Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Democrats To Launch Online Petition For Amendment To Citizens United Ruling

WASHINGTON -- Democrats may be trying to keep up with the unlimited cash that corporations have been able to spend on politics for the last two years, but the Senate's Democratic campaign arm is still trying to undo the infamous Citizens United Supreme Court decision that allows for all of that spending.

Under the ruling -- rendered two years ago this week -- corporations were deemed the same as people, and as such the Court declared they had a free speech right to spend anything they want on political campaigns.

So on Thursday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was set to launch an online petition drive aimed at getting 100,000 people to back a constitutional amendment to bar unlimited corporate campaign splurges.

"The Citizens United ruling has unleashed a flood of shadowy, corporate money into our political process, led by Karl Rove's American Crossroads," the petition says. "It's an attack on our democracy. In a system where one person, one vote is supposed to be the rule, outside groups like Crossroads are having an outsized influence."

The petition supports an amendment proposed by a number of Democrats in Congress last year.

"Every American should be outraged by the way Karl Rove and right-wing special interests have spent millions skewing elections with attacks, lies, and smears, all designed to boost the GOP's special interest agenda," said DSCC spokesman Shripal Shah. "The message our supporters are sending is clear: it's time to repeal the Citizens United decision and put an end to the disgusting right-wing attacks led by Karl Rove and other extreme Republican interests."

Original Article
Source: Huff 

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