Sen. Leahy: Supreme Court thinks corporations can be president

[kpete]

Source: Raw Story

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said Thursday that corporations could be elected president according to the rationale of the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

“I remain troubled today that the Supreme Court extended to corporations the same First Amendment rights in the political process that are guaranteed by the Constitution to individual Americans,” he said at a hearing on the DISCLOSE Act of 2012. “Corporations are not the same as individual Americans. Corporations do not have the same rights, the same morals or the same interests. Corporations cannot vote in our democracy.”

According to the Supreme Court’s logic, we should elect corporations to public office, Leahy said.

“This country has elected General Eisenhower as president, shouldn’t we elect General Electric as president? We know we like to elect a lot of yahoos as vice president, why not elect Yahoo as a corporation as vice president. ”



Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/29/sen-leahy-supreme-court-thinks-corporations-can-be-president/

[james_madison]

1. unions too??

For the same reason we can't elect unions to be president.

Article II, Section 1 -

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

but what did you expect from the likes of Leahy, who doesn't understand or read the constitution ?
Is he really a senator?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. That's SENATOR Leahy to you, sweetheart.

And since he graduated from Georgetown Law School and worked as a prosecutor for a number of years, I suspect he got around to reading the Constitution at some point. In fact, he probably knows it better than most Internet ranters.

He was trying to make a point by using the rhetorical device of hyperbole. Duh.

[james_madison]

14. Duh

usually this requires actually making a point

[LanternWaste]

24. That you didn't see the point reflects more on you rather than the Senator...

That you didn't see the point reflects more on you rather than the Senator...

[mackattack]

3. Mr. Madison

What a pleasure to meet you. What do you think about current political parties and the problem with factions? What is your opinion on the influence of investment banks in American politics?

So many questions for you.

[james_madison]

15. ???

the relevance being ??

[mackattack]

18. That you are a founding father and I want to discuss these

things with you.

[arbusto_baboso]

5. Enjoy being a prick while you can, sir.

Because you won't be here long.

[james_madison]

17. nice retort, but

freedom, like facts, aren't for everyone

[arbusto_baboso]

20. Where in any of your posts, have you included "facts"?

I've only seen opinion, and completely unsupported opinion, at that.

[Katashi_itto]

6. Just not the sharpest tool in the shed are you.

[Festivito]

13. Which of those words cannot be misconstrued? Really.

The Corporation is a person having been naturally born in articles of incorporation, here in the US, it continues for years, attains age of consent and is called a citizen, it reaches 35-years and runs for president.

What should one expect from the likes of you?

Corporate personhood is merely gangs trying bully for profit.

[mac56]

21. How good of you to stop by and offer your thoughts.

I look forward to enjoying many, many more of them.

[Angry Dragon]

22. You missed the point of the OP

[karynnj]

23. Leahy has read the Constitution and understands it too

It amazes me that college dropouts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity suddenly think they are Constitutional experts - they aren't.

There are legitimate differences in interpreting - just as with the Bible.

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. Well done, Senator.

General Electric, indeed.

We really need to get that personhood amendment codified. Maybe that will happen once corps stop buying our elections.

[McCamy Taylor]

7. Foreign Corporations. Don't forget that part. China could be our next president under Citizens.

[harmonicon]

8. I, for one, welcome our new.... oh, never mind. nt.

[freshwest]

10. Actually, I'm thinking extra-terrestrial lizards arriving to dine on us would be more merciful.

[FailureToCommunicate]

9. ONLY if their birth certificates say "Incorporated in America"

[greymattermom]

19. now that's interesting

Which corporations are US citizens? What type of birth certificates do they need? Can they be spending a lot of money on foreign elections?

[ladywnch]

11. the rest of us think corporations ARE president. n/t

[Kablooie]

12. That's just silly. We all know they are the overlord emperors, not a mere president.