Keeping Politics Safe for the Rich

[Joanne98]

In a burst of judicial activism, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upended the gubernatorial race in Arizona, cutting off matching funds to candidates participating in the state’s public campaign finance system. Suddenly, three candidates, including Gov. Jan Brewer, can no longer receive public funds they had counted on to run against a free-spending wealthy opponent.

The court’s reckless order muscling into the race was terse and did not say whether there were any dissents, though it is hard to imagine there were not. An opinion explaining its reasoning will have to wait until the next term, assuming it takes the case, but by that time the state’s general election will be over and its model campaign finance system substantially demolished.

It seems likely that the Roberts court will use this case to continue its destruction of the laws and systems set up in recent decades to reduce the influence of big money in politics. By the time it is finished, millionaires and corporations will have regained an enormous voice in American politics, at the expense of candidates who have to raise money the old-fashioned way and, ultimately, at the expense of voters.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/opinion/09wed1.html

:nuke:

[Militant_Populist]

1. These right-wing courts hate democracy. n/t

[Scuba]

2. Perhaps only corporations should be allowed to vote...

...it amazes me anyone wants to outlaw guns in this country.

[Laelth]

3. This is important (and evil). k&r n/t

:dem:

-Laelth