Washington, D.C. - In remarks made at the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday, President Barack Obama once again attacked Republicans for their continued attempts to stall the government legislative process; this time involving a bill targeted at creating more transparency in the financing of political campaign advertising.
The respective legislation of concern is the Disclose Act, which is planned to face a cloture vote in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The bill already passed in the House of Representatives 219 – 206, with two House Republicans voting for the measure. Democrats who voted against the bill charge that it is too weak, as it allows certain non-profit groups with memberships of over 500,000, such as the NRA, an exemption from disclosure.
The legislation was created in response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission decision, where it was ruled by the 5-4 conservative majority on the court that for-profit and non-profit corporations as well as unions could not be limited in their expenditures on political advertising. While it does not hinder such activities, the legislation does require the disclosure of the groups that fund such messages, so that voters may make an informed decision as to the validity of the message in their voting choices.
In addition, the legislation also restricts foreign-owned companies in their ability to influence U.S. elections.
In the brief speech, the President stated, “you’d think that making these reforms would be a matter of common sense, particularly since they primarily involve just making sure that folks who are financing these ads are disclosed so that the American people can make up their own minds…But of course, this is Washington in 2010. And the Republican leadership in the Senate is once again using every tactic and every maneuver they can to prevent the Disclose Act from even coming up for an up or down vote. Just like they did with unemployment insurance for Americans who’d lost their jobs in this recession. Just like they’re doing by blocking tax credits and lending assistance for small business owners. On issue after issue, we are trying to move America forward, and they keep on trying to take us back.”
He later added, “A vote to oppose these reforms is nothing less than a vote to allow corporate and special interest takeovers of our elections.”
Despite the fact that the act does nothing to hinder the First Amendment, Republicans have for some reason chosen this as their rallying point.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said concerning the bill, “The Disclose Act seeks to protect unpopular Democrat politicians by silencing their critics and exempting their campaign supporters from an all out attack on the First Amendment.”
Comments
Its really easy to be cast as the "Party of NO" when EVERYTHING the ruling party advances in some way violates the constitution or destroys the economy.
Under such circumstances No is the only appropriate response. Only a mob of lying, cheating con artists would possess the dispicably nature necessary to call guardians of liberty obstructionist.
Stan, your remarks are completely unsupportable. Your knowledge of the Constitution is obviously sorely lacking.
Mr. Boehner, the Minority leader has specifically stated that the Republicans in Congress would be engaging in a program of constant obstructionism no matter what the subject of the bill being voted on. They have is consistently watered down every attempt to bring the country forward in an effort to ameliorate the damage done by 8 years of the Bush administration.
Surely, extending unemployment benefits for the millions of folks who have been affected by this recession is not a breech of Constitutional law. And yet they tried their damnedest to keep that extension from going through. This is just one example.
The Republican Party has indeed earned it's title as the Party of NO! They don't care about you or me. Their only goal is to line their pockets and work for their Corporate masters.
Bill Clement says: the GOP has blocked Dems' efforts to "bring the country forward." This terminology is the kind of empty rhetoric usually employed by statists who conceal government take-overs in the guise of "progress." In fact it is only progress for the power of the state and the consolidation of its cronies holdings.
Then he claims that the GOP "tried their damnedest to keep that (unemployment) extension from going through. This sir is a God Damned lie and you know it.
The GOP presented a compromise bill that was identical to the Dem bill except IT WAS PAID FOR and Harry Reid refused to allow it to be considered, so he could say the GOP tried to block the bill.
Some of us study the Constitution in order to understand its purposes and meanings to better OBEY it! Leftists study it to find ways to subvert it and defile its sacred purpose.
And just like your Usurper in Chief and your Traitors in Congress, YOU TOO ARE A LIAR!
But how many votors think PAST the cheap shot slogans like "Party of No"?
REFLECT...how different the US would be if REPS, concerned DEMS said NO to the 1000 plus partly UNKNOWN Health care bill, the huge STIMULUS fund which is stimulating FEW if any jobs...the election campaign reform bill rushed thru to gum up the Nov elections...
Just think ---Well placed NO's...might well have the US with trillions less in interest to be paid to China...not a friend of us!!!
Obstructionism and "NO" would have been GREAT for this current congress...What if we had truly told Fannie & Freddie NO???
The reason the Dems want this bill passed so quickly is becasue under the layers of "We gotta protect the American political process from foreign corporations" BS are the provisions to hob ble home-grown American grassroots advocacy groups. It will make advocacy and public outreach prohibitively expensive for froups like We the People foundation, the Tea Party, Freedomworks and others that are the focal points of both contributions and organization for a unified front of rational conservative Americans to make their voices heard in the maelstrom of Leftis propaganda.
If your answer to such a bill is NOT no, you are an either an idiot or expecting to be included in the socialist elite when the fall of America comes.
Either way -- FU.
Bush was no angel but Obama is about as close as you can get to the devil. Obama's monthly deficit is equal to Bush's average yearly deficit.
Gellner, I would not use the words "Obama" and "transparency" in the same headline. The man who promised to hold the health care debate and negotiations on C-SPAN has no business lecturing anyone else on the virtues of transparency, in any of its aspects.
Just more Obama hypocrisy.
Obama presents an interesting opportunity to examine just how far Leftists like Gellner are willing and able to stretch the limits of their credibility to continue their unwavering devotion.
At what point will you break sir?
Repeatedly lying to the public and Congress? Nope.
Trampling contractual agreements with corporate shareholders, using their money to pay kickbacks to union bosses? No.
Coercing Congress to pass laws that nationalize the healthcare system and the financial sector? Huh-uh.
Violating the property rights, government certifications and individual constitutional rights of hundreds of oil industry business owners, while strangling the last gasps of hope for millions of already struggling gulf coast citizens; ignoring two court rulings saying he can't do it and pushing to do it anyway? Nyet.
How about pushing his Commie-Cronies in congress to pass a law that will effectively silence all meaningful opposition in the 2010 & 2012 campaigns? Not even.
Is there more to this law that I am missing? Isn't it just saying at the beginning or end of the ad that this ad was paid for by .....This law applies to unions as well as corporations. Voters do need to know who's (private citizen) opinions or perceptions that they are hearing. Is there a censorship clause contained in the legislation?
Another good vote in the most corrupt congress in history.
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