The Daily Beast and PoliticusUSA have advanced stories about the President's State of the Union Address next month. Although there will be the usual line drawing in the sand, and the political attempt to differentiate the Democratic agenda from the non-agenda of the Republicans, there will be a very significant announcement regarding campaign financing and SCOTUS' decision in Citizens United.
According to these two sources, Obama intends to announce an executive order requiring anyone who obtains a government contract to disclose all political contributions (including Super PACs) made thereafter. No bidder will be required to disclose contributions until after the bidding process to keep it non-political. The justification for this action is the idea of full transparency to avoid contributions made after the fact for favors granted or influence asserted in the awarding of the contract. The real reason - to undercut the decision in Citizens United.
Who does this hurt? Let's start with the Koch brothers, who live off of government contracts. The order would apply not only to the corporation that obtains the contract, but all subsidiaries or otherwise related corporations. That would include the corporation or individual, which owns the contracting corporation, but all of that corporation's subsidiaries or owner's other businesses. This won't stop the Kochs and their like from making their contributions, but it will expose them, just as Citizens United allows them to hide, thereby disclosing the kind of corruption so angering the public.
Just a little side fun. Rush Limbaugh has a government contract. He is paid for his daily male bovine feces to be broadcast to the troops on the Armed Forces Network. I wonder to whom he will be making contributions.
Who does this help? Why Hilary Clinton, of course. Bernie Sander's biggest issue is, and has been, Citizens United. With this now being a non-issue for 2016, and Hilary pledging to leave the executive order in place when she takes office, Bernie really has nothing left to differentiate himself from her.
You're misinformed about Bernie Sanders if you think that his stance on Citizens United is the only thing that differentiates him from Clinton. I expected better from you.
ReplyDeleteDoes that executive order affect Stephen Ross and the Dolphins or the Ren a venue?
ReplyDeleteHow can the IRS know who to audit if we don't have full disclosure?
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