Democrats To Launch Online Petition For Amendment To Citizens United Ruling

WASHINGTON -- Democrats may be trying to keep up with the unlimited cash that corporations have been able to spend on politics for the last two years, but the Senate's Democratic campaign arm is still trying to undo the infamous Citizens United Supreme Court decision that allows for all of that spending.

Under the ruling -- rendered two years ago this week -- corporations were deemed the same as people, and as such the Court declared they had a free speech right to spend anything they want on political campaigns.

So on Thursday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was set to launch an online petition drive aimed at getting 100,000 people to back a constitutional amendment to bar unlimited corporate campaign splurges.

"The Citizens United ruling has unleashed a flood of shadowy, corporate money into our political process, led by Karl Rove's American Crossroads," the petition says. "It's an attack on our democracy. In a system where one person, one vote is supposed to be the rule, outside groups like Crossroads are having an outsized influence."

The petition supports an amendment proposed by a number of Democrats in Congress last year.

"Every American should be outraged by the way Karl Rove and right-wing special interests have spent millions skewing elections with attacks, lies, and smears, all designed to boost the GOP's special interest agenda," said DSCC spokesman Shripal Shah. "The message our supporters are sending is clear: it's time to repeal the Citizens United decision and put an end to the disgusting right-wing attacks led by Karl Rove and other extreme Republican interests."

Michael McAuliff covers politics and Congress for The Huffington Post. Talk to him on Facebook.

Comments

[Genders]

06:09 PM on 01/21/2012

Support Kucinich's bill to publicly finance elections and outlaw ALL contributions!
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=275443

[David in Dallas]

02:39 PM on 01/21/2012

Money needs to be controlled - left and right. To do that, elections must be paid for by the/our/us government. We are the employers. We MUST control the process of whom we hire.

[BenDoubleCrossed]

10:54 AM on 01/20/2012

The above is a very weak article.

The premise is Karl Rove money is bad and George Soros money is good!

The media corporations are the biggest super pacs and they are exempt from campaign laws.

If you want to restore the voice of the people and reduce the influence of corporations, begin by demanding citizens and citizens groups be extended the same exemptions enjoyed by the corporate media.

[David Carson]

03:43 PM on 01/24/2012

related to this--union/AARP money=good, corporation/NRA money=bad

[ScorpioTop]

05:44 AM on 01/25/2012

Wow! You got that one right!

[Michael Siegrist]

01:17 AM on 01/20/2012

"We the People* of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..."

*warning: consuming undercooked interpritations of this term may be harmful to your democracy.

[Steven JF Scannell]

09:02 PM on 01/19/2012

Our first best wise step in reform, is not directly battling with the now superior corporate rights. I've been working up a constitutional amendment at GetMoneyOut: “For all levels of government, contributions to campaigns and ballot questions, shall only be made by individual, non compensated voters, and only within their own districts: And, all policy officials and staff are prohibited from receiving any favors, jobs, or pay, from any other than taxpayer funded sources, unless the exception can reasonably be made by a board of ethics.” It squares with our ethic, and could be supported by many stripes, as the first order of business, of which many more would follow. This would be a major showdown, but it's centrist in nature, housekeeping, and would carry. We must first get out the deadwood. These are not our people in office. We need a purge, then we'll have the thrust to turn our ship around. Those officials FOR this "who and who" amendment, should have your vote, and those AGAINST severing the bad money ... SUMMARILY booted. You may say this is just one issue of many, nonesuch. Malignant corporate largess, pacs, unions, parties, hence any group at all, need to immediately tone it down. HOW? The First Reform Amendment. There is such a pent up demand for reforms of all kinds. Let's pick our First Battle wisely. Once this is done, and ONLY once this is done, can our many reforms begin.

[suddenfun]

09:40 AM on 01/20/2012

This is the only material fiox to the systemic rot in our system...

[Steven JF Scannell]

04:04 PM on 01/20/2012

I think there are many reforms the government can undertake that will help our spirituality, as an unintended externalized positive. Good fisheries, if we can get there, are so important to healthy diets, and that's my specialty (fisheries and aquaculture) (www.environmentalfisherman.com) can help with our physical wellbeing, emotional psychological, and spiritual. In other words if we ate right we would work a bit harder, and get along better. My take on food systems is similar to my fisheries systems, which is to use a mild form of carrot and stick to increase quality. We could subsidize organic products, using a bit of money gotten from taxes on herbicides, GMO's, chemical fertilizers, pesticides. Consider the bee die off and how much we experiment with, at great risk, at our own expense.

[franksnmail]

09:02 PM on 01/19/2012

When they add to the amendment that UNIONS will be under the same restrictions I would consider signing it myself.

For years the Dems & left wing nuts have been supported by union $$ - over $700 Million in 25 years. Not that the playing field is a bit more level they cry "foul" like a bunch of babies. Grow up and take your lumps folks!

