Yup, we're boned: Supreme Court kills campaign finance reform

[Guynemer]

http://www.slate.com/id/2242209/

Fret not, I'll be on the lookout for a third random news story to post with a thread title that references Futurama.

[Darius871]

lol, NJ, VA, and MA were child's play compared to what this will do to the Dem majority. Legally speaking this isn't the least bit surprising though.

[Kuciwalker]

Free speech at last

[Arrian]

I dunno, Darius. It seems to me that the Dems have gotten pretty good at being corporate suckups. I don't think they'll have money problems. They'll just have even more incentive to work for their funders.

-Arrian

[Asher]

Free speech at last

Your country will continued to be ruled by special interests at the expense of citizen's rights (see, DCMA)

[Darius871]

I dunno, Darius. It seems to me that the Dems have gotten pretty good at being corporate suckups. I don't think they'll have money problems. They'll just have even more incentive to work for their funders.

-Arrian

That's not the consensus view, at least as far as I've read. There's a reason that this has been a decidedly left-right issue.

[Boris Godunov]

I can't wait to visit the Verizon Capitol Building on my next trip to DC.

[Drake Tungsten]

Obama pretty effectively destroyed campaign finance reform in the last presidential election. It's good of SCOTUS to put an explanation point on it for the people who didn't notice.

[Elok]

Thankfully, I've just about lost faith in democracy anyway.

[Solomwi]

About time that Sec. 203 band-aid was ripped off. Of course, if we didn't put everything under the sun in Congress' hands, or sit idly by while they do so themselves, influence with Congressmen would be worth far, far less to corporations and everybody else than it is now.

[Berzerker]

too bad the vote was split, should have been unanimous

and just what do the Dems think will happen when they mandate we "buy" health insurance? Somebody will say no and take it to the courts and the centerpiece of their "reforms" will sink.

And instead of apologizing for violating the Constitution, McCain is upset at the court?

[Darius871]

Of course, if we didn't put everything under the sun in Congress' hands, or sit idly by while they do so themselves, influence with Congressmen would be worth far, far less to corporations and everybody else than it is now.

I was prone to giving this a hear-hear until thinking about it a bit - even if Congress handled less and state governments handled more, wouldn't the latter be equally susceptible to money's influence? The last time I checked, the First Amendment was incorporated against the states...

[Solomwi]

I was prone to giving this a hear-hear until thinking about it a bit - even if Congress handled less and state governments handled more, wouldn't the latter be equally susceptible to money's influence? The last time I checked, the First Amendment was incorporated against the states...

Of course they are, but (a) the principle applies generally, even if I stated it specifically regarding Congress, and (b) competition between states would be a more effective check than it is on the national level.

[SlowwHand]

As a veteran, I have lifetime use of the V.A. Hospital. It only cost 4 years.

[Thoth]

Thankfully, I've just about lost faith in democracy anyway.

Guy Fawkes had the right idea.


Parliament (Congress) + Gunpowder = WIN.