Court skeptical of limits on businesses, unions

[abelenkpe2]

Court skeptical of limits on businesses, unions

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_supreme_court_clinton_movie;_ylt=Am9WgAxD5KJvjkYigxjkOSys0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNnamxnZXRpBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwOTA5L3VzX3N1cHJlbWVfY291cnRfY2xpbnRvbl9tb3ZpZQRjcG9zAzQEcG9zAzEEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNzdXByZW1lY291cnQ-

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it may let businesses and unions spend freely to help their favored candidates in time for next year's elections. Such a step could roll back a century of attempts to restrain the power of corporate treasuries in American politics.

The justices cut short their summer recess for a lively special argument that indicated the court's conservative skeptics of campaign finance laws have the upper hand over its liberals, including new Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, often the high court's swing vote, but a firm opponent of many campaign restrictions, at one point told the government's lawyer, "Corporations have lots of knowledge about environment, transportation issues, and you are silencing them during the election."

Sotomayor jumped into the fray at her first argument — with questions that strongly hinted she would keep campaign spending limits in place. "Wouldn't we be doing some more harm than good by a broad ruling?" she asked.

(more at link)

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Is it me or is this the scariest thing in the known universe?

[valerief]

1. This is more of the same. They're just making it official. nt

[FiveGoodMen]

2. BAD news! But not surprising.

God damn everyone who put 'conservatives' in charge of the last line of defense for our freedoms.

[girl gone mad]

3. This will just speed up the collapse.

I guess there's no stopping at this point, really.

[unblock]

4. corporations will quickly bid up ad prices so that only corporations can compete

soon the little guy won't even be able to scrape together ad time other than weekday at 3am.

free speech is available to all who can afford it. that's the scalia way, soon to be the american way.

[MrsCorleone]

5. Full audio of Supreme Court arguments inside:

http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/09/09/HP/R/22917/CSPAN+Presents+a+Special+Session+on+Campaign+Finance+Case.aspx

Roberts and Scalia fought hard for corporate interests.

[abelenkpe2]

6. I guess I'm not surprised

I wish we'd break up all large corporations. Many smaller businesses would be easier to deal with, no?

[MrsCorleone]

9. Yep. Scalia used the small Ma & Pa biz owners as examples of

how corp money = free speech repeatedly. They know and we know that this ruling extends to multinationals, entities that have no allegiance to any one citizenry, let alone the peeps here in the U.S.

These transglobal companies move from country to country, sucking economies dry. Doesn't matter if we all fall to third world status. They still make money as they concentrate wealth even more.

Listening to their arguments this morning made me physically ill.

[GCP]

7. I heard Roberts talking about corporations having the same rights as people

We're lost.

[Neecy]

8. all we can do now is starve the beast

Avoid buying anything from multinational corporations at all costs. Buy used, recycle, go without.