One of the most powerful groups in the 2022 midterm elections is the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the Super PAC controlled by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The SLF is spending tens of millions of dollars in key races across the country in an effort to return control of the Senate to Republicans.
Notice the common thread? All of the money is being spent to attack Democrats. Like Moscow Mitch, nothing positive to say about what Republicans might do (as if there is anything positive to say about fascism), just opposition to and attacks on Democrats. The greedy libertarian billionaires that fund this tripe must be so proud.
Roberts’ court: bringing you the US slide to autocracy where the moneyed determine who is sent to eventually vote they way the moneyed desire. We have corporations who appear to have the same rights as people and some people who clearly count more than other people. Imagine what we really could do investing this money in positive endeavors instead.
This is just pathetic. It's illegal to donate directly to them so lets create this fake entity and skirt around the current laws and donate directly to them anyways. No more secret donations, get all of this out in the open. This dark money in politics needs to end.
Where can this outright buying and selling of our elections possibly go?
Clearly to no good place.
Its impossible to say in our world , that we have free and fair elections .
Money and power are whats running the show . Money is power .
The Republicans continually carry on about fraudulent elections and contrive continuously to make it more fraudulent through buying elections and dominating by moving district boundaries . Putting unethical rules favoring themselves on the books . There appears to be no tolerance for differing opinions or for citizens to have their votes count.
And that is the issue .
And their quest for authoritarianism continues to progress.
These people are not the majority in this country , but money talks and the votes they cant earn, they buy.
We are probably the only industrialized country that allows this kind of enormous spending on campaigns. The fact that much of it is hidden makes the practice even more detrimental to our society & our democracy. Most people would not want to submit to being controlled by the extremely wealthy & corporations who almost always use their money and influence for their own benefit but not the benefit of the larger good. Hence, legislation against tackling climate change. But, so many voters aren’t aware of the huge money behind candidates and how it influences their voting. By basically equating money with free speech, Citizens United was a terrible blow to fairness and democracy in this country. Another anti-democracy push led by McConnell, one of the most anti-democratic political operatives in DC. It just keeps getting worse as both parties have to crank up the spending. We have to hope that Dems can get enough of a majority to at least do a little to reverse this purchase of policy by special interests.
The only benefit is secrecy? No tax write-off or anything? Hmm, must be some of those companies that engage in performative actions to fool the public/consumers into thinking they (insert company) give a damn about social issues and the common man?
For all their attacks, outright lies and no platform from which to discern the Rs plans for the People of the US, this is just another dark, dirty malevolent act by Rs to get richer and to lie more forcefully. All I can ask at this point is “What have you done for me EVER?” The universal response is NOTHING. The Rs only hate. It’s disgusting.
The US loves pointing fingers at countries it calls corrupt, though looking at these numbers it’s hard to think of a country that is more corrupt than the US. Those donors might be anonymous to us but I bet they are not anonymous to those that receive the benefits of these donations.
Our entire govt is for sale to the highest bidder, effectively removing voters choices by pushing out desirable candidates who aren’t selected for $$ boosting. It’s turned ALL elections into a sham & this can’t lead to anywhere good.
Or, why corporations are not people. I will never forgive John Roberts for Citizens United. Ever. It’s the single handed worst decision ever in the history of the US and over time has done more to erode Democracy than even a Trump presidency. Which likely wouldn’t have been possible without the Citizens decision.
You tackle many important issues in this newsletter, and this disgusting yet legal practice is near the top. Obviously no one in politics who benefits wants this to stop, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund’s position is the right one, sadly, because goose/gander. I’m glad to see that group appears to be toning down, though I wonder if the money they’ve raised previously is now going to Rs. Ugh. I have a feeling the legal rulebook on this will remain unchanged until the current generation, which to me includes Mitch, Nancy, Chuck, Kevin, Ted, Adam, Mitt, and others prominently associated, are gone. Even with a D supermajority in 2022 I don’t think it will change. I hope to be wrong.
Notice the common thread? All of the money is being spent to attack Democrats. Like Moscow Mitch, nothing positive to say about what Republicans might do (as if there is anything positive to say about fascism), just opposition to and attacks on Democrats. The greedy libertarian billionaires that fund this tripe must be so proud.
