"Democrats counter court finance ruling; Legislation to target group, corporate campaign spending" by Dan Eggen, Washington Post | April 24, 2010
WASHINGTON — Democrats are ready to introduce legislation next week that would sharply limit the ability of foreign-connected companies to participate in US politics and would require sweeping disclosures by corporations, unions, and nonprofit groups that pay for political advertising, according to a confidential summary of the bill.
The proposal, spearheaded by Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Senator Charles Schumer of New York, is aimed at blunting the effect of a Supreme Court ruling this year that permits companies and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money for or against political candidates. President Obama has sharply attacked the ruling, and many Democrats fear it will unleash a flood of corporate spending likely to favor Republicans....
Pfft!
The CORPORATIONS OWN BOTH PARTIES, so WTF is with the s*** fooley?
Related: Clear the Court: Signing the Campaign Checks
So what did the Congress come up with?
"Congress trying to ease campaign finance rules" by Mark Arsenault, Globe Staff | May 24, 2010
WASHINGTON — Nervous lawmakers anticipating an unstoppable flood of corporate and union money into the fall political campaigns have found one way to fight back: by loosening the rules for the major political parties, allowing them to exert more influence of their own.
So it's a RIGGED GAME, 'eh?
Little-noticed language in campaign finance bills would help parties and their candidates get around restrictions on working together on political campaigns — essentially allowing parties to tap into their deep well of funds to more directly help their favored candidates.
Then WHY AM I WASTING MY TIME (and yours)?
Another provision would require broadcasters to offer political parties the same low advertising rates they give to candidates.
Not enough to rig the boxes and machines, 'eh?
The measures are part of a package of changes introduced in Congress after the Supreme Court’s rejection in January of longstanding restraints on direct corporate and union spending.
The US Chamber of Commerce has said it is preparing to spend $50 million on midterm elections, an early sign of a corporate media blitz to come.
Powerful unions are also planning massive spending on the fall campaigns. Officials from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have told The Hill newspaper that the union plans to top $50 million in spending, while the Service Employees International Union reportedly plans to spend $44 million.
Yeah, ISN'T THAT GREAT! TAXPAYER-FUNDED "public servants" pouring "their money" into a POLITICAL CAMPAIGN while YOUR SERVICES are SLASHED!
At issue in the congressional debates is who will be able to wield the greatest financial might in American elections.
The effort to strengthen the power of political parties would “address the disproportionate influence’’ the Supreme Court gave to big corporations by striking down broadcast regulations in the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign reform bill, said US Representative Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
I'm sorry, I view the WHOLE STINKING CESSPOOL as ROTTEN!
But even as lawmakers try to counter the effects of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the voice of the average citizen is already shrinking, said Sarah Dufendach, vice president of legislative affairs for the watchdog group Common Cause.
“Regular-old Joe Six-pack has been drowned out for a long time,’’ she said. “The court made a bad system intolerable.’’
That is why VOTERS are FURIOUS!!!!!!
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