Hillary Clinton blasted the infamous Citizens United v. FED (2010) decision that absurdly granted American personhood status to for-profit corporations in an opinion that as predicted opened the floodgates to special interests money in politics as never before in history.
"I will do everything I can to appoint Supreme Court justices who protect the right to vote and do not protect the right of billionaires to buy elections," Mrs. Clinton said while on Day 1 of a two-day swing through Iowa. (New York Times)
Music to fellow Americans who still believe in the quaint notion that rights are conferred to human beings, and not legal entities.
As Justice Stevens notes in dissent (joined by Justice Ginsburg , Justice Breyer, and Justice Sotomayor) in Citizens United:
The conceit that corporations must be treated identically to natural persons in the political sphere is not only inaccurate but also inadequate to justify the Court’s disposition of this case.
In the context of election to public office, the distinction between corporate and human speakers is significant. Although they make enormous contributions to our society, corporations are not actually members of it. They cannot vote or run for office. Because they may be managed and controlled by nonresidents, their interests may conflict in fundamental respects with the interests of eligible voters. The financial resources, legal structure, and instrumental orientation of corporations raise legitimate concerns about their role in the electoral process. Our lawmakers have a compelling constitutional basis, if not also a democratic duty, to take measures designed to guard against the potentially deleterious effects of corporate spending in local and national races.
Amen to that.
Elected Republicans still acclaim corporations enjoy personhood status as Americans to this day, directing the GOP's radical trajectory and associated attacks on the rights of political opponents to cast votes.
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