Hoosier Democrat

All the Votes Money Can Buy -- Supreme Court Takes Restrictions Off Corporate Campaign Contributions

In a decision issued today, the US Supreme Court removed all restrictions on corporate campaign spending.  For details check out the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, or read the Supreme Court Opinion. 

In a bitterly disputed 5-4 decision, the Court struck down critical parts of the McLain Feingold Campaign Finance Law.  Overturning at least two precedents, the majority held that the First Amendment prohibited restricting how much corporate money could be poured into campaign coffers.

The 1-vote majority is a legacy of the Bush Administration.  Former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor had voted to uphold campaign finance limits in 2003.  But her replacement, Samuel Alito, and Chief Justice Jonathan Roberts, both Bush appointees, voted with the majority.

The Court's slim majority failed to distinguish between regulating content and regulating money, equating the two as "free speech"  (or maybe better stated, "fee speech"). 

The impact on our democracy will be devastating.  One can only imagine how much money the health insurance companies will pour into this next election.  How much money will Wall Street spend on politicians who are opposing new regulations to prevent the abuses that have occured this past decade?  How much money will go into campaigns from utilities utilities seeking to aviod cap and trade, or oil companies seeking to drill on public lands? 

This will go down as one of the truly awful decisions of the court, a decision to equal striking down the child labor laws in the early 1930s, or upholding separate but equal public accomodations in the early years of the 20th century.  It is truly a dark day in the history of our democracy.

Let the bidding begin.  

 

Nelson "Bribe" Leaves Bad Taste - Shows Why People Hate Politics

I'm disgusted to the point of being ill. 

The flat out political bribe given to Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb) to get his support for the Senate Health Care Bill stinks.  It is a stark example of why people hate politics.  In the end, it will hurt health care and it will hurt the public's confidence in Congress and all office holders.

Most of all, this shameless political bribe is self-destructive to the Democratic Party.  Whether or not health care passes, this "deal" severely damages the view of Independents and even some Democrats that the Democratic Party is capable of providing courageous leadership rather than playing self-serving politics.

If you don't know, Nelson pressured his way into getting Sen Leader Harry Reid to agree to the federal government paying for ALL of the increases in Medicaid called for by the bill for a single state -- Nelson's Nebraska.  It should insure Ben's reelection by Husker Nation.  But  it will be an issue for every Democrat running for office, and will help drag down many Democrats in both the Senate and the House. 

If I'm a GOP ad-maker, I am already working on ads that show Ben Nelson and Harry Reid, with big block letters flashing on the screen.  "To get Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson's vote, Democrats agreed that the people of 49 states will pay Nebraska's medicade FOR EVER!  Democrats call this leadership.  We call it something else.  Vote Republican."

Sometimes you just have to say NO.  And Harry Reid should have said exactly that.

I'm a pragmatist.  As much as I think we desperately need health care reform, and as willing as I would be to swallow hard and support a watered-down version to get some positive needed reforms (coverage of pre-existing conditions, for example), I can't support outright bribery to get the job done.

Damage is already done.  I hope the Senate doesn't make it worse by passing a bill with such obvious political pork. 

Lugar wants Health Care delay: Uninsured can't wait

Sen Richard Lugar has tried to sound a "reasoned" approach of delaying the health care debate for a full year while Congress deals with the issues of the budge and Afghanistan.  It's disappointing to see such a distinguished senator taking such a devious approach to supporting the far right opposition to health care.

A year's delay in health care reform means another year without medical care for the uninsured, another year without coverage for those with pre-existing conditions; another year of insuance employees who receive bonuses based on denying claims, denying coverage (and therefore treatment) to those who believe they have health insurance;  another year of bankruptcies for tens of thousands due to medical bills, including those who think they have plenty of insurance.

Sen. Lugar knows full well that a delay on health care reform will throw it into the 2010 election cycle, and possibly past the election cycle when Republicans hope they can gain just a single seat to scuttle health care reform.   His plea is nothing more than throwing his hat with those who want to do anything to stop health care reform, but to put a more "reasoned" face on his opposition.

But delay is death to health reform.  The AMA is now on board supporting health care reform.  So is the AARP.  Millions of Americans cannot wait for another year.  And they certainly cannot wait for delay which would effectively kill reform perhaps for another decade.

And the same message needs to be delivered clearly to Indiana's other senator.  Evan Bayh needs to go firmly on the record in support of health care reform.  NOW.

GOP at the Crossroads: Club or Party

The seminal blues legend is that Robert Johnson learned to play the Blues by selling his soul to the devil at midnight at the Crossroads -- the intersection of Highway 49 and Highway 61 in Clarksdale, Mississippi.  If you go to Clarksdale today, there is a big guitar-shaped sign at that intersection.

