Sheldon Whitehouse

[gab13by13]

Sheldon Whitehouse was on cable last night. Remember one of the threads posted here asking who was behind Trump, who was behind the GQP? The thread asked, someone has to be the brains behind what is going on.

Whitehouse explained it all last night; Dark Money. Dark Money doesn't want S1 passed not because it would allow open and free voting, Dark Money doesn't want S1 passed because it would regulate Dark Money. Whitehouse stated who Dark Money was, it is the Federalist Society, The Heritage Foundation, ALEC. Whitehouse explained it used to be Big tobacco, but now it is Big Oil and Gas. Oil and Gas doesn't want climate regulations. It is the Koch brothers, it is other wealthy individuals who hide in the shadows who don't want S1 passed because it would shine a light on them.

Whitehouse stated that it is the Heritage Foundation and ALEC who are writing up the voter suppression bills being passed in the states.

What to do? Shine a light on the cockroaches, shine a light on politicians who are taking their money. Get Dark money out of politics, pass S1 whatever it takes.

[HUAJIAO]

1. Whitehouse is one smart cookie..

[JudyM]

27. He has been rocking it. Courageously speaking truth to power.

[lookyhereyou]

2. agreed

whatever it takes. get er dun

and over turn citizen united too

[gab13by13]

3. Whitehouse makes a lot of sense.

The fight to stop S1 isn't mainly about disenfranchising voters and rigging elections, it is about keeping politicians in the pockets of wealthy donors. No one other than Whitehouse has been talking about this. (very much).

Whitehouse says it used to be Big Tobacco and I remember when John Boehner passed out tobacco checks to Republicans on the floor of the House. Now it is mainly Big Oil and gas interests who own politicians. S1 will make it very hard for super rich people and corporations and organizations to buy off politicians. S1 will have to force politicians to represent their constituents instead of their sugar daddies.

[KS Toronado]

4. The Koch brothers have been running this country with their money for way to long.

Wish we could make groups like ALEC illegal, who's only goals are power & money.
To them the almighty dollar belongs only to the privileged few.

[not fooled]

31. That's it

I wish this got more coverage--the 666koch(s)666 really are running the country.

Hope history serves these assholes their just desserts.

[OMGWTF]

35. Here's the short list of common household products the evil Koch companies make:

Use it and share it widely --

KOCH BROTHERS PRODUCTS TO BOYCOTT:

American Greetings Cards
Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft ‘n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes
Lycra
Stainmaster Carpet

[SergeStorms]

5. Get money out of politics. Period.

Have federally funded elections on every Congressional level. Every candidate running for every Congressional office gets a certain amount of money and that's it!

We have to get Congress to work for the American people again, not the highest bidder. Members of Congress have to stop campaigning for money and start campaigning on ideas. 75% of Congressional members time is spent fundraising. That has to stop.

We need to get the greed merchants out of politics, and have civic minded people running our government again. They are our employees. Work for us. If they want to feather their nests after they're out of public service, fine. But no more getting into politics for their own enrichment. That has to stop.

Get the damned money out of politics. Period.

[gab13by13]

7. You made me think about this

For a first step, why don't Democrats take out the part of S1 that deals with dark money and vote on it as a stand alone bill. I understand that S1 still needs to be passed. I don't suspect that the GQP will be shamed into voting for the dark money stand alone bill but it would sure show where politicians priorities lie.

What do you think?

[SergeStorms]

10. It's a start.

Getting the money out of politics is going to be the hardest thing the citizens of the U.S. could ever do. Universal healthcare? That would be a walk in the park compared to stopping the money conveyor belt.

But yes, there has to be a first step, and showing the American people where republican's allegiance lies is a good first step. Thanks for thinking about this.

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. This

[Kid Berwyn]

9. + Infinity

Every word.

[StarfishSaver]

12. Getting money out of politics means

we as voters and consumers of information must do a better job of paying attention and discerning fact from fiction.

The money is all powerful because it pays for ads and other information sources that too many of us swallow uncritically. Until we take more control of how we digest what we see and hear, the money will always have the upper hand.

[erronis]

17. You need to get the media out of politics, also.

Big money buys big media spends. And we all know that the media is perfectly happy to manipulate messages for money.

I believe some countries forbid advertising on national elections and have a very limited time for candidates to explain their platforms. No room for showboating and histrionics (what would djt do?).

[Dustlawyer]

32. +1!!!

[bullwinkle428]

6. I believe this is the best explanation for Manchin's intransigence on this issue.

K&R.

[gab13by13]

8. See my post above yours.

Make Manchin vote on a stand alone dark money bill.

[gab13by13]

13. So Whitehouse understands the big road block to S1

why don't Democratic politicians push this narrative? Voter suppression and putting the GQP in charge of elections are serious issues to fight, but voters understand politicians taking money, understand bribery, understand that their representatives aren't really representing them. We need a push to bring the dark money part of S1 before the camera. I understand that the MSM is right wing so Democrats need to force reporters to ask Congressmen their positions on dark money. Get enough of them to claim they are against it and then bring that part of S1 up as a stand alone bill.

[Auggie]

18. ⬆︎ THIS ⬆︎

Make dark money the enemy.

