Join the "Rapid Response" for McCutcheon v FEC

By Oil Change International

80% of Americans believe the terrible decision on Citizens United on June 21, 2010 has worsened corruption in our elections and our politicians. Even 67% and more Republicans and Tea Party members say Citizens United has caused more corruption in our Republic. The amount of money in politics by the Koch Brothers dark money, the Super PACS, the corporations, and the ultra-rich have taken our elections away from the people and corrupted our politicians worse than ever before. Look at the meme above by Oil Change International, look at how outside money effected the Scott Walker (R-WI) recall election, and many more. We must get money out of politics! Even the Republicans and Tea Party members recognize that it is a problem. To join over 120 organizations in getting state resolutions to get Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United go to www.United4thePeople.org 
Below I'm reprinting an e-mail from Victor Tiffany from Move To Amend, an organization doing great work in this effort. Please look at all the ways you can join in this, and other, very important efforts to get money out of politics. Please join the "Rapid Response" to McCutcheon v FEC through "Thunderclap," find an event near you to participate in.

"If there’s a world here in a hundred years, it’s going to be saved by tens of millions of little things.  The powers-that-be can break up any big thing they want. They can corrupt it or co-opt it from the inside, or they can attack it from the outside.  But what are they going to do about 10 million little things?  They break up two of them, and three more like them spring up!"

~~Pete Seeger

Hi folks,

The response to the final environmental report on Keystone XL was an unbelievably powerful message to the president on Monday night, when over 10,000 people gathered at an astounding 283 vigils in 49 states, plus DC and Canada, to protest Keystone XL. Organized in just 72 hours, it was the biggest, rapid-response, on-the-ground demonstration of Obama’s presidency.

We can duplicate that response to the McCutcheon decision, but we need to deploy our social media resources right away.

The following are suggested messages for those with Twitter and Facebooks accounts to use.

First, this is the ThunderClap tweet, scheduled for Feb. 20, and it's something you can sign up to participate in,  if you have not already, here:
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/8691-money-out-voters-in

The ThunderClap will read:

“IT'S COMING! Did YOU sign up for a #McCutcheon response event? Do it today: http://www.moneyout-votersin.org #getmoneyout http://thndr.it/1aZmav2”  

Second, I suggest for Twitter users between now and Feb 20th when the ThunderClap will go out:

IT'S COMING! Did YOU sign up for a #McCutcheon response event? Do it today: http://www.moneyout-votersin.org #getmoneyout http://tinyurl.com/mj4luxc

Third, For Facebook users, I suggest:

The U.S. Supreme Court could issue its ruling in the case some are calling the next Citizens United any day starting Feb. 24th. On October 8, 2013 the Court heard arguments for McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. Never before has our political campaign system been as corrupted as now with unlimited corporate spending and dark money. Our democracy is eroding before us. But all over the country people are also fighting back and demanding change.

Now is the time to take our fight to the next level and mobilize across the country on the day of the McCutcheon ruling. Have you signed up for a #McCutcheon response event? Do it today:  #getmoneyout

http://tinyurl.com/mj4luxc

I will be posting that on about two dozen Move to Amend Facebook pages and on Obstruct Plutocracy - Liberate Democracy, Chica's Rants, Citizens Against Plutocracy and the Progressives United Against DINO Democrats Facebook pages. The tiny url link goes to the Money Out - Voters In map of planned events, just like the successful Keystone pipe line vigil announcements.

Are you with MoveOn? They can blast this out regionally. People for the American Way just sent a blast out to promote this to their members today. We can double the number of events currently planned, but it will require effort from everyone with access to social media. We still have at least two full weeks and three weekends to build this Rapid Response.  A copy and paste effort on Twitter and Facebook won't take but a few minutes.

Ready? Set. Post.

Victor Tiffany

Acting State-wide Coordinator, Move to Amend

Writer, The Syracuse Examiner

Senior Columnist, The Amendment Gazette

Ithaca, NY 14850

Please get involved now! Also, to keep control of the U.S. Senate, and take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives we will need to GET OUT THE VOTE IN 2014 to have any chance against the gerrymandering and Voter ID (suppression) laws that the Republicans and TeaPublicans have put in place.

