This is what plutocracy looks like.
At the end of January, in California, the Koch Brothers held one of their semi-annual gatherings of super-rich rightwingers.
The goal: Defeat Obama.
The means to attain that goal: Unlimited cash.
Permission to spend that cash: Granted by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United case two years ago.
And so Charles Koch pledged to spend $40 million, according to the Huffington Post.
And Brother David pledged $20 million.
And the assorted other fat cats rounded the number up to $100 million.
Among them, Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas casino owner who paid for the iron lung that’s kept Newt Gingrich’s primary campaign alive. But Adelson isn’t picky. Looks like he’ll have no qualms about throwing in with Romney if and when Gingrich bows out ungracefully.
So here you have a tiny circle of some of the richest people in America conspiring essentially to buy the White House.
And the Supreme Court says that’s fine.
Baloney!
It’s totally unfair and undemocratic to give the wealthiest Americans such a huge voice in our supposed democracy. Why should they be able to shell out $100 million to try to elect a candidate of their choice whereas most Americans can’t afford to spend even $100?
We’re supposed to have one person, one vote in this country, but the Citizens United decision has put the mock in democracy.
And the only way to un-mock it is to amend the Constitution and state, once and for all, that money is not speech, that a corporation is not a person, and that it is altogether reasonable and proper to limit what can be spent on electioneering.
If you liked this story by Matthew Rothschild, the editor of The Progressive magazine, check out his story “After Florida, Romney Poses Threat to Obama."
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