In just a couple of hours, the Senate is poised to take up the Disclose Act (Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections), which isn't expected to do very well. Before Republicans kill it, though, it's worth pausing to appreciate how modest the proposal really is. (Update: The bill died this afternoon. It had a 51-vote majority, but it wasn't enough to break the GOP filibuster. Zero Republicans were willing to give the bill an up-or-down vote.)
The Washington Post's editorial board, which isn't exactly liberal, ran a good piece over the weekend.
For many years since [the Watergate scandal], Republicans and Democrats broadly supported the idea of full disclosure.
That consensus has broken down and thrown the country back to the unruly days before Watergate. We seem to have created the political equivalent of secret Swiss bank accounts. The Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision opened the door to unlimited donations by corporations, wealthy individuals and labor unions. The sheer size of the donations flowing into groups sponsoring political advertising is alarming enough. But the secrecy is also corrosive for democracy. Who is writing checks for $10 million or $1 million at a single throw, and what do they want? We don't know, and this shadowy bazaar undermines our political system.
Until recently, Republicans supported full disclosure. Now that the tide of money is running in their favor, they don't. Their rationale is that exposure might squelch the constitutional rights of donors. In fact, the court has upheld the constitutionality of disclosure. The Disclosure Act is a reasonable bill that would, among other things, require identification of donors of $10,000 or more to certain organizations that spend money on political campaigns.
Update: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on the floor this afternoon, "If this flood of outside money continues, the day after the election, 17 angry old white men will wake up and realize they just bought the country. That's a sad commentary. About 60 percent, or more, of these outside dollars [contributing $10,000 or more] are coming from these 17 people."
Firm vote-counts aren't available, but it appears the bill has zero Republican supporters. Since the GOP minority will, of course, require a 60-vote supermajority to even begin a discussion of the proposal, there's no realistic chance of success.
What about Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who once positioned himself as a champion of campaign-finance reform? Democrats tried repeatedly to get his support for the Disclose Act, but the most recent reports suggest he will stick with his party in killing the bill.
Regardless, we can add this to the list of ideas Republican used to support -- Dream Act, cap and trade, individual healthcare mandate, economic stimulus, etc. -- until Democrats agreed with them, at which point the GOP decided to oppose the very principles they espoused.
The L.A. Times also recently had a good piece on the conservatives who said disclosure would prevent corruption, but who are now saying disclosure is too high a price.
During their long campaign to loosen rules on campaign money, conservatives argued that there was a simpler way to prevent corruption: transparency. Get rid of limits on contributions and spending, they said, but make sure voters know where the money is coming from.
Today, with those fundraising restrictions largely removed, many conservatives have changed their tune. They now say disclosure could be an enemy of free speech.
It's worth noting that even if there were a few Republicans who'd consider the proposal, the National Rifle Association announced it would "score" the vote -- a move that always gets quite a bit of attention on Capitol Hill.
It's a stretch to say this one bill would be huge step towards correcting the ridiculous campaign-finance system, but at a certain level, that's the point -- if Republicans won't even consider modest, incremental reforms, more meaningful improvements aren't even worth dreaming about.
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Please elect Democratic senators so we can break this filibuster nonsense; and make Nancy Pelosi speaker again by electing Democratic representatives!
Of course get Pelosi back in the drivers seat but it is highly unrealistic we will get 60 reliable Senate votes. No, regarding the Senate we have to think bigger- we must blow away the Senate rules. The fact of the matter is that a small group of right wing states with very low populations prevents the country from advancing on progressive measures. The framers of the constitution did not put this in place- it is simply a set of conventions the Senate built up over time. THIS is a major factor contributing the the political reality in 2009 that single payer would never gain 60 votes in the Senate.
Please tell your senator to tell Harry Reid to end his stupid loyalty to Senate rules. As has been repeatedly demonstrated, the GOP has no interest in obeying conventions any longer, and they will surely use the nuclear option when they have a simple majority- it's what they threatened to do when the gang of 14 "agreement" was reached to prevent GOP from using the nuclear option. Notably, GOP senators have not abided by that agreement. It is recklessly stupid to think that in the even more polarized environment of today, that the GOP would have any respect for Dem rights to filibuster GOP measures in the senate.