How Fair Are Our Elections? Do the Democrats Have a Chance of Winning Back the House?

 Gerrymandering, Voter ID Laws Created for a Virtually Non-Existent Problem, Voter Suppression, Disenfranchising Voters, How Fair Are Our Elections?

Original meme by www.Facebook.com/StoptheObstructionistTeaParty and www.Medic3569.blogspot.com

 Republicans have passed "Voter ID" laws in 34 states that often address things other than preventing people to vote when their not eligible. Laws that restrict early voting hours, types of ID acceptable, not extending voting hours when their are long lines, limiting the number of voting stations in particular areas (where Democrats are more likely to vote,) all suppress, and disenfranchise the vote of minorities and other specified voting demographics. 


 A twitter friend of mine @HenryStradford  tweeted this: "The only true Democracy is India...imagine that! 1+Billion people...consider the logistics of holding elections. Yet, they do.." I have to wonder if he's right.


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The following is from a Center For American Progress Action Fund article on January 16, 2014:

  With election administration delegated to officials and boards in more than 3,000 counties and localities in the United States, the ease with which one exercises his or her right to vote can depend on where he or she lives. Not only do state voting laws differ across the nation, even within a state, county-based election administration varies widely.

  Take, for example, Florida’s Duval County, which during the 2012 election had provisional ballots cast at a rate four times higher than the state average. This is particularly alarming given that Duval County also rejected more than 34 percent of the provisional ballots cast in the county during the 2012 election. Similarly, voters in Indiana’s Tippecanoe County cast provisional ballots at a rate more than seven and a half times the state average. While provisional ballots are legally prescribed and serve as a fail-safe mechanism that allow voters to cast a ballot when questions regarding his or her eligibility to vote arise, both examples raise questions as to why these counties issued provisional ballots at rates so much higher than their state’s average.

Read the Report: http://www.scribd.com/doc/200129107/Unequal-Access-A-County-by-County-Analysis-of-Election-Administration-in-Swing-States-in-the-2012-Election
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Anything Different in the Upcoming Elections?

(CNN) -- The midterm elections are around the corner. The big question will obviously be what happens to control of the House and Senate. But control of Congress is only one part of the equation. There are a series of issues that will shape the individual races that will tell us a lot about which way American politics is heading.

 Former Ohio Rep. Steven LaTourette and the Main Street Partnership, a group with strong backing from the corporate world, are trying to counteract the power of the tea party, which they believe is damaging the standing of the GOP. "We want our party back," LaTourette explained to the The New York Times.

 The most visible battle between a mainstream Republican and tea party Republican is taking place in Kentucky, where Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing a challenge from Matt Bevin in the primary. In Texas, the controversial right-wing Rep. Steve Stockman is running against Sen. John Cornyn.

 There are certain must-wins for Democrats if they are to show that they are capable of taking advantage of this moment. In Florida's 13th District, Alex Sink, a well-known and well-respected Democrat, is attempting to win the seat of long-term Republican veteran Bill Young, who recently died, leaving  open this highly competitive district. If Democrats can't win this special election on March 11, it will signal trouble. Read More of CNN.COM's Five Big Questions on 2014 Elections

Retirements Hurt Democrats' House Prospects

AP Photo

 The Democratic quest to win the House majority has always been something close to mission impossible. A procession of lawmakers opting for retirement is pushing the prize even further beyond the party’s grasp.
Seventeen seats shy of the majority and confronting an electoral landscape tilted against them, Democrats have virtually no room for error in the November midterms. Yet the problems they’re encountering of late are coming from within their own ranks. Read More Politico - House Democrats Retiring

Democrats Will Need to Get Out the Vote To Have Any Chance 

 With all the Republicans efforts to tip the elections in their favor through Voter ID laws, suppressing votes, disenfranchising voters, gerrymandering, and the backing of the ultra-rich and corporations, it will be very difficult, to say the least, to keep control of the Senate, much less, to win back the House.  If the U. S. Supreme Court sides with McCutcheon in the McCutcheon v FEC, which it heard arguments for on October 8, 2013, it will be that much harder and a total disaster for our beloved country. The U. S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision created "Corporate Personhood" and removed limits on how much corporations could contribute to political campaigns, and donors could be kept unanimous. As you can see in the meme below top donors from the fossil fuel industry contributed  over $11M in the 2012 election cycle. If the court sides with McCutcheon those same donors could contribute over $312M, or, 27x more.

