September 2009
158 posts
It’s official: public funding is good for your knees. http://bit.ly/2eAvjM
Protect young voters — save campaign finance reform. Thank you @Slate! http://bit.ly/Qh4Pt
F.D.A. Reveals It Fell to a Push by Lawmakers -... →
The agency’s scientific reviewers repeatedly and unanimously over many years decided that the device, known as Menaflex and manufactured by ReGen Biologics Inc., was unsafe because the device often…
Protect young voters -- save campaign finance... →
If the Supreme Court decides to overturn a century of precedent, the answers are bleak. But the young people who found their civic voice in the last election are unlikely to remain silent now. We may…
Rep. Gerald Connolly on Fair Elections Now in... →
Springfield, Va.: Thanks very much for your service to our community, I think you’re doing a great job. Would like to hear your thoughts on the possibility of campaign finance reform, and how the…
Schumer Receives $1.65 Million From Wall Street →
Politico reports that New York Sen. Chuck Schumer raised $1.65 million in contributions from the financial services industry — nearly twice the amount of any other senator.
TheDay.com - Save campaign reform, not two-party... →
The Democratic-controlled legislature and Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell took a bold, bipartisan step in 2005 when they approved among the most comprehensive public-financing laws in the country….
Here’s an interesting article from Salon about how the Supreme Court decision could impact younger voters: http://bit.ly/3w10NQ
According to pollster Frank Luntz 72% of us agree “I’m mad as hell & I’m not going to take it anymore.” The solution at www.youstreet.org
Last Friday afternoon an important decision was released by the federal appeals court of the District of Columbia. The ruling struck down limits on independent political spending by nonprofit groups and political committees.
According to election law expert Richard Hasen in the New York Times coverage of the ruling, “It’s going to make it easier for people — and I would say...
Editorial - The Rights of Corporations -... →
The question at the heart of one of the biggest Supreme Court cases this year is simple: What constitutional rights should corporations have? To us, as well as many legal scholars, former justices…
Public financing of elections could work →
My judicial reform recommendation would be to follow Minnesota’s first step - public financing of judicial races. Having reviewed Arizona’s process at the Web site recommended in Sunday’s editorial,…
Our view: Political contenders need level field -... →
You Streeters nationwide enjoyed Stephen Colbert’s take on the Citizens United vs. FEC case last week (see clip below). And then they took action, inviting Mr. Colbert out to Senator Alan Simpson’s Wyoming ranch for a discussion about the solution that public funding provides.
You can sign on with the Senator or write your own invitation to Stephen Colbert and help bring the spotlight...
The following was sent in to us by You Street member Dan Lynch of Colorado. Send us your thoughts at http://youstreet.org/contact.
To me, public financing is the single most important issue before the Congress. I watch the health care debate degenerate as members of key committees in both houses keep raising money from those whose profits may be affected by the legislation. There never will be...
National Journal -- Campaign Money And The Chief... →
The Supreme Court, especially Chief Justice John Roberts, is at a crossroads. The immediate issue is whether to demolish Congress’s overly broad, 62-year-old ban on corporate spending in federal…
Emily’s List vs. FEC news roundup: http://bit.ly/vyTHk (the ruling opens soft money loophole for nonprofits, 527s)
P. Diddy just subscribed to our Friendfeed - have you? http://friendfeed.com/youstreet
Democracy 21 -- Wertheimer on Court of Appeals... →
Two of the three judges in the majority reached far beyond the bounds of this case to unnecessarily decide broad constitutional questions not properly before the court. Judge Brown correctly…
The YES! Weekly Blog: Greensboro Neighborhood... →
The Greensboro Neighborhood Congress passed a resolution today supporting “the concept of local governments being permitted to develop public financing of local elections in a manner that will help…
Court Voids Campaign Spending Limits for... →
Will the Supreme Court look at the case? Perhaps. In any event, the appeals court ruling is surely not the last word in the long-running, multi-faceted debate over the place of money in politics.
chapelhillnews.com | Rich will bring transparency →
She’s in favor of voter-owned elections and a transparent Town Council: what a relief this would be, especially after the past few years. We’re voting for Penny Rich and strongly encourage you to do…
Voter-owned elections - Good for Greensboro →
Both candidates said they support “voter-owned elections,” or public financing — but neither would require taxpayers to fund it.
Campaign Legal Center: Judicial Overreach from the... →
The Emily’s List v FEC decision from the D.C. Circuit Court throws aside judicial restraint in a rush to reach preferred policy results by further deregulating the election-related spending of…
Appeals Court Decision: Is McCain-Feingold Now On... →
Both the Emily’s List case and the Hillary Clinton case (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission) center around campaign-finance limits. And if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Citizens…
SportsRumorMill.com - For the Corporations, By the... →
“This would suck like few things before it have sucked.”
