Chamber Argued That Public Skepticism Was Proper Price To Pay For Donor Secrecy

[kpete]

Source: Huffington Post

Chamber Argued That Public Skepticism Was Proper Price To Pay For Donor Secrecy

First Posted: 10-11-10 03:42 PM | Updated: 10-11-10 03:42 PM

.........................

But if the Chamber is surprised at the treatment it's received, it shouldn't be. When the business lobby was arguing the very idea that donor disclosure isn't necessary, it made the point that balance already exists: those who fail to name donors face an intrinsic if not justified punishment in the form of public skepticism.

In the amicus brief it filed in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission -- which allows corporate expenditures in political campaigns -- the Chamber appears to have predicted the backlash it is now facing:

***** Moreover, it is common experience that, where the supporters of exempt speech are not disclosed, opponents can and do exploit the silence as a reason for discounting the speech. The fact that many speakers decline to identify their donors, even though doing so weakens the credibility of their speech, again confirms that required donor disclosure is burdensome and likely to suppress speech.

*****In this regard, it is offensively paternalistic for the government to simply assume that listeners are incapable of properly evaluating public speech in the absence of full disclosure of the speaker's funding sources. In their daily lives, Americans regularly discount speech to adjust for questions about its source. See generally McIntyre, 514 U.S. 334. That is doubly so in the area of political speech where speakers with opposing views are not shy in pointing out the absence of donor information.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/11/chamber-argued-that-publi_n_758435.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Says a lot about the chamber that they don't care one iota how they're viewed by the public.

[24601]

2. How did you jump from skepticism to not "one iota."?

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Oh. Because I know groups like them.

Their big thing is the masses are asses.

[24601]

14. Way to connect the dots - "Oh, I just know they have WMD" Nice

standard, let's see if the President & SECDEF adopt it vis a vis Iran and it's nuclear program.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. Okay, let me clarify.

I've been following a group of entrepreneurs over the last ten years that has been moving around like gypsies, first to a civic organization which, theoretically is known for its selfless acts, to one who had a motto similar to the masses are asses. Same people, different organization but their purpose is the same. The Civic organization just gave them cover until they were ferreted out. They currently started up a Chamber of Commerce.

Is that too direct for you?

[24601]

18. Still sounds like "trust me" unless you prove you're telling the truth.

Name all sources, show documents - prove none of your support came from foreigners. Unless you do that, I'll just have to infer you're hiding the truth behind legal technicalities.

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. Sounds like you went off tangent from the point of this thread.

[ronnie624]

17. You're confused.

It is the the public that is skeptical, and the Chamber of Commerce that doesn't care "one iota".

[bleever]

3. "...offensively paternalistic..."

AmCham: Helping the Chinese keep the U.S. Government off your back.

:patriot:

:crazy:

[alfredo]

5. They hope we are too timid, too cowardly to stand up and

fight back against their war against the working class.

[Downwinder]

6. I took direct action. Quit shopping anywhere there is a Chamber sticker.

[MrsCorleone]

7. Done. Just dumped my a**hole dentist. Not only is he a member, but he contributed to Prop 8. nt

[alfredo]

8. They need to know why you are leaving.

[MrsCorleone]

10. I'll be sure to inform him. I suspect that I'm not the 1st to leave, as his website seems to imply

that he's liberal. He is not. I'll have to Yelp my thoughts, as well, so that there is no confusion.

[alfredo]

11. A Liberal that doesn't believe gays have basic rights of citizenship?

[MrsCorleone]

12. He's Mormon and hardly liberal.

I suspect that he's trying to portray himself as being so, given his support for Prop 8 and the subsequent blowback.

[alfredo]

13. Protective coloration. Bringing politics or religion to the

workplace is never a good idea.

[alfredo]

9. n other words we don't matter.

[myrna minx]

16. K&R n/t