Buying What’s Left of Democracy

Under the cloak of free speech, rich Americans especially on the Right are buying whats left of U.S. democracy anddoing much of it in secret, insisting their sponsorship ofTV attack ads be hidden. Some of their handmaidens even boast about their impending victories, note Bill Moyers and Michael Winship.

By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship

In all the hullabaloo over the U.S. Supreme Courts decision on health care, another of its rulings quickly fell off the public radar. Before deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act, the Court announced it would not reconsider Citizens United, the odious 5-4 decision two years ago that opened our elections to unlimited contributions.

Within minutes of that announcement, right-wing partisans were crowing about the advantage they now own, an advantage not due to ideas or personalities but to the sheer force of money. They were remarkably candid and specific. Heres what Fred Barnes wrote in The Weekly Standard about the Senate race in Missouri:

For three weeks in May, Republican super-PACs took turns attacking Democratic senator Claire McCaskill in TV ads. Republicans hadnt held their primary its not until August 7 but McCaskill wound up trailing all three of the GOP candidates in polls. Now McCaskill, unnerved, is struggling to recover. Thats what super-PACs can do. When they emerged in 2010 and worked in tandem, they were a critical force in the Republican landslide in the congressional elections. This year theyre playing an even bigger role. The size and reach of their efforts dwarf what they did two years ago.

Attaboy, Fred, for telling it like it is, for exposing the hoax that the Courts original decision was about free speech. No, its about carpet bombing elections with all the tonnage your rich paymasters want to buy.

Try not to laugh when you hear one of its decisions perpetrators, the noted lawyer Floyd Abrams, say, as he did not too long ago: I dont think we should want as a matter of policy, to make decisions which are essentially, people cant do all the speaking that they can in a political campaign. I dont think we can ration speech.

Speech already is rationed. On your playing field, Messieurs Barnes and Abrams, those who have no money have no speech. And just who do you think is doing this speaking? Poor people havent lost their voice they cant afford a voice. Everyday working people suffer from universal laryngitis, brought on by the absence of money. As for children children who have a big stake in our elections but no vote, forget it for them to be heard they would need piggy banks the size of Walmart heirs. Or the Koch brothers for uncles.

And if its free speech the Deep Pockets are practicing and touting, why are you ashamed of it? If free speech is a right, why all the secrecy? Why hide from voters where the money is coming from? Why not openly say you are downright proud to be exercising their First Amendment rights and writing checks is your patriotic duty?

Instead, conservatives across the country are fighting legal battles to keep their sugar daddies secret. Why? According to their guardian angel in Congress the highly leveraged Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell the right wing opposes disclosure laws because the super-rich just might be bullied and harassed by the rest of us who want to know whos buying our elections.

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Buying What’s Left of Democracy