Super PACs are still a bad idea. Corporations should not be able to give unlimited sums to political campaigns. It is bad for our democracy.Bill Burton, co-founder of an Obama-supporting super PAC, Priorities USA. This is a significant question for Democrats: Should progressives who oppose the very existence of super PACs also oppose progressive super PACS? Or is the utilization of super PACS a necessary step to changing the legal framework that makes them possible? Burton seems to believes it’s the second. “Citizens United harms our country, not just the liberal cause,” he says. “I’m proud of the work we did at Priorities in this election, but this system is broken and needs reform.” source (paywall)
» According to the Virginia Republican, he didn’t realize he would be donating to the Campaign for Primary Accountability (CPA) when he made a deal with Illinois Republican Aaron Schock to aid fellow Illinois freshman Adam Kinzinger’s re-election bid. Kinzinger faces veteran Republican Don Manzullo, now that the two men find themselves representing the same district following recent congressional redistricting. The CPA is an anti-incumbent Super PAC which has targeted a number of Republicans who are up for re-election in November, leaving many inside the GOP wondering just what the House Majority Leader was up to.
![manicchill:
Montana’s Highest Court Rebukes Citizens United Ruling
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock may have become the most, and simultaneously the least, popular person in America. In a stunning 5-2 decision, the Supreme Court of Montana rebuked the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Citizens United ruling. [more]
To be clear, this decision only applies to the state of Montana, not the country. But it’s still a quite notable decision, as it could define how the Citizens United ruling is interpreted at the state level. Read more at Manic, Chill.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx8aiyBVib1qigl3bo1_500.jpg)
Montana’s Highest Court Rebukes Citizens United Ruling
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock may have become the most, and simultaneously the least, popular person in America. In a stunning 5-2 decision, the Supreme Court of Montana rebuked the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Citizens United ruling. [more]
To be clear, this decision only applies to the state of Montana, not the country. But it’s still a quite notable decision, as it could define how the Citizens United ruling is interpreted at the state level. Read more at Manic, Chill.
Fighting back against “Citizens United:” Senate Democrats, led by Tom Udall, have introduced a constitutional amendment meant to blunt the effects of Citizen’s United, the Supreme Court decision that paved the way for unlimited, undisclosed campaign contributions by corporations. The amendment wouldn’t directly overturn CU, but rather give congresses—both federal and state—the authority to regulate campaign contributions and expenditures. Like most proposed constitutional amendments, it probably won’t get anywhere close to ratification, but hey, it rallies the base, right? source
Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz said more than 100 business leaders have joined his pledge to boycott U.S. political campaign donations.
AOL Inc. (AOL) CEO Tim Armstrong, J.C. Penney Co. CEO Myron Ullman, Whole Foods Market Inc. Co-CEO Walter Robb and others have agreed to accelerate hiring and halt campaign giving to incumbents in Washington until Congress finds a solution to the nation’s growing debt, Starbucks said in an e-mailed statement.
Schultz is taking his campaign to the Internet and to Facebook today with the creation of Upward Spiral, “a platform for action inspired by the letter to America from Howard Schultz,” according to the website.
Oh hell yeah. Give it up to Howard Schultz for standing behind his word on this issue.
» Yeah, you weren’t entitled to those matching funds: The main issue that Edwards faces is that he received federal matching funds up the wazoo — funds which he didn’t end up using and now has to pay back. But that said, it’s not even the worst issue our boy is facing — see, he recently got indicted on felony charges involving his reported usage of $900,000 to hide his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter, from sight.
Reagan-appointed federal Judge James Cacheris just ruled that corporations have a constitutional right to contribute money directly to political candidates:
In a ruling issued late Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Cacheris tossed out part of the indictment against two men accused…
The stretching of the interpretation of Citizens’ United begins …
» Standards and stuff: It’s probably good to note that this double-standard between MSNBC and Fox remains bizarre. Fox News hosts (most notably Sarah Palin, who regularly endorses candidates and runs her own political action committee) don’t get treated this way. Honestly, we think that MSNBC has to loosen their standards for their political commentators. This is going to eventually come to a head in a more public way than either of these incidents. Know why we know this? Because Joe Scarborough is considering running on a presidential ticket with Michael Bloomberg in 2012. You think this crosses a line? What if that happens, guys?
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