THE INFLUENCE GAME: Health interests fund senators... →
Sen. Max Baucus, a leader in the troubled effort in Congress to write a health care overhaul bill, has received more campaign donations from the health industry than any elected federal official…
Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » Bill in... →
In the last ten days, the only bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on the subject of elections that has gained more than one co-sponsor is HR 1826, the bill to provide for non-discriminatory…
Pork Politics | Cato @ Liberty →
Don’t get me wrong. I’m pleased to see almost all Republicans (and five Democrats) vote to stop funding Murtha’s airport. But their votes were driven by political considerations and not a new-found…
Obama's lawyer dominates Democratic money machine... →
profile of Robert Bauer and his views on campaign finance, public financing of elections, etc.
JUDGES: Public financing of elections would reduce... →
I would add an additional solution to that given in your editorial. Two states, North Carolina and New Mexico, have adopted pubic financing for statewide judicial races in order to keep politics from…
Ruling Broadens Financial Influence of Independent... →
“We are moving toward a deregulated federal campaign finance system, where money flows freely and perhaps only disclosure laws remain,” Richard L. Hasen, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los…
Appeals Court Overturns Campaign Finance Rules -... →
”It’s going to make it easier for people — and I would say eventually corporations and unions — to give money to political committees to spend on elections,” Hasen said. He said the opinion would…
Free Resources Friday: Campaign Reform News Database! http://bit.ly/3eeFez Slice your news by media, state, issue, source, topic, and more.
This week’s public financing news from around the nation includes news from WA, WI, OH, CT, CO, and GA: http://bit.ly/CcCx0
Our organization fights for public funding of all federal elections (Congress, the Senate, and the Presidency), but we also support various public funding initiatives in the states. Here’s a roundup of what went down this week throughout the country. And check out http://youstreet.org/news for news about your state!
Washington state sees the connection between health care reform and...
We’ve come a long way since the days where we had to rely on one local newspaper for all our news and political coverage. Every day, we’re monitoring thousands of news sources to get the latest on money in politics, public funding of elections, and other important campaign finance topics. You can read the latest news and slice it how you like at http://youstreet.org/news.
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Denver Post slammed with letters - Do corporations... →
The issue is not now, nor has it ever been, about free speech — it is about buying votes. Everyone has the right to petition Congress: call up your senator or congressman and get in line. However, if…
Sotomayor Issues Challenge to a Century of... →
But Justice Sotomayor suggested the majority might have it all wrong — and that instead the court should reconsider the 19th century rulings that first afforded corporations the same rights…
Change Congress launches new ad on healthcare →
IS IT ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS?: Rachel Weiner of the Huffington Post reports that Lawrence Lessig’s Change Congress is targeting Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) for opposing a public health…
Trading Places: From Ex-Lobbyist to Market... →
David Corn and Daniel Schulman of Mother Jones detail O’Malia’s lobbying work for the Enron-like firm that allegedly manipulated energy prices, and they ask, “Why has Obama named him to be a top…
San Diego Chargers are much better at lobbying... →
The San Diego Chargers are hardly professional football’s most prolific team, having advanced to just one Super Bowl – they lost the game – in 43 years. When playing politics, however, the Chargers…
Gun Rights Advocates Win Legislative Battle in the... →
# # Gun rights groups have spent $2.1 million lobbying in the first half of this year, with the National Rifle Association leading the way with nearly $1 million in expenditures. # Gun control…
It appears the San Diego Chargers are much better at campaign contributions than winning Super Bowls. More NFL PAC info http://bit.ly/18zA1K
Great history of how US citizens’ rights (like the First Amendment) were extended to corporations, via @WSJ http://bit.ly/6t9jl
Op-Ed Contributor - The Trial of John Roberts -... →
A great history of the Supreme Court, the overreaches of the Warren Court, and a warning that Roberts not do the same in Citizens United vs. FEC.
Editorial - The Court and Campaign Finance -... →
Conservative jurists talk about judicial modesty and deferring to the elected branches. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito seemed to put little weight on the fact that the court has…
Corporations and the First Amendment | Bloggers... →
The answer may not be in limiting the speech of some, but in boosting the speech of others through voluntary public financing of public elections. Rep. John Larson (CT-01), today:
Photo of the day, via West Virginia Gazette: http://bit.ly/DmhQW
Senator Simpson (R-WY) invites Stephen Colbert to his Wyoming ranch! Can you sign the invite? http://bit.ly/colbertclip please retweet