Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ultra Rightwing Supreme Court Kills Campaign Finance Reform

The conservative majority on the Supreme Court won another one today with the decision to remove the limits on corporate spending in politics. The High Court ruled that corporations have the same rights as humans.

Because what we need in this country are more powerful corporations. Because what we need are more elections determined by money.

Chris Matthews is covering the decision by playing excerpts of the ridiculous piece of propaganda that started the lawsuit: "Hillary, the Movie."

Senator Chuck Schumer plans to hold hearings on the dangerous decision. With a little bit of luck some of the Supremes will be embarrassed.

Sweeping aside a century-old understanding and overruling two important precedents, a bitterly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections. . .

Justice John Paul Stevens read a long dissent from the bench. He said the majority had committed a grave error in treating corporate speech the same as that of human beings. His decision was joined by the other three members of the court’s liberal wing.



Corporations are not human beings. They can't vote and can't run for office. . The Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution.”
-- Justice Stevens