Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: Citizens United Allows Corporations to Threaten Politicians

From the Majority Report, live M-F 12 noon EST and via daily podcast at http://Majority.FM:
Part 2: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse sat down with Sam Seder at Netroots Nation 2012 and talked Citizens United. This is Part 2.

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  News & Politics

[Michael Hice]

I worry about anyone who doesn't see that Citizens United corrupts our democracy, that money period corrupts. How do we battle that?

[John Smith]

Sheldon you just gave us BULLSHIT because you and the democrats are funded by the same guys that support Citizens united.

[DoctorMeh]

We are fucked. I give up

[Zyworski]

In the past we could retaliate against corporate tax dodgers that shift their profits to overseas subsidiaries by using tariffs to recoup the loss, but GATT and NAFTA have hamstrung this important function of government.

We are all looking for something that will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our government, so even if the current ideas don't catch on keep trying until something sticks.

[rangers1919]

How about no corporation that is "based" in another nation can contribute even a cent to political campaigns or ads. This would only be a start, but would keep the corporations that are avoiding taxes by claiming they have to take their profits offshore from participating.

[Zyworski]

This idea will fly like a lead zeppelin but here it is, a 100 percent tax on profits during election years.

[Zyworski]

Everyone keeps saying overturn Citizens United, but what does it really take to overturn a Supreme Court decision? One of the most difficult things to do is say I was wrong, so I honestly don't expect this generation of Justices to back away. It is up to the legislature to pass some temporary fixes until a new Supreme Court can be appointed. There is some full disclosure legislation in the works that will at least solve the anonymity problem.

[httm241]

whitehouse 2016 lol