It's time for the FEC to do their job!
By Thom Hartmann A...
Despite the fact that we're in the heat of election season, the agency charged with protecting the process is laying down on the job. That's why groups have begun calling on the Federal Election Commission to get to work.
According to a recent article over at CommonDreams.org, the FEC's failure to update rules and regulate election spending have created a “unprecedented flow of so-called 'dark money' into the U.S. political process.”
In a letter to the commission, groups like Friends of the Earth, Public Citizen, the Center for Media and Democracy, and many others demanded that the FEC address vital regulatory shortfalls.
They wrote, “Since the 2010 Citizens United decision, each election system has seen dramatic changes in the campaign finance environment.” However, they added, “the rules and regulations of the Federal Election Commission have not kept pace.”
Specifically, they want the FEC to update their rules to address three important issues. The groups say the agency must reestablish the disclosure rules that existed before the Commission destroyed them, strengthen rules that keep foreign money out of our political process, and ensure that unregulated Super PACs and outside groups are not working directly with political candidates.
These suggestions are simply common sense, and they would help put our democracy back into the hands of We, The People.
Ever since that disastrous Citizens United decision back in 2010, our democracy has slipped further and further into the hands of the billionaires. It is the job of the Federal Election Commission to address this corruption, and put in place rules that make all our voices have equal value.
By ignoring their duty, the FEC is directly responsible for the unfettered purchase of our democracy, and they should be held accountable. If the commissioners can't get their acts together and stand up to big money, it's time to throw them out and appoint people who will.
Comments
#2
The recent news that grilled meat causes cancer did not say that it's as likely to cause cancer as anything else. It was stated as a zero-or-one proposition. Does it cause cancer?Yes. But does it cause it at anywhere near the rate that smoking tobacco does? No. Frankly, there's no way to compare the danger, because the means of consumption are apples and oranges.
#3
I remember the Joe the Plumber interview. That was epic.
#4
Thom - - just listened to your discussion with a guest on Tuesday’s show where you argued that the flip side of the national debt is that it is the national SAVINGS. You are, of course, absolutely right. I would make the further point that every penny of government spending goes into the nongovernment sector - - whether it is a payment to a military contractor, a supplier of office equipment or a Social Security recipient, someone in the private sector has more money. And when the amount the government spends into the private sector exceeds the amount the government takes out of the private sector through taxes (i.e., it runs a deficit), that excess accrues to the benefit of the private sector. The great Jamie Galbraith has expressed the converse of this: “If the government is running a surplus, money is accruing in governmnet coffers rather than in the hands of ordinary people and companies, where it might be spent and help the economy.”
It seems to me that when the government deficit spends, all the parties involved are happy. For example, if the government wants to buy a fighter jet from Lockheed Martin and “pays for it” by issuing a treasury bond, the government is happy because it gets the fighter jet it wanted, Lockheed Martin is happy because it makes a sale and earns revenue and the investor in the Treasury is happy because he wanted to save his money in a safe, risk-free investment (otherwise he would have done something else with his money). So everyone is happy. Where’s the problem? The only possible problem would be if the additional government spending contributed to inflation. But with inflation at record lows at present, this is not a concern.
#5
Dear Thom, Well it really does look as if we are all pretty well screwed , between the ever increasing number of false flag events that are going to be what is used to take Marshall law like control of our country, we sit back and watch as every aspect of day to day Government has become a vulgar vile corrupt slime pit of egomaniacal criminally insane liar's and cronies we all know exactly what took place in 2000 and the world laughed at us and with that our DOJ did nothing so now we have a built in corruption factor to deal with which is obviously how the collapse was allowed to happened anyway but just look at what we did after the crime was perpetrated. They lobby heavily to change law's that they then manipulate to perpetrate there crime that they cannot now be prosecuted for . MY God how easy is it to see yet when you sit and watch C-span Senate hearing it's a know wonder I've never seen so much ass kissing in my adult life . I'm deeply ashamed of our double standard system that has become the very money pit of all Government & corporate corruption . yet we are held to such high moral & legal standard it's just disgraceful ...
#6
Recent news on grilled meat.
Mathboy; the concern that grilled meat can cause cancer is not recent; has been around for decades I think. What was recent was processed meat, but that too has been asserted for decades. What is new is that a link to cancer has been established according to research. One thing to note is that what is referred to as "processed meat;" are things like hot dogs, sausage, ham, cold cuts, etc. However; other meats that are not what you would think of as "processed meat," also contain chemicals/additives/preservatives --- e.g. uncooked turkey, chicken, pork, ground beef/turkey/chicken for example. Read the labels some time.
On a side note; a new disease has been documented; b. carsonoma; common name; Carson's disease. It is a malignancy that affects the brain; symptoms are befuddlement, inability to think rationally, dishonesty, and lethargy.
#7
Interesting interview with Charles Koch.
Sort of an anything goes Friday. Something that might be worth checking out is this link. http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/corner-office/full-interview-.... It's an hourlong interview with Charles Koch. A couple things I thought interesting was how Daddy Koch raised them; and how he says in essence that it's not him or his brothers or the corporation doing the political work and funding, it's outside organizations. You can listen to or read the interview.
#8
Thanks for the article. I also wonder why the Justuce Department does not do someting about all of the gerrymandered districts that we keep hearing about. If the districts have been drawn to keep a particular party in control, isn't that illegal?
#9
#8 - It is illegal
Who's gonna sue
#10
FEC is doing its job. They are followinng the orders of the ruling elites.
#11
Oh, processed meat, not grilled meat. I couldn't keep track. Thanks.
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