  

Fixing a Big Part of the Problem - Taking Money out of Politics

Overturn Citizens United

 There is a growing movement across the country that is calling for the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, in the 2010 Citizens United v FEC case to overturn it through one or more amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

 There are currently Constitutional amendments pending in the Congress that would overturn Citizens United by (1) making it clear that corporations do not have constitutional rights, such as "free speech," which are only for natural persons; and by (2) restoring Congress' and the states' authority to limit campaign gifts and spending. See H.J. Res 20 and  H.J. Res 21.

Overturning the disastrous Citizens United decision is NOT a partisan issue, it is an Across-the-Aisle effort. In a 2010/2011 Peter Hart poll 79% of Americans, including 68% of Republicans, 82% of Independents, and 87% of Democrats "support a Constitutional amendment that would overturn the Citizens United decision and make clear that corporations do not have the same rights as people."

Furthermore, a 2012 Associated Press poll found that 83% of Americans, including 81% of Republicans, 78% of Independents, and 85% of Democrats believe "there should be limits on the amount of money corporations, unions, and other organizations can contribute to outside organizations trying to influence campaigns for President, Senate, and U.S. House."

Free Speech For People has compiled:

• 111 Republicans who have called for an amendment to overturn Citizens United;
• 9 Republicans who have criticized Citizens United for it's claim that corporations have constitutional   rights; and
• 10 more Republicans who have criticized Citizens United in more general terms.

Information in this section of the post, some which has been reprinted was provided by Free Speech For People. 

More than 120 National Organizations -- have endorsed the United for the People collaborative's unified Call to Action for a Constitutional amendment. For information click the link above or go to www.United4ThePeople.org.

 Find an organization operating in your area. Get involved For A Better America and make your voice heard by contacting your;

U.S. Senators and Congressmen and women through GovTrack.us. and

State Assemblymen/women and State Senators at VoteSmart.org

Organizations involved in the effort that you should look at are:

Democracy is for People                        and as a resource: Siena College Moreland Commission poll


Move To Amend                                                                Huff Post Politics - Pearl Korn: Mission is Clear   

United For The People

Government Out of Car Business, McCutcheon v FEC, Monsanto, What Will 2014 Bring?

We Sold GM, Monsanto Protection Continues, Dodd-Frank Still Being Blocked, McCutcheon v FEC Will Totally Destroy Our Republic, But Let's Be Optimistic About the 114th Congress and Hope the Senate Can Get Things Moving

photo by danieljamesfitnessblog.com

A friend of mine made comments on a few items of interest to me in a Facebook post the other day. It caused me to respond. Mind you I agree with this gentleman friend on a number of occasions, and other times, I realize that he watchers Fox News and feel obliged to educate him with facts rather than let him be misguided by the fabricated, nonsensical, misleading, false, unsubstantiated, bullshit that his source puts out on a constant basis. He is goodhearted, and means well, and is actually working to start a mission down in Florida to help the homeless and other people in his community. I will only share excerpts of his post in the interest of space, and holding my readers interest. Here is one paragraph that is relevant to some of what I want to talk about today:

They knew it was the beginning of the end for a democratic and free society when the Gov't [sic] starts to take over an industry and interfears [sic]in private business---For if the Gov't [sic] could essentially federalize the auto industry and use taxpayer money to fund the banks---The question they asked is if the gov't good [sic]do this, then what would they take over next??? 

My response was:

Actually just a couple weeks ago the government sold the rest of it's shares of GM back and is no longer in the car making business. I think it was a good move to help the auto industry, it saved a lot of good paying manufacturing jobs. In fact I recently saw that I think Jeep and another manufacturer is bringing new plants back to the U.S.

