Corporate Sunshine

President Obama slam dunked US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito about the reckless US Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance handed down in mid-January during his recent State of the Union address.



American poet, essayist, political activist and founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) J.P. Barlow was hopeful

The Corporatocratic Court decision may be a blessing: it may trigger a groundswell of opposition to corporate personhood. ~J.P. Barlow, from Twitter

Some forward-thinkers in the US House, like Alan Grayson, are championing 6 bills I want keep an eye on:

The Business Should Mind Its Own Business Act (H.R. 4431): Implements a 500% excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees, and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns.

The Public Company Responsibility Act (H.R. 4435): Prevents companies making political contributions and expenditures from trading their stock on national exchanges.

The End Political Kickbacks Act (H.R. 4434): Prevents for-profit corporations that receive government money from making political contributions, and limits the amount that employees of those companies can contribute.

The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act (H.R. 4432): Requires publicly traded companies to disclose in SEC filings money used for the purpose of influencing public opinion, rather than for promoting their products and services.

The Ending Corporate Collusion Act (H.R. 4433): Applies antitrust law to industry PACs.

The End the Hijacking of Shareholder Funds Act (H.R. 4487): This bill requires the approval of a majority of a public company's shareholders for any expenditure by that company to influence public opinion on matters not related to the company's products or services.

I Don't Need No Doctor

The reckless US Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance handed down yesterday is a giant step for corporate personhood, but a giant step backward for US citizens.

Schlubs like me, who vote in every election and make $25 campaign contributions, are eating humble pie.

A politically-charged US Supreme Court yields the potency to seed and nurture a Corporatocracy like invasive crab grass.

The Corporatocratic Court decision may be a blessing: it may trigger a groundswell of opposition to corporate personhood. ~J.P. Barlow, from Twitter

One of my favorites rock bands as a teenager was Humble Pie. In 1971, when this video of Humble Pie was made, I was a freshman at New Providence High School. Crank the volume.

In my slightly post-pubescent mind, I Don't Need No Doctor might have meant ditching school without a doctor's note.

Today, I Don't Need No Doctor is

A mantra for people without health insurance

The corporate shills and troglodytes in the Senate (e.g. Max Baucus, Harry Reid, the RepubliCants, and the ConservaDems) failed to hammer out a version of the insurance reform bill that the ever-so-slightly more enlightened House of Representatives (e.g., Anthony Wiener) could stomach.

The US Senate is a snake pit of uncontested corporate corruption. If ever you can't fathom a Senator's position or motives, Google their campaign contributions or go directly to the Center for Responsive Politics. Suddenly the irrational and unfathomable makes sense. Suddenly you'll understand your elected official is on someone's payroll. And, sadly, it’s not yours

Follow The Money

Ever find you can't fathom your representative's position or motives? Then Google his campaign contributions. Sometimes it's a head scratcher.

Delousing powder is stocked at the Center for Responsive Politics. For federal campaign data, do a disclosure data search at the Federal Election Commission website.

To follow the money trail in state politics, go to the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

If you think the US Senate did an egregious disservice in 2009-10 by failing to look out for the best interests of their constituents during the 12+ month health insurance reform circus, then consider the top 10 Senators to receive contributions from the pharmaceutical and health products industry from Jan'09 to Sep'09: