In the wake of Monday’s Supreme Court ruling striking down Montana’s century-old campaign finance law, Governor Brian Schweitzer is warning that corporate interests across the country “are going to own everything from the White House to the courthouse.”
The court's 5-4 ruling extended the logic of the 2010 Citizens United decision, giving corporations the right to spend unlimited sums on independent expenditure campaigns. Schweitzer, a Democrat, joined Ed Schultz to bring home just how far-reaching the decision’s implications could be.
“We’ve had 100 years of clean elections,” Schweitzer said. “And now the Supreme Court back there in Washington D.C., they think they know better for us in Montana.”
He went on:
They tell us we have to accept dirty, secret, corporate, and even foreign money, pouring into Montana, taking over everything from the courthouse all the way to the statehouse. And I’ll tell you this, until we get this reversed, the corporate interests—and they will be foreign corporate interests as well—they are going to own everything from the white house to the courthouse. That’s what’s in store for us.
Schweitzer said until now in his state, legislators could spend around $2000-5000 to get elected, making it possible for ordinary citizens to run for office and to fund grassroots campaigns. But now those days are likely over.
“Lets face it: Money is power,” Schweitzer continued. “Money buys television advertisements. And if you have enough money buying enough television advertisements, you can sway the election. Not just sway, buy. And so there is not going to be the other side of the story.”
Schweitzer went on to explain just how profoundly the court's decision could change Montana politics:
Today, we have a two-party system. Well, in the future we’ll have a two-party system as well: The corporate party, and the corporate-lite party. Because anybody who stands up to the dirty, secret, even foreign corporation money, they’ll squash you like a bug. The big pharmaceutical companies, the military-industrial complex, the insurance companies, if anybody stands up to ‘em, they’ll drop a million or two million or ten million, whatever it takes, and they’ll put you right out of business. And that voice for the people will be lost.
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Give'em hell, Brian Schweitzer. You have been a great governor.
I totally agree with Ed Schultz and the Governor of Montana. I am not suprised, however, since the US Chamber of Commerce spent so much time and treasure to create this SCOTUS. Pathetic.
Does the right wing want States rights only when it suits them. What happened to "big government should get out of the States business and let them govern themselves."
That doesn't suit the right-wing in this instance. So to hell with it.
The right-wingers on the Supreme Court were hired to do a job. And they're doing it.
Thank You SCOTUS, we now know that this is not the United States of America (USA) but the United Corporate Republic of America (UCRA). This is good to know that the corporations can run our country better than its citizens. GO UCRA (NOT!)
WTF is wrong with the current political environment of this country…
The fascism of the billionaire/millionaire elites is obvious in every facet of our government.
What option remains for the American people, when we have right wing radical nuts in the Supreme Court legislating from the bench and violating the very Constitution of the United States!
This is outrageous on its face and un-American in its essence.
America is no longer the foundation of democracy for the world. We have become overwhelmed by the fascism of yet another take over of a country, by playing by "democratic rules" to be elected, appointed and taking over "democracy" by 'using' the political "gamesmanship" of democracy!
Check out for yourself the implementation of that strategy and think about its effect on our own history.
Now I have seen Capitalism at its extreme.
The Supreme Court should not be allowed to sit for life. They should be subject to a vote of the people like other politicians. These people have our lives in their hands for years on end and it shouldn't be that way. Actually I think any SC should lean progressive. Better to be forward thinking instead of taking us back to the Dark Ages.
Do we get to know what corporations are making these donations? Is my company (an airline) making donations to campaigns? How are people so easily swayed by these commercials anyway? Oh well, I am working 60-70 hours a week and when I watch what I have recorded I zip thru the commercials. And for those who like to bring up Soros' donations - that is nothing compared to what is going on with corporations.
First of all this Supreme Court overturning a 100 year old Montana law shoves K-Street and Wall Street big corporate special interest money into Montana's political system. We need a major counterattack against the Citizen United decision. What I think of this right winged Supreme Court can not be printed on a family blog. The only person that sees clearly on this whole issue is Nancy Pelosi. She calls for amending the Constitution to forbid corporate money in politics making all elections from the county court house to the statehouse, to the Congress publicly funded. We are losing our democracy to the corporatist oligarchs. Democrats need to galvanize behind Nancy Pelosi's call for public financing of all elections period. The sooner we do this the sooner we can start winning back our democracy from the plutocrats who run our entire country for their own gain.
I hope Brian Scweitzer gets involved in energy policy at the national level formulating policy in Washington DC. Brian Schweitzer is someone I would strongly support to run the Energy Department. We need a take no prisoners get the job done kind of guy in the Department of Energy. Brian Schweitzer is a strong leader. We need to develop new kinds of base load electricity such as coal gasification combined with natural gas power plants. Synthetic gas or Syngas from coal can be burned in natural gas power plants without huge engineering complications. IGCC coal plants with CO2 sequestration also needs to be pushed hard by a Department of Energy Apollo like program. Natural gas prices will rise in the future so the future of coal is far from over, its just we must use coal much cleaner to keep it safe for the environment. Solar, wind, and geothermal will play a role in the future but the amount depends on maintaining public supports for green energy. All subsidies for old coal plants, oil and natural gas should end immediately and be spent on green energy. Brian Schweitzer is just the man for this job. I would hope that somewhere in our scheme of thinking Governor Schweitzer can continue public service to our country, ideally in formulating a coherent national energy policy.
Well I'm not that surprised with the ruling since it's a basic supremacy clause case here for the most part but it merits consideration that corporations and companies can give as much as they want freely and easily while unions apparently not being company or coporation can't.
If a union wnats to give money it has to check with all the members first, if a corporation wants to give money one would assume out of fairness it would be the same. Well no.
I am appalled by the action of those five men on the court. The hairs that they split on this business of allowing business to buy and pay for the sovereignty of the nation is appalling. Cant they think. Lawyers are supposed to be able to think about the consequences of their actions, Where did they leave their brains on this one?
We need another two women on this court, women who can think about the consequences of their actions, and the good of the Republic at the same time.
Gee, I thought the justices were to think about the law. You know, that free speech thing. Let's be honest. The left wants to censor thought and criminalize opinion which is different than theirs.
Is the Supreme Court also bought??
Secret money, oh my. You mean like the six figures the unions were paying big Ed while he did a show which discussed issues on which the union was lobbying? And brown-nosing (opps, interviewing) union thugs and goons? Gee, did big Ed begin each show by disclosing those payments?
Oh, Ed, I'm still waiting for all those absentee ballots from Wisconsin which will make it "awfully close". Still waiting to Walker to be indicted.