Co-sign the letter to STOP Citizens United

[Triana]

I received this link in an email from NC Senator Kay Hagan: http://www.citizens-against-citizens-united.com/

On investigation, this site's been up for a year and was also linked to from this article on DailyKOS back in January 2013: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/23/1181430/-MN-Sen-Sign-Al-Franken-s-D-Petition-To-Reverse-Citizens-United

The letter/petition reads:

Members of Congress:

Outside special interest spending in our elections with no disclosure has gotten out of hand. We, the undersigned believe we must fix our campaign finance system.

We urge you to:

Take immediate action to reverse the disastrous effects of Citizens United

Enact commonsense safeguards to shed light into the dark corners of special interest campaign money

Keep the power in elections where it belongs — with the American people

Signed,

Progressives United,
Sen. Mark Begich,
Sen. Sherrod Brown,
Sen. Al Franken,
Sen. Kay Hagan,
Sen. Joe Manchin,
Sen. Tom Udall,
Rep. Gary Peters,
Rep. Bruce Braley, and
(Your Name Here)

It needs millions more than the 127,000 or so co-signatures it currently has to have any effect at all. Co-signing the thing may not help. But it can't hurt.

[Nye Bevan]

1. What's the point of petitioning Congress?

Even if they wanted to do something about Citizens United, there is nothing they can do. Opponents of Citizens United need to either (1) obtain a constitutional amendment that states that the First Amendment does not apply in certain circumstances relating to election campaigns; or (2) somehow win a new Supreme Court ruling that states that banning independent expenditures by corporations and unions on publicizing issues relating to elections somehow does not violate the First Amendment.

In my book the cleanest "fix" would be a constitutional amendment that states:

Insofar as it relates to freedom of speech, the First Amendment to this Constitution shall not apply to speech that refers to candidates in Federal or State elections, within the six month period prior to such elections.

(Disclaimer: I would not support this).

[Triana]

3. Um...obtaining a constitutional amendment involves Congress....

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution/

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution/article-v.html

[Nye Bevan]

4. OK I see. Getting two-thirds of Congress on board is certainly a necessary first step (nt)

[LiberalElite]

2. I signed it. nt

[pacalo]

5. I signed. Thank you, Triana.

[Egalitarian Thug]

6. K&R&Done. n/t