Citizens United boss: Supreme Court ruling handed midterm elections to Republicans

[Galraedia]

Source: Raw Story

Don’t think Citizens United made a difference for the GOP in Tuesday’s midterms? The plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case thinks so.

“Citizens United, our Supreme Court case, leveled the playing field, and we’re very proud of the impact that had in last night’s election,” said David Bossie, chairman of the conservative advocacy organization.

He complained that Democratic lawmakers were trying to “gut the First Amendment” with their proposed constitutional amendment to overturn the 2010 ruling, reported Right Wing Watch, which allowed corporations to pour cash into campaigns without disclosing their contributions.

Bossie said this so-called “dark money” was crucial to Republicans gaining control of the U.S. Senate and strengthening their grip on the U.S. House of Representatives.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/citizens-united-boss-supreme-court-ruling-handed-midterm-elections-to-republicans/

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. "we can't run on the merit of our ideas, so had to rig the game"

in other words.

[Triana]

8. EXACTLY. n/t

[L0oniX]

2. "leveled the playing field" What planet is he from?

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. Since facts have a well-known liberal bias, they needed money to countract reality (nt)

[Gary 50]

26. Yes, they leveled the playing field.

Poor people, just like rich people, are now able to spend obscene amounts of money to buy their own politicians. See? Perfectly level.

[NewJeffCT]

32. for over 40 years now, Republicans and even independents and liberals

have been brainwashed to believe that the media is liberal, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Pull out 10 examples outside of Fox News that show conservative/republican bias, and you'll be countered by one example of questionable liberal bias (i.e., the Dan Rather story about Bush's national guard service) and that makes it all even in the eyes of many.

[Major Hogwash]

68. Robert D. Novak was the one that said there was a liberal media.

He was incensed that Nixon had resigned, but instead of admitting that Nixon was a crook, Novak blamed the other reporters in the press.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

49. Level as to raze it

Like one does a house.

[ensemble]

52. planet money **

f

[MTaylor]

62. Why did Brown lose the Governor election in Maryland?

Republican Hogan beat Democrat Lt. Governor Anthony Brown in Maryland by a comfortable margin. Hogan 54%, Brown 45%.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in Maryland by a 2 to 1 margin. Maryland is a very BLUE state.

The Obama's and Clinton's campaigned for Brown.

Maryland has a 30% African American population. Anthony Brown is half African American.

Brown spent about $7 million on the General election and Hogan spent $4.4 million.

How did money buy this election?

[turbinetree]

71. Cecil County Maryland and the Eastern Shore

Brown did not and I repeat did not come to Cecil County, he gave up this county, and he sent Ulman his proposed Lt. Governor, that is not good enough, your capital is to attack how these two jerks (Hogan and Rutherford)are going too propose giving "tax Breaks" and in fact just Like Christie and Walker Scott and Kaicsh are doing to the help the already rich and look at were there sates are when in comes to debt to job creation and other crap in the proverbial s**t hole, and those people in Wisconsin voted the criminal back into office, are they that stupid I mean really.
Brown should have came here and said "Why in this republican district in two election cycles why hasn't the republic in office and trying to get into office have not proposed to getting t high paying jobs and industry, while in Cecil County they want to cut more public education to do what nothing, and these same hypocrites go around and say they don't have qualified higher educated people for there proposed industry they are trying to get, when they don't have the educational workforce, that is what they are saying, and these people in this county are buying this s**T hook line and sinker and wonder why they have a Walmart sucking the taxes out of the county, and getting nothing in return.
Both of them (Brown and Ulman) should have gone around this country right after this corporatist Hogan and Rutherford were here and dogged his every move and said something other than visit St. Michels the lower shore an elitist enclave
Brown should have said and I believe this to be true after I told Tilghman at a meeting that Harris (the right wing fascist Congressman) who is the right wing Club for Growth Koch brother a**hole, that once this fascists(Hogan) gets into office one of the first thing this prick is going to do is go after voting laws in this state and try to turn this state red with voter suppression and Union busting middle class tactics .
In the last two election cycles it has gone to the corporatist republican right wing hypocrites on the eastern shore because the democrats have given up this county and district and the no f**king wonder why they and we are losing---go figure.
If this is how the democrats use a chart to get votes they are in deep trouble, Van Hollen only got 60% of the vote and its falling, what does that tell you, the republicans already own and have bought over 3,5000 council, school board, state senate and state representative seats and at the federal level, and if you have party trying to cherry pick an election in your areas of strength your return becomes more restricted with less and if the democrats haven't figured this out they will become the secondary party know matter what you hear from the talking heads that there is more "minorities in the majority and the right wing republican party will disappear, try the other way, the media is attacking the democrats to make them into the party instinct, think of that and what I just said, 27 states are hard core right wing republicans they need only to get to 38 states to have a CONSTITIONAL CONVENTION TO SET THE F**KING AGENDA and its working

[MTaylor]

72. Our Democrat party destroyed the unions

We have destroyed the unions. Maryland was once a steel producing state. The Baltimore area was producing steel, manufacturing cars and had a vibrant port. Our Democrat policies have driven those high paying jobs to toher states and overseas. Now we have Tourism (Inner Harbor Baltimore. Yippeee! More fast food and dishwasher jobs.) All in the name of environmentalism. Meanwhile, Baltimore City flushes it's toilets right into the Chesapeake Bay everytime we get a good rain storm. Due to the combined storm and sanitary sewer system. That problem is never addressed, but we are all over businesses to clean up this and that until they finally just pack up. But Maryland state and Baltimore City governments don't mind flushing poop into the Chesapeake.

Brown lost in Maryland because of Democrat policies. We shot ourselves in the foot. We did the same thing all over the USA. People are sick and tired of our lousy governance. I don't think it has anything to do with Koch bros and Citizens United. We Democrats stand toe to toe with the Repubs on raising money. Plus we have the unions organized as an arm of our party. We sound childish complaining that we lost because of the Koch bros buying advertisements.

I saw 10 Brown commercials for every 1 Hogan commercial in Maryland. Brown got crushed because we squandered our opportunity to govern. The same way we did it on a national scale. Obama is doing the same to the USA and Omalley did to Maryland.

[TBF]

73. "Our democrat party"

2 points:

1. Our?

2. "Democrat party" - we prefer to call it "democratic party"

[jwirr]

3. Bossie calls this a level playing field? They have all the money and now they own Congress and he

thinks that is level?

[NewJeffCT]

33. of course

now, Sally at McDonald's can spend her millions of dollars to influence elections, too. And, Tim from Dunkin Donuts can buy some politicians as well, just like Sheldon Adelson. See how fair that is?

[jwirr]

34. LOL

[turbinetree]

4. Corruption

What a jerk the first amendment has no mention of the word MONEY to equate speech, what I can't stand is that with all of the funds used to BUY this corruption at the tune of over $3.6 billion dollars in this election cycle we have 5 justices on the Supreme court that has now been able to legislate from the third rail in this government and say Money can talk, it sure can and its called bribery.
This right wing hypocrite injected the words money into the amendment just like his court did, and to think that gerrymandering is good for a democracy, it should be asked did this jerk ever serve his country and does he really know anyone that was killed to defend this right in war or does this hypocrite like to make up his own constitution so that he can hide his money to by a government

[aggiesal]

11. $3.6B is what's currently reported and is a conservative amount ...

The last minute money will not be reported until December, and I'm
willing to bet it reaches at least $5B and maybe as high as $7B.

Free speech my a$$. More like paid speech.

[turbinetree]

36. WE can Win

This Sunday, we, if we decide to watch "all" the right wing shows: ABC, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, FIX NOISE, and CBS, which I will not, because if you listen really hard you will hear the word mandate, mandate, mandate.
Instead these so called news organization should be reporting on who bought these guys and gals with there funds and then link them to the legislation they are going to push to get enacted.
George Will and his right wing pundits are going to be on the right wing pundit circuit and this right wing hypocrite has already come out and said that the CPFB should be wiped off the face of the map and the first thing the right wing fascists should do is defund the protection of the consumers in this country.
Basically let the country try the 2008 melt down again and go forward so we can do this again, and then when they accomplish this task think public education, National Endowment, NLRB, USDA and the list goes on and on.

Now go one step further this, Bossie, character, and his right wing fascist organization has already made a hit list of what they want and how they are going to get it, this country has now gone through two election cycles with this backed corrupt U.S Supreme court 5 justices with Citizen United, this election is nothing when this picture is already skewed for the elitists and the power and greed in this country.
If there is a death or retirement on the Supreme Court and he decided under the Advise and Consent clause of the Constitution and wants to nominate someone---it is not going to happen, which I suppose is a good thing because we would have a tie.

