From: Robin Beck, MoveOn.org Political Action <moveon-help@list.moveon.org>
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Two years ago this week, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United that corporations have the constitutional right to spend unlimited money influencing our elections.
Since then we've seen a massive wave of corporate cash, super-PACs, and secret spending flood our democracy. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to influence elections and we have no clue which corporations are behind it.
There are two big things President Obama could do right now that would start to turn the tide: 1) He could sign an executive order to require corporations that do business with the government to disclose their political spending right away for this election, and 2) he could declare his strong support for a constitutional amendment to get big money out of politics permanently.
Will you sign a petition to call on the president to take both steps and confront corporate influence over our democracy head-on?
Our goal is to deliver as many petitions as possible before the State of the Union address next week. Two years ago the president criticized Citizens United during the State of the Union. Now he has the chance to take action.
The executive order has already been drafted by his advisers and news reports say the president is considering it right now.1 The order would immediately end the secrecy that so many companies can exploit currently. Many of the biggest corporations in the world are government contractors for defense, telecommunications, technology, and more. All told, companies that could be affected by the order—including giant corporations like Halliburton, Verizon, Chevron, and more—employ 22 percent of the American workforce.2
And by weighing in with his support for a constitutional amendment, President Obama could help bring the Citizens United ruling itself front and center during the election, put politicians who disagree on the defensive, and potentially fast-track the amendment process.
Four out five Americans support passing a constitutional amendment.3 All over the country progressives are organizing at the local level to get one passed.4 Members of Congress are even starting to take action.
The next big step is for the president to take a stand.
Thanks for all you do.
–Robin, Elena, Stephen, Milan, and the rest of the team
P.S. You can also check out the great new Robert Reich video about Citizens United from our friends at Common Cause here.
Sources:
1. "Will Obama Issue an Order Exposing Big Corporate Political Spenders in Citizens United Era?," Alternet, January 10, 2012.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269582&id=34931-19452745-LniRSUx&t=6
2. Ibid.
3. "Survey Shows Strong Support for Amendment Overturning Citizens United," American Constitution Society, January 21, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269653&id=34931-19452745-LniRSUx&t=7
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=269657&id=34931-19452745-LniRSUx&t=8
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