Friday, January 22, 2010

Supreme Court decision puts more power in the hands of lobbyists, special interests

The U. S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down limits on corporate contributions further solidifies the hold of lobbyists and special interests on the reins of power:

The decision seeks to let voters choose for themselves among a multitude of voices and ideas when they go to the polls, but it will also increase the power of organized interest groups at the expense of candidates and political parties.

It is expected to unleash a torrent of attack advertisements from outside groups aiming to sway voters, without any candidate having to take the criticism for dirty campaigning. The biggest beneficiaries might be well-placed incumbents whose favor companies and interests groups are eager to court. It could also have a big impact on state and local governments, where a few million dollars can have more influence on elections.
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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:49 AM

    The law on "corporate contributions" has not been changed one iota. All this does is not censor "corporations" (including non-profit political ones like the one that sued in this case and unions) in the run up to a federal election and provides the basis to strike down similar state laws (it reverses a vile 1990 decision).

    Of course media corporations were given a pass by McCain-Fiengold, so they no longer have a monopoly on "corporate" speech prior to an election.

    For me, the bottom line is that the answer to speech you don't like is more speech, not government censorship. And that if the First Amendment protects anything, it protects the core political speech that was censored in the period 1990 to yesterday.

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  2. Anonymous9:05 AM

    "If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech."

    Guess which radical right-winger said that yesterday?

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