John McCain Blasts Citizens United Ruling

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John McCain says the Supreme Court ruling that led to formation of super PACs was "one of the worst decisions I have ever seen."

McCain, whose name has been synonymous with the push for campaign finance reform, also says, quoting, "I predict to you that there will be huge scandals associated with this huge flood of money."

McCain was referring to Citizens United, the court's 2010 ruling against limits on spending by independent organizations. The justices based their decision on freedom of speech principles.

A super PAC supporting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ran negative ads against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in Iowa. Gingrich says the spots substantially harmed his campaign. And Gingrich now is benefiting from similar spending by a group running anti-Romney ads in South Carolina.

Comments

[highdemocratist]

03:49 PM on 06/19/2012

The judges aperantly based there decison on freedom of speach principles. Clearly sllowing corperations to smother there side of the story with big money denies the other side of the story there cival rights so the decision should be reversed.

[fordneri]

08:45 PM on 01/14/2012

How I wish old school republicans were still around. You could at least be secure in the fact that they were patriotic America first politicians.

[LeaderofMen]

09:44 AM on 01/14/2012

It doesn't require John McCain to make us aware that 'scandal's will occur. We already know what this decision has brought us and how it will eventually signal the total and complete breakdown of our representative democracy if it's not stopped.

[rottnkid]

03:15 PM on 01/13/2012

NOW he wants to flap his gums 2 yrs later?

[Arcelio Martinez]

01:49 PM on 01/13/2012

WELLL GEE old flip flopper IS FINALLY MAKING SOME SENSE Hey he backed all those who voted for this outrage

[smcguire]

10:52 AM on 01/13/2012

Citizens United was presaged by Bush v Gore, arguably the very worst decision ever made. When the 5 Republican party hacks: Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, O'Connor and Rehnquist stopped the recount in Florida in order to install their choice, they set in motion an onslaught on the Bill of Rights from which the republic is still reeling. Bush v Gore opened the door; Citizens United hastens our transformation into that form of government succinctly defined by Mussolini as the merger of corporate and government power - fascism

[bamboo4]

08:26 AM on 01/13/2012

So. We're all pretty much in agreement here.
Red, Blue, Purple and Green, we have no political representation unless we're rich.
Public service is a path to wealth and our vote has no value.

So. How about we agree to do something about it?

We can all help Sen. McCain create a lasting, altruistic legacy. Encourage him to demonstrate that American politics can work for all the people by joining with Sen.Sanders. Encourage him to support all efforts to Get Money Out of Politics/ MovetoAmmend /etc. Condemn the GOP attempt to gut the anti-corruption law of 1907. (A legacy of T. Roosevelt).

Note to Meghan McCain. Want to be President in 2016? Start running now but, only accept one dollar from every person - not corporations, unions, churches, ad nauseum.
One person=one vote=one dollar.

Real Americans are PUBLIC SERVANTS NOT BRIBE SOLICITERS!

[Aurical]

07:26 AM on 01/13/2012

I actually agree with you John, but having Sarah Palin a heartbeat from the presidency was a bad decision also.

[Roelvdwegen]

03:17 AM on 01/13/2012

As members of Occupy Denver stated when they elected a dog as their representative, "she can breathe, bleed, and show emotion. These three things alone obviously prove she’s more like a person than a corporation."

[Bufford P Tusser]

02:17 AM on 01/13/2012

Cobert for President........

all things considered, I'd rather a funny klown as opposed to the slate offered up by the "free lunch party"

[Marina J Parowski]

02:02 AM on 01/13/2012

If corporations are people, then one corporation should not be able to buy another corporation. Slavery has been outlawed. I'll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one!

[dhinds]

06:35 AM on 01/13/2012

Good enough to be fanned.

[K August]

01:51 AM on 01/13/2012

When the Dem's take back the House the McCain Feinman bill WILL pass!

[Tresmilanos]

01:51 AM on 01/13/2012

Don't ever forget that this was brought to us by the Tea Party Republicans.

With laws like this, who needs enemies?

Essentially it is a political WMD.

[Eric Graff]

01:40 AM on 01/13/2012

This SCOUS will be seen in the future as one of the worst activist courts IN HISTORY, worse decisions than Drew Scott et al...............

[dhinds]

06:37 AM on 01/13/2012

Impeach Thomas.

[SoCalOC]

01:24 AM on 01/13/2012

Will corporations get the death penalty,like real Humans do?

[HL Davison]

01:35 AM on 01/13/2012

We can only hope!