Tom Butt the newly elected mayor and three newly elected city council members of Richmond, California beat a 3 million dollar Chevron backed campaign to put there crony in office and with only $42,000 in his kitty he won, because of the ground game, that speaks volumes on how we can take this country back and we need to go and start now, we should be buying advertising space on billboards and showing and telling what these right wing hypocrites are doing with a list of there donors, and people will finally get the picture because somewhere along this line they are affected one way or another

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Money is a corrupting factor.

The party of high steepled churches knows how to spread temptation and buy people.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

6. The SCOTUS gutted the 1st Amendment by their Citizens United ruling.

But I'm sure all the Reptilians will buy it hook, line, and sinker. Dumbass lazy traitors!

[Auggie]

7. This election and many more elections to follow ...

it'll take a Herculean effort to overturn it.

[aggiesal]

9. Before Citizens United, it was illegal ...

for foreign entities to contribute money into US elections.

Now with all the dark money, how much money came for outside the US?

A Mexican donor was found guilty of donating money to San Diego candidates within
the past year, and that's just the San Diego/Tijuana dynamic.
Wasn't there a Saudi citizen starting or donating to a super PAC recently?

What about money from China to keep those US factories closing and shipping
our jobs in their direction?
Or money from India to continue to lobby an increase in H1B visa's to ship underpaid
engineers into our country?
I'm sure there are more I'm not mentioning.

No money from those sources, I'll bet.

Money invested in crooked politicians is currently the best investment in the world.
Nothing else even comes close.

I wonder if there is a hedge fund that does this?

[valerief]

19. In a way, it almost doesn't matter if foreigns buy elections. The PTB are nationless anyway.

The Koch brothers exploit America but they're not American. They're filthy rich. The filthy rich are a nation unto themselves.

The problem isn't who's buying elections. The problem is that elections can be bought at all.

[NewJeffCT]

35. Why have Democrats not attacked on that issue?

My republican opponent is being funded by __________
fill in the blank with:

A) The same people that fund Al Qaeda
B) Bankers from China
C) Saudi Oil Billionaires
D) Middle Eastern Terrorists
E) All of the Above

And, if they deny they're being funded by any of the above, then you hit them with "well, why don't you reveal who donated all the money do your super pac? my union super pac has a list of all their donors on their website, most of whom are union members donating $50 or $100 each."

[BrotherIvan]

43. Because they're doing it too.

No one in politics, with a few exceptions (I hope) is clean. If it takes $1 Billion to run for president, how is that person not beholden to them that paid?

[CJCRANE]

45. It's tag-team wrestling.

The Dems come in and build up the economy, then hand it over to the Repubs to spend on wars and tax breaks.

The 1%ers win every time, and taxpayers and voters are left scratching their heads, wondering what just happened.

[BrotherIvan]

47. Pretty much

And since Democratic Congresspeople benefit just as much from wars, cough *DiFi*, and bailouts, cough *Pelosi*, their opposition is pretty weak. But far from me to ever criticize Democrats, because that and that alone is the reason why they lose.

[candelista]

64. +1.

[Art_from_Ark]

57. Actually, Mark Pryor had a commercial like that

He specifically mentioned Tom Cotton's connections with the Koch brothers.

[NewJeffCT]

58. Except for people on DU and similar websites

nobody cares about the Koch Brothers, and most people here were already going to vote. Al Qaeda, ISIS, Saudi Billionaires, Chinese Banks, South American Drug Lords - those are things that people can identify with.

[Archae]

10. Don't forget David Bossie was fired by Congresscritter Melonhead.

As in Dan Burton.

Bossie was fired because he was leaking deceptively edited tapes to smear Bill and Hillary Clinton.

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. Citizens United certainly "leveled" something...

[sammy750]

13. Yes, the elections have been stolen from the voters.

All the winners are now in the hands of the GOP and big funds. Democracy was lost, thanks to the Supreme Court. Our elections are now the biggest fraud, even more then Russia, China, and other countries.

[Botany]

14. one more by product of Florida 2000 & bush v Gore

Because now we have justices Roberts and Allito

[JudyM]

46. Yes, that was a turning point in a number of hugely important matters. I met a friend of Scalia Tues

She was my repuke counterpart handing out sample ballots here at one of our No. VA polling places. She was pretty much a single-issue republican, all about anti-abortion, and was actually somewhat reasonable in her positions on other matters so we were having some civil conversation.

