• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Obama slams 'corporate takeover of our democracy'

A

Anonymous

Guest
Corporate entities should not be recognized as individuals- and have the rights of individuals....

August 21, 2010
Obama slams 'corporate takeover of our democracy'
Posted: August 21st, 2010 11:27 AM ET

Washington (CNN) - President Obama used his weekly internet and radio address to once again call for passage of legislation regarding political advertising.

"[W]e cannot allow the corporate takeover of our democracy," Obama says in the address. "So we’re going to continue to fight for reform and transparency. And I urge all of you to take up the same fight. Let’s challenge every elected official who benefits from these ads to defend this practice or join us in stopping it."

-------------------------------------------------------------
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
August 21, 2010

As the political season heats up, Americans are already being inundated with the usual phone calls, mailings, and TV ads from campaigns all across the country. But this summer, they’re also seeing a flood of attack ads run by shadowy groups with harmless-sounding names. We don’t know who’s behind these ads and we don’t know who’s paying for them.

The reason this is happening is because of a decision by the Supreme Court in the Citizens United case – a decision that now allows big corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections. They can buy millions of dollars worth of TV ads – and worst of all, they don’t even have to reveal who is actually paying for them. You don’t know if it’s a foreign-controlled corporation. You don’t know if it’s BP. You don’t know if it’s a big insurance company or a Wall Street Bank. A group can hide behind a phony name like “Citizens for a Better Future,” even if a more accurate name would be “Corporations for Weaker Oversight.”

We tried to fix this last month. There was a proposal supported by Democrats and Republicans that would’ve required corporate political advertisers to reveal who’s funding their activities. When special interests take to the airwaves, whoever is running and funding the ad would have to appear in the advertisement and take responsibility for it – like a company’s CEO or an organization’s biggest contributor. And foreign-controlled corporations and entities would be restricted from spending money to influence American elections – just as they were in the past.

You would think that making these reforms would be a matter of common sense. You’d think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections wouldn’t be a partisan issue.

But the Republican leaders in Congress said no. In fact, they used their power to block the issue from even coming up for a vote.


This can only mean that the leaders of the other party want to keep the public in the dark. They don’t want you to know which interests are paying for the ads. The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.

Well, we cannot allow the corporate takeover of our democracy. So we’re going to continue to fight for reform and transparency. And I urge all of you to take up the same fight. Let’s challenge every elected official who benefits from these ads to defend this practice or join us in stopping it.

At a time of such challenge for America, we can’t afford these political games. Millions of Americans are struggling to get by, and their voices shouldn’t be drowned out by millions of dollars in secret, special interest advertising. Their voices should be heard.

Let’s not forget that a century ago, it was a Republican President – Teddy Roosevelt – who first tried to tackle the issue of corporate influence on our elections. He actually called it “one of the principal sources of corruption in our political affairs.” And he proposed strict limits on corporate influence in elections. “Every special interest is entitled to justice,” he said. “but not one is entitled to a vote in Congress, to a voice on the bench, or to representation in any public office.”

We now face a similar challenge, and a similar opportunity to prevent special interests from gaining even more clout in Washington. This shouldn’t be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. This is an issue that goes to whether or not we will have a democracy that works for ordinary Americans – a government of, by, and for the people. Let’s show the cynics and the special interests that we still can.
 

Lonecowboy

Well-known member
"We cannot allow the corporate takeover of our democracy," Obama says in the address.



Hellllooooooo- it's a Republic!! we don't have a democracy-duh!!
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
I guess it could be worse. The Clinton administration could have sold out national security to Chinese military intelligence agents, for illegal campaign contributions.

Oh, wait....that did happen.

Clinton Administration's Chickens Come Home to Roost

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/clinton_administrations_chicke.html
 

Tam

Well-known member
The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.


yep that is what he said and he should know :D He has disclosed the truth about his past, Wait wait wait no he hasn't so according to him, he must have something to hide. What oh What could he be hiding? :shock:
 

hopalong

Well-known member
Tam said:
The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.


yep that is what he said and he should know :D He has disclosed the truth about his past, Wait wait wait no he hasn't so according to him, he must have something to hide. What oh What could he be hiding? :shock:

We know he has not hidden his birth certificate cause oldtimer has seen it and we know oldtimer would NEVER lie!


EH?
 

Tam

Well-known member
hopalong said:
Tam said:
The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.


yep that is what he said and he should know :D He has disclosed the truth about his past, Wait wait wait no he hasn't so according to him, he must have something to hide. What oh What could he be hiding? :shock:

We know he has not hidden his birth certificate cause oldtimer has seen it and we know oldtimer would NEVER lie!


EH?

Maybe Oldtimer and Shamwow should get their Obama Birth Certificates and debate them. That is a debate I would like to see on CSpan. :shock: :wink: :D :D :lol:
 

Texan

Well-known member
"But the Republican leaders in Congress said no."
Has anyone else noticed that in almost every weekly address to the country, President Obama has some type of partisan, childish, blaming-type comment to make about Republicans?

Almost every one of them turn into something like a campaign speech. I can't ever recall a president who has been MORE partisan and political in almost every speech.

How do you Obama supporters feel about his childish finger-pointing and juvenile, arrogant, political scolding? I thought he was supposed to be the "post-partisan president?" Isn't that what he claimed? Isn't that why some of you voted for him? To get away from all of the partisan political stuff in Washington?

It seems to me that your "post-partisan president" has turned into the most-partisan president. But, I'll be more than happy to read and discuss your rebuttals.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
Texan said:
"But the Republican leaders in Congress said no."
Has anyone else noticed that in almost every weekly address to the country, President Obama has some type of partisan, childish, blaming-type comment to make about Republicans?

Almost every one of them turn into something like a campaign speech. I can't ever recall a president who has been MORE partisan and political in almost every speech.

How do you Obama supporters feel about his childish finger-pointing and juvenile, arrogant, political scolding? I thought he was supposed to be the "post-partisan president?" Isn't that what he claimed? Isn't that why some of you voted for him? To get away from all of the partisan political stuff in Washington?

It seems to me that your "post-partisan president" has turned into the most-partisan president. But, I'll be more than happy to read and discuss your rebuttals.


he's taken "old style politics" to a new level and he doesn't even notice that it is not helping him, but huting his approval ratings.


What did people, that voted for him, expect? He's a "community organizer"/ rabble rouser/poop disturber.
 
Top