President Obama may soon issue an executive order that would accomplish what the Democrat-failed Disclose Act tried to do. All companies would be required to list their political donations as a condition to bidding for government contracts. Companies can bid and lose for the sin of donating to Republicans. Or they can halt donations to the GOP altogether to save their businesses, which is really what the White House wants in the first place. It's called' "not pay to play." Sen. McConnell, the Senate minority leader, calls it "gangster politics." This is payback for the 2010 Supreme Court decision that partly struck down McCain-Feingold in its Citizens United decision, which restored corporate free-speech rights and which Obama criticized specifically in his State of the Union address that year.
This so-called "reform" might fly if it also applied to all the liberal organizations/politicians that get billions in taxpayer dollars via federal grants and other funding like unions, environmental groups, Planned Parenthood, to name just a few. But surprise, surprise, it doesn't. This is Chicago-style gangster politics writ large, and sadly it's emanating from our president's office.
Susan Leeper, Scottsdale
wdgnas posted at 5:59 am on Sat, May 21, 2011.
i for one would like to know who is contributing to all the politicos. if they shortened the campaign season to six months, the amount of money needed would be considerably less. and countries like afghanistan and mexico are said to have corruption.
6Characters posted at 9:36 pm on Fri, May 20, 2011.
It wouldn't apply to unions or organizations like AARP. And we all know how liberal the AARP is. Bunch of tree hugging retirees can take their Chicago thug poilitcking elsewhere!
But for reals, if you think it is OK for our government to be taken over by anonymous capitalists, you are an idiot.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:50 pm on Fri, May 20, 2011.
Susan,
Though no one wears a helmit or pads, politics is a contact sport! Assuming all you say is correct, understand that turnabout is fair play. "Citizens United" occurred in an earlier inning. Want to turn the clock back and replay that inning!