During the last session of the Supreme Court, as you’ll recall, the Justices, in a contentious 5-4 decision, declared that we, the American people, did not have the ability to regulate what they deemed corporate free speech. And, by “speech,” they meant the amount in dollars that corporations, both foreign and domestic, could spend on election-related communications. So, to clarify, not only are corporations people in the eyes of the court (people who cannot be jailed, or otherwise held accountable for their actions), but, now, the money that these entities spend to influence our elections is considered free speech, and therefor sacrosanct. So, where we once had laws dictating the amount that corporations could spend, we now have unlimited access to the American people via the media. And, we’re already starting to see the ramifications. The following clip comes by way of today’s Washington Post:
…Interest groups are spending five times as much on the 2010 congressional elections as they did on the last midterms, and they are more secretive than ever about where that money is coming from.
The $80 million spent so far by groups outside the Democratic and Republican parties dwarfs the $16 million spent at this point for the 2006 midterms. In that election, the vast majority of money – more than 90 percent – was disclosed along with donors’ identities. This year, that figure has fallen to less than half of the total, according to data analyzed by The Washington Post.
The trends amount to a spending frenzy conducted largely in the shadows.
The bulk of the money is being spent by conservatives, who have swamped their Democratic-aligned competition by 7 to 1 in recent weeks. The wave of spending is made possible in part by a series of Supreme Court rulings unleashing the ability of corporations and interest groups to spend money on politics. Conservative operatives also say they are riding the support of donors upset with Democratic policies they perceive as anti-business…
One of the biggest spenders nationwide is a little-known Iowa group called the American Future Fund, which has spent $7 million on behalf of Republicans in more than two dozen House and Senate races. Donors for the group’s ad campaign have not been disclosed in records the group has filed with the Federal Election Commission.
The group recently entered a previously sleepy race in its home state of Iowa, announcing that it would devote up to $800,000 to campaign against Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley of Waterloo. The campaign kicked off with a commercial alleging that Braley “supports building a mosque at Ground Zero.” Braley denies supporting construction of the proposed Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center site, saying it’s a zoning issue for New Yorkers to decide…
So, thanks to the Supreme Court, we now have shadowy, unaccountable entities pumping millions into not altogether honest attack ads advocating on behalf of the party most likely to gut regulatory entities and facilitate the concentration of wealth into the hands of a relatively small number of individuals…. Sounds to me to be antithetical to the whole concept of Democracy, but what the hell do I know.
Oh, and it looks as though this may just be the beginning in terms of the high court’s pro-corporate agenda.
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I wouldn’t want to wish death of anyone, but didn’t Roberts have a health issue not too long ago?
The NYT had a good piece on the pro-corporate bias of the Roberts court.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/opinion/04mon1.html?_r=2&hp
This is sick. What we need is a real tea party movement that, instead of fighting on behalf of corporate interests, fights against them. I know it’s a lot to ask, but it would be great if the Jon Stewart event at the end of the month launched a real movement.
I worry that we might Obamanize Stewart if we’re not careful. All that pressure on one smart human being–or two, thanks to Colbert being there too.
From the Think Progress “Progress Report”:
Karl Rove’s American Crossroads groups will plow another $4.2 million into eight key Senate races, including Nevada, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. And the Associated Press just reported that national Republicans are making a massive $2 million TV buy to try to topple Democratic champion Barbara Boxer. They’re hoping a tidal wave of attack ads can wash away Boxer’s lead over failed HP CEO Carly Fiorina.
Eugene Robinson writes the following about the situation today.
The rest of the article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/04/AR2010100404052.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline