CALL TO ACTION: We need to form a coalition of groups to fight the SCOTUS ruling

[crispini]

Let's begin by saying that I think we should consider any and all means to fight this. I haven't looked into Rep. Grayson's proposed bills enough to know if they would be legal, but I would definitely support them if they are practical. I am also in support of the proposed constitutional amendment found at http://www.movetoamend.org/we-corporations

I think, however, we need to go beyond simply signing petitions. I think we need to use the power of the internet to do two things:

1) FORM COALITIONS
We need to find as many members of as many groups as possible-- if we can get in touch with the biggies like Code Pink, MoveOn, etc. that would be great, and we need to get them to sign on to the idea of fighting the SCOTUS decision, either via Grayson's bills, or the constitutional amendment, or whatever else practical. I can see that the people at MoveToAmend.org are starting this by the list of people on the right hand side of their blog, and it's a good start, but I for one don't care about the tactic that we use to fix this problem, just that it gets fixed. Maybe it's best if we pull behind one tactic -- does anyone know the folks over there at MoveToAmend, and is it worth getting behind them in a big way?

2) DESIGNATE ACTION DAYS
We need to then use this network of coalitions to designate days to demonstrate our support of the proposed solution, be it Grayson's bill, the constitutional amendment, or whatever. Phone-in days, demonstrations, letter writing campaigns, whatever needs to get done.

Now, I don't know anyone, okay, I am just a person out here on the internet. And maybe this is already happening within these organizations -- and maybe it isn't. BUT -- this is the internet. This is a NETWORK, and that's one thing we do well.

So. I am calling on DU'ers to do the following:
1) Start with the coalition building. Do you know people at any organizations that might participate? Send them the idea, with a link to this thread. And ASK them to let us know what they are doing.

2) Repost this elsewhere on the internets. With a link to this thread. We need to funnel people back here to discuss things until such point as we have decided to use one organization to rally behind. (Or at least leave breadcrumbs back here so people can find more if they so wish. It's the internet, people are going to be decentralized anyway.)

3) I propose a conference call on this Sunday afternoon, 3 p.m. CST, to discuss this issue in more detail and figure out what the best thing we can do is. I am not particularly interested in forming a formal organization. I don't believe in forming organizations unless it's absolutely necessary. I want to get three key ideas out there and get this plan going. Those three ideas are:

FIGHT THE SCOTUS RULING
FORM COALITIONS AGAINST IT
PLAN DIRECT ACTIONS

We can use the call to chat about it and figure out how to reach out. Also sometimes it's just easier to organize things in real time. However I am NOT interested in using this call to indulge in rants and bloviating. I am interested in ORGANIZING and ACTION.

PM me if you want conference call information and I will set it up and PM you with it later. I am not going to post it here because I haven't done it yet and anyway I don't want to make it publicly available.

4) Post in this thread with CONSTRUCTIVE ideas and discussion. CONSTRUCTIVE. I can't emphasize this enough. If you have good ideas or CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, offer it up. If the only thing you're going to post is that we can't do it and we're all dooooomed and waaah -- DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD. Frankly, I don't want to hear it.

Okay, that's all for now. If you have nothing else to add, K&R if you agree.

[customerserviceguy]

1. There's only one possible way to fight it

That's to have Congress pass a Constitutional amendment with the essential language of McCain-Feingold. Then, you get three-fourths of the states to ratify it.

Good luck with that.

[sharesunited]

2. There is another way. Own shares in publicly traded companies and vote those shares accordingly.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. Not a solution....

In order to obtain controlling interest in a company you'd need billions of dollars. Owning even a thousand share of Wal-Mart would be of absolutely no consequence with regard to corporate governance.

A constitutional amendment, as high a bar as that sets, is more practical than attempting a progressive shareholder coup at even a single large corporation.

[crispini]

3. If that's what we have to do, that's what we have to do.

Otherwise, we have lost our democracy.

Obviously, you didn't get as far as #4, though. But thanks for the kick.

[IsItJustMe]

4. I admire your call to action. I don't know enough about the law to comment intelligently about

this, but it sure seems like this is very wrong and will lead to some very bad results.

It also seems to me that congress can make more laws to curtail this situation. I hope something will be done.

[Overseas]

14. Background on Corporate Personhood

Our Bill of Rights was the result of tremendous efforts to institutionalize and protect the rights of human beings. It strengthened the premise of our Constitution: that the people are the root of all power and authority for government. This vision has made our Constitution and government a model emulated in many nations.

But corporate lawyers (acting as both attorneys and judges) subverted our Bill of Rights in the late 1800's by establishing the doctrine of "corporate personhood" -- the claim that corporations were intended to fully enjoy the legal status and protections created for human beings.

We believe that corporations are not persons and possess only the privileges we willfully grant them. Granting corporations the status of legal "persons" effectively rewrites the Constitution to serve corporate interests as though they were human interests. Ultimately, the doctrine of granting constitutional rights to corporations gives a thing illegitimate privilege and power that undermines our freedom and authority as citizens. While corporations are setting the agenda on issues in our Congress and courts, We the People are not; for we can never speak as loudly with our own voices as corporations can with the unlimited amplification of money.

This is a clip from the intro at http://reclaimdemocracy.org/personhood/

[ChicagoSuz219]

6. Go to www.savedemocracy.net

...and sign the petition!

[crispini]

8. Will do.

Have already heard from a friend who is closer to this than I am. Coalition is already forming. YAY!

[crispini]

7. Got an email from a friend re. Public Citizen.

More info at link. Will post more later, have limited Internet access at the moment.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DQOI3phbEobvGtZsqrfYiBASTVemvcWy

[crispini]

9. email from a friend

As I'm sure you have seen, the Supreme Court has ruled to allow corporations to basically fund their own politicians and buy our democracy. OK, maybe a little extreme, but that is what be determined over the next months and years. This decision has been carefully prepared by John Roberts and his cohorts and goes against years (some say one hundred years) of court decisions.

But, remember, our cause of taking money OUT of politics is non-partisan, and soon, all sides are going to see how this could effect them and will not like the long-term prospect. We do have the potential of a large grassroots response.

More later on all of this, but what can you do today is choose at least one of the following:

1. Write letters to the editor, blog,
2. Call your representatives and senators and the White House to express your rage, concern, fear, or what ever you are feeling now
3. Sign all the petitions coming out - sign each and every one. First ones out are:
http://action.citizen.org/t/10315/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2190
http://site.pfaw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Amend&autologin=true
4. TEXAS ONLY: Tell others to get on our mailing list by emailing to: [e-mail] and asking to be put on a mailing list or offer to help.
5. TEXAS ONLY: Check this link: cleanelectionstx.org This is our website and should be up in a day or two. It will also provide a way for people to sign up to help and to be informed.
6. If you want to help us meet this challenge, let me know that you will give us time now to organize a response!

Let your emotions build and find the reasons for them, then articulate them to yourself and others. Just what exactly to you fear, what enrages you about this, how do you feel it effects your life? How does it affect life in our country? Write, draw, compose,talk and share it with us!

This landmark decision does not come at a convenient time - we are already busy, worried, harrassed but, this is the moment - our earthquake, on a much less devasting scale, but massive. And, ultimately, a rebuilding opportunity - as in Aikido, a time to use the negative move to energize ourselves to bring a new point of view and neutralize the harm.

[Overseas]

10. K&R. Signed to Move to Amend and urged others to do so.

I'll watch this thread and see what else I can do.

[Flying Dream Blues]

11. signed and kicking nt

[DKRC]

12. Signed the petitions

and spreading the word.

K&R!

[Zero Division]

13. K&R!

[sketchy]

15. An inspiring quote from Thomas Jefferson

I saw this on NPR's On Point blog today:

http://www.onpointradio.org/2010/01/week-in-the-news-109

“I hope we shall… crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and to bid defiance to the laws of our country.”
~ Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Logan. November 12, 1816

[ima_sinnic]

16. MoveOn has now sprung into action:

a new e-mail this morning:

Subject: Disastrous decision for democracy

Dear MoveOn member,

Yesterday, the Supreme Court announced a disastrous rollback of campaign finance laws. Their 5-4 decision gives corporations free rein to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections.