I mentioned the Supremes' disregard of conflict of interest principles thinking it might be common ground and she sheepishly admitted that Scalia is a family friend. She said he's a normal, nice person. I said sure if you can get past his hateful and unethically-exercised bias. Told her she'd be doing the country a favor if she mentions to him that his failure to recuse himself from cases with parties with whom he has outside social contact is viewed as a stunning breach of ethics to all but those who benefit from it; that he took an oath of impartiality which he is glaringly failing to live up to, and so his turning his back on that most basic ethical principle gives strict constructionists a bad name.

She was nodding so at least she understood, maybe she'll actually say something. He is such a loathesome excuse for a judge or lawyer. end of rant.

[Botany]

53. w/o bush v Gore we would never have had

9-11
War in Afghanistan
War in Iraq
Hurricane Katrina's misery .... they took money and troops from Louisiana for the Iraq war and that
money was for levies and pumps around New Orleans along w/other things
The gulf oil spill ... thanx Dick Cheney ... no emergency cut off valves for deep water rigs
the economy crashing
torture
Ohio 2004
Dick Cheney shooting somebody after drinking and getting away with it
The Dept. of Homeland Security
Citizens United
domestic spying
a massive kill of wild run Pacific salmon
w joking about WMDS
a surplus turned into a deficit
a media that let w tell a lie about his "cattle ranch" and farming background
Jack Abramoff
Enron
California w/Gov Arnold
Tax cuts for the rich
unfunded Medicaid part D for Rx
Coal Mine blowing up in W. Va. ..... Big Branch Mine .... w put the head of a Coal company
in charge of mine safety

I have to stop this because this list could go on and on

[JudyM]

65. Yup, could go on and on. It was a game changer, no question. I hope one day the 99% will rise. nt

[Botany]

66. and w/out a doubt the Rove/bush/Cheney/ALEC/and so on left major players ....

.... in our government, media (NPR is a fucking joke anymore), judicial system, and
election/voting mechanisms ..... the more I look at it the low turn out was brutal but
I think the vote its self was dirty too.


"I hope one day the 99% will rise." I don't know about that because in Ohio when he
was working for Lehman Brothers John Kasich sold the state's retirement funs $480
worth of bad paper and he was still elected governor 2 times .... BTW he will be the
GOPs 2016 nominee. He is slick but he is really evil too.

[mountain grammy]

15. Is it "level" or "leveled?" What a crock!

[atreides1]

16. I wonder

How much "free speech" made it into John Roberts pocket?

[jillan]

22. [phone]

[deutsey]

17. People like Bossie are only happy when the game is rigged in their favor n/t

[valerief]

18. If you need money to exercise "effective" free speech, it ain't free. nt

[L0oniX]

21. ^^^THIS^^^

[BrotherIvan]

44. That right there ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

But there are plenty of DUers who will argue otherwise. The last hope for public financing died in 2008.

[librechik]

23. because true victory is when a powerful few rule over the many with impunity.

this is the Republican Party Today.

[bhikkhu]

56. as long as voter turnout is so pathetic, that's inevitable

The question would be what to do about it.

[librechik]

59. Vote all you want.

"Vote all you want. The secret government won’t change.

The people we elect aren’t the ones calling the shots, says Tufts University’s Michael Glennon

Though it’s a bedrock American principle that citizens can steer their own government by electing new officials, Glennon suggests that in practice, much of our government no longer works that way. In a new book, “National Security and Double Government,” he catalogs the ways that the defense and national security apparatus is effectively self-governing, with virtually no accountability, transparency, or checks and balances of any kind. He uses the term “double government”: There’s the one we elect, and then there’s the one behind it, steering huge swaths of policy almost unchecked. Elected officials end up serving as mere cover for the real decisions made by the bureaucracy. "

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/10/18/vote-all-you-want-the-secret-government-won-change/jVSkXrENQlu8vNcBfMn9sL/story.html

[bhikkhu]

61. I think that's one position that leads to the wrong people in charge

"both parties are the same", "your vote doesn't matter", and "why bother?".

Its what leads to 20% of the electorate voting in their majority to the senate. Saying that's not going to make any difference isn't a solution. We may as well give them the presidency as well in 2 years, because that won't change anything either? I'd rather look at ways to encourage more people to vote, because most people in this country don't agree with the policies the bunch in charge now are considering writing into law. Discouraging voting isn't a way forward.

[librechik]

63. I truly don't think the parties are the same, at all; And I would never discourage voting.

I am a strong progressive, and I know progressives are sincere.

