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Title: Jeff Merkley, Senate Democrats say U.S. Constitution must be changed to control campaign spending
Source:
Oregon Live
URL Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/ ... _merkley_senate_democrats.html
Published: Nov 1, 2011
Author: Charles Pope
Post Date: 2011-11-03 23:25:23 by lucysmom
Keywords: None
Views: 7455
Comments: 23
WASHINGTON - Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and six other Democrats charged Tuesday that modern political campaigns - and democracy itself - are threatened by a pair of "awful" Supreme Court decisions that can only be fixed by changing the U.S. Constitution itself. The senators said during a news conference that adding a new provision to the Constitution is necessary if Congress wants to nullify a 1976 ruling that said campaign spending was the same as free speech and a 2010 ruling that removed all limits on campaign spending for special interests, corporations and labor unions. "In the mid-70s the activist Supreme Court opened the flood gates to allow special interest money to flow into our elections by falsely equating money with speech," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said, referring to the case Buckley v Valeo. That case was followed last year by Citizens United v Federal Election Commission which opened the way to a surge of campaign spending by corporations, interest groups and labor unions. Schumer called Citizens United "Buckley on steroids - which really took the First Amendment to an illogical, almost anti-democratic extreme. These are awful decisions that need to be overturned."
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 2.
#1. To: Not Badeye, A K A Stone, Fred Mertz, Godwinson, go65, war, no gnu taxes, Skip Intro, ferret mike, jwpegler, mininggold, brian s, mcgowanjm (#0)
* Authorize Congress to regulate and limit the raising and spending of money for federal political campaigns and allow states to regulate such spending at their level;
That is my Senator, I support this.
#4. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
Then you're a dumb ass.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
When there is nothing else left to be said about the liberal mind!
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestThe amendment aims to accomplish three goals. It would:
* Include the authority to regulate and limit independent expenditures, such as those from Super PACs, made in support of or opposition to candidates;
* Not dictate any specific policies or regulations, but instead would allow Congress to pass campaign finance reform legislation that withstands constitutional challenges.
#2. To: lucysmom (#1)
Replies to Comment # 2. That is my Senator, I support this.
#10. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
That is my Senator, I support this.
#16. To: Ferret Mike, lucysmom (#2)
That is my Senator, I support this.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 2.
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