Could the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision soon be overturned?
By louisehartmann
One year after the ruling - could the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision soon be overturned? The progressive organization Common Cause is asking the Department of Justice to look into possible “conflict of interest” behind the scenes of the Citizens United ruling. In the petition to the DOJ – Common Cause argues that Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia should have recused themselves from the Citizens United case since they were actively involved in political strategy sessions hosted by the billionaire Koch Brothers – two men who benefited considerably from the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The allegation is based on documents obtained by ThinkProgress and the New York Times that suggest the two Justices attended a Palm Springs event hosted by the Koch brothers around the same time the high court was hearing arguments in the case. If the petition is successful – the DOJ could disqualify Justices Scalia and Thomas from the ruling – and thus overturn the decision altogether. Of course this wouldn’t be the first time Scalia and Thomas demonstrated a “conflict of interest”. Thomas didn’t recuse himself from the Bush v. Gore decision in 2000 that handed the presidency over to George W. Bush even though Thomas’s wife was working on the Bush transition team. And Scalia went on a hunting trip with former Vice President Dick Cheney right before he ruled in favor of Cheney in a case before the high court. Overturning Citizen’s United based on these guys’ impropriety should be just a start – they should also be impeached for corruption.
Comments
#2
The Citizens United decision WILL NEVER BE OVERTURNED!!!
#3
So yesterday the unrecusable 5 supremes decided that "meat" people who work for government contractors effectively have no right to privacy. Who wants to bet that the same 5 will rule that ATT "as a person" does have a right to privacy?
#4
If we have any form of a real republic left it will be overturned but for the sake of justice they should be impeached. Will our corporate media talk about this?..
#5
It is an abomination for corporations to have anything even approaching the rights if a citizen. They are artificial constructs, not living, breathing human beings.
#6
Corporations are people. A corporation should die every 50 years, be dissolved, and pay its estate taxes. When a corporation is convicted of breaking the law, killing people through negligence, etc., it should be "put in prison," and not be allowed any operations for the duration. Corporate employees might be less inclined to facilitate questionable practices, as it could result in loss of their job for months or years while the company's 'body' is in prison. A corporation could be extradited to a foreign country for breaking that country's laws, after all, it's a person! If corporations want civil rights, then they should bear the burden of civil responsibilities, too. Oh, and drug companies would also fall under drug laws, and could have their assets seized and sold at auction. Oh, and the PATRIOT Act would apply to all of them.
#7
Scalia stole our votes, killed our kids, and then told us to get over it
#8
Who would rule on this?
#9
Right to pay tax, right to a fair trial, and also the right to be subjected to the Three Strikes Rule just like criminals in Florida are.
#10
I completely agree with what Dave Bell said.
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#11
Corporations should have NO influence in government above what REAL PEOPLE have. Governments are made up of PEOPLE and are meant to protect PEOPLE. Corporate sponsored/run government is something entirely different and has NO place in a democracy.
I do not understand the logic of the Citizen's United decision. Corporations are NOT people. They cannot enter a voting booth and physically vote. They are not subject to the laws and prosecutions humans are. They enjoy tax breaks humans can never enjoy. They already enjoy corporate influence over judges and policymakers--when humans try to influence politicians, they are hauled off to prison. They enjoy the benefits of corporate welfare and bailouts--taxpayer monies to build new facilities, to pay for lawsuits brought against them by humans. They already give more money to campaigns than humans can. The list is endless. Why should they have unlimited influence on elections that are supposed to be decided for/by the PEOPLE of this country? It appears to me that Citizen's United says corporations are BETTER than PEOPLE.
Citizen's United is a final way for corporations to spoon-feed, legally, their propaganda and fear-mongering, which they hope will influence/scare REAL PEOPLE, who actually enter the voting booth, to vote in their interests.
Impeach Thomas and Scalia. Tell the Koch Brothers their meddling is not wanted--go back to making billions while destroying the planet. How much more money do these guys need?
Money needs to be expunged from the entire election process--see Genuine Campaign Finance Reform in the open forum of this website.
Corporations should have NO rights above what ordinary humans have. They should be able to petition Congress the same as any human. Money given to a politican, be that person a lobbiest/corporation or a citizen, is a bribe--pure and simple. Bribes are illegal--yes? I don't have a lobbiest to take a bundle of money to Washington to have my wishes granted. Neither should they.
#12
My car is covered with bumper stickers that say [IMPEACH THE SUPREME COURT 5].You can get them for free online......
