Alan Grayson Introduces Bills To Fight Corporate Money In Politics

[laughingliberal]

Anticipating a Supreme Court decision that could free corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) introduced five bills on Wednesday to choke off the expected flood of corporate cash.

"We are facing a potential threat to our democracy," Grayson said in an interview with HuffPost. "Unlimited corporate spending on campaigns means the government is up for sale and that the law itself will be bought and sold. It would be political bribery on the largest scale imaginable."

At issue in the Supreme Court case is whether the government can limit corporate spending during presidential and congressional campaigns. The case is pitting Citizens United, a conservative group, against the Federal Election Commission. The FEC banned ads for Citizens United's film bashing Hillary Clinton during the 2008 election season.

Grayson introduced a handful of bills on Wednesday -- the Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act, the Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act, the End Political Kickbacks Act, and two other measures.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/14/alan-grayson-introduces-b_n_423658.html

More detail at link. I love this guy!

[WCGreen]

1. What it really means is fascism.

[bjobotts]

38. The end of democracy. A facist corporatocracy. Complete civil war

[alp227]

2. Go Grayson! Go Grayson!

He dares to make such great statements as "die quickly"...and now these types of bills that will give the vote back to the people.

[liberalmike27]

7. A Democrat With Balls

That hasn't given up all hope for humanity, and whored themselves out to corporate power.

Imagine that!?

[Lorien]

23. No, a Democrat with a SPINE

It doesn't take "balls" to have nerves of steel and courage to spare:

[undeterred]

3. Awesome.

[OHdem10]

4. Keep at it , Cong. Grayson!!

[avaistheone1]

5. Grayson is one of the outstanding and real patriots in the US Congress.

:kick:

[Union Yes]

6. One of the few bright lights left in the current Dem party. Thanks for taking a stand, Al! knr nt

[bjobotts]

39. Almost single handedly got the ACORN crap appealed

[Norrin Radd]

8. kr

[kristopher]

9. KR and another snip

"The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act would impose a 500 percent excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns. The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act would require public companies to report what they spend to influence public opinion on any matter other than the promotion of their goods and services. The End Political Kickbacks Act would restrict political contributions by government contractors.

The other measures would apply antitrust regulations to political committees and bar corporations from securities exchanges unless the corporation is certified in compliance with election law..."




This sounds good.

[laughingliberal]

10. One more bump for my favorite House Democrat!! nt

[JoeyT]

11. I knew if there was a bill that did this it'd be Grayson pushing it.

Long ago had to give up my pledge to give money to Democrats every time they did something good.
The man was bankrupting me.

Where ever he came from, we need about 80 more just like him.

[DisgustedInMN]

12. I wish we had...

...Alan Grayson in the White House.

THAT would be "change you can believe in."

[lsewpershad]

13. Grayson for president

[Luciferous]

30. He would be better than the one we've got! Maybe we could

get some REAL change...

[Smashcut]

14. Now that is a DEMOCRAT.

The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act! I love this guy!

[fl_dem]

15. he makes me proud to be a Floridian n/t

[bobbolink]

16. I fear its a losing fight, and I appreciate his optimism.

I wonder how long he will be able to fight for us before burning out....

:hug: for a great congresscritter! :patriot:

[laughingliberal]

18. I think he's got what it takes. He seems to enjoy kicking him some fascist butts and he has plenty

of his own money meaning he does not have to spend so much energy fund raising.

[bobbolink]

37. I'm glad to hear all that, and I hope you are right. However, I've heard that he has a tough

re-election fight ahead of him.

~~fingers crossed~~

[drm604]

17. If the SC rules the wrong way, won't his bills become unconstitutional?

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but would they achieve anything?

[laughingliberal]

19. Well, he is an attorney so he should know what he's doing in this regard

Just reading through the description of some of the bills he is proposing, it looks as if they would pass muster. None of his laws appear to place arbitrary limits on amounts of money which is, I think, at the heart of Citizens United's case.

[drm604]

20. That makes sense.

Hopefully you're correct.

Of course, the bills have to pass and we all know how difficult that will be.

[laughingliberal]

22. Yes, getting through the RW Dems in the Senate may be a challenge

Perhaps in the House, too. One of his bills is about sunshine. Could be a problem for those benefiting from unlimited contributions.

[Unvanguard]

45. The monetary limits on contribution are not at issue in Citizens United.

Rather, it is independent expenditures by corporations in the immediate weeks before an election that mention a candidate's name.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

21. Thanks Alan, you are my hero

And the last of a dying breed of independent thinkers if corporations control the process any more than they already do.

[pleah]

24. K&R

[Odin2005]

25. YAY!

[Roland99]

26. We'd be better served by legislation explicitly REVOKING Corporate Personhood

[liberation]

27. I love this guy, in a bromance sort of way...

Probably won't change much. But at least the record will reflect that there were some people with a conscience during our trip around the drain of history.

[Political Heretic]

28. None of it matters, because the freshman has no traction with corporate democratic majority

But it feels nice.

[defendandprotect]

29. Love Grayson . . . though our democracy is mostly gone . ... if we ever had one!

[Mari333]

31. knr

[Luciferous]

32. They'll never let the bills get anywhere, but I still love him for trying

[moondust]

33. Grayson could be the next Ted Kennedy.

Brains, credentials, his own money, and on the side of The People.

[JohnnyHardhat]

34. Oh please oh please!

I've been waiting for a robust campaign finance reform bill for ages. IF we've learned nothing else this last year, its that our country is in the hands of corporate interests not ours! Go Grayson!

[Bozita]

35. Simply awesome!

[Clear Blue Sky]

36. Start with the health care bill...nt

[me b zola]

40. K&R

[JNelson6563]

41. This guy keeps opening up the cans o' whoop ass!

I just love him!

[varelse]

42. The more I hear about this guy, the more I love him

"Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act"

:thumbsup:

[slipslidingaway]

43. knr nt

[bkohatlanta]

44. The one fear Thomas Jefferson had about America

Was that Rich People would buy off Government Officials. He saw it coming. Government of the Vicious Rich, By the Vicious Rich, For the Vicious Rich.

[valerief]

46. Thank you, Alan! nt