Thank you Supreme Court for ruining campaign finance
Roberts’ court: bringing you the US slide to autocracy where the moneyed determine who is sent to eventually vote they way the moneyed desire. We have corporations who appear to have the same rights as people and some people who clearly count more than other people. Imagine what we really could do investing this money in positive endeavors instead.
This is just pathetic. It's illegal to donate directly to them so lets create this fake entity and skirt around the current laws and donate directly to them anyways. No more secret donations, get all of this out in the open. This dark money in politics needs to end.
Thanks, Judd. End Citizens United! Better still, get all money out of politics.
Where can this outright buying and selling of our elections possibly go?
Clearly to no good place.
Its impossible to say in our world , that we have free and fair elections .
Money and power are whats running the show . Money is power .
The Republicans continually carry on about fraudulent elections and contrive continuously to make it more fraudulent through buying elections and dominating by moving district boundaries . Putting unethical rules favoring themselves on the books . There appears to be no tolerance for differing opinions or for citizens to have their votes count.
And that is the issue .
And their quest for authoritarianism continues to progress.
These people are not the majority in this country , but money talks and the votes they cant earn, they buy.
We are probably the only industrialized country that allows this kind of enormous spending on campaigns. The fact that much of it is hidden makes the practice even more detrimental to our society & our democracy. Most people would not want to submit to being controlled by the extremely wealthy & corporations who almost always use their money and influence for their own benefit but not the benefit of the larger good. Hence, legislation against tackling climate change. But, so many voters aren’t aware of the huge money behind candidates and how it influences their voting. By basically equating money with free speech, Citizens United was a terrible blow to fairness and democracy in this country. Another anti-democracy push led by McConnell, one of the most anti-democratic political operatives in DC. It just keeps getting worse as both parties have to crank up the spending. We have to hope that Dems can get enough of a majority to at least do a little to reverse this purchase of policy by special interests.
How does the average, working-class citizen stand a chance against the monied interests of this country and those who do their bidding?
The only benefit is secrecy? No tax write-off or anything? Hmm, must be some of those companies that engage in performative actions to fool the public/consumers into thinking they (insert company) give a damn about social issues and the common man?
For all their attacks, outright lies and no platform from which to discern the Rs plans for the People of the US, this is just another dark, dirty malevolent act by Rs to get richer and to lie more forcefully. All I can ask at this point is “What have you done for me EVER?” The universal response is NOTHING. The Rs only hate. It’s disgusting.
The only way to stop this is through
legislation. IF democrats hold the house
and take control of the senate then it's
up to US, the people, to hammer our
representatives to get it done. They work
for US! WE pay their salary with our
tax dollars! We have to get off our
butts and make them do their jobs.
Meanwhile, all Republican whatever whatever spent just_____. What? Amount?
The US loves pointing fingers at countries it calls corrupt, though looking at these numbers it’s hard to think of a country that is more corrupt than the US. Those donors might be anonymous to us but I bet they are not anonymous to those that receive the benefits of these donations.
Our entire govt is for sale to the highest bidder, effectively removing voters choices by pushing out desirable candidates who aren’t selected for $$ boosting. It’s turned ALL elections into a sham & this can’t lead to anywhere good.
Or, why corporations are not people. I will never forgive John Roberts for Citizens United. Ever. It’s the single handed worst decision ever in the history of the US and over time has done more to erode Democracy than even a Trump presidency. Which likely wouldn’t have been possible without the Citizens decision.
You tackle many important issues in this newsletter, and this disgusting yet legal practice is near the top. Obviously no one in politics who benefits wants this to stop, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund’s position is the right one, sadly, because goose/gander. I’m glad to see that group appears to be toning down, though I wonder if the money they’ve raised previously is now going to Rs. Ugh. I have a feeling the legal rulebook on this will remain unchanged until the current generation, which to me includes Mitch, Nancy, Chuck, Kevin, Ted, Adam, Mitt, and others prominently associated, are gone. Even with a D supermajority in 2022 I don’t think it will change. I hope to be wrong.