Super PACs have already spent 50 times what they did in 2012.
By Thom Hartmann A...
The last two presidential election cycles broke every campaign spending record in history, but the 2016 race is shaping up to blow those two out of the water.
According to a new report from the Center for Responsive Politics, as of September 21st, political groups “outside the party or official campaign structure” have flooded the 2016 race with more than $25 million dollars, which is five times more than the last presidential race.
And, single-candidate groups – AKA Super PACs – have already spent 55 times more money than they had at this point in the 2012 race.
Unsurprisingly, most of that campaign cash was spent to benefit Republicans. Only one of the 20 top spending groups has a “liberal view” according to the report, and the others are working to help put a Republican in the White House.
Of course, the Right continues to claim that Super PACs are just 'free speech' that is not affiliated with the official campaigns, but that is simply laughable.
Robert Maguire, one of the study's researchers, said, “Single-candidate PACs have been around for the last two elections, and they make a mockery of the FEC's coordination rules.” He added, “A super PAC founded by your best friend that does nothing but raise money and buy ads supporting your candidacy is not an independent organization.”
These groups aren't independent and the only speech they represent is the speech of millionaires and billionaires. Ever since the disastrous Citizens United decision in 2010, our nation has moved further and further away from a small-d democracy.
If we don't stand up and fight back, this next election could be the all-out sale of our government and the White House.
We have to silence the Super PACs by saying that corporations are not people, money is not speech, and by voting for candidates that promise to overturn Citizens United.
Comments
#2
Unfortunately Thom, there is NO way that we can, before the next election, fulfill your last statement -- "We have to silence the Super PACs by saying that corporations are not people, money is not speech, and by voting for candidates that promise to overturn Citizens United."
So, if Bernie doesn't get elected with enough support in Congress to seriously change our corporate controlled electoral processes -- we will (IMHO) certainly no longer have a democracy (small d)!
--
Tell me Thom, can you see ANY other way we can stop this madness before the next election? Do you see any "hope on the horizon?"
#3
Guessing the money in political coffers is predeominantly spent on paying
ad agencies to make and air political ads.
This suggests the quickest way to constrict money in politics is to go after the rules
used by the FCC on who gets TV time, and how much time do they get.
The Repubs will scream "thought police" and such FCC rule changes would go to the
supreme court.
So better have a few judge changes on the Supreme Court before trying this plan.
Still, it looks far more doable than a constitutional amendment.
ct
#4
I think Thom should bring up the FAKE news story about the 5 year old girl and the Pope, She blitzed past Secret Service and got into the Popemobile with a T shirt and a letter. AP and USA Today all said it was a pre planned and not spontaneous.
Thom should address how MSM manipulates the public sentiment with BS like this. His show had this story on and it needs to be retracted/ajusted.
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I think more money should be spent .... however, I also think that the air media (TV & Radio) should be required to give a certain amount of free time for the candidates to address issues, perhaps a 3 minutes min. for each candidate, and it has to be on an issue, not just I.m good person and he/she is a bad person..