Friday, October 11, 2013

The Supreme Court Seems Ready to Strike Down All Limits on Campaign Contributions

Conservative Idiots Misconstrue Money as Speech – But It Doesn’t Matter

The current term of the Supreme Court is likely to result in a far right revolution in the nation, a series of decisions by the Court on social and political issues that will finally result in the victory that far right activists want. 

The first issue on the docket is limitations on campaign contributions.  The far right contends that violates freedom of speech, ignoring the fact that unlimited money drowns out free speech because the people with the money share the right wing views of those who advocate no limits.  They seem destined to win here.

A majority of the Supreme Court seemed skeptical Tuesday that the current aggregate limit on the amount an individual can contribute to federal candidates in an election cycle can pass constitutional muster.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. suggested several times that he was uncomfortable restricting an individual from giving to as many candidates as the person chooses, so long as the donations are below the amount that Congress says could lead to or create the appearance of corruption. Roberts is considered the key vote in the latest challenge to Watergate-era restrictions on campaign finance.

Of course the issue today is largely irrelevant.  Wealthy right wing political activists have many ways around the system.  In a practical sense the limits on contributions has been rendered inoperative long ago.  So yes, the Court may well decide in favor of billionaire right wing advocates.  But it won’t make any difference, they won their battle years ago.

And yes, if it were progressive money dominating campaigns the upholding of limits by the Conservatives on the Court would be guaranteed.  They adjust the rules to their political thinking, not to the Constitution.

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