He mentioned Monsanto, a particularly sore subject with me:

" and the gov't [sic] taking over the food supply by the Monsanto Protection Act allowing the Gov't [sic] to grant immunity to corporations as they poison our food--"

As far as Monsanto, it makes me sick and I'm involved in a few campaigns against them. This is one of the things I agree with him on. Recently, the extension of the Monsanto Protection Act was passed by Congress when it was attached, at the last minute, to a spending bill. The law, which protects Monsanto and other biotech giants from the threat of lawsuits and denies the federal courts from putting a ban on GMO sales, was a last minute addition to the House of Agriculture Appropriations Bill for 2013 and is part of the short-term FY14 Continuing Resolution Spending bill.

He started the post with this:

"There was this new group out there that called themselves the Tea Party, warning the gov't [sic] had gotten too big. I believe they started out under Bush saying essentially "hey this guy is betraying us and the country..... it's not the gov'ts [sic] job to bail out big business."

The banks and financial industry, well, I'm totally pissed off and report regularly on the progress of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act on my blog www.Medic3569.blogspot.com. I think the biggest problem we have in this country right now is money in politics, thanks to the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision. 'Corporations are Not People," and "Money is Not Speech," although you would never know that because our politicians and elections, hell, our Republic" are thoroughly corrupted by the ultra-rich, corporations, and Super-PACS. I joined Move to Amend here in New York. They are part of United4thePeople.org, they are involved with over 120 organizations nationwide trying to get State Resolutions to get the Congress to introduce, and pass, a Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United. I met with my State Senator, Lee Zeldin a couple weeks ago on their behalf, I have another meeting coming up before he returns to session in January. To make thing even worse, MUCH WORSE, the Supreme Court heard McCutcheon v FEC (where an Alabama businessman is challenging the aggregate limits on individual campaign contributions) on October 8th, and if they decide in favor of McCutcheon (which they probably will because the same "Conservative 5" that approved Citizens United are still there) it will remove aggregate campaign contribution limits from individuals.

Whereas Citizens United only removed the limits from corporations, unions and such, Whereas the top donors of the fossil fuel industry contributed $11,504,213 dollars during the 2012 election cycle, those SAME top donors will be able to contribute $312,455,200. That will be the absolute end of people having a say ion anything.

Anyway, I wanted to talk about these things as well as many others before the House and Senate go back to (ha ha) work next week. I will be posting about other important subjects like extending Unemployment, passing a farm bill that doesn't cut another $40B from food stamps and much more. I'd like to hear what you think so please feel free to use the "Comment" section below each of my posts to engage.

Ripoffs Capitalists Don't Want you To Know - How J.P. Morgan Profits From Food Stamps

 

Seven Ripoffs That Capitalists Would Like to Keep out of the Media

Photo by www.richgibson.com

 In an article by Common Dreams - Seven Ripoffs That Capitalists Would Like to Keep Out of the Media by Paul Buchheit on December 16, 2013he explains how "Tax-avoiding, consumer-exploiting big business leaders are largely responsible for these abuses. Congress just lets it happen. Corporate heads and members of Congress seem incapable of relating to the people that are being victimized, and the mainstream media seems to have lost the ability to express the views of lower-income Americans."
  

Corporations Profit from Food Stamps

 

It's odd to think about billion-dollar financial institutions objecting to cuts in the SNAP program, but some of them are administrators of the program, collecting fees from a benefit meant for children and other needy Americans, and enjoying subsidies of state tax money for services that could be performed by the states themselves. They want more people on food stamps, not less. Three corporations have cornered the market: JP Morgan, Xerox, and eFunds Corp.

According to a JP Morgan spokesman, the food stamp program "is a very important business to JP Morgan. It's an important business in terms of its size and scale...The good news from JP Morgan's perspective is the infrastructure that we built has been able to cope with that increase in volume.."

 Furthermore;

•  Crash the Economy, Get Your Money Back. Die with a Student Loan, Stay in Debt. The financial industry has manipulated the bankruptcy laws to ensure that high-risk derivatives, which devastated the market in 2008, have FIRST CLAIM over savings deposit insurance, pension funds, and everything else. 