However, as the book indicates, the representatives we elect are not the people who call the shots. That's why 90 percent of the people can want something like gun ID checks, or a raise in the minimum wage and the measures fail over and over. THAT is the problem we need to solve. And then we can have a meaningful vote back. Which at the moment is worthless according to Glennon's new book, cited above.

[bhikkhu]

67. Many states (including my own) have decent minimum wage laws

either voted in by the people directly, or enacted by laws passed by legislators voted in by the people. Which says - if people want a higher minimum wage law, all they have to do is show up at the voting booth for representatives who support a higher minimum wage, or pass a measure directly. Democracy works. Same thing for gun restrictions - some states have tougher laws because the people either voted for them directly or voted in legislators who supported tougher laws.

Of course, those and many other things are opposed loudly by minority interests, but the main tool they have is to discourage people from voting. If voting didn't work, then all the effort to discourage it wouldn't be necessary. I think the book in the example is just another way of discouraging voting. Regardless of intention, its part of the problem, not the solution.

[onethatcares]

24. I didn't see

one corporation standing in line or in a voting booth but you can bet your ass I saw enough money on the airwaves to crush the
regular citizen.

This country is lost to the oligarchy

[Iliyah]

27. Corporations are people my friend

[onethatcares]

28. but they

never have to stand in line at the grocery store.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

50. Can't wait for Texas to execute one

[bucolic_frolic]

25. How About SHAREHOLDERS UNITED??

I haven't authorized any corporation to speak for me, have you?

A corporation is authorized to do business by shareholders. They didn't
get my free political speech rights in the bargain.

So have free speech rights been stolen here?

Why is no one exploring this angle?

[KoKo]

39. Interesting point.

Maybe a way to work against this through a clever Shareholder's Action.

[bucolic_frolic]

48. Bingo, Mon Ami

Last edited Thu Nov 6, 2014, 06:40 PM - Edit history (1)

Stolen Free Speech Class Action

This could be big, and serious

Of course mutual funds have voted for shareowners for years, but there
exists a fiduciary responsibility of some kind

And not only that ....... these corporations are giving shareholders' money - the
profits of the business - for political, non-business purposes.

So it's also a property rights issue. Would you like a bigger dividend, or would you
like us to give your money to the political party of our management's choosing?

[underpants]

29. They depend on dark money

How sad

[lordsummerisle]

30. Looked like a headline

from The Onion. How could anyone with a straight face say this was leveling the playing field? Unless by "the playing field" he meant the wealthy and powerful...

[navarth]

31. Bossie

is one slimy individual. Ever seen him, heard him? Thom Hartmann tried to talk to him once, encountered a wall of dishonesty. I saw him on CSPAN once. I felt like I needed a shower afterwards.

People like Bossie leave a bathtub ring on democracy.

[Hissyspit]

37. Yeah, I pointed this out yesterday.

It got two recs and no responses, but it is good to have them admit to it in their own words.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025766855

This is an important part of what is going in:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025773462

How Much Difference Did New Voting Restrictions Make in Yesterday’s Close Races? Apparently A LOT.

Separate article:

http://billmoyers.com/2014/11/05/corporate-triumphs-progressive-victories-roadmap-democratic-revival

Corporate Triumphs, Progressive Victories and the Roadmap for a Democratic Revival
November 5, 2014
by Peter Dreier

Tuesday’s Republican wave of election victories did not reflect public opinion or the public mood. Instead it was the result of the GOP’s triumph in changing the rules of democracy to favor big business and conservative interest groups, including the triumphs of corporate money and voter suppression. But while Democrat candidates were going down to defeat, liberals and progressive won some impressive but little-publicized victories on important issues — including minimum wage hikes — especially in red and purple states, suggesting that voters are not as conservative as the pundits are pontificating. One of the most significant victories occurred in Richmond, California, where progressives defeated a slate funded by Chevron, the nation’s third largest corporation, which poured at least $3 million (about $150 for each likely voter) into this municipal election in this working class Bay Area city of 105,000 people.

- snip -

Plutocratic Political Gains

These progressive victories are impressive, but they don’t offset the huge GOP triumphs around the country. Democrats knew they had an uphill fight. Among the 36 Senate races, 21 were seats held by Democrats, including six in states that Mitt Romney won in 2012. Five factors, in particular, contributed to Tuesday’s GOP gains. It was a victory for plutocracy and profit over democracy, a triumph for the super-rich and Republicans who changed the rules to favor their own interests.

