Tucson Citizen.com
Tucson Progressive -

Is democracy for sale? Billionaires for Bush are buying Congress

by on Oct. 23, 2010, under 2010 elections, campaign financing, Capitalism, corporatists, democracy, Political corruption, Politics

Does a $7 million-donation from one person buy too much influence? I think so. Check out the obscene amounts of money Karl Rove’s American Crossroads political action committee is raising and spending to buy your vote.

Citizens United Fallout: Billionaires for Bush Buying Congress

Thank you, John Roberts. sigh…

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 at 11:58 am and is filed under 2010 elections, campaign financing, Capitalism, corporatists, democracy, Political corruption, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

RSS feed for this post (comments)
  • Jonathan DuHamel

    You forgot George Soros and the democrats

  • leftfield

    There is absolutely nothing good that can come out of the decision to allow unlimited amounts of money from unnamed sources into the process. 

    • recov_progressive

      Yeah! We can’t have people do what they want with money they earned!

      Go Marx!

  • Don

    You also forgot—or, more likely, ignored—the massive amounts of union money being spent in 2010.

    And, in 2008, the richest donors in America favored, by far, Obama

    • http://www.facebook.com/pages/Three-Sonorans/144198198931412 Three Sonorans

      and a “news” organization that claims to be “fair and balanced” donating millions to the Republicans…

    • leftfield

      Unions – good.  Corporations – bad.  Unlimited anonymous campaign money by anyone – bad

    • Pamela Powers

      The Ed Schultz radio show reported that unions have donated $3 million nationwide since the Roberts Court eliminated campaign financing reform and the right-wing groups (like Karl Rove’s) donated $200 million *in September*!!!!

      If the rich people have this much to donate on political races (which are not tax deductible), then they can afford to have the Bush-era welfare for the rich end.

    • recov_progressive

      Dude! There is not place for facts on the Tucson Citizen.

  • Don

    Has anyone had the heart to tell Pam that George Bush isn’t running this year?

  • Vegasallen®

    And how about $15 BILLION further in debt for the Dims scam to buy votes from Medicare recipients because government figures wont allow a Cola increase….

  • NidanGoju

    Who is the #1 contributor in the 2009-2010 election cycle, by a bunch………wait for it……wait……..it is AFSCME at $87.4 million.   Number 4 is SEIU at $44 million and #5 is the NEA at 40 million.  Unions hold 3 of the top 5 spots.  Who is buying elections?

    • cochisecitizen

      Well, we know where AFSCME and other unions get their money – from American workers. The US Chamber of Commerce? Primarily from multi-national mega corporations. And that 60plus group running ads against Giffords with actors dressed in bib overalls so as to look like Arizona hicks? While they try to appear as a group of concerned seniors, the group behind them is primarily insurance companies, supporting candidates who would eliminate or reduce Medicare, forcing seniors to buy . . . insurance.

      • recov_progressive

        “The US Chamber of Commerce? Primarily from multi-national mega corporations. ”

        Don’t let the facts get in the way of your fantasy!

  • recov_progressive

    “Well, we know where AFSCME and other unions get their money – from American workers. ”

    You mean by forcing them to pay dues?

    Go Marx!

  • recov_progressive

    Top donors to 2009-2010 election:

    AFSCME (Union) — $87.5M
    US Chamber of Commerce — $75M
    American Crossroads — $65M
    SEIU (repeat visitor to Whitehouse) — $44M
    National Education Association (union) — $40M

    “The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is now the biggest outside spender of the 2010 elections, thanks to an 11th-hour effort to boost Democrats that has vaulted the public-sector union ahead of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and a flock of new Republican groups in campaign spending.
    The 1.6 million-member AFSCME is spending a total of $87.5 million on the elections after tapping into a $16 million emergency account to help fortify the Democrats’ hold on Congress. Last week, AFSCME dug deeper, taking out a $2 million loan to fund its push. The group is spending money on television advertisements, phone calls, campaign mailings and other political efforts, helped by a Supreme Court decision that loosened restrictions on campaign spending.
    “We’re the big dog,” said Larry Scanlon, the head of AFSCME’s political operations. “But we don’t like to brag.””
    http://hotair.com/archives/2010/10/23/outside-groups-and-the-myth-of-conservative-dominance/

    Yep, its all right wing extremists.

    http://hotair.com/archives/2010/10/25/biden-conservative-groups-spending-200-billion-on-midterm-elections/

