6 Years of Citizens United
Six years ago today, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC. It is not a happy anniversary. I remember waiting for the ruling and opening it up on my computer: when I finally read it, I didn't want to believe that the Court had gone as far as it had and been so careless with our democracy.
Citizens United was bad history, bad logic, bad law. It was a major overreach on the part of the Court (the issue hadn't even been raised initially). In his majority decision that day, Justice Kennedy allowed billionaires and big corporations to spend limitless amounts of money to influence politicians. His description of politics was pretty out of touch. Basically, the Court held that unless there is an explicit, open deal -- "here's $5 million for a vote against banking reform" -- there's no corruption. Nobody with any common sense thinks that huge corporate expenditures don't corrupt politics, but the Court left common sense behind that day.
One good thing came out of it: it has led to an extraordinary, community-by-community grassroots effort to reclaim our democracy.
I've been fighting Citizens United since before it existed. (Justice Stevens even quoted my work on corruption in his scathing, powerful dissent.) But on this anniversary, I want to return the focus to the most basic patriotic demand: elected officials that serve the public interest, not private interests.
Our country was founded on a radical but profound belief in the possibility of people coming together for the public good and governing themselves. As our framers understood, in order to fulfill that promise, we need structures that allow public servants to actually serve the public. That includes both:
- Overturning Citizens United, or amending the Constitution to reflect the real intent of our founders--corporations aren't people and SuperPAC money isn't protected speech.
- Replacing privately funded elections with publicly funded elections. Publicly funded elections have opened up politics and freed candidates to serve the public in New York City, Connecticut, Maine and cities around the country. But for real change we need the entire country to switch.
I can see a future where this happens. Just because it is hard -- and yes, its hard! -- doesn't mean its impossible. In the last year, the grassroots, town-by-town, city-by-city effort has been amazing.
As we mark six years since the Supreme Court's decision, let's remember this vision as we redouble our commitment to working together toward a government that is truly of, by, and for the people.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Six years ago today, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC. It is not a happy anniversary. I remember waiting for the ruling and opening it up on my computer: when I finally read it, I didn't want to believe that the Court had gone as far as it had and been so careless with our democracy.
Citizens United was bad history, bad logic, bad law. It was a major overreach on the part of the Court (the issue hadn't even been raised initially). In his majority decision that day, Justice Kennedy allowed billionaires and big corporations to spend limitless amounts of money to influence politicians. His description of politics was pretty out of touch. Basically, the Court held that unless there is an explicit, open deal -- "here's $5 million for a vote against banking reform" -- there's no corruption. Nobody with any common sense thinks that huge corporate expenditures don't corrupt politics, but the Court left common sense behind that day.
One good thing came out of it: it has led to an extraordinary, community-by-community grassroots effort to reclaim our democracy.
I've been fighting Citizens United since before it existed. (Justice Stevens even quoted my work on corruption in his scathing, powerful dissent.) But on this anniversary, I want to return the focus to the most basic patriotic demand: elected officials that serve the public interest, not private interests.
Our country was founded on a radical but profound belief in the possibility of people coming together for the public good and governing themselves. As our framers understood, in order to fulfill that promise, we need structures that allow public servants to actually serve the public. That includes both:
- Overturning Citizens United, or amending the Constitution to reflect the real intent of our founders--corporations aren't people and SuperPAC money isn't protected speech.
- Replacing privately funded elections with publicly funded elections. Publicly funded elections have opened up politics and freed candidates to serve the public in New York City, Connecticut, Maine and cities around the country. But for real change we need the entire country to switch.
I can see a future where this happens. Just because it is hard -- and yes, its hard! -- doesn't mean its impossible. In the last year, the grassroots, town-by-town, city-by-city effort has been amazing.
As we mark six years since the Supreme Court's decision, let's remember this vision as we redouble our commitment to working together toward a government that is truly of, by, and for the people.
Six years ago today, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC. It is not a happy anniversary. I remember waiting for the ruling and opening it up on my computer: when I finally read it, I didn't want to believe that the Court had gone as far as it had and been so careless with our democracy.
Citizens United was bad history, bad logic, bad law. It was a major overreach on the part of the Court (the issue hadn't even been raised initially). In his majority decision that day, Justice Kennedy allowed billionaires and big corporations to spend limitless amounts of money to influence politicians. His description of politics was pretty out of touch. Basically, the Court held that unless there is an explicit, open deal -- "here's $5 million for a vote against banking reform" -- there's no corruption. Nobody with any common sense thinks that huge corporate expenditures don't corrupt politics, but the Court left common sense behind that day.
One good thing came out of it: it has led to an extraordinary, community-by-community grassroots effort to reclaim our democracy.
I've been fighting Citizens United since before it existed. (Justice Stevens even quoted my work on corruption in his scathing, powerful dissent.) But on this anniversary, I want to return the focus to the most basic patriotic demand: elected officials that serve the public interest, not private interests.
Our country was founded on a radical but profound belief in the possibility of people coming together for the public good and governing themselves. As our framers understood, in order to fulfill that promise, we need structures that allow public servants to actually serve the public. That includes both:
- Overturning Citizens United, or amending the Constitution to reflect the real intent of our founders--corporations aren't people and SuperPAC money isn't protected speech.
- Replacing privately funded elections with publicly funded elections. Publicly funded elections have opened up politics and freed candidates to serve the public in New York City, Connecticut, Maine and cities around the country. But for real change we need the entire country to switch.
I can see a future where this happens. Just because it is hard -- and yes, its hard! -- doesn't mean its impossible. In the last year, the grassroots, town-by-town, city-by-city effort has been amazing.
As we mark six years since the Supreme Court's decision, let's remember this vision as we redouble our commitment to working together toward a government that is truly of, by, and for the people.