MesserWolf
23-01-2010, 15:19
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama launched an extraordinary attack on the Supreme Court on Saturday, saying a ruling on corporate donations to political campaigns this week "strikes at democracy itself."
Obama's broadside was triggered by a 5-4 ruling by the court's justices on Thursday that removed long-standing campaign finance limits and allowed corporations to spend freely in campaigns for president and Congress. In the ruling, the court's conservative majority said the limits had violated corporations' constitutional right to free speech.
The ruling is expected to unleash a flood of money into this year's congressional elections. Obama's fellow Democrats face a struggle to retain control of the Congress amid voter unhappiness over double-digit unemployment, a record deficit, political gridlock in Washington and other matters.
"This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.
"It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way -- or to punish those who don't. This ruling strikes at democracy itself," Obama said.
In the 2008 election cycle, nearly $6 billion was spent on all federal election campaigns, including more than $1 billion from corporate political action committees, trade associations, executives and lobbyists.
REPUBLICANS PRAISE RULING
Democrats fear that a lot of the corporate money unleashed into U.S. political campaigns by the ruling will go to Republicans, traditional allies of big business.
Republicans already were expressing optimism about erasing the Democratic majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate in November's elections. Republican control of either the House or Senate could cripple Obama's ability to get key policy initiatives through Congress.
Republican Party chairman Michael Steele has praised the court's ruling, saying free speech strengthened democracy.
Obama blasted the ruling the day it was issued, and expanded on his criticism in Saturday's remarks.
The Supreme Court ruling dealt a powerful blow to efforts to rein in corporate influence and could even allow foreign corporations to "get into the act," Obama said.
"It will make it more difficult to pass common-sense laws to promote energy independence because even foreign entities would be allowed to mix in our elections," Obama said.
It also will impede efforts to pass financial regulatory reforms and will give the health insurance industry "even more leverage to fend off reforms that would protect patients," he said, referring to the industry's opposition to his efforts to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry.
Obama came into office vowing to curb the influence of powerful lobbyists for banks, health insurance companies and other special interest groups in Washington.
He said his administration had barred gifts from lobbyists to administration officials and "closed the revolving door between lobbying firms and the government" so that no one in his administration would make decisions based on the interests of former or future employers.
Obama said he had instructed his administration to work immediately with Congress to develop a forceful, bipartisan response to the ruling.
"We have begun that work, and it will be a priority for us until we repair the damage that has been done," he said.
(Editing by Will Dunham)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60M0S620100123?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29&utm_content=Google+International
Obama critica sentenza su spese elettorali: colpo a democrazia
sabato 23 gennaio 2010 12:44
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Il presidente Barack Obama ha lanciato oggi uno straordinario attacco contro la Corte Suprema degli Stati Uniti, affermando che la decisione dei giorni scorsi sulle donazioni ai candidati alle elezioni da parte delle aziende "colpisce la stessa democrazia".
Il violento attacco di Obama è stato provocato dalla decisione - con 5 voti contro 4 - assunta giovedì scorso dalla Corte di eliminare i limiti alle spese di campagna elettorale e consentire alle aziende di spendere liberamente nelle campagne per l'elezione del presidente e dei parlamentari.
Nella sua sentenza, la maggioranza conservatrice della Corte ha detto che i limiti hanno violato il diritto costituzionale di espressione delle aziende.
Si prevede che la sentenza apra la strada a un flusso importante di denaro, nell'anno in cui si vota per il rinnovo parziale del Congresso. I democratici di Obama stanno lottando per mantenere il controllo del Parlamento tra la preoccupazioni dell'elettorato per la disoccupazione ormai a due cifre, un deficit da record, l'ingorgo politico a Washington - dove deve essere ancora approvata la riforma del sistema sanitario - e altre questioni
"Questa sentenza apre le cateratte di una somma illimitata di denaro per interessi speciali nella nostra democrazia", ha detto Obama nel suo discorso settimanale alla radio e su Internet.
"Dà ai lobbisti di interessi speciali nuove leve per spendere milioni in pubblicità per convincere rappresentanti eletti a votare a modo loro, o per punire coloro che non lo fanno. Questa sentenza colpisce la stessa democrazia", ha detto Obama.
Nel ciclo elettorale 2008 quasi 6 miliardi di dollari sono stati spesi per tutte le campagne elettorali 2008: in quella cifra rientrano anche i contributi per oltre 1 miliardo da comitati politici aziendali, associazioni commerciali, executive e lobbisti.
La sentenza è stata invece accolta con favore dai repubblicani - oggi all'opposizione - tradizionalmente alleati del mondo degli affari.
-- Sul sito www.reuters.it le altre notizie Reuters in italiano. Le top news anche su www.twitter.com/reuters_italia
http://it.reuters.com/article/topNews/idITMIE60M04L20100123
Direi che sono discretamente d'accordo con Obama. Le lobby in america sono già forti così , senza bisogno di dargli la possibilità di acquisire altra influenza.
Certo i democratici sono contrari per ragioni più concrete di quelle idealiste dichiarate ( la maggior parte dei finanziamenti andrebbe presumibilmente alla fazione opposta) , ma in ogni caso sono d'accordo con loro.
