Barack Obama: 'The Citizens United Decision Was Wrong'

[babylonsister]

Barack Obama: 'The Citizens United Decision Was Wrong'
The Huffington Post | By Ashley Alman

Posted: 01/21/2015 2:22 pm EST Updated: 4 hours ago


President Barack Obama issued a strong statement Wednesday in opposition to the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizen's United decision, a ruling he believes "has caused real harm to our democracy."

Wednesday marked the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court's 5-4 Citizens United decision, which allowed corporations and unions to give and spend unlimited sums of money on independent political activity. Demonstrators interrupted Chief Justice John Roberts at the Supreme Court Wednesday morning, shouting things like "money is not speech," and "one person, one vote," according to the Washington Post.

The president released a statement condemning the court's decision later that afternoon:

Our democracy works best when everyone’s voice is heard, and no one’s voice is drowned out. But five years ago, a Supreme Court ruling allowed big companies – including foreign corporations – to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections. The Citizens United decision was wrong, and it has caused real harm to our democracy. With each new campaign season, this dark money floods our airwaves with more and more political ads that pull our politics into the gutter. It’s time to reverse this trend. Rather than bolster the power of lobbyists and special interests, Washington should lift up the voices of ordinary Americans and protect their democratic right to determine the direction of the country that we love.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/barack-obama-citizens-united_n_6517520.html

[YOHABLO]

1. They should literally bulldoze K street IMO. Washington is a cesspool of special interests and money

[Half-Century Man]

2. Completely Publicly financed campaigns.

Television and radio political advertisements, both positive and negative, restricted to the final seven days of an election cycle.
Only those running for office may broadcast political advertisements.

[babylonsister]

3. That sounds great; too many

cable and radio stations would go out of biz.

And influence couldn't be bought; it'd never work, but I like it!

[Half-Century Man]

13. Wanna watch cable channels vanish?

Legislate a law which says cable companies have to offer a U-pickem 12 channels for $12.00 a month.

[Nye Bevan]

4. So those putting up yard signs two weeks before the election get arrested? (nt)

[Half-Century Man]

11. Signs are printed

Print is good to go.

[Nye Bevan]

14. So the Kochs can spend billions sending printed propaganda to everyone in the country,

but someone taking out a 50 cent banner ad on a website gets arrested?

[Jefferson23]

5. Recommend. n/t

[freshwest]

6. Obama predicted the dangers in 2010 and said an Amendment needed mass movement.

Later I'll post the history of the Democratic efforts to overcome Citizens United and the GOP's continued resistance to ending dark money in campaigns, somewhere.

[Fred Sanders]

7. Strange how such an important announcement on such a vital issue is missed by the media?

Who exactly gets all that flood of money, I wonder?

The media and the politicians have been bought and sold and all you have to do to know that is follow the money to the end of the road - corruption is not just a third world problem.

[Hekate]

8. KnR

[Vattel]

9. If he thinks it was a bad decision

he should address the legal arguments in the majority opinion or offer his own legal arguments on the case. Just whining about the decision being harmful is lame because judges are supposed to rule in accordance with the law even if doing so is harmful.

[babylonsister]

10. If he can do that and make a difference, I agree. Can he? nt

[glasshouses]

12. You do know those corporations are the ones who will be paying him his $300,000

a piece speaking tours in 2 years.

He won't do shit about it
Just like his trade deals for corporations and the 1%

He's going to be a very, very rich man

They will owe him and he knows it

[Cha]

15. K