Bloomberg Poll: Americans Want Supreme Court to Turn Off Political Spending Spigot

[Purveyor]

Americans are divided on the justices' decisions on gay marriage, health care, and abortion. But not on campaign finance.

Greg Stohr
September 28, 2015 — 5:00 AM ED'

Americans may be sharply divided on other issues, but they are united in their view of the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that unleashed a torrent of political spending: They hate it.

In a new Bloomberg Politics national poll, 78 percent of those responding said the Citizens United ruling should be overturned, compared with 17 percent who called it a good decision.

“Wow. Wow. I'm stunned,” said David Strauss, a constitutional law professor who teaches at the University of Chicago. “What it suggests is that Citizens United has become a symbol for what people perceive to be a much larger problem, which is the undue influence of wealth in politics.”

The 5-4 ruling said that corporations have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited sums in support of political causes. That decision, coupled with a lower court's rejection of a ceiling on contributions to political groups, opened the way for the super-PACs that are expected to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2016 presidential race.

Unhappiness with the 2010 decision cuts across demographic and partisan and ideological lines. Although the ruling was fashioned by the court’s conservative majority, Republicans oppose Citizens United 80 percent to 18 percent, according to the poll. Democrats oppose 83 percent to 13 percent, and independents, 71 percent to 22 percent. Among self-described liberals, conservatives, and moderates, 80 percent say the decision should be overturned.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-28/bloomberg-poll-americans-want-supreme-court-to-turn-off-political-spending-spigot?module=TopNews&position=8_headline

[saturnsring]

1. making a constitutional amendment a little easier

[merrily]

2. Not going to happen and, if it did, would only return us to status quo in 2008.

Even Hillary and Bernie are now talking about nominating people to the Supreme Court who want to repeal it.

However, this does mean that Bernie's campaign resonates with many Americans.

[lobodons]

3. Alito is seen shaking his head

and mumbling under his breath, "Not true" as he reads this poll.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

5. He needs to be sent packing. How ever that is done, UPS, FedEX, USPS - is fine with me.

[erronis]

6. I hear there's a bulk rate for several large objects in one bag.

If you call the shipping (or garbage collection) agencies, they'll happily pick up the other RW injustices at the same time.

Maybe leave one for a token. I'd suggest Thomas since he is impotent without Scalia and he's well-versed in being a token.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

7. And no need to provide food or breathing holes!!

[matt819]

4. Legislation

It may be one in name only, but we live in a democracy. Having been defeated at the Supreme Court, nothing is stopping legislators from introducing legislation to address this issue. Since the legislation isn't being drafted by ALEC or some lobbyist or company, it may take some work - Gasp! - but it can be done. Read the Supreme Court's decision carefully and craft the legislation accordingly.

Then sit back and watch the fun. Because you know that the extremists - by which I mean the Republicans - will start screaming. Of course, it won't pass, but that's not the point. True, we don't need any more examples of how craven, corrupt, and feckless the extremists are, but we'll get another example nonetheless. Let's watch them start screaming and showing just how corrupt they are.

[drmeow]

8. We need to find a way

to sneak it into a bill they have such a hard on to pass that they won't read it.

[Midnight Writer]

9. I believe Trump support is largely backlash to Citizens United decision