Following the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission to allow unlimited corporate funding of federal campaigns, Murray Hill Incorporated, a diversifying corporation in the Washington, D.C. area, has filed to run for U.S. Congress in the Republican primary in Maryland's 8th Congressional District....
You need to do a bit more research! The Supreme Court had ruled, if I recall correctly, way back in 1922 that "corporations are "People," who can be sued in the courts.
The current Court simply REAFFIRMED that ruling, thus the law banning their "RIGHT to political speech," was not Constitutional.
If you study election law you will discover only an "individual" can seek elective office.
You are wrong, do some homework before you chose to comment, search the historical record, WBMA.
One can READ the Courts opinion on the net, that sites the "corporations are People," in the majority ruling. It is also mentioned in the minority opinion.
One thing is for sure, BO nor the New York Times Editors, apparently did NOT read the opinion that came down from the court or he and they would not have made that goofy assertion that FOREIGN corporations can now spend money in US elections.
The law forbidding foreigners from participating in US elections is still in effect. That fact is listed in the majority opinion, as well.
I just made a quick search found this, from the Law Review, in less than two minutes:
"President Barack Obama and other critics say the court's decision to let corporations spend their money to directly influence elections opened the floodgates to foreign involvement. In last week's address to Congress and the nation, Obama asserted that the court had allowed special interests, "including foreign corporations, to spend without limit on our elections."
That was a step too far, foreign corporations may NOT spend any money in U.S. elections under a provision of federal election law that was UNTOUCHED by the high court.
It's even sillier than that. US corporations still cannot directly support politicians. They can express an opinion, even if they aren't a "news organization". Free speech for others than the media, fancy that.
"...the more complicated question is how, under the new ruling, to treat U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies or American corporations that are controlled by foreign investors..."
Hog wash, the ruling clearly let current law stand on contribution from FOREIGN Corporations. I.E. A first year law student would easily discover that although Toyota has holding companies, incorporated in various states in the US, the Toyota CORPORATION is Japanese and thus excludes the holding companies from supporting candidates for ANY elected office, period.
I'd like to suggest that policical campaign contributions be taxable, by all taxes applicable to the region or any part of it voting for that office. This would include individual income tax, corporate income tax, sales tax (for national elections, the sales tax of all
50 states), inheritance tax, property tax, all those odd taxes you see on your phone bill, the SEC tax on stock trading, Social Security taxes, Obama's health care tax if and when it becomes effective, gasoline tax, etc.
The latest ruling that opens the gate for company "donations" to political campaigns is just a way for industry (or other wealthy interest groups) to BUY congress.
Now, surely enough, congress has pimped itself for years, but this brings pimpdon to a holy acceptable status.
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