Obama's broadside was triggered by a 5-4 ruling by the court's justices on Thursday that removed long-standing campaign finance limits and allowed corporations to spend freely in campaigns for president and Congress. In the ruling, the court's conservative majority said the limits had violated corporations' constitutional right to free speech.
The ruling is expected to unleash a flood of money into this year's congressional elections. Obama's fellow Democrats face a struggle to retain control of the Congress amid voter unhappiness over double-digit unemployment, a record deficit, political gridlock in Washington and other matters.
"This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.
"It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way -- or to punish those who don't. This ruling strikes at democracy itself," Obama said.
In the 2008 election cycle, nearly $6 billion was spent on all federal election campaigns, including more than $1 billion from corporate political action committees, trade associations, executives and lobbyists.
REPUBLICANS PRAISE RULING
Democrats fear that a lot of the corporate money unleashed into U.S. political campaigns by the ruling will go to Republicans, traditional allies of big business.
Republicans already were expressing optimism about erasing the Democratic majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate in November's elections. Republican control of either the House or Senate could cripple Obama's ability to get key policy initiatives through Congress.
Republican Party chairman Michael Steele has praised the court's ruling, saying free speech strengthened democracy.
Obama blasted the ruling the day it was issued, and expanded on his criticism in Saturday's remarks.
The Supreme Court ruling dealt a powerful blow to efforts to rein in corporate influence and could even allow foreign corporations to "get into the act," Obama said.
"It will make it more difficult to pass common-sense laws to promote energy independence because even foreign entities would be allowed to mix in our elections," Obama said.
It also will impede efforts to pass financial regulatory reforms and will give the health insurance industry "even more leverage to fend off reforms that would protect patients," he said, referring to the industry's opposition to his efforts to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry.
Obama came into office vowing to curb the influence of powerful lobbyists for banks, health insurance companies and other special interest groups in Washington.
He said his administration had barred gifts from lobbyists to administration officials and "closed the revolving door between lobbying firms and the government" so that no one in his administration would make decisions based on the interests of former or future employers.
Obama said he had instructed his administration to work immediately with Congress to develop a forceful, bipartisan response to the ruling.
"We have begun that work, and it will be a priority for us until we repair the damage that has been done," he said.
(Editing by Will Dunham)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60M0S620100123?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29&utm_content=Google+International
Obama critica sentenza su spese elettorali: colpo a democrazia
sabato 23 gennaio 2010 12:44
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Il presidente Barack Obama ha lanciato oggi uno straordinario attacco contro la Corte Suprema degli Stati Uniti, affermando che la decisione dei giorni scorsi sulle donazioni ai candidati alle elezioni da parte delle aziende "colpisce la stessa democrazia".
Il violento attacco di Obama è stato provocato dalla decisione - con 5 voti contro 4 - assunta giovedì scorso dalla Corte di eliminare i limiti alle spese di campagna elettorale e consentire alle aziende di spendere liberamente nelle campagne per l'elezione del presidente e dei parlamentari.
Nella sua sentenza, la maggioranza conservatrice della Corte ha detto che i limiti hanno violato il diritto costituzionale di espressione delle aziende.
Si prevede che la sentenza apra la strada a un flusso importante di denaro, nell'anno in cui si vota per il rinnovo parziale del Congresso. I democratici di Obama stanno lottando per mantenere il controllo del Parlamento tra la preoccupazioni dell'elettorato per la disoccupazione ormai a due cifre, un deficit da record, l'ingorgo politico a Washington - dove deve essere ancora approvata la riforma del sistema sanitario - e altre questioni
"Questa sentenza apre le cateratte di una somma illimitata di denaro per interessi speciali nella nostra democrazia", ha detto Obama nel suo discorso settimanale alla radio e su Internet.
"Dà ai lobbisti di interessi speciali nuove leve per spendere milioni in pubblicità per convincere rappresentanti eletti a votare a modo loro, o per punire coloro che non lo fanno. Questa sentenza colpisce la stessa democrazia", ha detto Obama.
Nel ciclo elettorale 2008 quasi 6 miliardi di dollari sono stati spesi per tutte le campagne elettorali 2008: in quella cifra rientrano anche i contributi per oltre 1 miliardo da comitati politici aziendali, associazioni commerciali, executive e lobbisti.
La sentenza è stata invece accolta con favore dai repubblicani - oggi all'opposizione - tradizionalmente alleati del mondo degli affari.
-- Sul sito www.reuters.it le altre notizie Reuters in italiano. Le top news anche su www.twitter.com/reuters_italia
http://it.reuters.com/article/topNews/idITMIE60M04L20100123
Direi che sono discretamente d'accordo con Obama. Le lobby in america sono già forti così , senza bisogno di dargli la possibilità di acquisire altra influenza.
Certo i democratici sono contrari per ragioni più concrete di quelle idealiste dichiarate ( la maggior parte dei finanziamenti andrebbe presumibilmente alla fazione opposta) , ma in ogni caso sono d'accordo con loro.