Bernie Sanders Storms The Supreme Court to Stop the Koch Brothers Theft of Democracy

[cali]

Kind of a ridiculous title but what he had to say was anything but ridiculous.


Sen. Sanders said,

In the long history of our country people have fought and died for democracy. Democracy means one person, one vote. The fact that all of us have the opportunity to be involved in the political process to stand up for what we believe in. Three years ago, or so the Supreme Court decided that corporations are people. They decided that through independent expenditures billionaires could spend unlimited sums of money to impact elections.

Let me say one word to you right now about how relevant that is. As all of you know, the government of the United States shut down. Hundreds of thousands of workers are suffering, millions of people are not getting the services they need. Right now, as we speak, in the House of Representatives there are people who are being threatened that if they vote for a clean CR to open the government without destroying the Affordable Care Act then huge sums of money will be spent against them in the next election.

We are living in a society where a handful of people with incredible sums of money, folks like the Koch brothers and others, are undermining what this democracy is supposed to be about. The bottom line here is that if we do not want to move this nation to an oligarchic form of society where a handful of billionaires can determine the outcome of these elections, then it is imperative not only that we overturn Citizens United, but that we put a lid on how much people can contribute in elections.

Freedom of speech, in my view, does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government

Sen. Sanders was present at the Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in the case of McCutcheon vs. FEC. The Supreme Court will deciding the fate of the caps that limit how much donors can give to candidates and political organizations during a two year election cycle later in this term.

<snip>

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/10/08/bernie-sanders-storms-supreme-court-stop-koch-brothers-theft-democracy.html

[gopiscrap]

1. Thank you Bernie!!!

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

2. K&R. Go Bernie, nt

[2naSalit]

3. Man oh man

I wish we had representatives out here in the Rockies that were even half as much a representative with scruples as Bernie!!!

A True Statesman!

[rhett o rick]

4. Thank you Sen Sanders. nm

[L0oniX]

5. ..and this guy is an independent. What's that say about the Dem party?

[Enthusiast]

14. Plus one................nt

[Oilwellian]

21. He has a very good reason, to be sure n/t

[cali]

24. actually, it doesn't say much about the vt dem party

if only dems nationwide were what the vt dem party is.

Not that I don't love the vt prog party too.

[raging moderate]

6. Impressive.

Thank you, Senator Sanders. Once again.

[Pedalman]

7. On Point

As always, Sen. Sanders on point and straightforward about the situation.

[Samantha]

8. I love this potent line

"Freedom of speech, in my view, does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government." That is exactly what is happening, and in the aftermath, if they are successful, the new version of our government will hardly resemble what the majority of the people want it to look like.

Sam

[UtahLib]

9. I wish we could clone Bernie Sanders! n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

10. No kidding!

[ChiciB1]

19. Oh Me Too... For Those Who Remember Paul Wellstone

another fabulous person/Democrat, I was devastated when he died on my birthday back in 2002! Then I found Bernie, who was actually listed as a Socialist when he was first elected. When I think of what these TWO could have done together for "we the people" it hurts my heart!

Of course, I know liberals are out of style these days, it was Ronnie Rayguns who began his tirade about us way back then, but I still find it comfortable to say loudly and proudly, that I are one! I realize concessions have to be made as time goes on, but this country is WAY OFF TRACK! Thanks Bernie, yes I want MORE OF YOU!

[dotymed]

11. Bernie...what a great POTUS you would be....

YOU are the voice of reason and you do not hesitate to educate.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

12. Bernie Sanders

needs our encouragement and support by the millions. Imagine how frustrating it must be for him speaking out and fighting constantly for the real values enshrined in the Constitution. Others in the House and Senate need to lend their voices, too.

K&R

[Enthusiast]

13. Yay, Bernie!

Bernie is a middle of the road moderate socialist. He isn't a radical by any means.

What are the ones that sit by and silently allow TPTB dismantle the democracy? Quislings?

[Art_from_Ark]

41. He's not a radical by '60s/'70s standards

Certainly he would have been a bit to the right of Bella Abzug. But there doesn't seem to be anybody else in the Senate who is willing to actively stand up for issues that were once staples of the Democratic Party, so that pretty much makes him a "radical" today.

