If you still have any optimism, and hope that America can be rescued from the right-wing Jacobin revolution, don't read this. ------ ------ ------ So NOW Cathy Duvall and SF are going to get worked up about campaign finance reform? For six years the NCPC has authorized a working group on CFR, and twice they brought us to DC to get things going...but Cathy and the staff always said, "Sure, you can do that--as long as you don't spend any Club money or ask for any staff support. CFR is not integral to the Club's conservation goals or lobbying priorities." Yeah, right. Obama was for CFR and public financing. Until he figured out he could pull in tons more money than McCain; so he broke his promise to use public funds. Walked away from it. At least it can be said of Pat Murphy and Mike Gronstal that they're not hypocrites on the matter of CFR: they've always been against it. They suffered through election cycle after election cycle, bailing their little boats under gullywashers of Republican cash. And finally they clawed their way to be the majority leaders, and now that they're in position to rake in the PAC and lobbyist loot, they're not going to throw away their advantage. Even though at ABI, and the Iowa Manufacturer's Assn, and in the offices of corporate heavies all over the state, the bad boys and girls are celebrating. Even though it's setting up to be a tough election for Democrats anyway... But even so, with the corporate brakes off, I don't foresee the Democrats in DSM or DC springing to democracy's last barricades. I really hope I'm wrong on that, otherwise I'll predict that America will become a single-party (the Capitalist Party) state within 4 election cycles. Bill Witt On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 10:25 AM, Neila Seaman <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2010 > CONTACT: Josh Dorner, 202.675.2384 > > *High Court Unleashes Tsunami of > Corporate Cash with Citizens United Ruling* > > *Washington, D.C.--*The U.S. Supreme Court today, in its ruling in the > case *Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission,* struck down > significant portions of campaign finance laws. In particular, the case > removed restrictions in place for decades that have limited campaign > spending from corporations. The Sierra Club offered the following comments > in response. > > The High Court's ruling can be viewed here:* > **http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf* > > *Statement of Cathy Duvall, Political Director of Sierra Club* > > "We are extremely troubled and dismayed by today's decision. It appears > that the High Court confirmed our worst fears with its sweeping ruling that > cast aside the laws that protected us from unlimited corporate campaign > spending. > > "Congress is already awash in a sea of special interest money; this > decision will launch a tsunami of corporate cash whose purpose is to overrun > the public's interests. Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other special interests > have a stranglehold on the Congress and today's ruling will further endanger > the ability of citizens to influence the political process. This ruling > could put today's "pay-to-play" political culture on steroids. > > "We already have very clear indications of the dangers that lie ahead. The > U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has been involved in today's case, reported > just yesterday that it spent a record-breaking $71 million on lobbying last > quarter. Even before today's decision, it has already been laundering > hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate cash, most notably for the > health insurance industry and polluters, and has pledged to spend tens of > millions of dollars in this year's elections. Now it and the special > interests that fund it will be allowed to spend limitless amounts not only > in the legislative process, but to support or oppose individual candidates. > > > "Now only Congress can stem the tidal wave of special interest cash and > influence peddling that is about to overwhelm the electoral process. The > Sierra Club has long supported campaign finance reform and we now urge > Congress to find a solution to help candidates combat the expected increase > in spending on independent expenditures. In particular, we support passage > of the Fair Elections Now Act." > > # # # > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To > unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: > [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv > Lists support site for more information: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms > & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp