Thursday, October 7, 2010
Republicans Refuse to Name their Billionaire Foreign Backers! SHAME!
TP reports: Pressure has been mounting on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce since a ThinkProgress investigation published Tuesday revealed that the right-wing business group may be using donations from foreign corporations to bankroll its general account — the same account that is being used to launch an unprecedented $75 million attack ad campaign against progressive candidates. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and others have called for an FEC investigation into the Chamber, and numerous media outlets have pressed the group for answers. Meanwhile, the Chamber continues to stonewall. Today, while stumping for Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), President Obama referenced the investigation, warning that “groups that receive foreign money” are a “threat to our democracy”:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Just this week, we learned that one of the largest groups paying for these ad regularly takes in money from foreign corporations. So groups that receive foreign money are spending huge sums to influence American elections. And they won’t tell you where the money for the ads come from.
During his January State of the Union address, Obama warned that the Supreme Court’s recent Citizens United decision “will open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our election.” And in his weekly address in September, Obama warned again, “Foreign-controlled corporations seeking to influence our democracy are able to spend freely in order to swing an election toward a candidate they prefer.” His prediction, widely mocked by conservatives, has unfortunately proven prescient.
So this isn’t just a threat to Democrats. All Republicans should be concerned. Independents should be concerned. This is a threat to our democracy. The American people deserve to know who’s trying to influence their elections. And if we just stand by and allow the special interests to silence anybody who’s got the guts to stand up to them, our country’s going to be a very different place.
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3 comments:
Republicans continue their usual dirty tricks and terroristic tactics in order to continue to wreck our economy and further demolish the middle class!
Obama is just an example of the pot calling the kettle black. He has never been forthcoming about some of his campaign contributions and who financed his college education. Since he has chosen to bring up this topic maybe he should come clean first and provide full disclosure of all of his foreign gifts of money.
We all agree it is illegal for foreign interests to contribute to candidates for office. I would extend that to foreign governments who speak publicly in opposition to U.S. policies, like El Presidente Calderon. Any time that happens, the perp should be officially admonished to stay out of our internal affairs.
Too many foreign owned Big Businesses are having far too much influence on our politicians.
The US Chamber of Commerce needs to fess us and come clean!
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