2012 // Current TV

Elections Are For Suckers!!!

Elections Are For Suckers
by Robert Scheer

Let’s just dip our fingers in purple ink and pose for photos now that voting has the same significance for us as it had for those Iraqis who got conned into thinking they were participating in some grand democratic experiment.

Our own elections, the ones our government has modeled for the world, are a hoax. What other word should we use to describe this year’s presidential election, whose outcome will turn on which party’s super PACs gets the most generous bribes from billionaires? The Republicans, enabled by decisions of a Supreme Court they still control, were the first out of the gate and are far more culpable in destroying our system of popular governance. But the Democrats, no less committed to winning at any cost to political principle, have now jumped in.

The generally reserved New York Times editorial page responded to the Obama campaign’s decision to seek super PAC funding with a scathing editorial headlined “Another Campaign for Sale.” The Times reminded that Barack Obama, in his State of the Union speech two years ago, called out the Supreme Court justices sitting before him over their decision to free special interests from campaign spending limits. “I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests,” Obama said then. “They should be decided by the American people.” But sadly, as the Times editorial noted this week, “On Monday, the President abandoned that fundamental principle and gave in to the culture of the Citizens United decision that he once denounced as a ‘threat to our democracy.’ ”

Monday was the day the Obama campaign sent out an e-mail announcing that members of the president’s administration would solicit funds for Priorities USA Action, one of the super PACs that can now, thanks to the Supreme Court decisions that Obama had castigated, raise unlimited funds in an effort to sway the election.

Just as the super political action committee supporting Republican primary contender Newt Gingrich had raised $10 million from Nevada gambling kingpin Sheldon Adelson and his wife, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Obama campaign set its sights on media mogul Haim Saban.

A backer of Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries in 2008, Saban had not subsequently supported Obama because of criticisms over the president’s actions toward Israel. Perhaps because the president has done nothing to effectively pressure the Israeli government to make any concessions toward Palestinian self-determination, Saban recently made his first contribution to Obama and in a written statement Tuesday said, “We are looking at all the Super PACs at the moment, will surely participate, but haven’t decided on the details.”

Saban may be one of the more idealistic mega-donors the pro-Obama Priorities USA Action PAC is now courting. Less savory, if one cares about the hold that Wall Street has exerted over this administration, are some of the top donors Obama aides met with Tuesday to urge that they contribute to the PAC. The list included Hamilton E. James, the president of the huge private equity firm Blackstone, and Robert Wolf, the chairman of UBS Group Americas.

Not that the Republicans should worry, since their list of super PAC supporters is far more powerful. To date, the pro-Democrat PACs have collected a paltry $19 million as compared with the $91 million raised last year by committees controlled by Karl Rove and the allies of the Republican presidential candidates. This disparity is the president’s justification for abandoning his principled opposition to such groups. “We’re not going to fight this fight with one hand tied behind our back,” said Jim Messina, Obama’s campaign manager. “With so much at stake, we can’t allow for two sets of rules. Democrats can’t be unilaterally disarmed.”Elections Are For Suckers by Robert Scheer Let’s just dip our fingers in... more

figgdimension
added this
11 hours ago
|
3 comments

Rush Limbaugh says Obama lying about jobs numbers

"El Rushbo" can't handle the good news happening without GOP help, so... more

Glenn_Osrin
added this
1 day ago
|
0 comments

Rush Limbaugh: Obama fudges the jobs numbers

In his daily radio show the uber-conservative accuses the administration of making the... more

Glenn_Osrin
added this
1 day ago
|
0 comments

Imagine 2012 (for the 99%)

The Heretic presents: From a concept by horse237... Which is to rewrite Imagine, by... more

coolplanet
added this
2 days ago
|
19 comments

WHY YOU MUST GO TO YOUR CAUCUS THIS YEAR!

[Unless you are a political party hack, then you can stay home] Caucuses are the... more

DMashak
added this
3 days ago
|
0 comments

24 Signs That We Are Getting Dangerously Close To A Major War In The Middle East

Is 2012 the year when we will see a major war in the Middle East? For years we have... more

Revelation1217
added this
3 days ago
|
0 comments

Why Hasn't This Video Gone Viral?

Created by Christian Malazarte

JRBarilla
added this
5 days ago
|
60 comments

I'm Ron Paul - Ep 5 - Kill The Propaganda Machine

This is all Ron Paul has to do to win! -Stu

StuArt_Gould
added this
7 days ago
|
0 comments

Egypt Footbal Match 70 Dead, Thousands pay Homage at the train carrying Ultra fans from Portsaid

Fans of Al-Masry, a team based in Port Said at the northern end of the Suez Canal,... more

FreePressTV
added this
8 days ago
|
0 comments

Givenchy Couture Spring 2012, Paris

collection, where the circus director's tailored straight lines mixed with the... more

glamourgoddess6
added this
8 days ago
|
0 comments

President Obama State of the Union 2012 same as 2011

President Obama State of the Union... more

LT4456
added this
8 days ago
|
1 comment

Dance the Dream Awake

Embody The Movement Check out official One People flash mob:... more

coolplanet
added this
10 days ago
|
4 comments

Ron Paul: Cut Spending Overseas! Don’t Punish Innocent People at Home

Ron Paul on the Jason Lewis Show 1/30/12... more

JRBarilla
added this
10 days ago
|
2 comments

Yiqing Yin Couture Spring 2012, Paris

Chinese designer Yiqing Yin's collection had an organic feel to it. The clothing... more

glamourgoddess6
added this
11 days ago
|
0 comments

Gloria Coelho Winter 2012 São Paulo, Brazil

Gloria Coelho was inspired by the neutrinos, volcanoes, 30s, 50s, 60s, 90s and 2012,... more

glamourgoddess6
added this
11 days ago
|
0 comments

Ron Paul rebukes Romney: Corporations are not people

Posted on 08.15.11 By Stephen C. Webster In a verbal slap at former Mass. Gov.... more

JRBarilla
added this
12 days ago
|
0 comments

Worth Couture Spring 2012, Paris

Designer Giovanni Bedin was inspired by a 1910 red velvet coat designed by Monsieur... more

glamourgoddess6
added this
13 days ago
|
0 comments

Lino Villaventura Winter 2012 São Paulo, Brazil

Lino Villaventura was inspired by the dark images of painter Francis Bacon. The... more

glamourgoddess6
added this
13 days ago
|
0 comments

André Lima Winter 2012 São Paulo, Brazil

André Lima channeled Asian and African elements for his newest collection. The... more

glamourgoddess6
added this
14 days ago
|
0 comments

Jan Taminiau Couture Spring 2012, Paris

Dutch designer Jan Taminiau showed his "Tarnished Beauty" collection during... more

glamourgoddess6
added this
15 days ago
|
0 comments

select your country

Community Spotlight

TAGS

tagged w/ 2012

top videos

find current on tv

find current online

recent comments

© 2012 Current TV, LLC All Rights Reserved

the basics

follow us online

tools

stay in touch

© 2012 Current TV, LLC
All Rights Reserved