Reid is a moral and optimistic man who believes we must not be maneuvered into a race to the political bottom with the GOP. I understand that. Yet optimism about a possibility that doesn't exist is not optimism, it is the definition of delusion. Reid clings to the delusion that there is any possibility that the GOP will reciprocate and allow Dems to block GOP measures with filibusters.
When we get the house back- and we will, not a single Supreme Court nominee can be permitted to be blocked in the Senate. Ram them down the GOP's throat, and do not even think about nominating centrists to the court out of fear of GOP senators.
Agreed. At some point, Dems are going to have to be willing to bet that their policies, when enacted, will work, and not be constantly looking toward a future when they are in the minority. That mindset is defeatist at its core.
If Dems some day lose their majority, then Americans will truly find out how horrible GOP policies are. Gotta give to get.
It may be that we will have to get creative: Like endow non governmental agencies with hundreds of billions of dollars so that they can survive any defunding attempts by GOP. These could keep educational tuition programs and environmental monitoring activities going despite partisan politics.
it always seems the GOP has all of the moral strength that I had when I was 7 years old and automatically hated anything my brother liked. It seems that the GOP/TP is again looking for an oligarchy at best, and fascism at worst.
So much for the old adage 'one dollar, one vote'. These wall street bundlers are buying enough votes to completey divert government spending.
It seems too me that the Republicans hate anything that the Democrats do. Maybe it's because the Democrats do know how to do things better such as the economy and social programs.
The Republicans seem to be having trouble figuring out a jobs program and there answer to every social program is to give it to private companies to figure out.
Maybe it's because they have given up on representing the American people and are just representing business and banking.
Because in an oppositional obstructionist almost treasonous party, agreeing with the party in power is a "crime" I think everyone should read about the 37th Congress and see how they got @!$%# done during a time of war with the absence of the Southern States and their obstructionist ways. Well now instead of the Democrats being obstructionist its the Republicans and if we didn't have the Southern Senators voting we could actually rule by majority rule, you know, 51 votes, sort of like it suggests in the CONSTITUTION!
Well, duh! I mean, what's the point of forming a secret cabal of obscenely wealthy old white men to overthrow the government and rule from the shadows if you have to identify the members of the cabal?
IF 17 ANGRY OLD MEN CAN BUY THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, THE USA IS, DEFINITELY NOT THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SINCE IT CAN BE BOUGHT FOR A BARGAIN BASEMENT PRICE.
What a sad ommentary considering that these 17 old angry men are doing it for the sole purpose of getting rid of Obama.
Obam must REALLY scare the pants off these guys that they are willing to destroy the country to do so.
That is TREASON and the GOP is complicit--just ask Mitch McConnell.
When I called Sen. McConnell's office a short while ago, I was told that they didn't know if the Senator was supporting a filibuster against the Disclose Act. I told them that I would appreciate knowing who are funding campaigns for public office and that I have a right to that information. The woman said thank you and then hung up. I'll be calling back shortly to see if they have any more information on McConnell's position.
I urge everyone to call Senator Mitch McConnell at 1 202 224 2541. It may be a futile act, but let's all send a message that we are tired of obstructionism by those on the right.
What we need to know is how many Democrats betrayed us by siding with the Republicans. There were probably a bunch of them.
I see a lot of people saying that these people are "buying votes" with all their money. Well, I haven't had anyone offer me a single dime to change my vote, have you? There is not enough money in the world to make me change my vote from Obama to anyone else. And, there is no way I would vote for a liar like Romney. So, whose votes are they actually buying? They are paying for ads and that sort of thing, but buying votes? I would hope it couldn't come to that. I would hope that there are still enough people who know how to think for themselves and tell these people "NO", and vote the way their own sensibilities tell them to. No...I may be unemployed and the money would really help right now, but I still have a lot of faith in President Obama and I know it takes longer than "overnight" to turn things around. He's doing a great job and has my vote again...as do ALL DEMOCRATS!!!
Advertising works, especially among low-information voters. This is why billions are being spent. So when you hear about buying votes, this is really what it means.
Score another point in the reason I switched to the Democratic party. They now believe in all the things I believed in as a Repub... which the Repubs don't now believe in. Unbelievable!
Just a crazy thought here. What a pathetic world this would be if everybody believed Rush Limbaugh's idiotic way of thinking? These right wing extremists are really something. If things get too tough for them they demand apologies, meanwhile they believe they are entitled to smear a good persons reputation. They are a sad bunch of, I don't know, something?
