Supreme Court ruling on money and free speech
POSTED BY: HKCavalier
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 22:50
VIEWED: 10274
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http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/77261-supreme-court-strikes-down-
campaign-finance-restrictions
I dunno, man. Is it possible to get people marching in the streets or even interested unless there is a daily body count? What the heck can we do about this unholy shit? I'm just freakin' flabbergasted.
"No sufficient governmental interest justifies limits on the political speech of nonprofit or for-profit corporations..." Are they freakin' high??? This gorram lie that cash = speech...I'm just so completely disgusted.
HKCavalier
Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
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Quote:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I guess it depends whether you view the spirit of the law as meaning individuals, excepting where it specifies "the people," or whether a corporation falls under "the right of the people to peacefully assemble."
Either way, it's been interpreted to allow the biggest possible backdoor for government corruption. So what else is new? Hey Justices, how're all your buddies who gave you campaign contributions when you were just little regular old judges? Wave 'em hi for me.
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But will this address the non-disclosure of funding sources for "non-profit" groups like Americans For Progress?
In other words, is this going to make it easier to expose that the Tea Parties are being wholly funded and underwritten by Fox News and Big Oil?
And that snark aside, this REALLY doesn't bode well for the little folk. Wal-Mart can now freely give as much as it wants, yet if YOU, as an EMPLOYEE of Wal-Mart, want to go onto your Facebook page and diss Wal-Mart and the people they're giving to, they are also completely within their rights to fire you. In other words, not only can they buy speech, but they can as well buy silence of any dissent.
Not sure I'm comfortable with that.
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I was going to post this under Byte's THROWING THE PARTIES thread.
It doesn't matter what parties are in power IF you remove the effect of MONEY MONEY MONEY from the elections. The only way to do that is to require that the FCC.. which licenses the spectrum to private parties with the stipulation that they also SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST ... require its licensees to provide FREE AIR TIME to all viable candidates.
But this... this is a friggin' OUTRAGE.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
I was going to post this under Byte's THROWING THE PARTIES thread.
It doesn't matter what parties are in power IF you remove the effect of MONEY MONEY MONEY from the elections. The only way to do that is to require that the FCC.. which licenses the spectrum to private parties with the stipulation that they also SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST ... require its licensees to provide FREE AIR TIME to all viable candidates.
But this... this is a friggin' OUTRAGE.
Actually, Signy, it's even worse than that. It doesn't matter WHAT the FCC says, or the Federal Election Commission (FEC), either, until you get a CLEAR definition of what a "viable candidate" is. At present, you're eligible for federal matching election funds - but only after you've raised a sufficient amount of money. This is designed ostebsibly to keep every Tom, Dick, and Harry from declaring candidacy to get matching funds (which they would no doubt NEVER abuse, right?), but it also serves the dual purpose of ensuring that you in effect MUST have "corporate sponsorship" in order to be viewed as "viable" for the job. In other words, like the best loan rates and interest rates, the only way to qualify is to prove you don't need it.
I love this fucking system.
And this system loves fucking me. ;)
Mike
Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde
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Oh, and please DO add this topic to Byte's wonderful thread on throwing parties and throwing them out.
If we're lucky, the thread will one day serve as an archive, a how-to for dealing with entrenched incumbents who are more worried about monied interests than they are about the interests of the people they were allegedly elected to represent.
Mike
Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde
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I don't know.
It might allow for the rising of a 3rd party or Independents. Think if a candidate was to secure the backing of Apple or Microsoft.
Or, it will just tie the government more to the corporations.
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Just when you think they can't get any *wronger* ... I read that headline like 4 times thinking I must be missing something. It really is hard to even guess at what their thinking was, and I know the rule of law is stone cold at best, but still, wtf?
FWIW:
http://feingold.senate.gov/contact.html
by phone at (202) 224-5323
Left a message - Go Russ Go!
http://www.johnmccain.com/contact/
info - johnmccain.com
www.supremecourtus.gov or contact the Supreme Court's Public Information Office at (202) 479-3211.
telephone tree...
If you have a couple off hours you can read the members' opinions - Caution, Large File Ahead:
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf
Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com
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Quote:Yeah, just what we need.. people with absolute monopoly control.. equipped with the military. Don't you know that's the basis of fascism???
Think if a candidate was to secure the backing of Apple or Microsoft. Or, it will just tie the government more to the corporations.
BTW, may I point out that this travesty was approved by REPUBLICAN-appointed judges???? Anyone who thinks that voting Republican is some kind of protest vote also prolly thinks that shooting yourself in the foot is good aim!
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"Yeah, just what we need.. people with absolute monopoly control.. equipped with the military. Don't you know that's the basis of fascism???
BTW, may I point out that this travesty was approved by REPUBLICAN-appointed judges???? Anyone who thinks that voting Republican is some kind of protest vote also prolly thinks that shooting yourself in the foot is good aim!"
Don't disagree with you on any particular point. (Its a first I know, try not to faint)
However, I still say, we need to tie up the processes in Washington so that nothing they want gets done.
Then, get them out and put some people in who will actually give a damn about us.
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