Could a little Stupak-Pitts reasoning help us limit corporate influence?

[Atticus]

As I understood their argument, there was no way to segregate funds once they were combined. In other words, it was not possible to say that an abortion was paid for with "premiums" once those premiums had been received by an exchange that also received tax money. An abortion costing $1000 impermissibly tainted the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax money received.

So, if a corporation has even ONE foreign shareholder. or has a subsidiary owned in any proportion by foreign interests, couldn't this make any campaign contribution by such corporation an impermissible "foreign contribution"?

[Nickster]

1. That does sound like a line of reasoning to follow, or at least come up with a calculation of how

much a corporation is foreign owned and limit their contributions by that formula, but I still disagree with the basic premise that a corporation should have unlimited free speech like a person.

[NoNothing]

2. Corporations still can't make campaign contributions

That has not changed. So no, what you suggest couldn't happen.

[Atticus]

3. "Technically", you are correct. But, if Exxon or Goldman-Sachs spends several million dollars

producing and airing a "hit piece" against a Democrat, (which is exactly what Citzen's United did) most people would call that a rather significant "contribution".

So, THAT could happen. And, if one of their shareholders is from Kuwait or Singapore, the Stupak-Pitts reasoning might be relevant.

[NoNothing]

5. I don't think it would

Because it is currently not against the law for a private foreign individual to make a million dollar hit piece, either.

[RB TexLa]

4. So an individual who might have sold something to a non-citizen would also be barred from

contributing as well? If you work for a company that had international sales you are barred because some of your pay came from foreign commerce? The world is connected, that's the way it is. I know there are some vocal members here who want the US to not be part of the world but we are no matter how much those idiots scream at the clouds.