McCain Attacks Romney Super PAC, Says ‘Corporations Are Not People’

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

McCain Attacks Romney Super PAC, Says ‘Corporations Are Not People’
By Josh Israel on Jun 15, 2012 at 11:47 am

Though he has been one of Mitt Romney’s most visible supporters, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) took aim yesterday at both Romney’s Super PAC and one Romney’s most controversial talking points. In an interview on PBS’s NewsHour, McCain told Judy Woodruff that because casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson makes a huge portion of his profits from a casino in Macau, his massive spending in support of Mitt Romney and other right-wing candidates is a form of foreign money influencing American elections:


......................


MCCAIN: This which says that obviously, maybe in a round-about way, foreign money is coming into an American campaign, political campaigns.

WOODRUFF: Because of the profits that the casinos in Macau…

MCCAIN: Yes, that is a great deal of money. And, again, we need a level playing field and we need to go back to the realization that Teddy Roosevelt had that we have to have a limit on the flow of money and that corporations are not people. That’s why we have different laws that govern corporations than govern individual citizens. And so to say that corporations are people, again, flies in the face of all the traditional Supreme Court decisions that we have made — that have been made in the past.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/06/15/500435/mccain-corporations-not-people/

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Uh ho, McCain will be kicked out of the GOP with those words.

[geardaddy]

2. This is the one thing McCain is reasonable on.

[rhett o rick]

7. "Even a worm can turn".

I know the true meaning of the expression, I am choosing to add my own meaning. "Even a sycophant can turn." McCain is a wormy sycophant.

[geardaddy]

8. Yes, this is true.

He is indeed.

[Voice for Peace]

3. going rogue again.. I like it when he rogues to the side of sanity

maybe his daughter keeps his conscience alive.

[goclark]

4. Good for McCain!

That is a big one....

One by one they are realizing that their crap isn't working.

They are reading the handwriting on the wall.

They also know that their candidate is weak --- correct me if I'm wrong, it would be mighty hard to get a replacement for the Villege Idiot Rmoney at this late date.

[oldhippydude]

5. don't think they can get anybody... short of death of their candidate..

the moderates are now realizing that the crazies will not only loose the election for their candidate, but will pretty much guarantee that Democrats will hold the senate, and take back the house..

they will have to totally rebuild their party.. this year may prove to be comparable to the Goldwater fiasco of 1964.. if the american people are smart they wont give them any power for a generation.. it will take that long to rebuild our society

[rhett o rick]

6. Keep an eye open for others that abandon Rmoney. I smell something rotting

in Republicanville. Jeb has set the tone and I bet you will see more follow. Will there be a coup d'etat at the Republican convention?

How Rovian. The Republicans have a big fight for the honor of the Republican Party and the moderates* take control. Jeb could go into the election w/o having to suffer any of the humiliation that Rmoney has. Of course the Democrats would be caught flat footed and the nation would welcome the new savior. And no I havent been drinking....yet.

*Repuke moderates are only slightly to the left of satin.

[malthaussen]

10. This election cycle has been so bizarre, I can believe anything...

... which is probably the intention. It seems to me that the people who are really running things in GOP-land (not the sock puppets they put up for the elections, those are interchangeable) have definitely been re-defining the process for many years. I'm not certain what their eventual goal may be, except insofar as it involves being able to overtly piss on everyone else in the world.

-- Mal

[rhett o rick]

11. I think WI might have been a test. If their methods worked there,

they may decide this is the year.

[goclark]

16. My thought exactly

I've mentioned it a few times here at DU.

What would Rmoney have to do/say for him to drop out and then what would they have to do to allow Jeb to run?

Is that even possible -

[rhett o rick]

20. I am betting that Karl Rove has enough on Rmoney to smear him good.

It probably wasnt hard to get. It's almost a fact that Rmoney impersonated an officer. What if two different females come forward and claim he used his "badge" to take advantage of them. True or not it could derail him quickly. Or maybe he had an illegitimate black child. It's already been used but the gullibles have a short memory.

Jeb would be welcomed as a savior. The only thing left is to smear Pres Obama and steal a few votes here and there, and bingo-bango we have a new emperor.

[goclark]

25. That is what I was thinking

So we need to tip softly with Rmoney so he can run against Obama.
That way they will have to steal more votes.

Right? Wrong?

[rhett o rick]

26. I dont think we have any control at this point. nm

[Mz Pip]

9. I am wondering

of either of 2 things will happen -
McCain will walk back his statement or
His permanent chair on the Sunday talk show will suddenly disappear.

I don't see how the MSM will take kindly to McCain straying so off message.

[rhett o rick]

12. We will see. But consider that maybe the "message" is changing. nm

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Citizens United over turned McCain-Feingold

One wonders why he hasn't been pounding at this, ad nauseum, since that ruling came down.

[Mz Pip]

17. Because it's benefitting Republicans?

McCain really doesn't like Obama. He supports campaign finance reform but CU is going to allow for gazillions of dollars for anti-Obama ads.

This must make his head hurt. Principles v Opprotunity. A touch choice for gramps.

[Enrique]

18. recently he and Sheldon Whitehouse filed an amicus brief

http://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-and-mccain-file-supreme-court-brief-critical-of-citizens-united-super-pacs

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John McCain (R-AZ) today filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court that details the explosion of anonymous political spending since the Citizens United decision. The brief was filed in a case regarding a Montana law that bars corporations from funding election ads. The case presents the opportunity for the Court to clarify the authority of Congress and state legislatures to address the threat of corruption posed by this spending.

“We are deeply concerned about the rise of unlimited, anonymous money now flooding our elections,” Whitehouse and McCain said in a joint statement. “This unregulated and unaccountable spending invites corruption into our political process, and undermines our democracy. We urge the Supreme Court to make clear that legislatures can take appropriate actions against corrupting influences in campaigns.”

The Senators’ brief, filed in American Tradition Partnership v. Bullock, asks the Court to deny a petition to review a Montana Supreme Court decision which held that the Montana legislature’s ban on corporate election spending was still constitutional following Citizens United. Failing that, the brief asks the Court to give the Montana case a full review in light of the flood of anonymous money that has entered political campaigns since Citizens United.

The brief urges the court to “revisit Citizens United’s finding that vast independent expenditures do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption,” arguing that rules requiring donor disclosure and prohibiting outside groups from coordinating with campaigns have been evaded and manipulated by politically-active groups and individuals. The brief chronicles the extensive coordination that takes place between campaigns and super PACs, and the means of “identity-laundering” that allow secret donors to hide their activity. The legislators conclude that “the campaign finance system assumed by Citizens United is no longer a reality, if it ever was.”

The Senators have both been leading advocates on campaign finance issues. McCain was a co-author of the landmark Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, or “McCain-Feingold,” which limited corporate expenditures on political ads, and which was partially struck down by Citizens United. Whitehouse has introduced legislation this year that would require enhanced disclosure of spending on political ads.

The full amicus brief is available here.

[Iliyah]

14. Damn it McCain

are you off your medications?

Goppers should be on the exact same talking point! Damn you!

[Hyper_Eye]

15. This is not new for McCain

He has always been at the forefront of this issue. Keep in mind that it was portions of the McCain-Feingold act that were found unconstitutional in Citizens United v. FEC. So regardless of the other positions he has held he is not "going rogue" on this one. His stance on issues related to election financing have been clear and longstanding.

[The Wielding Truth]

21. Totally committed to the good then evil. "Bomb Bomb, Iran." Such odd sides he has.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

19. And did Adelson's foreign casino $$$ come from prostitution?

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2012/01/27/adelson-casino-empire-investigated-for-mob-ties-prostitution-2/

His Macao casino is under investigation for its ties to the Chinese Triads and organized prostitution rings.

[wordpix]

29. Adleson ---just another offshore-er who doesn't pay US taxes, but lives here

Is that what's going on, not to mention the fruits of Citizens United?

[Uncle Joe]

22. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[Peaceful Protester]

23. Under the Citizens United ruling

An individual may give a maximum of: $2500 per election to a Federal candidate or the candidate's campaign committee.

A corporation may give a maximum of: There is no limit! (WTF!!)

NOTE: If corporations are people, then why aren't the maximum donations allowable identical for both individuals and corporations?!

The citizens united ruling allowing unlimited corporate donations is a model of cognitive dissonance conflicting with our original Democratic system of one person, one vote.

We the People, Not We the Corporations ...end corporate rule, legalize Democracy!

Sign the petition at: http://movetoamend.org/

[Peaceful Protester]

24. Money equals free speech?

The Citizens United ruling struck down the 62-year-old Taft-Hartley restrictions on independent expenditures, cast doubt on the continued viability of the 102-year-old Tillman Act, and invalidated up to 24 state laws, several dating back to the 1890s.

Corporations and unions because of the Court's holding in Citizens United now have the constitutional authority to use general treasury funds or union dues to spend unlimited amounts of money supporting the campaigns of one or several federal candidates.

In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R) frequently talks about people "working together" to solve problems. As it turns out, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has posted some video of Walker talking to a big-money supporter about his "divide and conquer" strategy.

So, how does all this translate politically? As Conservatives have stepped up their their attacks and are pursuing an all out assault on unions, the one proposition with which both critics and supporters of Citizens United agree is that the campaign finance system remains flawed.

Scott Walker "Divide and Conquer" YouTube Video
http://tinyurl.com/7n2jc34

[dylanssbrown]

27. McCain Attacks Romney Super PAC, Says ‘Corporations Are Not People’

Corporations are people so long as they're stuffing their money into "the hip national bank." When these corporations/people have any financial liabilities, it's over to "we the people" to pickup the tab. Maybe Lincoln was wrong when he said "you can't fool all the people all the time."

Readmore about this article.
http://www.rosebudmag.com/truth-squad/romney-supreme-court-citizens-united-obama-corporations-elections

[wordpix]

28. guessing McCain is going to retire soon with this truth-telling

He can't take these lying, bribing repukes anymore