Menendez And Blanche And Corporatism In American Politics

You may have gotten the same spam I did today from anti-Cuba fanatic Bob Menendez (D-NJ) who also serves as the saddest chairman ever of the DSCC, likely to go down in history as the chair who lost his party the most seats in a single cycle. His inattention to Massachusetts was a mind-boggling first step. He has his hand out for grassroots money-- of course-- even though he's busy trying to force the grassroots candidate, Elaine Marshall, out of the North Carolina Senate race. Apparently, two women representing North Carolina is more, in his mind, than North Carolina can handle. Anyway, Menendez is trying to fundraise for his lame Insider organization based on the Supreme Court decision last week. "It is 'We the people,'" he asserts. "It is not 'We the corporations.'" Sniffing around his-- and other senators'-- FEC disclosure forms you would never have guessed as much. A tidy $4,097,922 from the finance folks and another $1,276,476 certainly makes his loyalties and conflicts very suspect.

He's all moaning'n'groanin' how "the Supreme Court last week called this principle into play. The stunning decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission will allow special interests-- including the nation's largest corporations-- [basically the financiers of his career] to spend an unlimited amount of money to influence political campaigns, drowning out the voice of the American people and rolling back decades of progress to ensure elections are fair." He wants to "call out" Republicans for applauding the decision.

Republicans like to complain about "activist judges" who make law instead of interpreting it. That is, until they feel a decision will benefit them. Then they're all about pushing the "little people" aside for the interests of their deep-pocketed beneficiaries.

Even Sen. John McCain, who used to be a strong voice for reform, is rolling over on behalf of the special interests. Campaign finance reform is dead, he said. He's among Republicans refusing to fight.

This decision takes power away from the average person and hands it to corporations. Democrats know this is bad for our democracy. It's time to call Republicans out.

Republicans need to know this: Corporations are not people. They don't deserve the same rights afforded to citizens. And elections must be decided by the voters, not the special interests with the most to spend. Anything else is simply undemocratic.

To Menendez's credit, he voted against confirming corporatist whore Sammy Alito on January 30, 2006. Twenty-three other Democrats and an independent did as well. But among the Democrats who Menendez's DSCC will be trying to get re-elected with the money he's begging from you is Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, who not only was instrumental in confirming Alito-- and allowing this 5-4 decision to devastate American democracy-- but has also (just yesterday) declared she would vote against reconciliation to pass healthcare reform and joined a gaggle of other conservatives to demand Obama try suspected terrorists outside the American judicial system.

May I suggest that anyone hoping for a more progressive future forgo donating a cent to the DSCC and instead consider giving some help to the Blue America fund dedicated to helping Arkansas voters understand Blanche Lincoln's role in the sorry state of affairs they're in. You can do that by clicking here. This is one of the 4 TV ads we've run to help make her virtually unelectable in Arkansas.