Plutocrats, populists and voter confusion

[BridgeTheGap]

Democrats' desperation over the Nov. 2 election became clear last week, when President Obama and crew turned xenophobic and argued that foreign money was going into one of the many well-funded campaigns attacking Democratic candidates. They couldn't prove it, and even if it was true, it would be a very small part of the dues received by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a leading attack-ad financier.

The Democrats, as often happens, are hung up on process. While it would be nice to have federal forms and online databases showing exactly who is giving how much to each of the groups, helping them break records for spending in a midterm election, the available facts and anecdotal evidence give us a very good idea of who's behind these ads.

It's the plutocrats — the wealthy who had it very good under George W. Bush and a Republican Congress in 2001-06 and see an excellent chance to regain influence and power by returning control of Congress to the GOP. So they are pouring vast sums into campaigns that mislead, distort and lie.

Playing fast and loose
Oh, don't get me wrong. Plenty of Democrats and their allies are playing fast and loose with the truth, too, and they've done better than Republicans at raising money for their party and its candidates. But those contributions are limited and must be disclosed, and the Democrats and their allies are being badly outspent by unlimited and undisclosed contributions, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling and the high stakes on Nov. 2 — not just Congress, but statehouses that will draw new congressional districts.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101017/COLUMNISTS12/310170038/1016/OPINION/Al+Cross+|+Plutocrats++populists+and+voter+confusion

[fasttense]

1. None of this will stop until Americans get out and protest like the French.

I often wonder how much the dancing Supremes got paid for that Citizen United ruling. It was a gift to big money that keeps on giving.

The only thing that can stop big money from taking over every aspect of our American society is protests, constant, regular protests.

[Demeter]

2. Revolution, maybe--Protests? PFFFF!

Complete work stoppages, passive resistance, and massive lawsuits on the Supremes and the GOP and anything that moves. And we'd still be shot, jailed and persecuted.