The White House issued the following statement today in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission:
With its ruling today, the Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics. It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans. This ruling gives the special interests and their lobbyists even more power in Washington–while undermining the influence of average Americans who make small contributions to support their preferred candidates. That’s why I am instructing my Administration to get to work immediately with Congress on this issue. We are going to talk with bipartisan Congressional leaders to develop a forceful response to this decision. The public interest requires nothing less.
We couldn’t agree more, Mr. President. And we have a few suggstions for you.
gloria crabtree DPH
Impeach them all and stand up and fight all republican nay-sayers, none are worth what they think they our worth. they will be the downfall of America The ones from Okla. are some of the worst. Thanks Glo
February 3, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Robert F.
PRICING “FREE SPEECH” OUT OF OUR REACH
Monday, February 1, 2010 | Posted by Jim Hightower ( On his webpage ).
Listen to this Commentary
Let us now praise the Supreme Five!
I refer to the five Supreme Court justices who looked all around our land to find the one issue of injustice that cried out most for their judicial compassion. And, lo, it was this: Corporations do not have enough power over our government.
Thus, the five ruled that not only can corporate executives dump millions of their own corrupting dollars into our elections, but, henceforth, the trillions of dollars held by the corporate entities themselves can also be poured into political campaigns. Every corporate power – from Wall Street to Wal-Mart – now has permission to open the spigots of their vast corporate treasuries and unleash unlimited sums of corporate money on our elections. It’s their wildest wet dream come true.
Never mind that this is a black-robed coup against our democracy – the five usurpers assert that they’ve merely extended “free speech rights” to corporations. This is perverse in two ways. First, the judges have equated the freedom to spend money on elections with the freedom of speech – which means that those with the most money get the most speech. That’s plutocracy, not democracy, and it enthrones corporations over The People.
Second, corporations cannot speak. They have no lips, tongues, breath, or brains. A corporation is nothing but a piece of paper, a legal construct created by the state. The actual people who give life to a corporation (such as shareholders, executives, workers, and retirees) already speak politically, voicing the many divergent viewpoints within these structures. The inanimate corporate entity itself is no more deserving of human rights than a trash can would be.
The free speech ruling of the Supreme Five is oxymoronic, for they have declared that speech is not free – it’s very pricey indeed.
“Dissenters Argue That Ruling Will Corrupt Democracy,” The New York Times,” January 22, 2010.
“U.S. Government For Sale,” http://www.thinkprogress.org, January 22, 2010.
PRICING “FREE SPEECH” OUT OF OUR REACH
Monday, February 1, 2010 | Posted by Jim Hightower
Listen to this Commentary
Let us now praise the Supreme Five!
I refer to the five Supreme Court justices who looked all around our land to find the one issue of injustice that cried out most for their judicial compassion. And, lo, it was this: Corporations do not have enough power over our government.
Thus, the five ruled that not only can corporate executives dump millions of their own corrupting dollars into our elections, but, henceforth, the trillions of dollars held by the corporate entities themselves can also be poured into political campaigns. Every corporate power – from Wall Street to Wal-Mart – now has permission to open the spigots of their vast corporate treasuries and unleash unlimited sums of corporate money on our elections. It’s their wildest wet dream come true.
Never mind that this is a black-robed coup against our democracy – the five usurpers assert that they’ve merely extended “free speech rights” to corporations. This is perverse in two ways. First, the judges have equated the freedom to spend money on elections with the freedom of speech – which means that those with the most money get the most speech. That’s plutocracy, not democracy, and it enthrones corporations over The People.
Second, corporations cannot speak. They have no lips, tongues, breath, or brains. A corporation is nothing but a piece of paper, a legal construct created by the state. The actual people who give life to a corporation (such as shareholders, executives, workers, and retirees) already speak politically, voicing the many divergent viewpoints within these structures. The inanimate corporate entity itself is no more deserving of human rights than a trash can would be.
The free speech ruling of the Supreme Five is oxymoronic, for they have declared that speech is not free – it’s very pricey indeed.
“Dissenters Argue That Ruling Will Corrupt Democracy,” The New York Times,” January 22, 2010.
“U.S. Government For Sale,” http://www.thinkprogress.org, January 22, 2010.
–Posted by Jim Hightower ( On his webpage/Monday, February 1, 2010 ).
February 6, 2010 at 10:11 pm