I just want to say that right there is a lovely bit of political acronyming
oh, and the GOP is an obstructionist POS
Easier- let the A**h***s filibuster. Let the president and Harry Reid say to the public, "They are bringing the Senate of the United States to a halt over THIS????"
When I see all this filibustering going on, I wonder just what these obstructionists are trying to cover up. Doesn't anyone else wonder this???
There's always some little hitch that gets in the way of progress... in this case. the nation's progress...
This from a Jan, 2011 article in The Onion... "The impenetrable stalemate on crucial issues is not due to a widening ideological divide between parties, as we once thought," said Brookings Institution senior fellow Sarah Binder. "Rather, this inability to move the legislative process forward stems almost exclusively from a jealous and resentful Mitch McConnell, who has been unable to erase the mental image of Harry Reid pleasuring his wife one wild, passionate night some 25 years ago."
"...In a stunning disclosure this week, congressional sources revealed that the acrimonious gridlock in the U.S. Senate traces its origins to a single November evening in 1986, when Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) engaged in sexual intercourse with Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) then-wife, Sherrill.'''
Vanity aside, and considering the time gone by, wouldn't it be a good idea for these two to just drop it... for the good of the country?
http://www.theonion.com/articles/sources-harry-reid-sleeping-with-mitch-mcconnells,18720/
The NRA will score the vote? The NRA can go screw themselves. They have no business meddling in this.
Absofeckinglutely!
Have we tried reverse psychology with these people yet? Maybe we should act like we don't want jobs or a healthy economy? Just pretend we don't like what they support if we do like it and maybe they will think they are getting one over on us?
Why don't the Democrats stand up and respond to the Republicans who say Obama hasn't done anything? He's done plenty that the Republicans have blocked - it's the Republicans that have kept anything from being done about the economy and jobs. And the tax increase Democrats propose ONLY is on the dollars taxable in EXCESS of $250,000; everything up to $250,000 is taxed the same for everyone. The Republicans saying Obama wants to raise everyones taxes are lying, like everything they say is a lie, twisted, and no one is taking them to task on it.
Financial disclosure and gun rights have what to do with one another?
Maybe the gun zealots don't want their donations to be made public.
How many of these 17 "zillionaires" are getting taxpayer money via corporate welfare and subsidies?
all of them. SASQ
Yet another topic we can hold Republicans accountable for...money is flowing in their direction so naturally they don't want to disclose the sources. It'll be a sad day if Republicans sweep this November...ideas and morals are no longer the necessary requirements to serve office...no...it's who can get the Koch Brothers, among other rich people, to fund the campaign in exchange to letting them have a free business enterprise. Since the "Moving to Canada" is too mainstream, how about "I'm moving to Australia"? Switzerland?
This shows what many knew all along the Tea Party is a HUGE scam! If the Tea Party was truly for smaller government and governmental accountability they should vote for this bill and use all of their hijacking tactics to make sure that it passes. Where's all the bravado now that it matters? The true colors of all the legislators are shining through on this one. Like I've said many times they should have to wear their sponsors on their suits just like NASCAR at least we know who their sponsor/owners are. Sickening!
Good ol' reliable GOP, always putting the will of the general public before their own self-interests.
Well so much for wanting transparency. Citizens United has destroyed our democracy and we aren't even allowed to see who is doing it. By definition a coup is occurring.
Should this nation abandon it's elderly and unfortunate? One party seems Hxllbent on making this happen. Old and poor dying in the streets and the wealthy laughing all the way to the bank is the future they apparently desire.
They seem to want to take this country back to the stone age. If they get what they want, we peasants (which most of us will be) will have no recourse but revolution. But unlike Syria I doubt we would be able to win against a Government like ours with a super military. I hope Mexico and Canada will accept refugees, at least we will get medical care.
OK, I know this is a bit extreme view of the future, but I think it is entirely possible seeing the corporate tactics being used. It has happened to great nations before and it can happen again. Most thought it could never happen here but now I am not so sure.
Remember the promises of jobs when the Republicans took the house? The plan seems to have been to ask Obama where are the jobs while filibustering every effort to create more. But we can rest assured that there are less abortions.
I believe this willl be the most important election in our history. Please make every effort to make sure you can vote considering new laws limiting access, and do it.
We really have to stop these bastards, I don't know if we can, but we should still keep trying to the best of our ability.