Disclosure, that’s all we want. Seems innocent, not like its national security, right? I mean come on Justices of the Supreme Court; when the majority of our highest court decided for Citizens United did you know that your ruling would allow other countries to have a weighted say in our American elections like I did? Think about this for a second Justice Scalia, Roberts, Thomas, Alito, and especially you Kennedy; we aren’t talking about American multinational corporations allowed to dump limitless money into stealthily named pacs like “citizens for this or that” in order to do campaign commercials and other media for the sole intent of getting politicians elected that are sympathetic to their causes, no, this was the slippery slope we all knew it was. Besides the CU decision is no more than legalizing lobbying with no limits scripted to an electorate audience that loves drama, smut, and craftily made commercials. This ruling has many implications and stretches farther than its intent by allowing countries that harbor terrorists or others that wants our jobs in their countries or worse, a way into our elections to control our policies against them. These countries through their corporations are now allowed to voice their opinions in our elections by contributing money to American organizations like the United States Chamber of Commerce. This is a direct influence into our countries elections through entertainment media. This is why President Obama went after you in the State of the Union address and I applaud his courage in doing so.
When this ruling was made, educated people knew its scope was sinister enough because you were giving a corporation more free speech rights than us biological beings without the right for us who patronize those same corporations to know who was funding what. We thought it was ludicrous a legal corporate charter could spend money for professional media groups to do ad after ad for politicians who sympathized with their free market, laissez faire unregulated philosophies without any over site intent in creating a neo feudalism. Corporations got the right to buy lawmakers and create policy! It’s true your honors, sooner or later the corporations will run their candidates but dress them up to look just like you, a sellable marketable image, but please don’t be fooled because he or she will be that Manchurian candidate, a kind of corporate sock puppet to do their bidding. I’m sorry sirs, I had a lot of respect for our judicial branch but now I wonder aloud because as impartial jurists you shouldn’t of allowed precedent to be subverted and you should have never re-wrote a law that protected people for over 100 years from a few controlling the many. In my humble opinion this is way more detrimental to our republic than if a president got a BJ. I ask would it be unconstitutional to make a change to our countries highest esteemed document and change our laws to give us the right to remove Supreme Court Judges for impeachment by branding some of you for what you are; bought by money interests and against ours.
You may feel I’m being a little pejorative in my rhetoric, but it doesn’t matter to me, I’m just a serf who means nothing in your world. I’ve been bred to do work and be subordinate, right? After all, economists like Friedman didn’t think workers like me were smart enough to think for themselves and should be led. Unfortunately for you, I have a mind and I see disparity with this because I see commercial ad after ad for politicians that obfuscate the truth tainted with an emotional spin and marketed in such a way that many who can’t see through the obscurity actually believe these ads as truth swaying this unsuspecting public to vote against their best interests. I guess I’m just a little cynical, right?
Where is our disclosure? Why can’t we have the right to see who is paying for these ads? Why is it OK that our American Chamber of Commerce can get in on these shenanigans? Seems to me I remember a time where the Chamber was esteemed as an organization that cared about their reputation as a fair and honest broker to businesses of all sizes. Now it’s just another Lobby group who cares nothing of the people who work in the corporations but just so the highest up in those corps get theirs.
Bahrain is putting millions into their coffers in hopes of hand picking our next lawmakers and you guys let them. Your ruling is allowing countries like China, Korea, and India to get influence in who gets the jobs in the world. Big Banks from across the ocean are spending millions to make sure they can keep up with their money games unmolested by the Americans. Used to be that we all loved this country. Used to be American exceptionalism meant something. This decision has proven one thing to me, something the Fox crowd should really be scared about. This misguided Citizens United decision has sold our countries greatest right; the way our vote means something in a true Democratic election. We are being bought out by that New World Order that we’ve been warned about.

Respectfully Mr. Stranahan

I realize your a busy man, but I felt compelled to clarify our earlier exchange. When I read "The Conscience of a Liberal" by Mr. Krugman, I interpreted President Obamas' exchange with his interviewer about the comparison of the salaried athlete and the CEO bank executive differently than you. Now I know the analogy our President made was in reference to baseball players salaries but I can predict that most of main street media along with many respected bloggers' as yourself as well as any red blooded fan will be engrossed by the impending NFL Players Union strike against corporate management. We all are fans & this will be a fascinating fiasco. I also predict that the word outrage and greedy will be used a lot. What audacity these millionaire and billionaires have squabbling over....well....negotiated contracts? You and I both know, we patronize the game, we honor the celebrity but in the end, we come to agreement that this is an issue between a corporate entity and its employees. No matter how much we hate that our ticket prices or memorabilia may go up, we can do nothing to stop it short of not watching the game anymore.

If you believe the conflict is about the tone of our President; well.............again, what do you expect him to say let alone do? If he does as the populous rage wants him to do and use full frontal attacks to channel anger against the financial industries credibility thinking this is a political benefit for some short sighted flash poll, I can not agree with you. This would not be productive or honest and it would be throwing red meat to a politically addicted #gop giving them another opening to shout Socialism and wealth distribution every chance they get.

I agree, Obamas' cavalier Eh-What do you want me to do attitude snipe on the surface sounds disconnected, but I argue that he was being logical and honest. If he came out and said, "short of tearing up the contracts these gentlemen had with their corporations, I can do nothing". Would that have convinced you and Mr. Krugman otherwise in you criticism? Unfortunately, he does not have that right to void negotiated contracts because we do not have actual governing ownership in the bank corporation they represent but just a material interest in non voting stock. We are a free market society and his governance has boundaries. TARP did not give him blanket authority and most of these guidelines were set up before he stepped into office.

Mr. Stranahan, the way I see President Obamas' presidency thus far can be described in one word: DIVIDE

We have a political party that is solely dedicated at this point in their history to getting back into power any way it can. The GOP pretends it is all about our freedoms and spending but actively uses its governing powers in supporting corporate interests over people interest. This has gutted the middle class because their perceived "free market" is really only free if they can deregulate industry giving free hand for markets to regulate themselves. We tried that philosophy and look what happened.

The Republican party in its current construct will parse every word this progressive President says for context, amplify it through corporate media, and then use the brilliance of corporate marketing and sales strategy to spin the messages in any direction they want. Right now the message is Fear and when that fear is about a man whose half black, with a funky name, pal'in around with terrorists, socialist Obama fear becomes an easy emotion to manipulate! Couple all this with a Democratic counterpart of the legislative branch who itself has lost its way and is as beholden to the money interests. Nothing can move or get done!!

Naturally, blaming Mr. Obama is easy and calling him out as Mr. Krugman and you did for something he said about something he can't control will always have people like me who think you are unfair. That being said; I am starting to question your motive for going after President Obama progressive agenda every chance you get. I always see your criticism but never your solutions. I am even starting to wonder if you are the progressive you claim to be. Your tone definitely makes me think not.