As The New York Times put it, this "opens the floodgates" for corporate money.1

It's a horrible decision. But we can undo some of the damage if Congress passes public financing of elections, which would give progressives and populists who don't have industry backing the ability to compete.

There is already a public financing bill, the Fair Elections Now Act, with significant, bipartisan support.2 Congress, which right now desperately needs to show that it's on the side of the voters instead of corporate interests, should rush to pass it.
Will you sign our petition urging Congress to make sure our democracy represents the people, not corporations? Clicking here will add your name to this critical petition:

http://www.moveon.org (note: I edited it to the basic URL to prevent links from "my" link--link to the petition is quite obvious on the main page)

The petition says: "Congress must act now to make sure voters—not corporations—have control of our elections. Pass public financing to make our elections fair."

Corporations are already running roughshod over our democracy—just look at the health care fight. But now it's actually going to get far worse.

With this Court decision, Big Insurance could spend as much as they want to support Joe Lieberman in his efforts to keep watering down health care reform. And ExxonMobil or BP can spend millions to elect candidates who oppose clean energy. It's a disastrous decision with a disastrous outcome.

Fixing the problem of corporate money in politics is a long-term fight—and public financing is the best first step. With the Fair Elections Now legislation, candidates could get off the corporate fundraising treadmill and raise enough from small donors to be seriously competitive. If this bill passes, 95% of House members would get the same or more money than they spent in 2008—and they'd still be able to raise small contributions beyond that.3

The Fair Elections Now Act is being spearheaded by Democrat John Larson and Republican Walter Jones in the House. And it's already won the support of a wide range of good-government groups who want to see Congress doing the work of the people.

This is our best chance ever to advance the cause of public financing for fair elections. The idea's been proven in numerous states. And with this Supreme Court decision, members of Congress are getting nervous about having to compete against a wave of corporate cash. Change is now possible.

Can you sign our petition today urging Congress to pass public financing? Clicking here will add your name:
http://www.moveon.org
Thank you for all you do.

–Kat, Daniel, Stephen, Wes, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Justices Overturn Key Campaign Limits," The New York Times, January 21, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86098&id=18673-15396153-SKz9UHx&t=5

"Lobbyists Get Potent Weapon in Campaign Finance Ruling," The New York Times, January 21, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86104&id=18673-15396153-SKz9UHx&t=6

2. "Fair Elections Are the Answer to Citizens United," The Huffington Post, January 11, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=86099&id=18673-15396153-SKz9UHx&t=7

3. Common Cause analysis of Federal Election Commission filings from 2008

[crispini]

17. Oh yay.

The coalition is forming. People don't need ME to think of this idea. Let's just feed it and watch it grow and do as much as we can!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

18. Is there anything that can be done on a State level --

by legislation? Out here in CA I think there could be enough support to do something via the Legislation or proposition process. Start here in CA and move across the country and up the legal ladder.

Could a State pass a law that strips its corporations of personhood? What options are availble?

I would really like to know because I know my State rep would jump on that in a heartbeat.

[crispini]

21. I'm not sure, but I'll have an answer for you soon.

A friend of mine is a Clean Elections activist here and she's studied this pretty extensively. I think it's going to take a lawyer looking into some of this too. Generally, federal laws supersede state laws, but I don't know about this specific case.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

22. Let me know --

I am getting ready to write my State reps tp look into this. Our Dem AG is running for Gov right now -- perhaps a little bug in his ear that this would be a winning campaign issue might be worth a call.

[Overseas]

19. Another site -- FreeSpeechForPeople.org //nt

[crispini]

20. kick

I'm fixing to get mad and write a DU'ERs ARE LAZY KEYBOARD COMMANDOS thread unless this gets a bit more airtime.

[crispini]

23. UPDATE: Only 20 replies?

:kick: C'mon, DU, let's talk about PRACTICAL ACTIVISM for a minute.

[crispini]

24. KICK!