•  Almost 70% of Corporations Are Not Required to Pay ANY Federal Taxes. And that's even before tax avoidance kicks in. The 'nontaxable' designation exempts 69% of U.S. corporations from taxes, thus sparing them the expense of hiring tax lawyers to contrive tax avoidance strategies.

•  Lotteries Pay for Corporate Tax Avoidance. This means revenue comes from the poorest residents of a community rather than from billion-dollar corporations. Many of the lottery players don't realize how bad the odds are. Fill out $2 tickets for 12 hours a day for 50 years and you'll have half a chance of winning.

•  The National Football League Pays No Federal Taxes. One of the most profitable organizations in America, with billions in tickets, TV rights, and merchandise sales, and with an NFL Commissioner who earned more money than the CEOs of Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, and AT&T, is considered a non-profit. It has a tax-exempt status. 

•    Live on Park Avenue, Get a Farm Subsidy. A disturbing but fascinating report called "Farm Subsidies and the Big Dogs" lists Washington, DC, Chicago, and New York City, in that order, as the worst offenders.

• In New York, "Many entities receive the federal subsidies at their downtown office buildings, such as 30 Rockefeller Plaza, or at their million dollar residential condos."

• In Chicago, "Nearly every neighborhood in the city receives federal farm subsidy payments - including the Gold Coast, Downtown-Loop, Lincoln Park, and even the President's neighbors in Hyde Park."

• In Washington, "Even U.S. Senators are receiving farm subsidy checks." 

• Profit Margin Magic: Turning a dollar into $100,000. Which costs the consumer more, printer ink or bottled water? Calculations by DataGenetics reveal that the ink in a $16.99 cartridge comes to almost $3,400 per gallon. The cost of a gallon of cartridge ink would buy enough gasoline to run the average car for over two years.

 

What They Don't Want You To Know About

 Capitalism and Socialism 

Photo by
stevensonfinancialmarketing.wordpress.com

In an article by David Gruder in The NewIQ.com David asks; "Do you know the real difference between socialism and capitalism?" He explains that quite a number of politicians and pundits today are counting on you NOT knowing, so they can manipulate you into believing whatever serves them and their ideology for you to believe. Here, in the spirit of spin-busting, are the secrets about capitalism and socialism that those particular pundits and politicians don't want you to know.

Capitalism has each person pay only for the cost of whatever they choose to purchase. Not more, not less. In contrast, socialism spreads among financially capable citizens the cost of projects or services that a society (or a group) needs in order to function.
Capitalism works best with purchases you alone are free to make as an exercise of your personal freedom. Socialism works best with costs connected with infrastructures deemed necessary for the common good.

Do you believe in emergency services like police, fire, paramedics, military? Emergency services are forms of socialism.

Do you believe in epidemic prevention infrastructures like sewers, garbage removal, water purification, etc? Public health strategies are forms of socialism.

Do you believe in the importance of transportation infrastructure, such as properly maintained roadways, public transportation, and air traffic control? Transportation infrastructure maintenance is a form of socialism.

Do you believe in insurance? Yes, even health insurance, and in fact all insurance, is a form of socialism. Why? Because it spreads costs evenly among everyone in an insurance category even though each individual uses uneven amounts of their health coverage.

So What Does All This Mean To Me?

Well, it goes back to realizing how much power and influence that the ultra-rich and corporations have over our lives. It was made much worse when the Supreme Court, on January 21, 2010 made the Citizens United v FEC (Federal Election Commission) decision. Removing limits on how much corporations could contribute to campaigns gave the corporations a tremendous amount of influence over politicians and corrupted our Republic, our elections, and our politicians. Top donors in the fossil fuel industry donated $11,504,213 in campaign contributions in the 2012 election cycle.

  The Supreme Court heard another case McCutcheon v FEC on October 8, 2013 in which an Alabama businessman, shaun McCutcheon has sued to have aggregate limits removed from individuals, which would allow those same individuals to contribute 27x more, or $312,455,200. That's only the top donors in the fossil fuel industry.

What Can I Do?

Photo by corporationsarenotpeople.com

 The information below was compiled by Democracy is For People, a Public Citizen project. See www.democracyisforpeople.org for more information. Also see NY 4 Democracy for additional information.

