John Nichols: Feingold Fears "Lawless" Court Ruling on Corporate Campaigning

[marmar]

from The Nation:



Feingold Fears "Lawless" Court Ruling on Corporate Campaigning
posted by John Nichols on 01/12/2010 @ 09:12am


More than one hundred years ago, after a 1904 president race that saw big life insurance companies pour money into the project of electing Republican Teddy Roosevelt, the defeated Democratic candidate, Judge Alton Parker, raised the question of whether presidents and congresses would simply be bought by corporations seeking policies that favored their interests.

"The greatest moral question which now confronts us is: Shall the trusts and corporations be prevented from contributing money to control or aid in controlling elections?" declared Parker.

Roosevelt recognized that when he relied on corporate money to overwhelm an opponent, he stood on the wrong side of democracy and put the American experiment at risk. That recognition made the 26th president a reformer. He called for full public financing of federal campaigns and told the Congress in 1905 that: "All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law."

Roosevelt did not get full public financing, and real reformers are still struggling to achieve this most necessary of all electoral reforms.

But Congress did in 1907 pass the Tillman Act, which banned corporate giving. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/515747/feingold_fears_lawless_court_ruling_on_corporate_campaigning

[fascisthunter]

1. there's a Very Important Reason why Corporations Giving Money Should NOT Be Allowed

it's bribery, plain and simple!

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Amen!

[lsewpershad]

3. AND AMEN

[truedelphi]

4. Proud to be K & R'er number 23. n/t