Money Talks: Corporations Become Humans and Curse Their Creator

[Joanne98]

by Tom Turnipseed

The Supreme Court's recent decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, gave corporations, unions and individuals First Amendment rights to donate unlimited amounts of money to buy political ads for candidates without disclosure. Meanwhile, corporate fat-cats, whose corporations are created by government, rant and rave against government and condemn government creation of public sector jobs programs for the poor and unemployed.

In Citizens United the five conservative justices composing the majority said, "... this court now concludes that independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or to the appearance of corruption. That speakers may have influence over or access to elected officials does not mean those officials are corrupt. And the appearance of influence or access will not cause the electorate to lose faith in this democracy." Can we keep faith in a government whose highest court makes such an absurd comment about big bucks being spent by "speakers" sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce and other special interests who lobby government for corporate and big moneyed interests? The Chamber's lobbyists led the defeat of the Disclose Act to close the loopholes created by the Citizens United decision.

Foreign corporations contribute money that goes into a Chamber of Commerce fund used to pay for political ads to defeat candidates who do not tow the line for their profits over people agenda. Playing key roles in the effort are Karl Rove who was George W. Bush's political hatchet man and the late Lee Atwater's protégé, and Ed Gillespie, former Republican National Committee Chairman and another Bush advisor. They are involved with a group called Crossroads GPS and its associated organization, American Crossroads. The groups are running ads in key Senate and Congressional races and are trying to raise $52 million for ads in the November elections

The Court's conservative majority of justices were appointed by conservative politicians in the White House and confirmed by conservative US Senators who owed much of their political success to wealthy contributors and corporate interests. The history of corporate influence and control of our government is depressing.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/10/13-4

[Tippy]

1. K&R

[KoKo]

2. We can't let this Decision go into ARCHIVES.. K&R

[yurbud]

3. and like Frankenstein's monster, we have to hunt it down with pitchforks and torches

[Blue_Tires]

4. k+r