There is a grass-roots movement underway to get the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision overturned through getting states to get resolutions to get the Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment to overturn the decision. This will not be easy but so far, 16 states have passed resolutions, and in New York, 16 municipalities have passed local resolutions. More than 120 national organizations have endorsed the United For The People collaborative's unified Call to Action for a Constitutional Amendment. Contact them and get involved at www.United4ThePeople.org 

Polling has long indicated robust popular support for an amendment, across party lines. For example, a 2010/2011 Peter Hart poll found that 79% of Americans, including 68% of Republicans, 82% of Independents, and 87% of Democrats "support a Constitutional Amendment that would overturn the Citizens United decision and make clear that corporations do not have the same rights as people."

Further, a 2012 Associated Press poll found that 83% of Americans, including 81% of Republicans, 78% of Independents, and 85% of Democrats believe "there should be limits on the amount of money corporations, unions, and other organizations can contribute to outside organizations trying to influence campaigns for President, Senate, and U.S. House."

The use of so-called Super PACS by wealthy individuals has driven up the cost of elections (altogether, Super PACS spent $609 million during the 2012 election cycle) to over $6B in the federal elections alone and reduced local voices in the democratic process. 

A March poll conducted by ABC News/Washington Post showed that over two-thirds of Americans (69%) felt Supers PACS should be illegal - over half of these people (52%) said they strongly supported such a move.  Among Tea Party supporters the number was the same: 69% of Tea Party supporters felt that Super PACS should be outlawed.

Get involved, contact your State Senators, Congressmen/women, and Assemblymen/women. Go to Vote Smart to your STATE Senator and Assembly members.

Scott Walker, The Koch Bothers, Campaign Finance Irregularities, Dark Money, Who Would of Thought?

WI Club for Growth, Target of Walker Recall Probe, at Center of Dark Money Web 

And the Koch Brothers are Mentioned, Who Would Have Thought?

Governor Scott Walker's campaign and dozens of Republican-aligned political groups have been subpoenaed in a wide-ranging probe into potential campaign finance violations during Wisconsin's contentious 2011 and 2012 recall elections, and a group at the center of the storm appears to be Wisconsin Club for Growth, one of the top spenders during the recalls and whose leaders have close ties to Governor Walker and national donors, including the Koch brothers. 
Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch Article - Nov. 18, 2013

The Wall Street Journal reports that the secret "John Doe" investigation has hit “dozens of conservative groups with subpoenas demanding documents related to the 2011 and 2012 campaigns to recall Governor [Scott] Walker and state legislative leaders.”  For two years, Governor Scott Walker was caught up in an earlier John Doe probe into political corruption during his 2010 campaign for governor. A second John Doe is underway, and that it is led by Francis Schmitz, a former federal prosecutor who was on George W. Bush's shortlist for a U.S. attorney appointment.

 

Unlimited, Undisclosed, Campaign Contributions Allowed by Citizens United is not Enough for the Corporations, Ultra-Rich, and Super PACS

If unlimited corporate campaign contributions and undisclosed donors (made possible by the  Citizens United v Federal Election Commission ruling by the Supreme Court) don't create enough corruption and influence, corruption in our elections, and influence of our politicians is exacerbated by schemes of dark money. Does that remind you of anyone? Oh yes, The Koch brothers in October of this year, Addicting Info article, 10/27/2013 - Koch Funded Groups To Pay Hugh Fine Following California Dark Money Case  where two Koch supported dark money groups funneled $11M (a total of $15M when it was done) to yet another Koch funded group, which passed it on to a 4th Koch supported group, to oppose two propositions. One proposition was to raise Sales and Income tax while the other would have limited campaign contributions through payroll deductions. 

 

 

The Koch Bothers Attempt to Destroy Social Security

In August of 2013 Senator Bernie Sanders exposed the Koch brothers for trying to destroy Social Security Video of Bernie Sanders on Liberals Unite Exposing Koch Brothers by giving almost $30M to think tanks to write 300 position papers as part of an Echo Chamber created by the brothers . The papers distorted facts like "Raising the Retirement Age a Must," "Social Security is Going Broke," and "We Should Privatize Social Security." The echo chamber utilizes the papers produced by the think tanks, which distort facts (watch the video) through the position papers, pundits, media, and campaign contributions to politicians. 

