Is democracy for sale? Billionaires for Bush are buying Congress
Does a $7 million-donation from one person buy too much influence? I think so. Check out the obscene amounts of money Karl Rove’s American Crossroads political action committee is raising and spending to buy your vote.
Citizens United Fallout: Billionaires for Bush Buying Congress
Thank you, John Roberts. sigh…
17 comments on “Is democracy for sale? Billionaires for Bush are buying Congress”
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Martin Luther King, Jr. march.
Ironically, I posted this blog post on the anniversary of this election on June 19. 1970ish.
We often hear that corporations need migrant workers because Americans “don’t want to do these jobs.” When I hear this statement, I picture farm workers picking vegetables. Recently, I toured two dairies and an animal feed packing plant in Pinal County. The photo above from the Zinke Dairy shows a giant cow milking carousel. Nine migrant workers milk 4000 cows three times a day at this dairy. Legislators watched the two men pictured here– working at a brisk pace– bend over and pick up, lift, and attach large electronic suction cups to the cows as they ride the carousel around the giant facility. This level of automation is the wave of the future for industrial jobs.
Congressman Ron Barber and Pamela Powers Hannley at Cyclovia
In the 1980s, the Tucson Weekly called Tucson the “Baked Apple”.
Visiting with PALF chairman Fred Yamashita at the 2016 Labor Day Picnic.
We are the 99%.
Protesters hand deliver symbolic big check from corporate American to McCain.
Pamela Powers Hannley, Progressive Democrat for Arizona House, LD9
Despite the sweltering heat, Jim and I had a great time at the Labor Day Picnic. We collected a lot of Clean Elections $5 donations and signatures. Here I am with LD9 chair Michael Dues.
A giant poet’s head made up of stainless steel letters marks the stop near the UA Poetry Center.
Occupy encampment in Armory Park– before it was cleared out in the middle of the night by Tucson Police.
The Oberlin Rescuers outside of the Cuyahoga County Jail.
It was truly a honor to meet Nevada State Senator Patricia Spearman (center) in October and to confer with her regarding our efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Arizona. Spearman led the successful Nevada efforts to ratify the ERA in 2017. Here we are with activist and NOW leader Dainne Post after the ERA workshop at the We the People Conference in Phoenix. There are a lot of Arizona women who are ready to make history in 2018. Watch my blog here and my Facebook page here for ERA updates.
Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales and I were interviewed by NBC at the Phoenix rally.
Arizonans for New Economy co-directors Jim Hannley and Pamela Powers Hannley with UA Tech Park VP Bruce Wright.
I have a background in research. Help me build Tucson’s tech industry and grow our own local businesses.
John Nichols of ‘The Nation’ addressed progressives and unionists at a Tucson event.
Protesting cuts to education
There have been many lively debates in the Arizona House in 2018. This team of House Democrats fought for consumer protections and fought against risky financial deals in a “regulatory sandbox.” (Pictured are Reps. Mitzi Epstein, Kelli Butler, Athena Salman, Pamela Powers Hannley, Ken Clark and Isela Blanc.)
PDA Tucson Coordinator Jim Hannley speaks against both the crowd management ordinance and the urban camping ban at the City Council meeting.
A homeless man sleeps in the shadow of corporate America.
Desconocido (unknown)
Protesting anti-woman laws at the Arizona state capitol.
Governor Ducey had proposed increasing prison beds and funding, while cutting education. Protesters took issue with that short-sighted idea.
Safe Park, downtown Tucson
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley with members of the Tucson Chapter of NOW on opening day at the Arizona Legislature, 2018.
Jobs with Justice marching with Occupy Tucson in support of postal workers.
PDA members, including Advisory Board Chair Mimi Kennedy, protested food stamp cuts in front of Congressman Henry Waxman’s office.
Jim and I were part of a contingent of Unitarian Universalists who came up from Tucson. Here I am with Rev. Ron Phares from the Mountain Vista UU Church in my district. (Jim is photobombing us.)
