Founding Fathers rolling over in their graves

[Sandy]

Legislators in a relationship with corporations and business interests who write standardized legislation for them to introduce in multiple state legislatures, coprorations funding an organization by providing 98% of the operating costs to lobby and influence legislators in states and in Congress. An organization which essentially puts legislators, and legislatures up for sale to the highest bidder, or to groups of corporate interests who make contributions in exchange for passing the legislation favorable to them that they've written, and which the legislators have most likely not even read. Yes, it would make the founding fathers roll over in their graves if they saw how corrupt and distorted their view of a democratic republic has become.

But this is reality in America today, in every state controlled by a Republican legislature and a Republican governor. Its called ALEC, and there's a great expose of it on Chris Hayes All In tonight.

I suspect that ALEC is pretty highly supportive of, and is pushing, TPP. They're interested in anything that will restrict the constitutional rights of Americans, and enhance the power of those who have money.

Good stuff! http://www.msnbc.com/all

[Stephen Fox]

Sandy: I've been on this for a week now with posts and links to the NYTimes Story of January 11 as well as a link in Bama slime and elsewhere to the NPR Fresh Air hour long conversation with the NYTimes author.

In Bama it is all underwritten by the State SBC and the Auburn Network

[William Thornton]

Well, this should put our beloved Founding Fathers back to resting peacefully right side up, since they already rolled over when the trial lawyers first put democrats in their hip pocket.

[Dave Roberts]

After the Citizens United ruling, we have come to live in "Dollarocracy." Democracy belongs to those with the biggest wallets.

[William Thornton]

[Dave Roberts]

[Sandy]

It's been a bad couple of weeks for the Republicans. Bridge jokes, even about selling them, are probably no longer allowed at the GOP headquarters. Looks like the first term of the Christie administration is going to be one of those gifts that William is always talking about, that just keeps on giving, except, unlike the issues he brings up, this one is really going to keep on giving. I'm not sure that the McDonnell scandal will generate quite that much publicity, though he's a self-proclaimed member of the Christian right, and a darling of the tea party. But perhaps the GOP would rather have the media talking about scandals involving governors than about the polling data on the 2014 elections. Looks like McDonnell and Christie may have the companionship of a couple of their fellow Republican governors in their misery fairly soon, as Jan Brewer in Arizona and Susannah Martinez in New Mexico are also under investigation.

The Citizens United is a blatant violation of the first amendment, and the hypocrisy of "strict constructionists" who are in favor of that ruling is appalling. Aside from divine right monarchy, the ability to use money to purchase the favor of elected government officials was a major point that the founding fathers attempted to avoid in structuring their government.

Trial lawyers? That's a laugher. They have as many Republicans in their hip pocket as they do Democrats. ALEC and Citizens United are the first major genuine threats to the civil liberties of American citizens since the Civil War.

[William Thornton]

Aw, come on Dave, don't let a really nice scandal slip by. The Rolex, the Louis Vuitton...

[William Thornton]

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

Sandy, the SCOTUS ruled on a constitutional question. Discussion is over.

[KeithE]

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

The ability to spend money is part of protected speech.

Sandy sniffed that the Citizens United decision was a blatant violation of the constitution, as amended. Baloney. The constitution is what the black robed masters say it is.

...but, of course, mon ami, we can all be constitutional expoits and make assorted pronouncements about blatant violations of this or that provision or amendment. It's part of the fabric of our national discourse.

[Dave Roberts]

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

Hooey. Marbury v. Madison. You should have paid attention in HS.

If Obama packs the court then what is constitutional will certainly change. That the way it works.

[KeithE]

This shows the flow of ~$185 Million/year of known (i.e. disclosed) corporate donations given to supposed “social welfare” 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) non-profits. And this is just the disclosed amounts from 1/3 of the largest 300 companies that disclose their gifts. Most companies do not disclose. The amounts no doubt become much bigger from those gifts that are anonymous for fear of bad publicity that it would engender. And it does not include the very nominal dues made to ALEC to write legislation favorable to business at the state and federal levels.

Take some time to peruse through the water fall chart provided in the link above (scroll down a bit). Click on the companies that were forthright enough to disclose and judge for yourself their motivations (is it to help their own bottomline, is truely for “social welfare” reasons, is it for training new work forces, etc.). Click on the non-profits to see where they get their money (at least from those that disclose). Read the whole article of individual story lines.

According to CPI’s analysis, ~84% goes to trade associations who generally speaking have the profits of their core givers in mind making a mockery of the the supposed reasons for “social welfare” 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) non-profits. How much is used for direct campaign gifts is not disclosed making a mockery of our supposed democracy and elections.

Complete disclosure of all gifts should be required or be not allowed - I would be willing to grant immunity for past offenses to make this happen.

In addition disclosure of how the non-profits spend their money (“light” and “dark”) must happen to bring to light just how “social welfarish” their spending is. Again I would grant immunity to clean up this gigantic scourge to democracy and our economics.

This did not happen all of a sudden due to Citizen’s United but CU has legitimized corporate giving to electioneering and corporations have and increasingly are learning how far their donations go to their profitability through this route. No doubt steady-state has not been reached; we will know when that happens when the black line in the plot below comes to a “pause”.

Like GW, then we need to get it back down to 1920 levels via public funding of elections that will permit rich and poor alike equal opportunity for public service and in dissemination of political solutions towards the common good.

One the the research efforts (maybe a book if something profound results) I plan to pursue in retirement (within 2 years for sure) it is see what bills (with what side amendments) get moved through congress and what bills languish. Only ~5% make it through as of late. It will be detailed work (I have a statistic method in mind) but the DATA is there at and at .

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

I have opinions on what is constitutional and what is not, just like you. But when the SCOTUS Sez it's constitutional, that's the final word until another SCOTUS Sez differently. Theirs is the only opinion that counts.

...don't be stubborn, bro.

[Sandy]

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

[KeithE]