Foreigners for Kelly Ayotte, Pt. II

Foreign money in Stealth Groups: (0.00 / 0)

here is yesterdays editorial on this in NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10...

here is the press release form Think Progress the group that first raised the issue:

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/...

here is a request form Senator Franken to the FEC for an investigation and perhaps new rules:

http://franken.senate.gov/file...

Of course, the Chamber is the exception in that we are able to trace any of their money. For 99% of the stealth groups, the lack of disclosure laws leaves foreign potentates and powers perfectly free to control our political debate without leaving a trace.


"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 10:39:50 AM CDT

Foreign Money Costs Ayotte? (4.00 / 2)

If the primary showed us anything about Ms. Ayotte, it is as voters get to know her, they look elsewhere.

Well, the latest ARG poll (take it for what you will) shows voters looking more kindly towards Paul Hodes.

ARG's bullet points:

-The undecided in the race for US Senate dropped to 7% in the latest survey from 20% in the September 26 survey.

-Kelly Ayotte gained 1 percentage point in the latest survey while Paul Hodes gained 10 percentage points.

-Hodes gained 19 percentage points among women in the latest survey while Ayotte gained 8 percentage points among men.

-Ayotte gained 11 percentage points among Republicans while Hodes gained 11 percentage points among undeclared voters.

The last bullet point is exciting, imo. It suggests that as Ayotte solidifies her base, Paul Hodes is reaching in to the critical pool of Independent minded voters.

The more we get the message out that Paul Hodes is a choice for election campaign finance reform, the better.

Has Ms. Ayotte proposed anything as a remedy to the abuses of the activist right wing judges on SCOTUS? Abuses that lead to foreign influence in America's elections. Abuses that allow the foreign corporations to get the best Congress money can buy. And in doing so, get the best laws and loopholes money can buy.

Paul Hodes has!

"Granny D" Amendment Would Overturn Supreme Court Decision

U.S Rep. Paul Hodes, a Democrat representing New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, has introduced a Constitutional amendment that would limit corporate campaign contributions. The amendment is a response to the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court striking down campaign finance laws that date back to the Theodore Roosevelt administration.

Rep. Hodes' bill is named after the late Doris "Granny D" Haddock, the sprightly nonagenarian who walked across the U.S. in 1999 and 2000 to bring attention to the issue of campaign finance reform. Granny D., who died in March at the age of 100, ran as a Democrat against U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg in 2004. The Republican Gregg is retiring form the U.S. Senate and Hodes is seeking his seat.
-snip

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down over a century of campaign finance law limiting corporate campaign contributions as an infringement of corporations' rights to free speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution. The majority decision built upon the still-controversial constitutional basis that corporations are "individuals" with inalienable rates guaranteed to them by the Fourteenth Amendment.

www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com

www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 12:32:38 PM CDT

Never mind foreign abuse of our system. (0.00 / 0)

Look what our House and Senate have done in passing HR3808 on a voice vote.

http://www.democracyfornewhamp...

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by: hannah @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 13:42:40 PM CDT

Never mind! Veto of HR 3808 is done deal! n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: hannah @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 13:55:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Heres is what the president said today about the threat from foreign donors: (0.00 / 0)

<    Just this week, we learned that one of the largest groups paying for these ad regularly takes in money from foreign corporations. So groups that receive foreign money are spending huge sums to influence American elections. And they won't tell you where the money for the ads come from.

   So this isn't just a threat to Democrats. All Republicans should be concerned. Independents should be concerned. This is a threat to our democracy. The American people deserve to know who's trying to influence their elections. And if we just stand by and allow the special interests to silence anybody who's got the guts to stand up to them, our country's going to be a very different place.

/blockquote>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 18:30:32 PM CDT

Clarification requested (0.00 / 0)

A bit of googling leads me to want to put a couple of things on the record. Questions for in-house counsel:

1. Foreign corporations are still prohibited from contributing to American elections. Citizens United does not apply to that. Correct?

2, But, the relevance of  Citizens United  is that the Chamber can spend unlimited funds, and all it has said (so far) is that is has "a system" for keeping foreign corporate money out of U.S. campaigns.

Is this an accurate view of what we know? Obviously it raises other questions, but if this is what we know and it's supported by a spike in both foreign funds at the Chamber and a spike in campaign spending ... or perhaps even just one of those ... well, where is the FEC?

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by: JimC @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 19:16:55 PM CDT

The Franken letter to theFEC explains it well. (4.00 / 2)

here is the link:
http://franken.senate.gov/file...