The next year will show whether the GOP has made a similar deal with the Devil for the support of the Palin-Limbaugh-Santorum ultra right wing.  New York 23, with the ultra conservatives dumping the party nominee in favor of a Conservative Party candidate, may be just a sample of what is to come.

Michael Steel, GOP National Chair, announced that Tuesday's election results in the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey were a sign that the GOP was back.  But he ignored the results in NY 23, and the tell-tale signs of splintering between the traditional GOP stalwarts like Linsey Graham and even Newt Gringrich, and the "rogues" lead by Palin, Michelle Bachman, Glen Beck and their ilk.

The battle in 2010 will not be so much between Republicans and Dems, but between Republicans themselves.  The California GOP Senate nomination will be one of the big battlegrounds where ultra-conservatives already have their sights set on defeating former Hewlett Packard Chair Carly Fiorini, a  conservative but practical businesswoman whom they view as too liberal.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom no one but the far right would label as liberal, pointedly said “To those people who are pursuing purity, you’ll become a club not a party.”  For article CLICK HERE

So it's nearing midnight.  Palin, Limbaugh, Bachman, Beck and Fox News are all standing at that Crossroads.  The BIG political issue for 2010 is whether they will make that deal, and by doing so turn the GOP from a Party into a Club.

It Was Almost Obama - Bayh, Campaign Manager's Book Discloses

Obama - Bayh --  The ticket that almost was. 

The new book, The Audacity to Win by Obama campaign manager David Plouffe reveals that it was a coin-toss between Joe Biden and Evan Bayh for the VP slot on the Obama election ticket.

For political junkies, the disclosure about the VP selection process is fascinating.  Barack Obama considered Hilary Clinton much more seriously than his advisors anticipated.  But in the end, the President-to-be determined that there would always be a third person -- Bill Clinton -- in the relationship, and t Hilary was dropped from the final list.

The final 3 were Biden, Bayh and Virginia governor Tim Kaine.  After final interviews by David Axlerod and Plouffe, their conclusion was that Kaine simply was too inexperienced, and that adding him to Obama's relative lack of experience would "make it twice as ough for us to roll this boulder uphill."

Biden was viewed as having a stronger upside, but also likely to cause issues with his undisciplined talk-to-much style.  Bayh on the other hand was "substantively close to perfect."  They viewed Bayh as having less upside but also very little downside.

After hearing the report from Axlerod and Plouffe, Obama said "It's a coin toss now between Bayh and Biden."  But as we all now know, the coin toss went for Biden. The fact that Obama would select Biden over the "safer" choice of Bayh is an interesting insight into the President's decision making process.

I've only read the excerpt in Time, but if you have an interest in politics or the Obama campaign, this new book,The Audacity to Win, looks like a must read. 

Pardon Me, Mr. Mayor -- But would you like toast with that egg on your face

As the Indianapolis Star reported, Mayor Greg Ballard and his staff not only got egg on their collective face, they got the whole omelet.

This past week Hizoner issued a press release touting a Forbes survey showing "Indianapolis Among 40 Safest Cities."  But like so many things that come from the Mayor's office, that wasn't quite accurate.

It seems the survey was of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the United States and the Indianapolis/Carmel area ranked 36 out of 40 -- behind among other, Detroit, Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C, and Chicago.  In fact the only 4 cities listed as less safe than Indianapolis are Nashville, Houston, Jacksonville and Miami.  For the entire list, click HERE

Memo to the Mayor & staff:  Read the report before you issue the press release

Reid's State Health Care State Option Not a Solution

 
Harry Reid has finally gotten off dead center and announced his support for a public option from which states can opt out.   This compromise proposal is not a solution.

The health insurance industry has significant influence in the halls of Congress.  But that pales in comparison to the influence buying which could go on at the state level if statet governments are given the power to opt out of any public option. 

The history of Indiana is littered with buiness interests controlling legislation.  Just look at the recent battle over Sunday liquor sales.  It has nothing to do with public interests and everything to do with the liquor retail lobby fighting against the grocery / big box  retail lobby, specifically Walmart., Kroger, Marsh and their ilk.

It's the same interest groups that have fought to keep local Indiana wineries from being able to sell by mail to customers.   No one cares about the public interest.  It's all about who puts the most money into the fight -- and the liquor lobby and grocery lobby have a lot more money to spread around than the association for local wineries.

And does anyone forget Chip Edwards and Phillip Gutman?

A state option is simply a license for the health insurance lobby to turn its attention, and its tens of millions of dollars, to state governments.  Far from roping in health insurance excesses, we would risk giving those same companies even more power and influence.

So Sen. Reid (and Sen. Bayh if you're listening), just say no to a state option.