SCOTUS: Corporations allowed unlimited donations to electoral campaigns

Pixelated Penguin · 01-23-2010, 08:50 PM

nytimes. com/2010/01/22/us/politics/22scotus. html [remove the spaces]

Quote:

Overruling two important precedents about the First Amendment rights of corporations, a bitterly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections.
...
The decision will be felt most immediately in the coming midterm elections, given that it comes just two days after Democrats lost a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and as popular discontent over government bailouts and corporate bonuses continues to boil.

President Obama called it “a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.”
...
Joined by the other three members of the court’s liberal wing, Justice Stevens said the majority had committed a grave error in treating corporate speech the same as that of human beings.

In my opinion - this is one of the worst decisions to come out of the Supreme Court. Ever. Corporations aren't persons, and democracy cannot survive their influence on elections.

Thoughts?

**Valigarmander** · 01-23-2010, 08:55 PM

Wait, this actually happened?

Sounds like crap.

**Deku Trii** · 01-23-2010, 09:54 PM

Crap.

Metal Man · 01-23-2010, 10:15 PM

Yeah, goodbye freedom.

t3hDarkness · 01-23-2010, 11:40 PM

So how long until corporations are declared sovereign entities?

Robotazy · 01-23-2010, 11:51 PM

Wait, isn't there something in the Bill of Rights that doesn't allow this?

Metal Man · 01-24-2010, 12:55 AM

Corporations didn't exist when that was made. And they're considered equal with people.

If anything, this landmark decision says corporations can get any right an individual person can.

***CaptHayfever*** · 01-24-2010, 02:36 AM

So corporations can have abortions, but can't marry other corporations of the same sex?

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

**Crazyswordsman** · 01-24-2010, 09:39 AM

Old news. But now I'm afraid the law has become a commodity to be bought and sold. I won't live in that kind of society. We're drifting towards becoming the Philippines, where about 50 families own all the land and buy all the political offices. It's feudalism run amok.

Fixing this shouldn't be too bad; both Olympia Snowe and John McCain are against this decision. -CSM

Metal Man · 01-24-2010, 03:55 PM

Well yeah. I mean, the current politicians don't want to fight corporations when it comes time to be re-elected, so they'll probably drop their partisan squabbles long enough to stab corporations in the eye.

Hopefully.

Lurch1982 · 01-24-2010, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazyswordsman

Old news. But now I'm afraid the law has become a commodity to be bought and sold. I won't live in that kind of society. We're drifting towards becoming the Philippines, where about 50 families own all the land and buy all the political offices. It's feudalism run amok.

Stop being a melodramatic retard. It is extremely hard to take you seriously when you compare democratic processes in the US to trainwrecks like massacres in African hellholes or the socioeconomic issues in the Philippines.

**Valigarmander** · 01-24-2010, 06:34 PM

McCain says campaign finance reform is dead - Yahoo! News

Quote:

WASHINGTON – Sen. John McCain says the movement he led to reform how political campaigns are financed is dead.

McCain says the Supreme Court has spoken on the constitutionality of political contributions by corporations. The Arizona Republican had sought to regulate them with a landmark campaign finance law he wrote with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.

Last week the Supreme Court ruled that corporations may spend as freely as they like to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress.

McCain says there's not much that can be done about campaign financing now. Still, he predicts a backlash over time from voters once they see the amount of money that corporations and unions pour into political campaigns.

McCain spoke Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Metal Man · 01-24-2010, 06:51 PM

There should be a constitutional amendment banning the entire concept of Corporate personhood and its linked things (like this.)

Lurch1982 · 01-24-2010, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metal Man

There should be a constitutional amendment banning the entire concept of Corporate personhood and its linked things (like this.)

Probably, but it would take brass balls to rapidly overhaul corporate law like that.

This was a matter of time. You can't say corporations are basically individuals in a legal sense but restrict their ability for speech.

