accounts full of money they must have!

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

15. Here is a bit from Justice Stevens' dissent in Citizens United

At bottom, the Court's opinion is thus a rejection of the common sense of the American people, who have recognized a need to prevent corporations from undermining self government since the founding, and who have fought against the distinctive corrupting potential of corporate electioneering since the days of Theodore Roosevelt. It is a strange time to repudiate that common sense. While American democracy is imperfect, few outside the majority of this Court would have thought its flaws included a dearth of corporate money in politics.

He mentions Theodore Roosevelt, who said

All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law; directors should not be permitted to use stockholders' money for such purposes; and, moreover, a prohibition of this kind would be, as far as it went, an effective method of stopping the evils aimed at in corrupt practices acts. Not only should both the National and the several State Legislatures forbid any officer of a corporation from using the money of the corporation in or about any election, but they should also forbid such use of money in connection with any legislation save by the employment of counsel in public manner for distinctly legal services.

[Enthusiast]

25. We sure could use a Theodore Roosevelt about now.

He understood the damage corporations could do.

[Octafish]

16. ''Freedom of speech...does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government.''

Sounds like the Democrats I used to know.

[Enthusiast]

24. +1!

We need to hear from all the Democrats on this decision. We need 100% unified condemnation. Or we must ask why not.

[harun]

29. Speech != Money is an easy one. Such a weak argument.

Problem is Dem's are soaking up the Corpo dollars too. Won't change.

[kitt6]

17. Just look at the Presidents

that put these five people on the court! Agenda?

[tclambert]

18. Five supreme court justices say big corporate money can't have a corrupting influence on politics

so there ya go, it must be true.

I possess an extensive vocabulary, to the extent that I get accused of cheating at Scrabble (the dictionary always confirms my play), yet I cannot find the words to adequately express my disgust for these Supreme Court "Justices."

[m-lekktor]

21. it's a sad day, indeed.

very disillusioning for the average joe. free speech is for those who can afford it.

[Enthusiast]

23. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

Thank you, Bernie!

[Jefferson23]

26. Obscene. Is there any chance Kennedy will retire before Obama's term ends? n/t

[moondust]

27. Institutionalized corruption.

[TBF]

30. Where they're paid to live - KochWorld. nt

[DhhD]

42. Koch/1% are now outwardly and publicly taking over each and every state's government.

If you can swing over to the Louisiana Group, it looks to be the first openly admitting Koch State in Reconstruction after the Supreme Court 5 just busted the Union between Voters and their elected Representatives. The US Constitution must be amended.

[idendoit]

32. It's a cloistered world, where they feel beholden only to the law.

Much of their work is done in secrecy, not that far removed from security agencies' roles. Let's throw a bunch more justices in the mix, it wouldn't be the first time.

[TheKentuckian]

34. 13.8 billion light years beyond the pale

If anything can be done, it better be quick because the longer this sets in the less tools and resources will be available to reverse it.

[Caretha]

35. I predict

this is the final nail in the coffin.

Unless we can impeach them - its all downhill from here.

[Cha]

37. KICK! Of course it does! that's the whole freaking purpose.

"The ruling gives wealthy donors like the billionaires Charles and David Koch more power to influence elections."

[Rex]

38. The Plutocracy Strikes Back.

Money money money money!

[Zorra]

39. The a few of the fascist judges need to retire real soon. nt

[marew]

40. "Justice" is certainly a misnomer in their job title! n/t

[the_sly_pig]

44. So enact a law requiring truth in advertising and publicly funded campaigns

Only way to combat this. Election reform. That would take care of many other issues also.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

45. KnR!! n/t

[AdHocSolver]

46. A question: Why are American voters so easily duped to vote based on slick propaganda?

A complaint heard on DU: "Why do people vote against their own self-interest?"

The better question would be, "Why do the people who vote for right-wing politicians believe the right-wing propaganda serves their best interest?"

We need "smarter" voters, or we need to determine how to appeal in a more effective way to the voters we are stuck with.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. They long to go back to the time when rich white landowning males were the only ones who could vote.

[Jasana]

48. This court no longer has the right to call itself "Supreme."

It has done nothing but break the back of our nation as if it doesn't even understand what its role is. This court has now descended into Dred Scott v. Sanford territory.