[jondekonkeroo]

10:06 PM on 01/19/2012

there has been no level playing field since 1981, and the biggest loser in declining union membership is the middle class. their aggregate wealth declines linearly as union membership declines.

http://galvestondailynews.com/photos/2011.May/0517_LOC_Cates.pdf

Let me also remind you that every benefit you enjoy on every job you ever had came from a union you never paid dues to, and as unions have weakened, corporations have outsourced american work and cut benefits at every opportunity.. forty hour weeks, health care, pensions, vacations, all a thing of the past.

When unions were the strongest, our economy was strongest too.

and you want to throw all that away permanently? I don' think that's gonna happen. If american workers don't make living wages there won't be an america. OWS is the vanguard of something very serious and very imminent.

[franksnmail]

11:54 PM on 01/19/2012

I say again - GET UNIONS OUT OF POLITICS and i can agree with MOST of what u are saying.

Unions had their usefulness but they are now so corrupt they need to be restructured and taken out of the political influence.

As i've said in other posts - if you could see the damage Unions have done to my State you wouldn't be quite as supportive - or maybe u would if u support total control and buying votes via "entitlements" that aren't earned...
aloha

[Michael Siegrist]

01:20 AM on 01/20/2012

Unfortunately, this does apply. Vcap, victory funds and pac's of unions can donate tho. Just like pacs from corporations. You need to understand campaign finance before you comment. While the reality of your statements is false, the rhetoric of them is flawless. Congrats.

[franksnmail]

03:35 AM on 01/20/2012

I can understand $700 MILLION buck to the DEMS to push through Union AGENDAS - nothing difficult about that!

During the same time period Rep got LESS than $100 Million - I understand THAT!

Even the playing field and all of a sudden everyone gets upset - I understand THAT!

Were is the "rhetoric" when FACTS are speaking for themselves?

[Tracee Collins]

08:48 PM on 01/19/2012

Here I am, ready to sign it. Bring it on, and let's roll up our sleeves!!

[sidleybodidly]

08:12 PM on 01/19/2012

Kucinich Announces ‘Game Changing’ Constitutional Amendment to Publicly Finance Federal Elections
http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=275443

[thatsNotWhatIHeard]

09:29 PM on 01/19/2012

Pow, cuts to the chase! that's what i'm talking about!

[PunKinPai]

07:57 PM on 01/19/2012

If anybody even considers voting for a Republican this year they should stop and consider Citizens United. In all likelihood at least one SCOTUS seat will become open in the next four years. If you don't want another Scalie, Alito, Roberts or, god forbid, Thomas, think carefully before casting your ballot. The presidency is for four years, the Supreme Court is for life.

[franksnmail]

09:04 PM on 01/19/2012

why would anyone want another liberal on the Supreme court?

[jondekonkeroo]

09:06 PM on 01/19/2012

so your vote will continue to count. regressives don't like elections, and do everything they can to manipulate them. since you're a chicken working for the colonel you don't care, but most of america CAN'T be fooled all the time.

[PunKinPai]

09:47 PM on 01/19/2012

Because they have a brain???

[Antineanderthal]

07:52 PM on 01/19/2012

This is the making of the Roberts Court. It MUST be remembered for all time for this breathtakingly awful, partisan decision.

[LennyR]

10:13 PM on 01/19/2012

Ending unjustified restrictions on free speech should be remembered for all time.

[wmechaneer]

07:41 PM on 01/19/2012

If it's a "fairness in politics" Amendment that's needed, then let's have one that removes representation from those who pay no taxation.

When the non-taxpayers outnumber those who do pay, then the taxpayers become economic slaves of the unproductively entitled masses.

OOOOPSSS!!

Already are.

[jondekonkeroo]

07:50 PM on 01/19/2012

republican law made half of america too poor to pay taxes. If you try to disenfranchise them, there will be civil war. and there damned well should be. We have a political party, the republicans that are for all intents and purposes the party of the ideology of the enemies we defeated in Europe in WW II.

They have squeezed society and the economy to the point that it is in crisis and america can go no further. I hope it'll be resolved non violently, but if not it still has to be done.

[wmechaneer]

08:17 PM on 01/19/2012

You are so out of touch with reality that you should watch out for the "looney van" that's coming to take you away.

[Tracee Collins]

08:50 PM on 01/19/2012

Revolution is imminent, and I am with you....

Like Malcolm said, "By any means necessary".

[franksnmail]

09:05 PM on 01/19/2012

works for me! great point!

[Brughera]

07:15 PM on 01/19/2012

If corporations are people, then they should pay their fair share of taxes.

[wmechaneer]

07:34 PM on 01/19/2012

The "top 1%" already pay 35% of ALL income taxation, and give over 30% of ALL charity. Corporations aren't so much "tax payers, as much as they are "tax collectors." ALL costs, regardless of source or reason end up being paid for by the "end user."

So then, go ahead and raise corporate taxes to the roof if you desire. It's only coming out of your own pocket. Or worse yet, those poor corporate employees you hate so much that you want them to join you in standing in the unemployment line.

"That'll teach those evil corporations," won't it?

[jondekonkeroo]

08:25 PM on 01/19/2012

1%? We're after much more rafefied company than that. Corporate law made half of america too poor to pay taxes and made 400 people wealthier than all of them. Of those, six family members have more money than one third of america.