One temporary solution to this would be to bring derivative actions against the corporations who dump a ton of money into politics citing wasteful spending of corporate money.

McCain's probably right that there will be a backlash, but it might take a few decades to get there barring instant action.

Zharen · 01-25-2010, 11:24 PM

For once, I think McCain is right. For all the crap the conservative right has spewed on Sotomayor, she even voted against this. The last thing this country needs, is additional lobbying power by the special interest groups and corporations. Look what has happened with the health care bill. Corporations will only use their money to further their own specific interests in politics, they care nothing about the people they hurt.

***Cosmonautical*** · 01-30-2010, 10:37 PM

Oh, ****.

So, who wants to be the first to found the UAC?

***CaptHayfever*** · 02-18-2010, 12:44 AM

This just in: McCain was right; everyone's pissed.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

01-23-2010, 08:55 PM	#2
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	Wait, this actually happened? Sounds like crap.

01-23-2010, 09:54 PM	#3
Deku Trii PP&R Mod Current Events Mod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Texas Gender: Posts: 9,031 Thanks: 521 Thanked 1,099 Times in 583 Posts	Crap.

01-23-2010, 10:15 PM	#4
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Yeah, goodbye freedom.

01-23-2010, 11:40 PM	#5
t3hDarkness Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: I weep oily black tears of joy. Gender: Posts: 7,590 Thanks: 119 Thanked 418 Times in 306 Posts Blog Entries: 5	So how long until corporations are declared sovereign entities?

01-23-2010, 11:51 PM	#6
Robotazy PRESS ANY KEY TO PANIC! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: A Tiny Shed Gender: Posts: 16,483 Thanks: 529 Thanked 1,254 Times in 897 Posts Blog Entries: 46	Wait, isn't there something in the Bill of Rights that doesn't allow this?

01-24-2010, 12:55 AM	#7
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Corporations didn't exist when that was made. And they're considered equal with people. If anything, this landmark decision says corporations can get any right an individual person can.

01-24-2010, 02:36 AM	#8
*CaptHayfever* Smash SuperMod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 27,661 Thanks: 1,991 Thanked 2,486 Times in 1,513 Posts	So corporations can have abortions, but can't marry other corporations of the same sex? And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

01-24-2010, 09:39 AM	#9
Crazyswordsman This key doesn't work. Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Booyaville (yeah!) Gender: Posts: 10,791 Thanks: 1,019 Thanked 686 Times in 467 Posts	Old news. But now I'm afraid the law has become a commodity to be bought and sold. I won't live in that kind of society. We're drifting towards becoming the Philippines, where about 50 families own all the land and buy all the political offices. It's feudalism run amok. Fixing this shouldn't be too bad; both Olympia Snowe and John McCain are against this decision. -CSM

01-24-2010, 03:55 PM	#10
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Well yeah. I mean, the current politicians don't want to fight corporations when it comes time to be re-elected, so they'll probably drop their partisan squabbles long enough to stab corporations in the eye. Hopefully.

01-24-2010, 06:51 PM	#13
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	There should be a constitutional amendment banning the entire concept of Corporate personhood and its linked things (like this.)

01-25-2010, 11:24 PM	#15
Zharen Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Modesto, CA U.S. Gender: Posts: 7,085 Thanks: 21 Thanked 71 Times in 35 Posts	For once, I think McCain is right. For all the crap the conservative right has spewed on Sotomayor, she even voted against this. The last thing this country needs, is additional lobbying power by the special interest groups and corporations. Look what has happened with the health care bill. Corporations will only use their money to further their own specific interests in politics, they care nothing about the people they hurt.

01-30-2010, 10:37 PM	#16
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Oh, ****. So, who wants to be the first to found the UAC?

02-18-2010, 12:44 AM	#17
*CaptHayfever* Smash SuperMod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 27,661 Thanks: 1,991 Thanked 2,486 Times in 1,513 Posts	This just in: McCain was right; everyone's pissed. And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"