Miles Mogulescu: Why Money in Politics is Still a Really Big Deal Posted on December 7, 2012 (November 2, 2020) Defending Key Reforms Miles Mogulescu has an important article in the Huffington Post today that lays out the many reasons why money in politics is still a huge problem, despite the fact that some of the biggest spenders in the 2012 elections didn’t get the outcome they wanted. Here are a few key excerpts: Read More
Report: Saudi-Led Oil Lobby Group Financed 2012 Dark Money Attack Ads Posted on December 4, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Challenging Foreign Influence A new report in The Nation on Friday details how the so-called American Petroleum Institute, a major lobbying group for Big Oil, is both funded in part by a Saudi oil company and directed in part by a registered foreign agent for Saudi Arabia who heads a subsidiary of that Saudi oil company. It also reports that the Institute’s 2011 tax returns show almost half a million dollars in gifts to dark-money organizations that ran attack ads in America’s most recent elections — and that’s just what the Big Oil group spent in 2011. Just imagine what the 2012 figures could be. Read More
Major development on Massey: Federal inquiry expands to cover the larger corporate entity. Posted on November 29, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Corporate Abuse of Power For the past 18 months, Free Speech For People has called on Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden to revoke Massey’s corporate charter due to the corporation’s acknowledged criminal guilt in the tragic deaths of 29 coal miners at its Upper Big Branch mine. Now, according to the New York Times: Read More
Washington Post Op-Ed: “Seminary president: Faith leaders, it’s time to overturn Citizens United” Posted on November 28, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Democracy Amendments There’s a terrific new Op-Ed today in the Washington Post from the Rev. Dr. Katharine Rhodes Henderson, president of the Auburn Theological Seminary, an organization we’ve partnered with to support the campaign she highlights. Her column begins: Read More
New York Times: Only a constitutional amendment will do it. Posted on November 21, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Democracy Amendments The New York Times’ lead editorial today indicts America’s "Broken Election System". It lays out several necessary fixes, then concludes by saying: "Ultimately, only a constitutional amendment can counter the misbegotten Supreme Court assertion that money is speech and thus can play an unlimited role in American politics." For the full editorial, click here. Read More
Citizens United Rejected By Voters In Montana, Colorado Posted on November 8, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Democracy Amendments Paul Blumenthal November 7, 2012 Excerpt from the Huffington Post: Read More
America on its way to overturning Citizens United Posted on November 8, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Democracy Amendments Versions of this Op-Ed have appeared in McClatchy newspapers including The Miami Herald, Las Vegas SunRead More
Huge milestone: we’re now 1/4 of the way to amending the Constitution. Posted on November 7, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Democracy Amendments Here’s some terrific news. With victories yesterday in statewide votes in Montana and Colorado, both by nearly three-to-one margins, we’re now one quarter of the way to amending the U.S. Constitution to overturn Citizens United. Read More
Voters Overwhelmingly Endorse Initiative 166 Posted on November 7, 2012 (May 29, 2020) Democracy Amendments Montana voters strongly endorsed I-166, the Prohibition on Corporate Contributions and Expenditures in Montana Elections Act, by a margin of three-to-one giving the citizen initiative a vote of 75 percent. I-166 received bipartisan support from prominent Montana political figures. Governor Brian Schweitzer (D), Lt. Governor John Bohlinger (R), and former Secretary of State Verner BertelsenRead More
Religious leader Jim Wallis: “People are made in the image of God and corporations are not.” Posted on November 6, 2012 (October 30, 2020) Democracy Amendments Jim Wallis, the theologian, author, and CEO of Sojourners, has a terrific piece in Politico today. Here are some of the finest parts: Our deepest values have no price — our common ground, our common good, caring for our neighbor and looking out for the least and the lost — these are the values that work for us. Sadly, those aren’t the values of the current system. Read More