VIDEO: Congresswoman Donna Edwards Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Undo SCOTUS Ruling

By GottaLaff



Via an e-mail:

Twelve days ago, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling striking at the heart of our democracy. The Court disregarded more than a century of precedent and ruled that our Constitution prevents the American people from regulating corporate money in our elections and politics. That’s wrong and we don’t buy it.

And twelve days ago, we stood up to fight back. Thousands of you joined us in our call for a constitutional amendment to defend our democracy and to restore the First Amendment to its intended purpose: to protect people, not corporations.

And, today, Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland has introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn the Court’s ruling. Joined by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. of Michigan, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, the Edwards amendment will ensure that Congress and the states may prohibit corporations from spending their funds for political activity.

CLICK HERE to watch this interview with Congresswoman Edwards discussing her constitutional amendment.

And CLICK HERE to see our press release applauding her introduction of this amendment.

The Framers of the Constitution intended the First Amendment to protect the rights of citizens, everyday people, not corporations. Corporations are not people. They are artificial entities created by the state with state-based advantages. In fact, the recent ruling will certainly drown out the voices of the very citizens the First Amendment was meant to protect.

We as a nation have amended the United States Constitution before. Twenty-seven times. That history includes amendments in response to US Supreme Court rulings directly threatening the democratic process. The Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC demands a similar constitutional amendment response.

But to do this, we need to build a broad-based democracy movement. You can help make this happen.

Ways to Get Involved

* Forward this email to at least 10 or more of your friends urging that they join us and sign the petition.
* Contact your Member of Congress in the House of Representatives and United States Senate, about the Edwards amendment.
* Organize a local amendment committee.
* Donate to support this campaign.
* Follow Free Speech for People on Twitter and Facebook to receive the latest news on the campaign.
* CLICK HERE to find out other ways to get involved.

Together, we will reclaim our First Amendment and our democracy.

Thank you.

The Free Speech for People Campaign

http://FreeSpeechforPeople.org

H/t: D_Klein3

Sen. Kerry backs changing Constitution to deal with Supreme Court decision

By GottaLaff

I remember Thom Hartmann saying this is what it would take:

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) on Tuesday threw his support behind a constitutional amendment aimed at gutting the impact of a Supreme Court decision lifting key restrictions on corporate campaign spending.

“I think we need a constitutional amendment to make it clear once and for all that corporations do not have the same free speech rights as individuals,” Kerry said during a Senate Rules Committee hearing.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) is the only other senator so far to back the idea of taking on the Herculean task of passing a constitutional amendment in response to the high court’s 5-4 Citizens United ruling.

I can smell the obstruction from here.

Most opponents of the high court’s decision regard passing a constitutional amendment as a long-term, long-shot goal because it requires the support of two-thirds of the House and Senate and three-fourths of the states to ratify it. Many Republican members of Congress support the Supreme Court’s decision, a high hurdle to overcome in amending the Constitution.

However, look what the polls say:

Sixty-six percent of Democrats either “moderately” or “strongly” disagreed with the ruling, but so did 63 percent of Republicans and 72 percent of independents.

That's nothing to sneeze at.

Bless you.

Much more here.

Russ Feingold Wants to End Senate Appointments

By GottaLaff

What Blagoeuoeuboiqvozhesvich and Paterson have wrought... or rotten:

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) plans to introduce an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to end appointments to the Senate by state governors.

Said Feingold: "The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it painfully clear that such appointments are an anachronism that must end. In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators. They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people. I plan to introduce a constitutional amendment this week to require special elections when a Senate seat is vacant, as the Constitution mandates for the House, and as my own state of Wisconsin already requires by statute."

A Constitutional amendment? That won't be easy.