By Judith Gayle | Political Waves (the Planet Waves politics blog)
So what happens when our High Court gives us a ruling so heinous to the democratic process and protection of the individual that the President takes opportunity during his State of the Union to chide the Supremes and directs his Congress to investigate and close the loopholes?
First we employ a little humor, to inform of the actual damage done and reflect its implications, as found over at Scholars and Rogues:
Following the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission to allow unlimited corporate funding of federal campaigns, Murray Hill Inc. today announced it is filing to run for U.S. Congress. “Until now,” Murray Hill Inc. said in a statement, “corporate interests had to rely on campaign contributions and influence-peddling to achieve their goals in Washington. But thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, now we can eliminate the middle-man and run for office ourselves.” Murray Hill Inc. is believed to be the first “corporate person” to exercise its constitutional right to run for office.
“The strength of America,” Murray Hill Inc. said, “is in the boardrooms, country clubs and Lear jets of America’s great corporations. We’re saying to Wal-Mart, AIG and Pfizer, if not you, who? If not now, when?” Murray Hill Inc. added: “It’s our democracy. We bought it, we paid for it, and we’re going to keep it.” Murray Hill Inc., a diversifying corporation in the Washington, D.C. area, has long held an interest in politics and sees corporate candidacy as an “emerging new market.”
The announcement represents a landmark moment in American politics, as former President George W. Bush’s dream of an “ownership society” is finally realized.
Then we begin to organize around the actions necessary to limit the fallout. There must be potent campaign finance reform in the near future if we’re to stop corporations from a full court press. Companies must be forced to get shareholder approval for political activities and should be prohibited from making any contributions if they receive government funding or contracts.
Unfortunately, once the Supremes put their stamp on such as this, the only recourse is an amendment to the Constitution. That’s akin to moving heaven and earth, but because everything we do moves the ball forward, it’s a necessity to go on record with our protest. If you wish, you can add your name to Ralph Nader’s Public Citizen petition. Credo has a petition supporting several of Rep. Alan Grayson’s proposals as part of a “Save Our Democracy” initiative.
Oh, I know — we’ve signed hundreds of similar demands and gotten nowhere over the years — but this is the worst possible moment to throw in the towel. The nation is aware of a growing populism that is a result of frustration and anger at the slowness of change. We are suddenly aware that Big Money doesn’t just complicate the problem, it IS the problem. We must continue to have the backs of those few who are stepping up, promising them our votes and support. The worst thing we can offer them is apathy. Remember Edmund Burke’s warning: “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”
Back in 1857, a slave, living in a free state, sued for his freedom. The High Court brought in the decision that has been infamously known as Dred Scott, indicating that no black man was equal to a white one and was therefore unfit for citizenship, hence the right to legal recourse.
Citizenship is another name for individual, state-approved rights. Rather than settling the contentious question of citizenship for those of African ancestry, Dred Scott resulted in the Civil War. The bust of the Chief Justice handing down that ruling was removed from the gallery containing a historical remembrance of his contemporaries and he died, still in office, discredited. His name was Roger B. Taney.
The High Court of the United States has given the citizenship Scott was denied to for-profit corporate entities; faceless, nameless business collectives. Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy. John Roberts. Remember the names. History will.
Jude
Thanks, Jude. You, and President Obama’s public and direct rebuke of the Supremes, did more to lift my mood and clear my vision than…well, just about anything in the last 9 years.
Sometimes it seems to me that our culture and politics just get more and more ridiculous and cartoony, to the point that I actually laugh out loud as I’m shaking my head and picking up my jaw from down around my feet. “Can this really be happening, or did I wander into some absurdist theater?” Do we really need for things to get so out of proportion and stoopid before we find a way to act?
I guess that’s why The Onion humor is so sneaky sometimes. It’s often *less* absurd than what seems to be reality.
Cynthia M. (who can’t figure out how to change her WordPress name)
Thanks, Fe. I was encouraged by Sunday Pundit TV this morning … although I most often have to grit my teeth through it … to find that Republicans are beginning to back peddle from their Party of No reputation. Their obstruction is a political tactic and, as usual, they’ve been very disciplined, even refusing to vote Yea for bills they personally co-sponsored. Now it’s backfiring on them with the public. The press is finally echoing “obstruction” and demanding response from the Pubs. I doubt that could have happened if Obama hadn’t been so direct in the SOU, and again with the GOP meet-up on Friday, televised for all to see. Like all representatives of The Great Oz, those who work behind the scenes suddenly seem littler when called on their crap.
I’m trusting that the populism that develops will find its middle ground to include all of us. There are conservatives [little c] out there who understand the enormity of our challenges. As Rich said, it’s been decades since we’ve dealt with important issues of sustainability and infrastructure. Perhaps, in this Wake Up of ours, nothing will succeed in bringing us together more effectively than this near-failure of our essential systems. I’d like to think we wouldn’t take years to get through this phase and on to some level of cooperative governance.
After almost a week of flu and tucking in, I’m venturing out today — to see Avatar. From what I hear, everyone is effected by this movie … my daughter sez Gracie, 8, dreams about it, and both she and her 11 year-old brother pester to see it again. I’ll be taking notes to see if this is the template for the future we want or the past we gave away — I’m thinking perhaps both.
Jude:
Great article. And thanks for the Frank Rich piece. I hope we’ve begun the corporate “unveiling” – exposing the Great Oz trying with smoke, mirrors and Supreme Court justices, to intimidate and suppress American democracy.
The rest IS up to us. The battle of Uranus – Pluto IS beginning to shape up between haves and have nots- and more specifically, the Man in the form of BIG business.
Just right, Jude.
Thanks for the fix, guys [insert happy face here]
For you political wonks out there, Frank Rich — who occasionally gives us an op/ed that strikes all the bells — gave us one today. From the New York Times:
“HANDS down, the State of the Union’s big moment was Barack Obama’s direct hit on the delicate sensibilities of the Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. The president was right to blast the 5-to-4 decision giving corporate interests an even greater stranglehold over a government they already regard as a partially owned onshore subsidiary. How satisfying it was to watch him provoke Alito into a “You lie!” snit. Here was a fight we could believe in.”
Read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/opinion/31rich.html
Oopsie on Edmund Burke — “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”