Citizens United

This is the freest danged speech you ever will see!"Freedom of speech, in my view, does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government."-- Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders"I am concerned that today's ruling may represent the latest step in an effort by a majority of the Court to dismantle entirely the longstanding structure of campaign finance law erected to limit the undue influence of special interests on American politics."-- Arizona Republican Sen.

When's the last time we asked you to sign a petition? Right… never. But our friends at Daily Kos are offering the kind of strategic initiative that appeals to us. They want progressives to express their frustration with President Obama's tendency to fill the judiciary with corporate lawyers. It's been making a lot of us sick? Not you? Did you know that just over 70% of President Obama's judicial nominees have been corporate lawyers?

Is Justice Nino's great legal mind preparingto further roll back campaign spending limits?"It is what it is."-- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, pressed aboutthe Court's previous mangling of campaign finance lawby KenIs it any wonder that some people herald Justice Nino's as one of the great legal minds of our time? (They must be very stupid people, you say? But of course!)So meanwhile, while we're all wrapped up in the Shutdown Follies, back at the Supreme Court . . . .

by Ken"How did corporate America lose control of the Republican Party?" asks NYT business and economics columnist Eduardo Porter at the start of his "Economic Scene" column today, "Business Losing Clout in a G.O.P. Moving Right, and I guess that is his subject.

Brownsberger wants to stand out-- even if only as the worst candidate in the raceA Republican isn't going to win Ed Markey's old House seat, MA-05. The district is very blue. Last year Markey was reelected 254,128 (76%) to 82,286 (24%). The district is composed of 24 townships. Markey rocked every one of them. Obama beat former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney 65-33%. The PVI is D+14. Republicans don't win in D+14 districts. The whole ball game in MA-05 is the primary.