Jimmy Carter Defends Snowden, Says U.S. Has No "Functioning Democracy"

[struggle4progress]

33. The photo is Carter, rising at the Carter Center, to talk about unchecked political contributions

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AS7ZKRL9vadooU4b.zofzw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTYyODtweW9mZj0wO3E9ODU7dz05NjA-/

It's captioned "Former President Jimmy Carter steps to the podium to discuss US election reform at the Carter Center, Wednesday, July 17, 2013, in Atlanta. Carter gave the keynote remarks Wednesday along with Ambassador Janez Lenarcic of the Warsaw-based Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The organization is presenting its final report for improving the US electoral process. (AP photo / David Goldman)"

Carter: Unchecked contributions 'legal bribery'
RAY HENRY July 17, 2013

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that unchecked political contributions are "legal bribery of candidates" and denounced a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made possible unlimited spending by outside groups, including corporations and labor unions ...

He said the U.S. Supreme Court made a "very stupid" decision by removing limits on independent campaign spending by businesses and labor unions, which the court found was a constitutionally protected form of political speech. The Democrat said that he and his Republican opponents used public financing to run their general election campaigns in 1976 and 1980 ...

"I would say that it's almost impossible for a candidate, like I was back in those early days or others even, to be considered seriously as a candidate to represent the Democratic or Republican parties as nominee if you can't raise $100 million or $200 million from contributors, many of whom know that they are making an investment in how they are going to be treated by the winner after the election is over," Carter said.

Carter said that while elections in the United States once set an example for the world, the country's reputation diminished in 2000 when the U.S. Supreme Court intervened in a Florida vote recount, effectively deciding the election in favor of Republican George W. Bush. He also criticized GOP-led state legislatures for changing polling hours in ways that Carter said were meant to frustrate likely Democratic voters ...

http://news.yahoo.com/carter-unchecked-contributions-legal-bribery-165226324.html