    • armorypk

      Let me help you – SEIU is also a union. Unions have historically contributed to progressive campaigns. Why shouldn’t they? If not for the Democrats there would be no minimum wage, no 40 hr. week, no unemployment insurance, no workmen’s comp, no OSHA standards and on and on. We know where the money comes from – from the workers’ paychecks.
      American Crossroads, on the other hand, is a group backed by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie. Who and where do they get their millions in donations? Aren’t you even curious? And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, well it’s just beginning to come to light their (largely foreign) corporate donors. But you just don’t give a shit, do you? You’re outraged that George Soros, a single individual, donates his personal fortune to progressive candidates and causes. But corporations? Even multi-national corporations? Let ‘em spend whatever they want to buy U.S. elections!
      Unions are largely composed of middle-class working men and women. Membership is voluntary, and the decision whether of not to have a union shop is decided by majority vote. Yes, unions are notoriously corrupt, but they’re the only leverage a worker has in a labor dispute. Think unions never gave you anything? If not for unions, there would be no “weekend”. No 5-day work week. Only a management stooge or corporate CEO could be as anti-organized labor as you. Unions = Bad!  Corporations = Good and Decent With No Ulterior Motives. Uh uh. None At All!
      Let ‘em spend their hard-earned money any way they please!
      I’m assuming that you’ve outgrown your obsession with the nasty commie boogiemen who were our sworn enemy and who hated us for our freedoms. So I’m certain you’d never stoop to blaming everything on Marx and Lenin. Surely you’re not that lame. So I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and join you in your favorite toast:
      Go Groucho! Go Chico! Go Harpo and Zeppo!

  • Scotty Johnson

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 26, 2010

    Contact:     RepubliCorp Arizona Communications Director                   Porsche Murdoch (520) 261-5873  azrepublicorp@gmail.com RepubliCorp Billionaires Stoop, team with Millionaires For McClungGroups Thank McCain for breaking Campaign laws and Endorse Kelly and McClung. Tucson, AZ October 26, 2010.  RepubliCorp, a political action committee advocating for the interests of the fabulously wealthy decided, after contentious internal debate, to stoop to collaborate with Millionaires for McClung – a group advocating for the almost fabulously wealthy.  This evening the two groups held a press conference to publicly thank John McCain for likely being the first in line to break his own Campaign Finance Reform Laws and to announce their official endorsement for Ruth McClung and Jesse Kelly.“We heartily endorse Ruth McClung and Jesse Kelly,” spouted Porsche Murdoch, spokesperson for RepubliCorp.  “Ruthie and Jess both want to extend tax cuts for the richest 2%, repeal those tedious finance reform laws Congress passed and privatize Social Security! They know true wealth always trickles down and we heartily endorse them both!”“When asked if she thought privatizing Social Security was wise, Murdoch replied. “Of course!  Times are hard on Wall Street.  My husband’s brother might lose his third vacation home on Martha’s vineyard!”The two organizations used the event to publicly thank John McCain for getting himself investigated for possibly breaking the campaign finance reform laws he helped create.  “Thank You, John, you rascal you!” opined Saxby McCooter with Millionaires for McClung.  “You may be the first in line to break your own laws.  Bravo!”  When asked if he thought McCain had stepped outside the law, McCooter replied, “Well, we can’t expect John to follow the same laws he created, can we?  That’s absurd!”McCooter was referring to an emerging investigation occurring nationally alleging Senator John McCain, by contributing at the level he did to Ruth McClung and Jessie Kelly’s campaigns, broke the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance laws he created.   Allegations are that McCain clearly stepped outside the FEC allotted donation limit that only allows a candidate to put a maximum of $1K into the race of another candidate.  This is to preclude a donor’s money from being used for a candidate they don’t support.   Recent press on the issue claims McCain spent close to $100K on the McClung/Kelly ads. With shadowy corporate money pouring into Old Pueblo politics this election cycle, the two groups seem ebullient. “We are delighted!” said McCooter, adjusting his manacles.  “We’ve always dreamed of the best government money can buy.  This year our dream is coming true!  And we want to thank John McCain and Grover Norquist.  They’ve been the rainmakers here is Southern Arizona!”   

«
»

The Tucson Progressive

Pamela Powers Hannley writes the Tucson Progressive blog on the TucsonCitizen.com and contributes articles to the Huffington Post and Salon.com. She has had more than 30 years of experience in written, visual, and electronic communication—including freelance writing, photography, graphic design, and consulting. In addition to blogging for the Citizen, she is the Managing Editor of an international medical research journal.

Hannley has authored medical research articles, print magazine and newspaper stories, and numerous cancer prevention and self-help publications.

She has been a blogger since 2006, joined the ranks of Tucson Citizen bloggers in October 2010, and started contributing to the Huffington Post in 2011 and to Salon.com in 2012.

Hannley holds a masters’ degree in public health from The University of Arizona and a bachelors’ degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a native of Amherst, Ohio but has lived in Tucson since 1981.