This is legislated money,not earned money.

First we need to TRUST BUST corporations so the supply side does not dominate trade. then, to compete, corporations will have to become less top heavy, and executive pay will once again be for executive competence.

You act like america has no history. During the time from Roosevelt to Carter, corporate taxes were collected, there was no outsourcing, and there were no corporations too big to fail

And there was widespread prosperity across all walks of life, and american corporations prospered.

Reagan undid all that, and created the crisis that has stopped america in its tracks.

We can't endure another thirty years of voodoo, in fact not another year. It must end now, fully and finally or we will not have a nation.

all we need to do is what we did when we were prosperous and we will prosper again. this is an artificial republican generated crisis.

[franksnmail]

09:09 PM on 01/19/2012

F & F seems the LEFT conveniently forgets the simple things....

[Chango137]

07:36 PM on 01/19/2012

If corporations are people, BP should get a life sentence.

[wmechaneer]

07:59 PM on 01/19/2012

You clearly didn't notice that so-called "environmentalists" cannot comprehend what happened to all that spilled oil, and why everyone hasn't already died from it. In WW2 thousands of oil-laden ships were intentionally attacked and sunk, about a third of them oil tankers, with several dozens sunk along our Gulf Coast.

And yet, the Earth is still here.

California's coastal waters are awash in oil that naturally seeps from the seabed, yert Gray Whales cavort in the goo, and haven't a care about it. Whenever a small earthquake his SoCal, Malibu Canyon's Las Virgines Creek stinks of oil for a week or so, but nothing's harmed by it. The La Brea Tar Pits are nothing but a hundred thousand year long oil spill.

Truk Lagoon alone has dozens of Japanese ships laying on its seafloor, and yet are home to both a wonderful aggregation of pristine coral growth and a plethora of tropial fish life. Divers from all over the planet literally drool over the opportunity to go there. Even the various islands and atolls used in the early atomic weapons tests are home to incredibly rich sea life, and only Bikini Island itself is still too radioactive for its native inhabitants to return to. But then that's to be expected because tiny Bikini suffered MANY nuclear blasts, including some of the dirtiest and biggest of H-Bombs.

The Earth abides in spite of Man, not because of him.

[ThatsTheTheWayItIs]

07:01 PM on 01/19/2012

If the Left had not decided Dems and Repubs are the same and run Nader in 2000 - no Bush, no Alito and Roberts on SCOTUS - no Citizens v United. __ "Citizens v United has been brought to you by the disgruntled far Left, without whom it would not be necessary". __ Thanks a bunch, guys. Please stay out of electoral politics.

[Itsmyland2]

07:15 PM on 01/19/2012

You're delusional to think that Ralph Nader could have won a general election.

[ThatsTheTheWayItIs]

08:40 PM on 01/19/2012

No, he was. But Gore nearly won NH, it was even declared for him early. Had he done so, he would have been President. Nader took enough votes from Gore to make Bush President. That's what third parties do, elect the party opposite to their views.

So the Green Party gave the country to oilmen Bush and Cheney, instead of to environmentalist Gore. Some "Green" Party, huh? That's all the Left can do, give elections to Repubs.

[anitaroosevelt]

07:18 PM on 01/19/2012

Good point.

Although , I do hope Ron Paul runs on a 3rd party Libertarian ticket this time around.

What goes around, comes around, they say.

[ThatsTheTheWayItIs]

06:59 PM on 01/19/2012

I'll sign it, but it's a waste of time. An Amendment requires 3/4 of states to ratify it, any 14 states can block it. Conservative rural states like ID, MT, ND, SD, WY, never mind the Deep South. __ An Amendment is far harder to pass than any law. If it can be done, it means we can pass any law the people want, and money doesn't control the US - meaning the Amendment was unnecessary!

[legaleagle 45]

07:11 PM on 01/19/2012

Sort of an inverse Catch 22?

[wmechaneer]

08:03 PM on 01/19/2012

Our Founders brilliantlyu made mobocracy impossible. We're a Constitutional Republic, which allows each Soverign Citizen protection from silly politicians and greedy voters alike.

Here, read the Constitutionfor yourself... http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

[hearken]

06:53 PM on 01/19/2012

Tomorrow a large group is going to demonstrate against Citizens United at the Federal Courthouse in a large city in VA...join in groups across the nation doing the same thing...take our country back.

[wmechaneer]

08:05 PM on 01/19/2012

You and sixteen others will be in attendance. That'll leave a "mark" on things.

OWS is bankrupt, and no one's donating anymore. Too many sex crimes, thuggish acts, and even a death or two caused them a well deserved backlash.

[Tracee Collins]

08:55 PM on 01/19/2012

YAWN.

[Keith Hollingsworth]

10:26 PM on 01/19/2012

OWS is far from bankrupt and contrary to your statements that are either a product of misinformation, or just out and out attempt to further spread untruths and lies about the organization, many of which are products of the like of Fox News and groups founded by right wing conservative groups that have been working to discredit OWS, due to their fears of being found out and to try and slow down, stop and reverse much of the economic, and financial situation that has been brought about by their incompetence and corruption.