Corporations may now shout from the rooftops their political preferences. Ahoy hoy, all. I’m back with another provocative music-accompanied blog, but I’m a gonna stick the video behind the fold since the place is jumpin’ and it’s getting cluttery on the homepage.
Alright then, so earlier today the Supreme Court released a decision striking a first blow against the foundation of the McCain/Feingold Incumbent Protection Bill. Good on ’em. Roberts and Alito are the gift from President Bush that will keep on giving for years to come. I’m no constitutional scholar, but it seems to me that political speech is precisely what our Founding Fathers meant when they said Congress shall pass no law, blah blah blah. Only the mind of a long-time Washington incumbent could see it otherwise.
The corrupting influence of money on Washington. That’s all they’re trying to stop. It’s not their fault voters keep sending corruptible politicians to Washington, but they sure as heck fire aren’t going to stand idly by while “outside influences” try to “lobby” their “representative” or “speak” any criticism directed at Washington. The only good money in Washington is the money they’ve extracted from taxpayers at the point of a gun.
And they damn sure don’t need private interests telling how they should spend it.
You want less money in Washington? How’s about from now on we only send you a flat 10% off the top, no tax dollars off investments or savings, and no goddamned death tax? You cut the budget back by about 40%, use the extra to pay down the debt, and quit picking winners and losers in the market. Maybe if our government didn’t take it upon itself to manage the tiniest details of our lives there would be no need for the corrupting influence of money on Washington. And just to make it fair, we’re going to slap a millionaire surtax of 40% on all campaign contributions over $250,000 to any individual or organization. Then ban all federal employees and their unions from making campaign contributions.
Where’s the fun and arbitrary exercise of power in that though? And this isn’t an issue that cuts one way. Republicans did no better when they had the reins. Hence the voter rage. We can’t trust any of these bastards to actually make the federal government smaller. The idea of a budget smaller than the previous year’s is incomprehensible. There is no end to the utter minutia that must be overseen by Washington. People don’t like it, and McCain/Feingold was all about not allowing voters to be reminded of that fact within 60 days of an election.
McCain. Just one of many reasons I had to hold my nose when I voted for the improvident lackwit. It’s perfectly poetic that his own signature legislation helped Obama stomp a mudhole in his ass. Besides the obvious money advantage, some Republican-leaning organization could have chipped in some actual, serious, factual attack ads against Obama’s veneer of moderation. God bless the old coot for his service to the US, but if his campaign was indicative of a potential presidency we may actually be better off with Obama.
The pulling off a Band-aid brand adhesive bandage theory, right? Of course Obama’s campaign was all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows and we can see how that worked out. Appearances can be so deceiving.
So naturally we get sputtering outrage from Obama and his cronies in Congress. Pledges to hurriedly pass legislation that somehow circumvents the Court’s admonition that political speech is the most protected kind of speech. When “corporations” don’t have to pay “taxes” then arguing Congress can restrict their “right” to “attack” elected “representatives” becomes at least a little more compelling. Not quite as compelling as NAMBLA’s arguments for pederasty, but at least more compelling than what we’re being fed now.
Does anyone want to bet whether they’re boneheaded enough to try and cram through a bill restricting campaign speech before the mid-terms? I’m already dipping my teabag in anticipation of the newly unfettered corporate campaign speech we’ll see from this day forth. I don’t think I’m alone in dipping my teabag these days. Scott Brown has given the people some breathing room in the Senate and the teabagging movement that installed him into Ted Kennedy’s Seat is energized and eagerly awaiting the next dipping in 2010. Maybe, someday, the “Boston Tea Party” could become synonymous with some sort of grassroots uprising against overbearing governance.
All I know is now Haliburton is now free to go all in on the Cheney/Cheney ticket for 2012. Guaranteed Guiness Book World Record for simultaneous teabagging. I prefer Bigelow’s Constant Comment, iced and lighly sweetened.
