Bernie Sanders: Of the Rich, By the Rich, For the Rich

[tpsbmam]

The Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed its disastrous 2010 ruling that lifted limits on corporate spending to influence elections. Justices reversed the Montana Supreme Court and struck down a state law. "The U.S. Supreme Court's absurd 5-4 ruling two years ago in Citizens United was a major blow to American democratic traditions. Sadly, despite all of the evidence that Americans see every day, the court continues to believe that its decision makes sense," Sanders said.

"In recent weeks, multi-billionaires such as the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson have made it clear that, as a result of the Citizens United decision, they intend to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to buy this election for candidates who support the super-wealthy. This is not democracy. This is plutocracy. And that is why we must overturn Citizens United if we are serious about maintaining the foundations of American democracy.

"I intend to work as hard as I can for a constitutional amendment to overturn this disastrous Supreme Court decision.

"In his famous speech at Gettysburg during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln talked about America as a country ‘of the people, by the people and for the people.' Today, as a result of the Supreme Court's refusal to reconsider its decision in Citizens United, we are rapidly moving toward a nation of the super-rich, by the super-rich and for the super-rich. That is not what America is supposed to be about. This Supreme Court decision must be overturned."



Bernie Sanders: Of the Rich, By the Rich, For the Rich

Link to Bernie's proposed Constitutional amendment (PDF)

LINK TO BERNIE'S PETITION TO SUPPORT THE SAVING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AMENDMENT


Please don't let this post sink -- and please, go sign Bernie's petition!!!

[phantom power]

1. recommend

[Nye Bevan]

2. His proposed amendment sucks.

SECTION 1. The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons and do not extend to for-profit corporations, limited liability companies, or other private entities established for business purposes or to promote business interests under the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state.

So DemocraticUnderground LLC, to name one example, would be stripped of all of its constitutional rights. The police could search the offices of DemocraticUnderground LLC for no reason, with no warrant required, and they could confiscate all of its assets without paying compensation. And a future Republican President could decide to shut down DemocraticUnderground LLC on a whim.

[malthaussen]

4. I believe you make a good point, there.

A better amendment would be something along the lines of "No public or private entity whatsoever may contribute, under any pretext whatsoever, any money to a political campaign, political party, or person running for political office. All elections are to be publicly funded and all candidates are to be given equal access and time to air their views so the public may make an informed, responsible vote." Still has holes, but it would certainly upset the applecart.

Which is, of course, why it will never fly. It would upset the applecart.

Denying all rights to any corporate entity would open up a ghastly can of worms.

-- Mal

[tpsbmam]

5. I agree that you make a good point. I just sent Bernie an email with a request to

address this and a link to your post. Hope you don't mind. You may make a valuable contribution to his amendment!

[pacalo]

7. That's a good idea; I was going to suggest to Nye Bevan to contact Bernie.

[ErikJ]

12. It also lacks MONEY IS NOT SPEECH clause!

So please email that suggestion to him too.

[MoreGOPoop]

3. Rec

& kick

Go, Bernie!

[pacalo]

6. K&R!

[chknltl]

8. A modern American patriot: Senator B. Sanders

KnR

[tk2kewl]

9. k&r

[ProSense]

10. Citizens United,

"In recent weeks, multi-billionaires such as the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson have made it clear that..."

...where the libertarian, right wing and conservative left come together to support buying elections.

[JDPriestly]

11. I pretty much stopped supporting the ACLU because they filed an amicus

brief in favor of the decision that resulted from Citizens' United. I understand that public interest groups want to be able to publish ads right before elections, but anyone can hide behind what looks like a "public interest" organization and buy an election.

Allowing unlimited expenditures by some chills the speech of others. Only humans can speak. And if money for ads is speech, so are tents and posters and signs and human bodies. If money can't be regulated then why can tents and posters and signs and human bodies.

In fact, human bodies (as in marches and demonstrations) are much closer to actual speech and assembly than is money for political ads whether spent by individuals or organizations.

[Quantess]

13. I don't understand what they were thinking.

The ACLU often makes decisions I disagree with, but at least I can usually kind of see their reasoning. Not is this case. I disagree and say they were wrong.