I cant seem to cut portions from the type of document, but in  a nutshell it says:

1. Foreign corporations and corporations owned by foreign governments are in fact prohibited from making campaign contributions.

2. There are indications that some groups,including the Chamber, are taking in large amounts of money from foreign sources, allegedly for 'dues', which are then commingled with domestic money into one pot from which the huge campaign spending is coming.

Franken also points out that foreign interests can at present avoid the law by simply creating an american shell corporation (even one with all foreign directors) to make the campaign expenditures.

Finally, ( and this is me, not Franken) the lack of transparency caused by the failure to enact disclosure laws explicitly authorized in Citizens means that we dont have a clue what the sources are of the majority of the money being spent by phoney non-profits like AJS, Crossroads GRS, NOM, etc. I keep repeating this because it is an immediate and imminent threat to our democracy.

As the President said today, "And if we just stand by and allow the special interests to silence anybody who's got the guts to stand up to them, our country's going to be a very different place."

We are more than halfway there to that very different place.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 20:01:19 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thanks Paul n/t (0.00 / 0)

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by: JimC @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 21:26:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

As for the FEC, it is designed to fail. (4.00 / 1)

Split 3-3 with each side loaded with partisans, it is the definition of gridlock. It does nothing. Ever.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Fri Oct 08, 2010 at 06:09:13 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

UN as election monitors (4.00 / 1)

I figure, if Obama offered to bring in UN election monitors to oversee and ensure the integrity of the 2010 midterm, the would be some......let's say,  pushback.

Yet, no probs with foreign corporations pumping the Chamber's coffers to swing the air war?

How's that?

www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com

www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Thu Oct 07, 2010 at 22:13:14 PM CDT

Rampant Jingoism? (0.00 / 0)

While I must admit a certain level of discomfort with outside influence in elections, it is quite mild in comparison to how wrong it feels for progressives to have this level of hostility to 'foreigners'. Perhaps I accidentally logged onto some sort of tea party site?

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by: jeff_nh @ Fri Oct 08, 2010 at 19:57:10 PM CDT

Not foreigners -- foreign corporations (0.00 / 0)

Which are expressly prohibited from contributing to campaigns by law.

Any discomfort now?

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by: JimC @ Fri Oct 08, 2010 at 20:33:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Foreign nationals (4.00 / 1)

cannot contribute to any candidate or political party in the US, unless they have a green card.

All corporations (and unions) are prohibited from contributing to candidates or political committees.  This is why PACs were established.

This is a far more dangerous problem because it camouflages the contributions by sinking the money anonymously into various organizations. The money comes from a black hole and we never know who is behind the messaging.

Foreign nationals are prohibited from participating in our elections for all the obvious reasons surrounding national security.  Does anybody, regardless of political affiliation, want foreign governments, corporations or individuals meddling in our already corrupt electoral system?  Other than the Supreme Court, I mean.  Sure, they are targeting liberals right now, but soon enough the wheel turns, jeff_nh, and you'll find yourself with track marks across your chest.  Don't bother looking for me for help, I'm miles and miles ahead of you.

And I just can't stop myself.  This is a class issue.  The money being spent on this election by third party groups has implications beyond influencing this election - it also influences legislation and legislative drift (see EFCA).  It's painfully obvious to me that the economic discussion in this country is being leveraged in favor of the wealthy by influence peddlers.

It's never been a better time for tax cuts for the wealthy.

"Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world." A. Einstein

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by: StraffordDem @ Fri Oct 08, 2010 at 21:26:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Nothing new (0.00 / 0)

It is not as if the foreign money suddenly started today. Chinese intelligence apparently funneled money into the Clinton campaign back in the 90's. That was wrong then and it was a pretty direct connection from a foreign government.

What I object to is the politics of fear (oh no thems foreigners is gonna get us) that is being used here. The concern over citizens united has a lot more to do with being able to silence internal dissent than it does with a realistic concern of foreign influence.  

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by: jeff_nh @ Sat Oct 09, 2010 at 06:40:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

You're darn right I am hostile (4.00 / 2)

to the idea of non-Americans illegally contributing money to the American elctoral process to help Tea Party candidates win.

And thank you, as before, for your Concern.  

birch, finch, beech

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by: Dean Barker @ Fri Oct 08, 2010 at 21:14:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

when concern trolls rush in (2.67 / 3)

it's never accidental.  

member of the professional left  

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by: susanthe @ Fri Oct 08, 2010 at 22:40:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]