Posted on 01/25/2010 4:58:47 PM PST by opentalk
President Barack Obama, criticized by campaign finance reform advocates for not living up to his repeated pledges to reduce the role of special interests in elections, plans an aggressive push-back to last weeks Supreme Court decision overturning restrictions on political spending by corporations, unions and other organizations.
POLITICO has learned that the White House is in talks with congressional offices about efforts to require shareholders to vote before a corporation could spend money in elections, require companies that pay for ads supporting or opposing candidates to more clearly identify themselves in the ads, restrict the ability of companies with big government contracts to air such ads and tighten rules prohibiting outside groups from coordinating their ads with candidates.
The 5-4 court ruling established the legal landscape for campaign finance reform and we are responding to it with urgency, said an administration official involved in formulating the coming White House campaign-finance push.
Anticipating the courts decision in the case brought against the Federal Election Commission by the conservative nonprofit group Citizens United, the White House had been preparing for months for the push, meeting behind the scenes with members of Congress and advocacy groups supportive of stricter campaign finance rules. After the ruling came down Thursday, Obama vowed to work with members of Congress from both parties to develop a forceful response to this decision.
Obama also used his weekly address over the weekend to criticize the ruling and pledged again to work with Congress to roll it back, saying, I cant think of anything more devastating to the public interest. The last thing we need to do is hand more influence to the lobbyists in Washington or more power to the special interests to tip the outcome of elections.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Sorry ‘O’ SCOTUS ruled on Constitutionality which is their job; You Lose!
Go Chief Justice Roberts!!
Yet once again, Obama thinks he has the power to control privately owned, taxpaying corporations.
The problem Bambi and his minions face is: how to ALLOW “media corporations” to continue to shill for him, while somehow restricting OTHER corporations.
Very, very difficult to do.
Bambi and the ‘Rats are screwed by free speech, and they know it.
This is essentially nibbling around the edges. They can’t do more, because the ruling is clear.
Also, some of it can come back to bite the Democrats. For example, if you require a shareholder vote before airing adds about a candidate, you can justify letting union members get the same vote before their union (in which they are the shareholders) supports a candidate. That could lead to some unpleasant surprises for Democrat candidates...
“Don’t make me go all Andy Jackson on your ass.”
What part of SHALL NOT INFRINGE does he not get?!?
Let’s see...would this be the same Obama who promised to publicly finance his campaign and then backed off to collect loads of private financing ? I have no words for this POS.
new title = White House hopes to blunt Free Speach
restrict the ability of companies with big government contracts to air such ads
This might possibly be the only constitutional restriction
in his wish list and at that it would require prior consent.
Warning, I am not a constitutional lawyer, but I have
read the constitution.
This must be a really BIG ruling for free speech, the way he has reacted.
Mr. Obama, meet my friend, Phil E. Buster.
Unions don’t “vote” on handing over part of their union dues to the candidate of the union boss’s choice. Those funds should be made “voluntary.”
Unions dont vote on handing over part of their union dues to the candidate of the union bosss choice. Those funds should be made voluntary.
Amen to that from a union member.
They think they rollback a SCOTUS decision that applies strict scrutiny, these are the smartest people in the room? I guess to quote Sun Tzu, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake”. Plus SCOTUS gets to decide Gura vs Chicago this session too, imagine what could have if Heller is majorly reaffirmed and get strict scrutiny too.
Yeah sure! Right after they do the same thing for the unions!
As you know, there are many enemies of freedom in the Gop too.
bowow is a complete asshole.....totally unfit to rule...
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