CCDems - San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party Blog

Representative Alan Grayson (D FL-8) has submitted 5 bills in immediate response to the Supreme Court Decision allowing unlimited corporate money to be spent to support or defeat any issue or candidate.

Here are links to the bills and a brief summary of their content:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4431
The Business Should Mind It’s Own Business Act - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a 500 percent excise tax on corporate contributions to political committees and on corporate expenditures on political advocacy campaigns.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4432
The Corporate Propaganda Sunshine Act - To direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to revise its reporting requirements to require public companies to report certain expenditures made to influence public opinion on any matter other than the promotion of the company’s products or services.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4433
The Ending Corporate Collusion Act  - To make the antitrust laws applicable to a political committee under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 which is established and administered by a separate segregated fund of a corporation pursuant to section 316(b)(2)(C) of such Act.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4434
The End Political Kickbacks Act - To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to extend the ban on the making of contributions by certain government contractors to other for-profit recipients of Federal funds, to limit the amount of contributions the employees of for-profit recipients of Federal funds may make during any calendar year in which such funds are provided, and for other purposes.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4435
The Public Company Responsibility Act - To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to prohibit any national securities exchange from effecting any transaction in a security issued by a corporation unless the corporation’s registration with the exchange includes a certification that the corporation currently is in compliance with the provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 governing contributions and expenditures by corporations which were in effect with respect to elections held during 2008.

Dear President Obama,

The voters of Massachusetts have sent a message - and it’s not “stay the course”

A little over a year ago we fought and voted for “Change We Can Believe In”

What we’ve received is “Compromise That Sucks!”

I know, I know.  Governing is more complicated than electioneering. But, what you have failed to understand is the depth of the desire for change and the impatience of most Americans. And you’ve surrounded yourself with the folks that are stuck inside “beltway-think” and who are way too self assured that the path to success is moving toward the Republican point of view. You carried Massachusetts by TWENTY SIX points just over a year ago - and those voters wanted change.  In their minds you have failed to deliver change and so now they have voted for change. AGAIN! Ted Kennedy is turning in his grave.

Your pursuit of “bipartisanship” is folly. It’s clear that no Republican will compromise with anything that our party stands for. (We spent weeks waiting for Olympia Snowe to come to the table.) And, while you have pursued bipartisanship, the Republicans have thrown every possible log in the path of progress. And now they don’t run as Republicans, but as anti-incumbents.  Yes, change is still alive in America, but Democrats are not delivering it and we can lose the best opportunity we may ever have if we don’t start taking names and kicking some butt -which is exactly what the voters STILL want.

You must alter course - and not in the direction that your closest advisers will point.

Here are some recommendations:

First, 51 votes is a majority in the Senate, not 60.  Bush never had 60 votes and he got almost everything he wanted through the Senate. Harry Reid miscalculated. And so did you.  Change this.  If it means getting a new Majority Leader, do it. Harry Reid probably won’t be there next year, anyway.

Second, stop relying on Rahm Emanuel. His brilliance was helpful when Democrats did not have a majority, but not now. Rahm is not the answer.  You need someone who connects with the voters and who will harness their anger, not someone who disdains them. I know this is painful, but you must do it to save your presidency.

Third, do the right things. Now. End “Don’t ask, don’t tell”. Close Guantanamo. The folks that feel strongly about these things are many and you need them. Our party needs them.

Almost all voters have very little idea of how complicated governance can be, but they are in charge -and they demand change. Please give it to them. Now.

Our hopes are still with you.

P.S. The title is a bit of a cheap shot, but I couldn’t resist.