A call for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United

[azmouse]

Quote:In a conference call, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters, “We must amend the constitutional to fix Citizens United.”

Her latest call to action was spurred by Monday’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Montana’s 1912 law limiting corporate spending in political campaigns based on its 2010 Citizens United ruling. The court’s decision led Montana’s governor Brian Schweitzer (D) and Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger ® to call for a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision.

Pelosi’s press secretary, Drew Hammill, told Raw Story, “We were hopeful that the Montana case would be an opportunity for the Supreme Court to reconsider their decision in Citizen’s United, but they decided not to.” For Pelosi, that decision means a return to her four-point plan called DARE: disclose, amend, reform and elect.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/06/29/pe...ns-united/

This is what is needed but as the article says it's going to be an incredible amount of work to accomplish.

[KonaKane]

I fully support this, but I have to echo what you said - it's going to be one hell of a bit of work. Even though it's so blatantly the right thing to do.

I wonder how we can aid in the effort?

[azmouse]

(06-29-2012 05:24 PM)KonaKane Wrote:  I fully support this, but I have to echo what you said - it's going to be one hell of a bit of work. Even though it's so blatantly the right thing to do.

I wonder how we can aid in the effort?

It would be interesting to know if petitions, letters, or phone calls would have any effect on moving the process forward.

[KonaKane]

The absurdity of the Citizens United decision is one of those things that is almost an instant hit with people once you sit down and say it to them. Problem is, do we have enough peepz to do that?

[Leaning Right]

The ACLU appears to oppose that methodology, citing the following reason:

Quote:In “Fixing Citizens United,” Professor Geoffrey Stone—usually a friend to the First Amendment—argues for a constitutional amendment to “fix” the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. Professor Stone mentions the proposal rather offhandedly, but the idea is a nuclear option. A constitutional amendment—specifically an amendment limiting the right to political speech—would fundamentally “break” the Constitution and endanger civil rights and civil liberties for generations.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/fix...nstitution

[KonaKane]

What's more "absurd" than calling corporations people?

[jaxx]

Sometimes the ACLU is a pain in the ass. Citizens United needs to go, however it can be done.
Corporations are not people, my friend. They are dollars with no birth certificates and no home address.

[Leaning Right]

(06-29-2012 07:54 PM)jaxx Wrote:  Sometimes the ACLU is a pain in the ass. Citizens United needs to go, however it can be done.
Corporations are not people, my friend. They are dollars with no birth certificates and no home address.

I gotta agree about calling a corporation "a person" for the sake of defining a business entity. That was short-sighted and, frankly, ridiculous.

I'm also not disagreeing about the ACLU. But, there are times when they do some beneficial things.

[sandnsea]

maybe we could join forces here:

"We, the People of the United States of America, reject the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United, and move to amend our Constitution to firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights."

http://www.movetoamend.org

[There Is No Spoon]

(06-29-2012 08:00 PM)sandnsea Wrote:  maybe we could join forces here:

"We, the People of the United States of America, reject the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United, and move to amend our Constitution to firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights."

http://www.movetoamend.org

Thanks for posting that - I have that tab opened, signed the petition and will look for ways to support this effort through my local elected officials.

[OptimistesMaddie]

after President Obama wins and we take the House back with overwhelming majority and lets include the Senate.

I think we are stuck with it, the Repugs are not going to allow this to happen.

[KonaKane]

That is a great source. A very well organized and developed site that even gives you the tools to get involved locally. It's damn near turnkey.