This is a broken sink in the Ladies’ Room at the Arizona State Building in downtown Tucson. One of the elevators also was broken. It’s time to fix Arizona government.
The Living Economy event was very informative; we had a great time hob-nobbing. My husband Jim is a small business owner and a member of Local First Arizona. I have owned two small businesses in the past– Powers/Queen Associates and Wind Dancer Design. We support Local First Arizona and buying/investing locally. We believe that supporting local small businesses with low-interest loans through a public/private partnership between a public bank and community banks and credit unions is the sustainable route to improving our local economy. Trickle down economics doesn’t work; it’s time for new ideas.
Giving the LD9 update at the June meeting. What a great crowd!
#RedForEd teachers and supporters in the Arizona House Gallery, 2018.
Protesting migrant deaths in the Arizona desert.
Tucson Progressive 
You forgot George Soros and the democrats
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There is absolutely nothing good that can come out of the decision to allow unlimited amounts of money from unnamed sources into the process.
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Yeah! We can’t have people do what they want with money they earned!
Go Marx!
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You also forgot—or, more likely, ignored—the massive amounts of union money being spent in 2010.
And, in 2008, the richest donors in America favored, by far, Obama
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and a “news” organization that claims to be “fair and balanced” donating millions to the Republicans…
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Unions – good. Corporations – bad. Unlimited anonymous campaign money by anyone – bad
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The Ed Schultz radio show reported that unions have donated $3 million nationwide since the Roberts Court eliminated campaign financing reform and the right-wing groups (like Karl Rove’s) donated $200 million *in September*!!!!
If the rich people have this much to donate on political races (which are not tax deductible), then they can afford to have the Bush-era welfare for the rich end.
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Dude! There is not place for facts on the Tucson Citizen.
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Has anyone had the heart to tell Pam that George Bush isn’t running this year?
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And how about $15 BILLION further in debt for the Dims scam to buy votes from Medicare recipients because government figures wont allow a Cola increase….
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Who is the #1 contributor in the 2009-2010 election cycle, by a bunch………wait for it……wait……..it is AFSCME at $87.4 million. Number 4 is SEIU at $44 million and #5 is the NEA at 40 million. Unions hold 3 of the top 5 spots. Who is buying elections?
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Well, we know where AFSCME and other unions get their money – from American workers. The US Chamber of Commerce? Primarily from multi-national mega corporations. And that 60plus group running ads against Giffords with actors dressed in bib overalls so as to look like Arizona hicks? While they try to appear as a group of concerned seniors, the group behind them is primarily insurance companies, supporting candidates who would eliminate or reduce Medicare, forcing seniors to buy . . . insurance.
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“The US Chamber of Commerce? Primarily from multi-national mega corporations. ”
Don’t let the facts get in the way of your fantasy!
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“Well, we know where AFSCME and other unions get their money – from American workers. ”
You mean by forcing them to pay dues?
Go Marx!
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Top donors to 2009-2010 election:
AFSCME (Union) — $87.5M
US Chamber of Commerce — $75M
American Crossroads — $65M
SEIU (repeat visitor to Whitehouse) — $44M
National Education Association (union) — $40M
“The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is now the biggest outside spender of the 2010 elections, thanks to an 11th-hour effort to boost Democrats that has vaulted the public-sector union ahead of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and a flock of new Republican groups in campaign spending.
The 1.6 million-member AFSCME is spending a total of $87.5 million on the elections after tapping into a $16 million emergency account to help fortify the Democrats’ hold on Congress. Last week, AFSCME dug deeper, taking out a $2 million loan to fund its push. The group is spending money on television advertisements, phone calls, campaign mailings and other political efforts, helped by a Supreme Court decision that loosened restrictions on campaign spending.
“We’re the big dog,” said Larry Scanlon, the head of AFSCME’s political operations. “But we don’t like to brag.””
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/10/23/outside-groups-and-the-myth-of-conservative-dominance/
Yep, its all right wing extremists.
