Post from Erica Sagrans's Blog:
Senate Republicans Block DISCLOSE Act
Republicans yesterday blocked the DISCLOSE Act from coming to an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor—legislation that would have undone the harmful effects of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling by requiring increased transparency when it comes to our political process.
As President Obama noted before the vote, Republicans had blocked unemployment benefits, small business tax credits—and now legislation to ensure regular people’s voices aren’t drowned out by special interests trying to influence elections. “On issue after issue, we are trying to move America
The Boston Globe reported on yesterday’s Republican obstruction on one of the President’s top priorities:
Senate Republicans defeated legislation yesterday to require more disclosure in campaign spending, ending Democrats’ quest for stronger rules after a Supreme Court ruling this year allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited sums to influence elections.
The bill had been a high priority for President Obama, who denounced the Supreme Court ruling during his State of the Union address in January, as justices sat silently in the House chamber.
On a party-line, 57-to-41 vote after a heated debate, an effort by Democrats to fight off a Republican filibuster fell short of the 60 votes required. All 40 Republicans in attendance, including Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts
The legislation was the congressional response to a 5-to-4 Supreme Court ruling in January that struck down limits on corporate and union spending in elections. In the legal case — Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission — the court ruled that corporations and unions must be treated the same as individuals in campaign spending, recognizing a right to bankroll election activities as an exercise of the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court simultaneously upheld spending disclosure requirements, which Democrats tried to expand with the legislation. The House of Representatives passed a version of the bill last month.
The law would have required corporations and unions to reveal how much they spent on broadcast advertising in federal elections. And corporate CEOs or union heads would have to appear in their ads to take responsibility for the message.
President Obama Urges earlier the republicans to help in the Dislose Act:
Post from Erica Sagrans's Blog:
President Obama: ‘A vote against the DISCLOSE Act is a vote to allow corporate and special interest takeovers of our elections’
With an important vote expected today on the DISCLOSE Act, President Obama urged the Senate to pass the bill that would require corporate political advertisers to reveal who’s funding their election-related activities.
The DISCLOSE Act undoes some of the damage from the Citizens United Supreme Court case, which ruled that big corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money influencing our elections, without having to reveal that they’re doing so.
Unfortunately, as they have done on unemployment benefits and tax credits, Republicans in the Senate are doing everything they can to block this bill from moving forward.
Now, you’d think that making these reforms would be a matter of common sense, particularly since they primarily involve just making sure that folks who are financing these ads are disclosed so that the American people can make up their own minds. Nobody is saying you can’t run the ads -- just make sure that people know who in fact is behind financing these ads. And you’d think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections would not be a partisan issue. But of course, this is Washington America
At a time of such challenge for America
David Plouffe Visits OFA Volunteers: "My money is on you guys"
Also listed in: 2010 HQ Blog |
With OFA’s Vote 2010 strategy underway all across the country, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe stopped by two of Organizing for America California
Plouffe told volunteers that they are the most effective messengers in making the case to friends and neighbors about the importance of November’s elections. OFA California shared more from Plouffe’s visits to OFA in Oakland and Los Angeles:
"The most important thing in 2010 is you talking to these voters, human being to human being, and getting them to say, ‘Alright, I’ll vote,’" Plouffe told volunteers in the Northern and Southern California OFA offices.
Plouffe explained that the President needs you to reach out to first-time ‘08 voters and tell them in your own words why this election matters.
Plouffe’s honest and candid speech to the Oakland
"It was those 15 million first-time voters that allowed us to win in 2008. We have to go out there and tell them that this election matters," Plouffe passionately implored the Oakland
Plouffe was excited about the growth that OFA has seen ever since the 2008 elections. He pointed our that the organization's ability to affect policy in the last two years is remarkable, and is breaking new ground in citizens’ ability to access their government....
Plouffe pointed out that although no one has ever tried to rely so heavily on volunteers and grassroots organizing for a midterm election before, no one else has the level of grassroots support and dedication that OFA does. After letting those words sink and pausing to survey the crowd of volunteers hanging on his every word, Plouffe said frankly, "This year, my money is on you guys."
No comments:
Post a Comment