To Topple US 'Oligarchy,' Sanders Calls for Publicly Financed Elections

[Octafish]

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton responds to question about big money in politics with 'a flavorless mush of platitudes'

by Deidre Fulton
CommonDreams.org, Aug. 3, 2015

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who has been vocal on the campaign trail about the scourge of big money in politics, said on Sunday he would push legislation in Congress to provide public funding of elections.

"We're going to introduce legislation which will allow people to run for office without having to beg money from the wealthy and the powerful," Sanders told a crowd of about 300 people at a town meeting in Rollinsford, New Hampshire.

Sanders blasted the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision that gutted limits on campaign funding and paved the way for the über-wealthy to spend unlimited sums to influence election outcomes. His criticisms echoed those voiced last week by former president Jimmy Carter, who said on the Thom Hartmann Program that the U.S. is now an "oligarchy" in which "unlimited political bribery" has created "a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors."

Referring to Citizens United, Sanders said on Sunday: "We must overturn that decision before it's too late. We are increasingly living in an oligarchy where big money is buying politicians."

CONTINUED...

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/08/03/topple-us-oligarchy-sanders-calls-publicly-financed-elections

Bernie really stands for Democracy.

[wendylaroux]

1. THE only way to go! nt

[ruffburr]

2. The Real Deal-

We need Bernie in the Whitehouse ASAP , The only guy that would clean this mess up, Bouncing for Bernie

[SmittynMo]

3. So Bernie needs to

call them on this. I want to hear Hilliary and the clown car answer the following questions:

Do you feel this country is an oligarchy or democracy? Explain.

Do you approve or disapprove of the CU decision in 2010? If you disapprove, what would you do to reverse the decision?

Once they give their answers, their hopes for president will be gone.

Pretty simple, right?

[artislife]

4. Can't wait for the answers

One: blank stare
Two: Oliwhat?
Three: I am for what I was for and always been for...
Four: The Mexicans are rapists but they love me
Five: Democracy? I am a Republican.
Six: Aprove, disapprove, reverse, decision....vote for me...
Seven: An unborn life is worth 10 women, unless they are making dinner

[zeemike]

8. Questions that will never be asked.

In the tightly controlled media that will run the debate if there ever is one.

And if asked there will be weasel words and platitudes that tell you nothing

[sabrina 1]

14. The minute they have a REAL debate, their chances will be gone. Which is why

the DNC doesn't want any real debates.

[Yallow]

6. Bernie Will Be In Seattle Sunday

I will be going.

[daleanime]

7. Lucky....

bring back so photos.

[Oldtimeralso]

9. America,

The country with the politicians that money can buy!

[Unknown Beatle]

10. Hillary will say anything to get elected.

Period. End of discussion.

[dreamnightwind]

11. The reform that would enable all other reforms

is to have publicy financed elections.

It's great that Bernie is saying so, rather than just advocating for the Citizen's United decision to be overturned. Our elections were already captured by monied interests before Citizen's United, reversing it would help but we'd still be left with our broken system, only slightly better.

[Enthusiast]

12. If we want to preserve the democracy.

[cascadiance]

13. Add instant runoff voting too, and this would really take out money buying elections!

As any decent third party candidate could enter a race who is not bought and if speaking strongly enough could win an election, without being a spoiler to the "lesser" of the other evils running. In short, big money could no longer "buy the field" with such laws in place along with public campaign financing!