Big Money. Donors spent more than $4 billion in this midterm election. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, this was the most expensive midterm election in American history. This was a triumph for the Supreme Court’s Citizens United and McCutcheon rulings that permitted unlimited money to buy elections. The biggest donors, billionaires like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson, poured “dark money” — hidden from public scrutiny by arcane campaign finance laws — into key races that certainly helped elect Republicans. Karl Rove’s Crossroads organizations and the US Chamber of Commerce spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help elect conservative Republicans in the House, Senate and governors races. We may never know the full extent of the billionaires’ bankroll, especially in key battleground Senate races where they targeted much of their war chest. The Republicans increase in Senate seats – from 45 to at least 52 – depended on outspending Democrats by a wide margin in those key races in where Republicans captured seats held by Democrats in Colorado, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia. Three incumbent Democratic senators – Senators Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, and Mark Udall of Colorado – lost their seats.

As the Center for Responsive Politics reported a week before the election, “outside groups, which are overwhelmingly fueled by large donors, are picking up more of the tab” of election costs, increasingly by funding issue ads and funneling money to shadowy so-called “social welfare” organizations that can hide their donations but focus most of their money to help Republican candidates.

Voter Suppression and Low Turnout among Democratic-leaning voters. Midterm elections always see much lower turnout than in presidential years. On Tuesday, less than 40 percent of American voters went to the polls, and the ones who voted hardly reflected the American people. The midterm electorate was much whiter, wealthier and more elderly than the voters in 2012 or even those in the last midterm election four years ago. As Bloomberg News reported, “Those 65 and older represented a quarter of the national electorate, up from 21 percent four years earlier.” This demographic debacle was compounded by Republican efforts to suppress the vote of African-Americans, Latinos, young people and the poor. These groups voted in significantly smaller numbers this year than they did two years ago. This was the first election since the Supreme Court eviscerated the Voting Rights Act and many states – particularly those with a large number of eligible African-American voters — adopted laws making it more difficult to vote, aimed at reducing turnout by these Democratic constituencies.

Gerrymandering. After the 2010 Census, Republicans succeeded in redrawing House districts to favor their party, creating increasingly “safe” districts for GOP candidates. The GOP’s control of the majority of state legislatures and governors’s offices gave them an advantage that made it possible to redraw the districts to their liking. In 2012, Democrats won 1.3 million more votes than Republican in all 435 House race – 59.6 million and 58.2 million. In other words, Democrats won 55 percent of the two-party vote but GOP candidates won 54 percent of the 435 House seats. In Pennsylvania, for example, Democrats won 83,000 more votes than Republicans, but Republicans won 13 seats and Democrats won 5 seats. On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Republicans increased their margin to 14 seats. Nationwide, the GOP widened their congressional majority to by at least another 8 seats to 243. This was more a reflection of partisan mapmaking than voter preferences.

MORE

[KoKo]

40. Did you also post in "Good Reads?" "GD" is just a scroll through...

these days in the wake of disappointment.

Recommend!

[Hissyspit]

41. And Good Reads is where good articles go to die of loneliness.

Good suggestion, though. Can always post both places.

[jtuck004]

38. 6 years of letting families rot while propping up banks probably didn't help either. n/t

[red dog 1]

42. Corporations are people, my friend.

Mittons said that at a town hall meeting during the 2012 presidential campaign

[blkmusclmachine]

51. Citizens United will roll over us, this Nation, and anybody who's not right now part of the 1%.

"The banks own the place."

[The Stranger]

54. I'm sure glad Harry Reid let Alito and Roberts on to the court without much fuss.

Sure made things like this possible.

[blackspade]

55. Leveled the field?

“Citizens United, our Supreme Court case, leveled the playing field, and we’re very proud of the impact that had in last night’s election,” said David Bossie, chairman of the conservative advocacy organization.

If 'leveling the field' means destroying the stadium, plowing it under, and sowing the earth where is was located with salt...Then yes, they 'leveled the field'....

[librechik]

60. Remember, SCOTUS decided for Bush in Bush v Gore because a recount "would have harmed Bush,"

Think about that. This is the way Republicans think. If they win it's right. If they lose, it's war. How DARE anyone else try to rule!

[redruddyred]

69. “gut the First Amendment”

how can this man sleep at night.

[PatrynXX]

70. University of Northern IA professor

says this is totally false. as the number of voters were way down. So can't say much till 2016... still what a waste of money..

[Zorra]

74. He is admitting that corporations bought the election for republicans. nt