so there's a new case in front over the
spring court it's because chin versus
federal election commission
and if you're not citizens united was
bad awake buddy I get a lower back
touch it out what it would do is not
only allow you to give
a as much as you want independent
expenditures as of course we're citizens
united did
that allowed the Sheldon Adelson's in
the Koch brothers the world to give
unlimited amount
to the so-called outside independent
groups that then just poured them and to
help republicans usually
on some democrats but to help in winning
political elections
well ima coach in they would go one step
further now there are some
caps on Wayne given direct contributions
to politicians
not only other individual caps but their
caps
on how much you can give overall in fact
the total donors donations he gives a
hundred twenty-three thousand three
hundred dollars
to it directly to different %uh
politicians
in because in their arguing there should
be no cap
okay so they should be allowed to give
these packs in these partitions
now to any particular politician there
was still be a cap
but you can give to so many different
politicians in an unlimited
way so it takes is as United which
already
there was already an enormous money in
politics from before citizens united
citizens united just put it on steroids
this would be the steroids
over the steroids think the head keeps
growing bigger and bigger and bigger
other live explodes they're going to
hear or or arguments on that the Supreme
Court on October
a that's outrageous well at the
constitutional accountability center
so Larry Lessig who's the foremost
expert on this harvard law professor got
together with
Elizabeth Warren of course the
democratic senator from Massachusetts
and they had some very interesting
things to point out first of all
elaire lesson pointed out that there has
been in fact there were three hundred
twenty five specific instances
of our framers using the word corruption
when they were framing our Constitution
alotta people
think that that they just meant as
citizens united talks about
well the thing that's illegal is just
giving money by I give you money and you
pass the bill for me
right we're almost at that point anyway
but
like now they give contributions are
they give independent expenditures they
don't just
give you the money your bike allied with
that's the only thing that's left
illegal at this point basically
an eighth a lot of people that are you
that's what the framers referring to
but let's suppose that that's not the
case in only six
instances other 325 where they referring
to actually
trading a favors the type that I just I
refer to
in 29 different is this is there
actually referring to
improper dependence in fact actually
good let me give you
oh one other example love his count on
the 325
its is a corruption at the famous talked
about a back then he said
57 percent of the nation's a corruption
were about institutions
rather than individuals so what he
saying there is
look it's not like the framers didn't
understand the issue six different times
they talk about how you can trade favors
but largely they talk about how
institutions
can corrupt congress like for example
corporations
an institution in our time that are
corrupting are
politics by giving unlimited money right
now an independent expenditures
at even when they were giving limited
money in independent expenditures it was
grossly corrupting
are government and now they promise to
do even more
to create a certain dependence and
that's exactly what the politicians up
right now
they depend on their donors ninety-five
percent of the time in house races
the guy with more money winds so he is
dependent on the donor's not on the
voters
invite Pressel SM points on federal
sweetie to James Madison
who would be by the way the actual of
love the constitution
wrote the congress should be quote
dependent upon
the people all alone are they now depend
upon the people alone
come on you would have to be blind deaf
and dumb to think that
their obviously at the very least also
and significantly dependent on their
donors
and the donors are not necessarily just
the representative people
other country in fact in Federalist a
paper singer James Madison also said
the people walk on whom the branch
depends
should not just be the rich
more than the poor so he saying should
be the rich more than the poor should be
equality should be dependent on
everybody the people
and right now obviously the rich and
corporations
have for far greater power
than the average voter does and congress
is dependent on them
and not on us then Elizabeth Warren
spoke and she warned
be even greater day danger a precaution
passes let's watch
money for vote exchanges are not the
only threat
to our political system most deepok at
corporations
don't need to be so crude the powerful
well-funded special
interest a blanket or politics with
aggregate contributions
tilts our democracy away from the people
and toward the powerful if the court
continues
in the direction a Citizens United
we may move another step closer
to neutering congress' ability
to limit the influence of money in
politics
another step closer to unlimited
corporate contributions given directly
two candidates and political committees
we face a clear danger well she said it
exactly right there
a clear danger that's exactly what lies
ahead I was in fact we're in the middle
of the danger as we speak
we have these congressman and mostly the
Senators obviously
was with Warren being amazing I
exception and that's why so many people
in this country
I have gotten behind her and the rally
a when she talks have these issues and
stalks a of them
strongly I'll but the overwhelming
majority of Senators
totally depend on those corporations for
those dollars
they can't win otherwise of course we
can
change all this anybody know how are you
got that right
of ash backed out Cup alright listen
again wolf pack
at let me just tell you one last quick
story about this causes
perfectly relevant exactly a professor
Lesley is talking about
or those before song about I'm talking
to the different different state leaders
throughout the country now for Wolfpack
and we're trying to get an amendment
passed to get money out of politics that
and corporate personhood they're not
people that's outrageous
they can spend unlimited money on our
packs and our politicians that's
outrageous
we to publicly financed elections if we
don't
these guys work for the guys who give
them the donations a super obvious
and as I talk to those state leaders man
it's amazing and I talked to
a state representative in New York
myself when I was in New York
they actually listen to you democracy
still exists
so is nine like in the national scene
when you have some Elizabeth Warren is
shockingly
wanna see what happened how the world
Europe was at work he represents us
at the state level that's not the case
there's a lot of Representatives
who are perfectly happy and willing to
represent you because that's what their
job is
so at the state level link offer
confession to make that amendment happen
I'm see with my own eyes I'm hearing it
every week when I talk to those state
leaders everyone other stories amazing
in terms of how they're getting this
legislation introduced and how will
eventually get a pass that how you can
help
is we don't have the giant Koch brothers
we don't have all the giant corporations
behind us
but if we unite a little bit from
everybody
can make a big big difference so you can
give a donation you sign up to be
members so that you know it's a
recurring donation that helps
tremendously
united we can do this we don't
throughout history we've got progressive
change in its help the country
we could do it again every generation is
done it it's now on us
wall flashback dot com
