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Bill Moyers/Michael Winship: Buying What’s Left of Democracy
from Consortium News:
Buying Whats Left of Democracy
July 11, 2012
Under the cloak of free speech, rich Americans especially on the Right are buying whats left of U.S. democracy and doing much of it in secret, insisting their sponsorship of TV attack ads be hidden. Some of their handmaidens even boast about their impending victories, note Bill Moyers and Michael Winship.
By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship
In all the hullabaloo over the U.S. Supreme Courts decision on health care, another of its rulings quickly fell off the public radar. Before deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act, the Court announced it would not reconsider Citizens United, the odious 5-4 decision two years ago that opened our elections to unlimited contributions.
Within minutes of that announcement, right-wing partisans were crowing about the advantage they now own, an advantage not due to ideas or personalities but to the sheer force of money. They were remarkably candid and specific. Heres what Fred Barnes wrote in The Weekly Standard about the Senate race in Missouri:
For three weeks in May, Republican super-PACs took turns attacking Democratic senator Claire McCaskill in TV ads. Republicans hadnt held their primary its not until August 7 but McCaskill wound up trailing all three of the GOP candidates in polls. Now McCaskill, unnerved, is struggling to recover. Thats what super-PACs can do. When they emerged in 2010 and worked in tandem, they were a critical force in the Republican landslide in the congressional elections. This year theyre playing an even bigger role. The size and reach of their efforts dwarf what they did two years ago.
Attaboy, Fred, for telling it like it is, for exposing the hoax that the Courts original decision was about free speech. No, its about carpet bombing elections with all the tonnage your rich paymasters want to buy. ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2012/07/11/buying-whats-left-of-democracy/
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Bill Moyers/Michael Winship: Buying What’s Left of Democracy (Original Post)
marmar
Jul 2012
OP
xchrom
(108,903 posts)1. du rec. nt
Bill USA
(6,436 posts)2. Bill Moyers, somebody should create a "Paul Revere" award for alerting the citizenry to assaults on
our democracy.... just so they can award to to Moyers!
..............."its about carpet bombing elections with all the tonnage your rich paymasters want to buy."
thanks for posting this, I missed it!
recommended!
Uncle Joe
(58,506 posts)3. Kicked and recommended.
Thanks for the thread, marmar.