Bill Moyers/Michael Winship: Angry Money v. Democracy

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from Consortium News:



Angry Money v. Democracy
July 17, 2012

A handful of “angry, old, white men” are on their way to buying the American elections, says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But Republicans in Congress are making sure those identities stay secret by killing a bill that would at least require disclosure, write Bill Moyers and Michael Winship.

By Bill Moyers and Michael Winship


Ask any magician and they’ll tell you that the secret to a successful magic trick is misdirection – distracting the crowd so they don’t realize how they’re being fooled. Get them watching your left hand while your right hand palms the silver dollar: “Now you see it, now you don’t.” The purloined coin now belongs to the magician.

Just like democracy. Once upon a time conservatives supported the full disclosure of campaign contributors. Now they oppose it with their might — and magic — especially when it comes to unlimited cash from corporations.

My goodness, they say, with a semantic wave of the wand, what’s the big deal? Nary a single Fortune 500 company has given a nickel to the SuperPACs. (Even that’s not entirely true, by the way.)

Meanwhile, the other hand is poking around for loopholes, stuffing millions of secret corporate dollars into non-profit, tax-exempt organizations called 501(c)s that funnel the money into advertising on behalf of candidates or causes. Legally, in part because the Federal Election Commission does not consider them political committees, they can keep it all nice and anonymous, never revealing who’s really behind the donations or the political ads they buy. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2012/07/17/angry-money-v-democracy/

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