[Gaugamela]

14. Two scary books (better than Stephen King):

Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, by Jane Meyers

https://smile.amazon.com/Dark-Money-History-Billionaires-Radical/dp/0307947904/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6ZMRTRZIK2TE&dchild=1&keywords=jane+meyers&qid=1623848531&s=books&sprefix=Jane+me%2Cstripbooks%2C275&sr=1-1

Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, by Anne Nelson

https://smile.amazon.com/Shadow-Network-Media-Secret-Radical/dp/163557319X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LJ9PVG6DNI9F&dchild=1&keywords=shadow+network+anne+nelson&qid=1623848771&s=books&sprefix=Shadow+Net%2Cstripbooks%2C247&sr=1-1


It’s not just the walking dead Trumpanzees. There is an organization and money behind it. It’s the walking dead faux Christians and their billionaire keepers.

[Eyeball_Kid]

15. When have we heard this before?

Whitehouse is referring to “the marriage of big government to big business.”

It is Mussolini’s definition of FASCISM.

[Frustratedlady]

16. I saw that and have to agree. Since the one brother died, the other has been vewwwy quiet.

However, they already had all their nasty ideas set up and working...ranging from turning minds in college classes to writing legislation. The web is so huge, I don't know how you can get rid of it.

Our mistake was we took our eyes off the Koch bros. way too soon.

[dlk]

19. Dark Money explains Manchin's behavior

And he’s not the only one, by far.

[jalan48]

20. So it's not just Putin? Makes sense our own oligarchs would be working behind the scenes to

undermine our democracy to benefit themselves.

[msfiddlestix]

21. k/r recommended

[Stuart G]

22. In order to defeat "Dark Money"..we will have to defeat..."DARK MONEY"

...Dark Money has been in politics a very long time...How do you defeat it when it helps to control
politics in most ways.....Dark Money is in politics right now, as this is written.

.....So, how do we defeat it, when it is partly in control of politics right now?,,,............

......Do you think that ."..Dark Money.." will fight to defeat any laws that are specific and totally
......against "Dark Money?".....The answer to that question is...YES, YES, YES, AND YES...!!!!

[Wild blueberry]

23. Very important

Wisconsin has been ravaged by Dark Money: Wanker, corrupt "Supreme" Court, ALEC bills up the wazoo, and fuckwit RepuliQan legislators to pass them.

Our voting rights, teachers, natural resources, and just about everything that makes life worth living and fighting for have been ravaged.

In 2016 our tiny rural town voted 91% for a constitutional amendment that corporations are not people and money is not speech, even as they voted for Dumpy. We need the 28th Amendment!

[RANDYWILDMAN]

24. More Whitehouse less Manchin and Sinema

This guy knows his stuff !

[BobTheSubgenius]

25. Dark money really is the "root of all evil" when it comes to modern politics.

Its adepts work on the old business premise - that you have to spend money if you want to print money.

On a different note; Senator Whitehouse really was destined for a life in politics, wasn't he?

It's a wonder Rudy hasn't tried to book him as a venue for a press conference.

[andym]

26. Explains why the bills are similar: conservative foundations write and distribute them to allies

Voting suppression is just the latest manifestation of the capability of certain conservative foundations/"think tanks" to have overbearing influence over America's body politic.

[GoodRaisin]

28. He's right, of course.

But this isn't new news, or shouldn't be, amongst Democrats. We've known about dark money, the Kochs, ALEC, Heritage, etc. for a long time. Problem is there are so many voters who have no idea of these things. I run into them all the time.

Sorry to seem like Captain Obvious, but more voters need to be aware of the dark money process so we can take back the state legislatures to stop them. I was glad to hear Sheldon Whitehouse talking about it last night but dark money is rarely mentioned in MSM networks CNN and MSNBC.

[KPN]

37. Yes, but he is saying it out loud and clearly. Not the

first, but certainly is making the point more and clearly visible.

[LT Barclay]

29. Sheldon should avoid flying in small airplanes.

So he doesn't get treated like Paul wellstone

[dweller]

30. This was posted before here

https://m.

and is very informative
Here’s a longer version
https://www.c-span.org/video/?448151-1/randi-weingarten-speaks-democratic-policy-meeting

✌🏻

[orleans]

38. thanks for this. i'm not sure i saw it before and don't have time to watch it now

but i will tonight. (sent myself a permalink to your post)

[Jopin Klobe]

33. It is the Koch brothers ...

... it is other slimy vermin who hide in the shadows who don't want S1 passed because it would shine a light on them ...

[dem in texas]

34. You Can Tell When Dark Money is Writing the Bills.

You can tell when a conservative organization with lots of money is behind a new state law. The Republican controlled state legislatures start trying to pass the same type of bill. Sometimes they even use the same wording written for them by the Conservative Think Tank. Remember ALEC?

[KPN]

36. I really like Whitehouse. The guy is clear and

direct.

[The Wizard]

39. Any public official

with an offshore money laundry account should be summarily jailed until they can give a valid explanation for their money laundering.

[gab13by13]

40. I keep thinking back to president Obama's

state of the union when he said that Citizen's United would open up a flood gate of dark money into politics and the camera caught Alito mouthing "not true."

[Mersky]

41. Is an important discussion. Here's the link to his appearance on the ReidOut:

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/conservative-groups-waging-war-on-progressive-policies-slammed-by-sen-sheldon-whitehouse-114862149549

___
As someone living under the obvious fascist, Gov. Grabbit, in Texas, I wish more folks understood the power that dark money groups hold over them.

[BradAllison]

42. Sounds like he scared some people n/m