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Archives: Campaign Finance

The White House Wouldn’t Post Trump Staffers’ Financial Disclosures. So We Did

by Ariana Tobin and Derek Kravitz | (ProPublica) | - - In a remarkable Friday night news dump, the Trump administration made dozens of White House staffers' financial disclosure forms available. But…

Gorsuch Refuses Chance to Condemn ‘Dark Money’ Lobbying on His Behalf

By Lauren McCauley, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | - - Judge Neil Gorsuch claims he 'speaks for' himself, but secretive sources have spent millions to get him confirmed for a reason During…

Can Americans get back their Democracy from the Oligarchy?

By John Scales Avery | (Inter Press Service) | - - COPENHAGEN, (IPS) - As many observers around the world have pointed out, the United States is no longer a true democracy.…

K Street is a 1-Party State: DC Corruption is a Feature, not a Bug

By Thomas Frank | (Tomdispatch.com) | - - Although it’s difficult to remember those days eight years ago when Democrats seemed to represent something idealistic and hopeful and brave, let’s take a…

Kochs’ Victory: House of Reps. Votes to Protect Anonymous ‘Dark Money’ Donors

TeleSur | - - The House of Representatives approved a bill that campaign finance refomers say will open the door to illegal influence on political campaigns. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives…

Big Money in Politics Doesn’t Just Drive Inequality. It Drives War.

By Rebecca Green | ( Otherwords.org) | - - Military contractors have shelled out over $1 million to the 2016 presidential candidates — including over $200,000 to Hillary Clinton alone. The 2016…

IS GOP aiming for 21st Century White Apartheid in America?

Arun Gupta | ( TeleSur ) | - - To compete on a national level the Republican right is creating a system of intersectional apartheid. No matter what happens with Donald Trump’s…

The Young Turks’ Cenk Uygur ARRESTED At Democracy Spring Protest In Washington D.C.

Ben Mankiewicz, Ana Kasparian, and John Iadarola | (The Young Turks Video) | - - "The Democracy Spring rally was held today in Washington, D.C. to protest government corruption and money in…

Why are American Elections so much worse than Everybody Else’s?

by Pippa Norris | (The Conversation) | - - The world is currently transfixed by the spectacle of American elections. From New York, London and Paris to Beijing, Moscow, and Sydney there…

Best Movie of 2016: Michael Moore skewers US Inequality in “Where to Invade Next”

By George Lakey | ( Waging Nonviolence ) | - - Many fields of endeavor have what they call “best practices,” and self-respecting workers look for those. I wouldn’t expect Michael Moore…

Hot Sugar Daddies Of The 2016 Election

Francesca Fiorentini | (AJ+ Video Report) | - - "Political sugar daddies have a strong grip on the 2016 election. These billionaires know what they want, and what they want is candidates…

Could a post-Scalia court restore Campaign Finance Sanity & pull back from Plutocracy?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - There is no guarantee that the successor to the late Justice Antonin Scalia will be a liberal. But only if Cruz wins the…

The “Democracy” of Billionaires & the Most Expensive Election ever Bought (Except for Bernie Sanders)

By Nomi Prins | (Tomdispatch.com) | - - Speaking of the need for citizen participation in our national politics in his final State of the Union address, President Obama said, “Our brand…

Fearing the Bern, Billionaire Bloomberg Threatens to Buy Election on Behalf of Establishment

Fearing the Bern, Billionaire Bloomberg Threatens to Buy Election for Establishment

By Jon Queally, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org ) | - - Former New York City mayor indicates willingness to spend "at least $1 billion"... especially if Sanders bumps Clinton. Is the…

GOP Billionaires Complain Super-Pacs aren’t Buying Election Effectively

Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks Video Report) | - - "Republican billionaires are used to being able to buy elections, and are now crying about how Super-PAC’s aren’t all-powerful. Donald Trump’s…

Kabul on the Potomac: How America became the most Corrupt Society in the West

By Rebecca Gordon | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - A top government official with energy industry holdings huddles in secret with oil company executives to work out the details of a potentially…

While Sanders Scores Small Donors, Clinton and Bush Buoyed by Wall Street

By Deirdre Fulton, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org | - - In terms of support from financiers, 'no other candidates came close to Clinton and Bush' "She’s gonna all of a sudden…

Top Cringe Worthy Foreign Policy Moments in GOP Debate

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Well we had the primetime GOP debate, so the 2016 election season has formally begun. Trump declared himself more or less an independent.…

Could Scott Walker’s Legal Victory Expand PAC Superpowers?

By Robert Faturechi | (ProPublica) - - A Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on Gov. Scott Walker's campaign practices clears the way for state candidates to work more closely with legally independent political…

Top 5 Ways Obama’s ‘All of the Above’ Politics led to Sanders & Trump

By Juan Cole - (Informed Comment) - It is said that one of the things President Obama wanted to talk to comedian Jon Stewart about was his occasional cynicism. "Obama scolded him…