Newest First
By Craig moore on 06-25-12 @ 9:47 am
This analysis misconstrues what happened. In Citizens United the SC held that “politicalspeech does not lose First Amendment protectionsimply because its source is a corporation….”
People do not lose their 1st Amendment rights merely because they come together collectively and
exercise their speech through that cooperative body. Same for unions or environmental action
leagues, or the local community citizens advisory board.
By David E on 06-25-12 @ 10:14 am
It is really simple. If you don’t like corporate (Money) backed candidates. Don’t vote for them! We all still do have the power of the vote. One person one vote. It is we the people who have failed to up
hold our democracy, it is our democracy to lose. If you as an individual voter fail to investigate any
and all candidates for any office, then it is your failure. If we the people elect corporate owned
representatives then it is our failure.
Let the corporations spend their money. You can send them the message with your vote that their
money doesn’t count. Same goes for voting along party lines.
We got here; to this point in history because we didn’t pay attention. We have all been manipulated
by the power of the dollar and the false political propaganda money buy’s.
The power is still with the people. One person one vote. Corporation’s can’t walk into the voting booth
and vote. Only you can. So use your power wisely.
By Craig moore on 06-25-12 @ 10:26 am
So David, does that mean you will not support Tester because he took all that money from creditcard and banking interests over the debit card fee issue that he supported that lined the
pockets of those financial ineterests?
By Mark Phillips on 06-25-12 @ 10:31 am
I still can’t find any reference to “corporations” in the US Constitution that would indicate that the authors considered a piece of paper a person.The Constitution refers to people. In my opinion, NO
corporation (look up the definition), should have an expectation of “rights” per the Constitution.
By Craig moore on 06-25-12 @ 10:39 am
Mark, the right doesn’t rest with the corporation or any other collective body. The right tospeech is with the individual and individuals who collective act together to operate under a
unified banner.
By David E on 06-25-12 @ 11:14 am
Well that’s the rub isn’t it Craig? The question is how do we walk back a system that has been in place for year’s. In answer to your question I will have to defer to the lessor of 2 evils.
In practice we would have to start at the beginning. The Primaries. If there were any candidates
worthy of office, we could advance them to the general election. Also we would have to assume all
corporate money is tainted.
As you pointed out some organizations may represent your interest’s. Knowledge is power and we all
need to have the facts as best we can before we vote. This is a difficult problem. That is why we
have the three branches of government. In hopes of achieving a balance.
Perhaps the deck is too heavily stacked against us.
It would be nice if those who went to Washington had the best interests of the country as their
purpose. And worked together to solve problems in a way that benefited all of us and not select
groups that can buy their allegiance.
By Mark Phillips on 06-25-12 @ 12:19 pm
So Craig..the definition of a corporation is “unified banner”? People can gather together to like think all they want and act as individuals in a like think way. That does not make them a corporation. Protect
the individual in the political system. Unions, corporations and any other artificial organization can exist
all they want, just not as people.
By inthemiddle on 06-25-12 @ 12:43 pm
The headline of this article should be ” Conseravative Supreme Court says Corporation Rights trump States Rights”.
By Mark W. on 06-25-12 @ 3:31 pm
Love it when the left starts harping about state’s rights. As far as I’m concerned we’d all be a whole lot happier if we could get some state’s rights going on.
We’re all too different to have the same idea of what sensible government means. There’s nothing
wrong in admitting that. Celebrate Diversity—State’s Rights.
By ICallB.S. on 06-26-12 @ 4:04 pm
How come corporations don’t get lengthy prison sentences when they get caught breaking the law? Oh yeah, it’s because they do not exist as people!!!!!!!!
By Mark Phillips on 06-28-12 @ 10:39 pm
I had to post so we wouldn’t have to look at !!!!!!!!!!!!
By Mark Phillips on 06-29-12 @ 5:27 pm
I wonder if the recent court findings on health care give us some sense that We the People may not mean corporations in the future. We’ll see.
By emerson on 07-01-12 @ 4:46 pm
The problem with Citizens United isn’t that it indicated that Corporations have the right to free speech—campaign finance laws have never been about telling an individual or a corporation what
they may say. The trouble with Citizens United is that it equates money with speech (which are two
different things). If regulating campaign spending is the same as regulating speech—then it would
follow that any regulation that impacts money would thus be an infringement on speech. That is
silly—and that is why history will judge Citizens United to be right-wing folly.
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