Let's Make A Deal...With the NRA?
Why does this annoy me so much? According to Mother Jones, there's been a positive breakthrough in Congress' effort to roll back parts of the Citizens United decision and put light on funders of advertising and direct mail campaigns by outside groups.
House Democrats today reached a deal with the National Rifle Association that would roll back parts of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, the widely disdained legal precedent that opened the floodgates to corporate-funded political ads. The Dems' deal would require groups like the US Chamber of Commerce to disclose the top funders of their political ads, but would create loopholes for the NRA and other membership groups.
According to Politico, the deal would exempt any organization with over one million members in existence for more than ten years with members in all 50 states. They'd also have to raise less than 15% of their funds from corporate sources.
Assuming these requirements were met, they would not have to disclose the funding source behind the ad.
I realize that unions fall into the definition, but the NRA has not exactly been a shrinking violet when it comes to astroturfed campaign efforts. Giving them a pass bothers me almost as much as giving the US Chamber of Commerce a pass.
I can also imagine about sixty different ways for the US Chamber to walk around these exemptions. They're already putting a full-court press on small businesses to become part of the organization. Most small businesses are not incorporated. While I'm certain it will take awhile for that 15% funding requirement to be met, I'm not at all certain the US Chamber wouldn't find a way to meet it.
There is a little voice in my head which gets louder with every passing day. It screams this: There really isn't much excuse for any entity who is so passionate about political issues and candidates that they're willing to spend millions to elect/defeat them to actually STAND UP AND SAY SO.
The irony is rich.
GREAAAAAT. :(
So, the bigger the backer, the easier it is to avoid having to reveal they are the behind a political smear campaign? Wonderful.
Just whose brilliant idea was that?
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
"I can also imagine about sixty different ways for the US Chamber to walk around these exemptions."
The bill was written to do exactly that. Real quality legislating there. Personally I want to hear more about the unions input into this.
The people of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage." J.K. Galbraith
are you going to seek medical advice about that little voice?
"I mean Romney is the most conservative on illegal immigration and I don't think Ronald Reagan could get elected in California today."
Ann "Clipped" Coulter
Some people want to back insane crazy politicians and causes and those folks never want anybody to know where the money came from. I mean it does look bad and all.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
best democracy money can buy.
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
Breathe deep and smell the democracy.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
gave these Corporations and their lobbyist's the green light to do whatever they please just recently.
Additionally, I think unions are excluded from the deal. So it only exempts any organization with over one million members in existence for more than ten years with members in all 50 states that they say is okay.
Okay, let's just say for the sake of argument that full disclosure would be required of everyone equally about all the funding for all these kinds of ads.
So what?
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
Feck off, blue dogs and Clintonian centrists.
Did Congress also get the NRA to agree to the obligatory reach-around?
What could go wrong? They could be play pals through the November elections and who cares what happens after that.
:-0
'We, the People'............rimshot................hahahahahaha!
It's the same old same old .
The only way to fix this mess is by constitutional amendment. If no member of Congress will propose a meaningful amendment, it's probably time to convene a constitutional convention, because we actually need several amendments to fix all the issues that chronically plague us. Congress itself is to compromised and too corrupt to expect anything that isn't poisoned from the start by the interests that have so corrupted our government and courts.
voting for the NRA to represent me in Congress.
Who cares? Everyone knows the NRA agenda. It will not do anything to stop their agenda. They have the money, access and support to succeed.
Unlike the Blanche Lincoln fight, any money fighting the NRA is going down a rathole.....
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