#13
@fatfax, Amen!!!
The Supreme Court has presently five goons and thugs running our government!!!
#14
Corporations should have no rights that we award to a person. Corporations are not persons; they are made up of a collection of persons. Rights are not awarded collectively, rights are awarded individually and those individual rights are protected.
I agree, a constitutional amendment should be written to define this fact.
A constitutional amendment should also be written to limit the term of a Supreme Court justice. Insanity is allowing service for life on this important court.
#15
Indeed.....fight fire with fire. Corporations are not people because they do not have Souls.
#16
...and because of that...they do not answer to God for their actions. They are automatons. The people responsible for turning them loose on society are ultimately responsible for what they do....good or bad. To say corporations are people is to say that Man has created a new form of life. Mary Shelley can supply appropriate metaphors...no?
#17
There are 5 Catholic Justices (I believe) - 4 are ultra-conservative. Guess which ones voted for Citizens United? Guess which ones attended conservative functions? Guess which ones will side for Anti-Abortion decisions in the future? Guess which ones will side for Corporations? Guess which ones will in general rule in favor of decisions and agendas supported by right-wing groups?
This has been in the works for many years by the neo-conservative think tanks, fundamental religious groups, corporate interests and lots of $$$.
There is an Agenda here - guess whose?
Anyone with a modicum of brain matter and reasoning ability deduced this years ago.
The real fight to save Democracy now is who will get to place Supreme Court justices that will side for either the corporations or the People.
Judges who are suppose to be impartial in the name of JUSTICE and equality should not be associating with people or entities for which they then rule in favor for – this goes for both left and right. Judges are human but they have to be impartial – this is the reason for the Blindfold on lady justice!
Big Money own and control The Media Airwaves. They own at least 4 Supreme Court justices. They have Unlimited access to $$$. They now own and control the majority of The House Of Representatives. They are 4 short of owning 50 Senators. And they need to own the presidency.
Guess what the Agenda of Right-Wing Neo-Conservative, Fundamental religious right, and corporate interests are for 2012?
It is no accident that the Cable giant COMCAST has acquired and merged NBC/MSNBC. In the next 2 years watch NBC and MSNBC slide towards the right or become centrist.
There is a concerted and planned agenda by the Right - that is total control of our Democracy. Anyone who believes in his/her freedom(s) and denies this does so at their peril.
#18
Thom
As you may already know, America is being destroyed from within. Not by terrorists, not by anarchist, but by a more sinister threat – neo-conservatism (really fascists masquerading as neo-conservatives). The Republican Party, who maybe were well intentioned 50 years ago, has now morphed into a fascist political party serving new masters – world Corporate/Bank conglomerates. And if not stopped or neutralized soon, it will prove to be the end of Democracy as we know.
I am a Vietnam veteran, worked for the DOD for 30 years, and I am very familiar with Propaganda and how it is used. 30 Years ago Never in a million years would I ever have believed that the American People would be so ignorant and/or fearful enough to ever be swayed by fascist rhetoric and demagogues. Boy was I ever wrong!
I noticed this coming prior to the 2000 Elections, especially on Fox News. When the majority of the American people were lied into invading Iraq and believed the lies, I knew something was very wrong with America. I knew then, as we all know now, that it was all a “Big Lie”, to the detriment of nearly 5000 American killed in that bogus war!
Since then I have noticed how the Propaganda machine has grown and morphed into one giant monster. This was brought home on Friday, 21 Jan, when Keith Olbermann of MSNBC announced his resignation. I kind of figured this was what was going to happen when I read a couple weeks ago that COMCAST was going to merge MBC/MSNBC.
The neo-cons/New Fascists are seeking COMPLETE control of Means to Media. It’s all in the messaging and now with this merger, the machine is in place (Citizens United clinched it) to stifle almost completely the Adversary for the 2012 elections, which is everyone else but the neo-cons/New Fascists and their corporate masters.
What needs to be explained to the American people is the how and why Propaganda works. Most of the time against their own self-interest. Thom needs to address this and explain exactly how it works.
“Goebbels’ Principles Of Propaganda”. If you have not read this gem, do so. This is exactly how the messaging from the Right is being controlled and delivered. I mean, it’s like a word for word blueprint as to what they, the neocons, are practicing! It is very frightening!
