Corporate Lobbyists Run Almost Every Pro-Romney Super PAC Corporate Lobbyists Run Almost Every Pro-Romney Super PAC
Corporate lobbyists are at the helm of almost every large pro-Romney Super PAC and 501(c) group, channeling business cash into ads, and potentially, a lucrative career after the el...
The Threat of Dark Money in Our Elections The Threat of Dark Money in Our Elections
Super PAC and trade association spending can be most influential in state and local races, where voters—and reporters—pay least attention.
Oct 5, 2012 / Blog / Katrina vanden Heuvel
Katrina vanden Heuvel: America Needs Investment, Not Looting Katrina vanden Heuvel: America Needs Investment, Not Looting
Romney’s corporate donors and big business background make him a dangerous choice for “CEO of America.”
Sep 28, 2012 / Nation in the News / Press Room
Mitt Romney Embraces Campaign Finance Reform Mitt Romney Embraces Campaign Finance Reform
Today at the Education Nation forum, Mitt Romney finally admitted that money distorts our democracy by improperly influencing politicians, and causing them to ignore their constituents in favor of powerful donors. He even called for action to end this problem, saying it’s “the wrong way for us to go.” Alas, the “powerful donors” that distressed Romney were teachers. His remarks, via Raw Story: “We simply can’t have a setup where the teachers unions can contribute tens of millions of dollars to the campaigns of politicians and then those politicians, when elected, stand across from them at the bargaining table, supposedly to represent the interests of the kids. I think it’s a mistake. I think we’ve got to get the money out of the teachers unions going into campaigns. It’s the wrong way for us to go. We’ve got to separate that.” By saying massive donations can skew political priorities, and saying “we’ve got to get the money out,” Romney is essentially endorsing the intellectual framework of opposition to Citizens United, which allowed corporations to spend unlimited amounts influencing elections. Strange, because he has called Citizens United the “correct decision,” and even thinks corporations should be able to write unlimited checks to his campaign instead of bothering with outside groups. Apparently, it’s just the pernicious influence of educators Romney is worried about—not corporations. (Note that the AFT and NEA engage in relatively paltry outside spending, and also disclose their donors). For more on Mitt Romney’s disingenuity, read Ben Adler’s check on the candidate’s miserly donations to charity.
Sep 25, 2012 / Blog / George Zornick
An Appeals Court Strikes a Blow to Campaign Finance Reform An Appeals Court Strikes a Blow to Campaign Finance Reform
A US court of appeals reversed a lower-court decision that would have potentially forced some outside groups to open their books and reveal dark-money donors.
Sep 19, 2012 / Blog / George Zornick
Katrina vanden Heuvel: The Supreme Court Works for Corporate Power Katrina vanden Heuvel: The Supreme Court Works for Corporate Power
The Citizens United decision of the “most powerful branch in government” demonstrates that it’s a Court for the 1 percent.
Sep 17, 2012 / Nation in the News / Press Room
‘Citizens United’ and the Corporate Court ‘Citizens United’ and the Corporate Court
Giving corporations the inalienable right to buy elections.
Sep 13, 2012 / Feature / Jamie Raskin
Romney Adviser Leads a New Effort to Channel Millions of Undisclosed Bank Money Into the Election Romney Adviser Leads a New Effort to Channel Millions of Undisclosed Bank Money Into the Election
The American Bankers Association, a powerful bank lobbying group, has voted to take advantage of Citizens United and will now spend undisclosed corporate money for bank industry-fr...
Change We Can Believe In, 2.0 Change We Can Believe In, 2.0
Electoral victories are necessary but not sufficient. Uprooting inequality and restoring prosperity requires much more.
Sep 4, 2012 / Blog / Katrina vanden Heuvel
DNC Offers Obama an Opportunity to Show Who the Real Reformer Is DNC Offers Obama an Opportunity to Show Who the Real Reformer Is
The president’s support for an amendment the constitution to overturn Citizens United is a big deal. But will he use Charlotte to position as the 2012 race’s real refor...
Sep 3, 2012 / Blog / John Nichols