 

The Koch Brothers and Their Dark Money Rears It's Ugly Head Again

Well here they are again, this time with Scott Walker. Yes, the WI Governor that was recalled after busting  public employee unions, and then won the recall election with a great deal of outside money. The Wisconsin Club for Growth dropped at least $9.1 million supporting Governor Walker, and legislative Republicans, in the 2011 and 2012 recall elections, making it one of the top spenders in the state. It turns out that outside money wasn't the only thing in play.

 "Although the group does not disclose its donors, information that can be gathered from tax filings shows that Wisconsin Club for Growth group took in funds from some of the top Republican donors and Koch-connected dark money conduits in the country, and in turn shuffled millions to other organizations that spent money on ads in 2011 and 2012, all while keeping Wisconsin voters in the dark about the true source of the funds," the Center for Media and Democracy's article states.

The Koch Brothers aren't satisfied with the ability to make unlimited campaign contributions through corporations, made possible by the 2010 Supreme Court ruling. It astonishes this writer that with the Citizens United ruling allowing the unlimited, undisclosed, corporate campaign contributions that it isn't enough. The brothers as well as the ultra-rich, large corporations, and the numerous Super PACS are not satisfied with the amount of influence and power they have over controlling issues important to them. They still feel the need to corrupt our republic with dark money and use everything money can buy to hurt American people, and this country, just to get even more of the wealth. They are out of control and destroying this country. Elections and Politicians are being significantly influenced.

McCutcheon v FEC Will Allow Contributors to Donate 27x More Than They Did in the 2012 Election Cycle!

Timeline Photos

It will get much worse if the the Supreme (Conservative 5) Court Justices rule in favor of McCutcheon. They will most likely rule in the favor of Shaun McCutcheon, an Alabama businessman, in the McCutcheon v FEC case heard October 8, 2013, because the same 5 Conservative Justices are still there that ruled on Citizens United. A ruling in McCutcheon's favor will remove aggregate limits on individual campaign contributions. Top contributors from the fossil fuel industry gave $11,504,213  during the last election cycle. Contributors will be able to contribute 27x more, or $312,455,200, in the next election cycle. Altogether, Super PACS spent $609M during the 2012 election cycle. Overall outside spending topped $1.29 Billion with a "B."  If this is not fixed this country will be destroyed.

Some Actual Facts About Who Thinks Citizens United Is Bad For This Country

by Democracyisforpeople.org

More than two-thirds of respondents to an Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) survey, conducted in April 2012, including 71% of Republicans, believe that "if a company spent $100,000 to help elect a member of Congress it could successfully pressure him or her to change a vote on proposed legislation." shows poll influenced by these groups.

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Brennan Center for Justice (24 April 2012). “National Survey: Super PACs, Corruption, and Democracy.” Re

trieved 27 April

2012, from

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/national_survey_super_pacs_corruption_and_democracy

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In a March 2012 poll conducted by ABC/Washington Post showed that over two-thirds of Americans (69%) felt Super Pacs should be illegal. Among Tea Party supporters, the number was the same: 69% of Tea Party supporters felt Super PACS should be illegal.
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Eggen, D. (17 Feb 2010, 15 Sept 2011). "Poll:

Large majority opposes Supreme Court's decision on campaign financing."

Washington Post.

Retrieved 15 Sept, 2011, from

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp

-

dyn

/content/article/2010/02/17/AR2010021701151.html

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Here's What YOU Can Do: Get Involved

We must act now to defend this great Republic. You can help by contacting your Assemblymen/women, your Congressmen/women, and your Senators. Use the links below to find and contact YOUR Representatives and tell them you support local resolutions to have the Congress introduce and pass a Constitutional Amendment to OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED.

 U.S. Senate Home                     Find your Congressmen/women at House.gov 

Find your Assemblymen/women and all your Representatives at votesmart.org