[Enthusiast]

44. A Senator's political position

must be measured by the position of the electorate on the various issues.

On "issues that were once staples of the Democratic Party" the American people are squarely in the Senator's camp. By a huge margin the people want to preserve entitlements. There is your center, not some imaginary center that the Fascists want to assign. Bernie is no radical, far from it.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. Impressive.

[Lifelong Protester]

16. I'd "storm" with Senator Sanders anywhere!!

Thanks for the post.

[Voice for Peace]

17. Thank you Bernie and thank you Occupy

for waking so many folks up to what's right
under everyone's nose.

[AzDar]

18. Bernie!

[malaise]

20. Fabulous

Rec

[Grateful for Hope]

22. Wow!

This is excellent. Bernie Sanders is amazing.

[Jefferson23]

23. Horrific Fact:

We are living in a society where a handful of people with incredible sums of money, folks like the Koch brothers and others, are undermining what this democracy is supposed to be about.


K&R for Bernie.

[Squinch]

25. kick

[stage left]

26. Thanks, Bernie

You're the best.

[Spirochete]

27. We need more of Bernie Sanders

and less of Dianne Feinstein...

[littlewolf]

28. I so wish he was a member of the Democratic Party

so we could nominate him for POTUS.

[tecelote]

29. Exactly. Our founding fathers wrote...

"In the long history of our country people have fought and died for democracy. Democracy means one person, one vote."

They did not say one business and they did not know what a corporation was.

How can the Supreme Court change the definition of person?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

30. Unfortunately, few in Congress and in the population in general

see things as clearly and are willing to state them as blatantly as Sanders. I love him, but he has little power to affect the 1% completing their takeover of our country, their ownership of our government.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

31. I heard some talking heads on TV in the background agree "money is speech" as if that's accepted....

But I say, "If money = speech than speech is no longer free."

[Dustlawyer]

39. +1,000!!! The OP has it a little wrong though in my humble opinion. We need to take ALL

OF THE $ OUT!!! Publicly funded elections are much better.

[WillyT]

32. K & R !!!

[Uncle Joe]

33. Kicked and recommended but I believe the House Republicans' real target is Social Security.

All their rumblings and meaningless votes against the ACA is a smokescreen.

Thanks for the thread, cali.

[KansDem]

34. I agree...

The capitalists are after Social Security. Having a few billion isn't enough.

[Uncle Joe]

35. For the most part the ACA was originally their idea anyway.

Social Security in no way, shape or form was.

[fascisthunter]

36. kicked and Rec'ced

[Rebellious Republican]

37. The Honorable Senator Sanders gave the definition, I will go where he didn't.

Its called a Plutocracy.

plu·toc·ra·cy (pl-tkr-s)
n. pl. plu·toc·ra·cies
1. Government by the wealthy.
2. A wealthy class that controls a government.
3. A government or state in which the wealthy rule.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plutocrat

[flpoljunkie]

46. Indeed. If money is 'speech' then those without money have no voice.

Those without a voice are hurting the most in this insane Teabagger government shutdown.

[Rebellious Republican]

48. Well said flpoljunkie.....

We must have been separated at child birth!
I just had this conversation with a certain Tampa Bay Times Journalist last night via email.

[libodem]

38. .

[livingwagenow]

40. KNR for the best pol of my 42 yo lifetime! Democratic Socialism is the cure to Fascism. nt

[silvershadow]

42. Bernie is the man! Perhaps the last and only one left in government that actually understands

and will defend our Democracy itself. I wish the Presidency upon him, knowing it will never be... Sigh.

[demwing]

43. No love for Elizabeth Warren?

Bernie is not alone. There are others who carry the flame...

[cali]

45. there are indeed. It always bugs me when people

here- as they frequently do- act as if only one person in Congress is a real progressive. There's Warren and Grayson and Peter Welch and Sherrod Brown and quite a few more. Not enough, but Bernie is hardly the only one.

[silvershadow]

49. Much love for Warren as well!. nt

[B Calm]

47. We need more Bernies!