Start with an Agenda, Objective or goal. One central authority plans, executes and issues all directives. The central authority oversees all other propaganda activities. The propaganda must impact the enemies policies and actions. The propaganda must evoke the interest of the target audience and be TRANSMITTED through an Attention COMMUNICATIONS Medium! Whether the Message is True or False does not matter. Material from enemy propaganda can be utilized and used against them when it helps diminish the enemy or lends support to the propagandists own objective. Propaganda may be facilitated by LEADERS with PRESTIGE! Propaganda must be CAREFULLY Timed! Propaganda must reach target audience ahead of competing Propaganda. It must begin at optimum Moment. Propaganda must be repeated, repeated Repeated. Propaganda must LABEL EVENTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISTINCTIVE PHREASE OR SLOGANS! It must evoke DESIRED RESPONSES which audience previously has (Emotional prejudices). Must be EASY and simple to Learn! Repeat over and over and over again! Must be boomerang proof. Propaganda must create an OPTIMUM anxiety Level! Then you must reinforce the anxiety by repeating what would happen if defeated. Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying THE TARGETS FOR HATRED! Propaganda must offer some form of action or diversion or both. (Just by reading this distilling of the Principles, bet you can apply it immediately to almost any issue being aired on Fox News?)
I don’t know about you, but after reading the principles a chill went down my spine! This is exactly what is happening in America today and being delivered ad nauseam by the neo-cons and New-Fascists. I mean, you can take anything that Fox News ( and ALL other Right-Leaning organizations) deliver and just follow the 19 points of the Principles and they almost all apply!
The WE, in the American Constitution, have to end this. We must or we are all toast! Literally.
Thom and his WEB Site and His Cable show can go a longs ways to combat this. As long as there are few FREE media outlets, we can expose this corrosive Propaganda. It could be a multipart thing where the 19 Principles are explained. Then when that is done, dissect and expose all messaging coming from the Right using any and or all of the 19 Principles to dissect it line by line. This would be a perfect teaching tool. It is not just enough to counter a lie, it would be much better to explain how and why it is a lie.
But more interesting – who is the “One-Authority” in all this? Carl Rove? Bill Kristol? Corporations? Religious Groups? “Who is the Propagandist-In-Chief”? What is the Agenda? Goal? For certain it is an AGENDA in progress and if WE The People do not do something about this WE will all most suffer for it.
It is interesting that when a Democratic Representative brought up Goebbels, the Nazis and the use of Propaganda concerning the Health-Care bill the other day, there was nothing but horror and condemnation from the Right! I mean a real knee-jerk. Why? They do not want to be exposed. Imagine discussing the very thing they are using to flummox and dupe 200 Million Americans with!
Yes they are using Propaganda. Yes they are lying. Yes they are basically Fascists. And of course they don’t want to discuss Goebbels, the Nazis or the methods they used that eventually ended in a world War and 40-50 Million dead! This is actually one of the Principles – suppressing propagandistically desired material that would help the enemy!
This has to be addressed and not shoved under the rug. I watched in horror after Fox in almost an apoplegtic fit denounced the use of Goebbels, Nazis and propaganda as un-civil in our discourse, while Maddow of MSNBC said, yes, we must NOT use these highly charged words in our Civil Discourse! No more discussion! I shouted at the TV but of course only silence responded. I mean she and everyone else in the Media basically gave up without a fight! I can see and hear the Ultimate-Neo-Con Puppet master dancing and laughing at this one!
#19
I have to say that I disagree with the idea that this is the worst of times. Actually I think it is the best of times. Throughout most history we have been ruled by paternalistic authorities being 3 to 5 percent of the people controlling 90% or more of the wealth. It seems an impossibly difficult struggle unless you look at the big picture. To see how far we have come. We will never be as organized and well funded at that 3 to 5 percent, nor should we aspire to be. They are reptiles standing by in terror as we make way for the Homo Superior. Namaste.
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For Thom: Obama Plan Aims to Ease Mexican Trucking Ban,
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration offered a proposal on Thursday to allow long-haul Mexican trucks to move cargo in the United States.
The proposal, which the Mexican government greeted as a positive step, was the latest sign of a new willingness by the Obama administration to support free-trade measures backed by Republicans and by businesses despite objections from labor unions and other liberal constituencies.
The United States has effectively barred Mexican trucks from operating on American roads since March 2009. Mexico said the ban violated the North American Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in 1994, and retaliated by imposing $2.4 billion in punitive tariffs on a wide range of American agricultural and other products imported to Mexico.
On Thursday, the United States transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, offered a “concept document” that could help resolve the dispute.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/business/07trade.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss