Ever since the Supreme Court enshrined direct and unlimited corporate largesse to influence and underwrite political campaigns with their 5 to 4 decision in the Citizens United v/s the Federal Election Commission ruling, there have been moves afoot to blunt the rulings effect.
There's been talk of calling for a Constitutional Convention to offer an amendment that would curtail all corporate funding of campaigns. There's been a pending (and languishing) push for the "Fair Elections Now Act" (a bill that offers public financing for Congressional candidates who reject corporate underwriting of their election campaigns) and now comes the House preparing "legislation to rein in the power of special interests by requiring more disclosure of their roles in paying for campaign advertising."[1]
On the surface it would appear the House is offering an effective measure that would make these campaign contributions more transparent so everyone would know who is authorizing and paying for the campaign ads backing certain candidates.
There is just one problem; the House has created an enormous loophole in their disclosure proposal, specifically tailoring an exemption to the reporting requirements to the N.R.A. (National Rifle Association).
Apparently, the House architects of the bill as well as the House Democratic leadership concluded that to get the legislation passed (even with their sizeable majority) they would have to cater to the gun lobby which has many of their own members beholden to it.
The N.R.A. balked to its inclusion in the disclosure requirements of the bill and the sycophantic legislative henchmen "in their pocket" have made it known they wouldn't vote for the legislation without the N.R.A. exemption.
There is no honest way to put it other than to say these office holders have accepted "legalized bribery" from the N.R.A. and they avowed they would act to protect their benefactor.
This goes to the heart of our dysfunctional political system. There is no acting in the public interest and no acting in the best interest of the country. There is action only in favor of the big moneyed corporate and special interests.
We have a democracy of, by and for the people in name only. It is in reality the United States of Corporate and Special Interests.
It is officially authorized and legalized corruption that has this country in its grip. You can hardly throw the "bums" out and in the rare instances when you do the new "bums" offered to replace them are no different than the ones replaced.
As long as the big moneyed and special interests are allowed to spend unlimited amounts in favor of their chosen candidates nothing will change.
As long as the public's attitude is "well that's the way it is"we can't do anything about it" remains in place, it is guaranteed to be more of the same.
It is all a joke and the joke is on us. We get what we meekly acquiesce to, enable and accept. We just don't seem to care enough to anything about it. We're no better than sheep.
[1] "Loopholes Grow in Bill to Offset Ruling on Campaigns", by Carl Hulse, "The New York Times", June 17, 2010.