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/10/25/biden-conservative-groups-spending-200-billion-on-midterm-elections/
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Let me help you – SEIU is also a union. Unions have historically contributed to progressive campaigns. Why shouldn’t they? If not for the Democrats there would be no minimum wage, no 40 hr. week, no unemployment insurance, no workmen’s comp, no OSHA standards and on and on. We know where the money comes from – from the workers’ paychecks.
American Crossroads, on the other hand, is a group backed by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie. Who and where do they get their millions in donations? Aren’t you even curious? And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, well it’s just beginning to come to light their (largely foreign) corporate donors. But you just don’t give a shit, do you? You’re outraged that George Soros, a single individual, donates his personal fortune to progressive candidates and causes. But corporations? Even multi-national corporations? Let ’em spend whatever they want to buy U.S. elections!
Unions are largely composed of middle-class working men and women. Membership is voluntary, and the decision whether of not to have a union shop is decided by majority vote. Yes, unions are notoriously corrupt, but they’re the only leverage a worker has in a labor dispute. Think unions never gave you anything? If not for unions, there would be no “weekend”. No 5-day work week. Only a management stooge or corporate CEO could be as anti-organized labor as you. Unions = Bad! Corporations = Good and Decent With No Ulterior Motives. Uh uh. None At All!
Let ’em spend their hard-earned money any way they please!
I’m assuming that you’ve outgrown your obsession with the nasty commie boogiemen who were our sworn enemy and who hated us for our freedoms. So I’m certain you’d never stoop to blaming everything on Marx and Lenin. Surely you’re not that lame. So I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and join you in your favorite toast:
Go Groucho! Go Chico! Go Harpo and Zeppo!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 26, 2010
Contact: RepubliCorp Arizona Communications Director Porsche Murdoch (520) 261-5873 azrepublicorp@gmail.com RepubliCorp Billionaires Stoop, team with Millionaires For McClungGroups Thank McCain for breaking Campaign laws and Endorse Kelly and McClung. Tucson, AZ October 26, 2010. RepubliCorp, a political action committee advocating for the interests of the fabulously wealthy decided, after contentious internal debate, to stoop to collaborate with Millionaires for McClung – a group advocating for the almost fabulously wealthy. This evening the two groups held a press conference to publicly thank John McCain for likely being the first in line to break his own Campaign Finance Reform Laws and to announce their official endorsement for Ruth McClung and Jesse Kelly.“We heartily endorse Ruth McClung and Jesse Kelly,” spouted Porsche Murdoch, spokesperson for RepubliCorp. “Ruthie and Jess both want to extend tax cuts for the richest 2%, repeal those tedious finance reform laws Congress passed and privatize Social Security! They know true wealth always trickles down and we heartily endorse them both!”“When asked if she thought privatizing Social Security was wise, Murdoch replied. “Of course! Times are hard on Wall Street. My husband’s brother might lose his third vacation home on Martha’s vineyard!”The two organizations used the event to publicly thank John McCain for getting himself investigated for possibly breaking the campaign finance reform laws he helped create. “Thank You, John, you rascal you!” opined Saxby McCooter with Millionaires for McClung. “You may be the first in line to break your own laws. Bravo!” When asked if he thought McCain had stepped outside the law, McCooter replied, “Well, we can’t expect John to follow the same laws he created, can we? That’s absurd!”McCooter was referring to an emerging investigation occurring nationally alleging Senator John McCain, by contributing at the level he did to Ruth McClung and Jessie Kelly’s campaigns, broke the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance laws he created. Allegations are that McCain clearly stepped outside the FEC allotted donation limit that only allows a candidate to put a maximum of $1K into the race of another candidate. This is to preclude a donor’s money from being used for a candidate they don’t support. Recent press on the issue claims McCain spent close to $100K on the McClung/Kelly ads. With shadowy corporate money pouring into Old Pueblo politics this election cycle, the two groups seem ebullient. “We are delighted!” said McCooter, adjusting his manacles. “We’ve always dreamed of the best government money can buy. This year our dream is coming true! And we want to thank John McCain and Grover Norquist. They’ve been the rainmakers here is Southern Arizona!”
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