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Tuesday, March 19

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The Mechanics
« Chicago Journal Covers the 5th, 9th, and 10th Hynes ad: Harold Washington fired Quinn »

National Politics Thu Jan 21 2010

Illinois Dems on Supreme Court Corporate Spending Decision

Alexi Giannoulias' campaign released this statement on the Supreme Court's curious Citizens United v. FEC decision released today:

"I profoundly disagree with today's Supreme Court ruling. The very corporate special interests that got us into this economic mess should be given less power to influence elections, not more. I am proud to be the first U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois history to refuse money from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists because I believe that to get our economy back on track and create the next generation of good-paying jobs, we have to break the grip of corporate interests in Washington.

"My likely Republican opponent Mark Kirk doesn't believe there is a problem. In his decade in Washington, he has taken more corporate PAC money than just about any other politician. He then voted their way on one reckless Bush economic policy after another. That is why he refused to disclose how he would have voted on the confirmation of Justice Sotomayor and that's why he still won't speak about it even today. He cannot be trusted to be an advocate for working families or the middle class."

And this from Senator Dick Durbin:

"Today's decision by Supreme Court is a triumph for special interest and judicial activism at its worst. Overturning the ban on corporate spending on political campaigns opens the floodgates for the corrupting influence and the dominant hand of special interest groups."

"At a time when the American people have ample reason to be wary of powerful corporations focused on a selfish agenda, this decision will only fuel feelings of cynicism and distrust in our system. The power of large corporations and special interests is already immense; this decision will put overwhelming pressure on elected officials to bend even more in the direction of Big Business."

"We must now create a system where we finance campaigns fairly. It is the only way can ensure that our candidates and elected officials focus on addressing the nation's problems and not on the limited interests of the wealthy and powerful few."

 
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Joe / January 21, 2010 2:32 PM

This is absurd. what is happening to this country!? In 2012 there is a real possibility we'll see a presidential run sponsored by GE and AIG? WTF?

Why support these fools? / January 22, 2010 1:30 PM

Every American has a right to free speech, correct? Every American has the right to free assembly, right? So why is an individual's rightto free speech dependent on what form of association he chooses it to be?

By the senator's logic, all basic rights under our constitution are only conferred to the individual, which is pretty scary, especially to a free press.

*side note - I don't remember Durbin speaking out about fair campaign financing when Obama went back on his pledge of a public-financed campaign and then went on to collect the largest campaign fund in the history of our country ($600 million, I believe?). Me thinks he protest too much

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Feature

Parents Still Steaming, but About More Than Just Boilers

By Phil Huckelberry / 2 Comments

It's now been 11 days since the carbon monoxide leak which sent over 80 Prussing Elementary School students and staff to the hospital. While officials from Chicago Public Schools have partially answered some questions, and CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has informed that he will be visiting the school to field more questions on Nov. 16, many parents remain irate at the CPS response to date. More...

Civics

Substance, Not Style, the Source of Rahm's Woes

By Ramsin Canon / 2 Comments

It's not surprising that some of Mayor Emanuel's sympathizers and supporters are confusing people's substantive disputes with the mayor as the effect of poor marketing on his part. It's exactly this insular worldview that has gotten the mayor in hot... More...

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