This is the year the billionaires tried to buy democracy, and after November 2, we'll know whether they succeeded. In California, oil companies account for 91 percent of the spending on a campaign to kill that state's new energy law. What's remarkable about that is that we can know it, because the money was raised under regulations that require disclosure of the sources.
Karl Rove's new group, American Crossroads, has been having a wonderful year, meeting its $52 million fundraising goal last week. And who's behind this tide of grassroots enthusiasm? Of the money they're required to file detailed reports about, more than 90 percent comes from three billionaires. The rest of the cash comes through sources that are anonymous. That arrangement "has worked like a charm," and GOP operative tells the New York Times.
Democratic pollster Celinda Lake told us last night that Democrats should keep hammering away on this, because it's a winner for them. "This should be illegal," Lake said. "It should be disclosed and it should be illegal. And this is a great issue for Democrats to end this election because it talks about whose side you're on. It gives an economic message. And it's something that ordinary people can understand."
A cruise through American Crossroads' papers is amazing for the sheer scale of some contributions. A million dollars here, $30,000 there. See for yourself.
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IF it's bought ...then it isn't really free!
We are putting back in power the "royal elites" that we revolted against. We pay taxes, but get only lip service, the money players get the action.
It's just so short-bus special... this notion of dollars as free speech. In dollar based decibals every single billionaire or billion dollar multinational has the speech equivalent of hundreds of thousands of times the voice power of any normal flesh and blood US citizen.
Only in a happy GOPbag world is that classified as not only fair but truly well and good.
Yeah, what happened to one person, one vote?
There have been GOP pundits stating outright, they do not want people to vote. Not to mention the "stop the counting" battle cry from that camp?
What kind of Anti-American crap-ola is that?
As I'm ever wont to point out; it's what GOPbags do that should define them... not what they wish or advertise.
It's the highest and mightiest of hypocritical crapola... all wrapped up in warm bull-hockey burritos served with generous helpings of pan fried road apples.
Free speech has been replaced by gold speech---he who has the gold gets to speak. The poor and middle class need to keep their mouths shut so their rich superiors can tell them what to think and do. And of course, we all want to hear what China, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia want us to think and do.
Unless they also manage to amend the Constitution to eliminate the supremacy clause, none of these efforts will mean anything even if any of them 'succeed'.
For the record, the supremacy clause states that "This Constitution and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding."
The article makes a vague reference to this when it quotes a source observing that states may not nullify federal laws. The article also highlights the individual mandate as the weak point in the health insurance reform bill. But even if that were to be eventually ruled unconstitutional for some reason, that would not affect other parts of the bill which in general terms fits comfortably within Congressional powers to regulate the economy. Even the Roberts Court is (hopefully) smart enough to make distinctions like that should this ever come up before it.
Its a shame that Karl Rowes commie money can be used to scare Americans and get the hate word into our society. Any women who honesly does"nt care about helping our society is controlled with fear,religion or real big money. These women need to get together and all go on Glen Beck! lol
Why can't we fight fire with fire? Have Democratic billionaires donate millions!
I HEARTILY recommend the D billionaires DO THAT, also Will i am can do a video that motivate the youth to the polls?
speaking of buying an election, Think Progress has obtained a list of Chamber donors: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/13/chamber-foreign-funded-media/
Good, Eagle.
"Think Progress" reveals where some Chamber of Commerce donors are located, and it isn't the good ol' USA:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/13/chamber-foreign-funded-media/#
And I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/american-people-hire-highpowered-lobbyist-to-push,18204/?utm_source=recentnews
How is it any different than the libs getting all their money from the Unions? It doesn't matter anyways, everyone knows that ads are just a bunch of crap and they vote the way they want, not the way the tv tells them to.
Unfortunately, too many people decide how to vote based on the crap they get from the boob tube, so having more money to fund more ads (even if the ads are full of lies and half-truths) means more exposure and thus greater likelihood that voters will vote the way the tee-vee tells them to.
I would say a winning strategy might include pointing out the people funding the ads in a BIG WAY. Also, if question LOUDLY "who is THIS group with the wonderful sounding name?" or Chamber of Commerce. Please look at eaglelady11's link above: WOW!!!
We can trace union donations... CoC? Not so much.
Conflate all you want but that notional balloon just doesn't puff up so well outside of the GOPbag ideological faithful.
With the destruction and reduction in union membership the amount of donations are falling. The republicans are trying to get rid of unions to get rid of a funding arm of the democratic party.
Remember we had a revolution over "taxation with out representation.* History has a way of repeating itself.
No, they're trying to get rid of the Unions before they destroy the country.