In a first step to reform the money in politics, House Democrats are reintroducing the DISCLOSE Act today to get unlimited, secret donations out of politics. The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United opened the floodgates to unrestricted special interest campaign donations in American elections—permitting corporations to spend unlimited funds, directly or through third parties and Political Action Committees organized for those purposes, to influence Federal elections and opened the door for the emergence of Super PACs.
More Information at Stop Colbert.
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Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick has written a wonderful article about Stephen Colbert’s effect on the public’s view of Citizens United.
“The Supreme Court has always had its critics. Chief Justice John Marshall had to contend with the temper of President Andrew Jackson (“John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!”). And Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes went toe-to-toe with FDR, who wouldn’t let up with the court-packing. But in the history of the Supreme Court, nothing has ever prepared the justices for the public opinion wrecking ball that is Stephen Colbert. The comedian/presidential candidate/super PAC founder has probably done more to undermine public confidence in the court’s 2010 Citizens United opinion than anyone, including the dissenters. In this contest, the high court is supremely outmatched.” Read more.
Perhaps no man has made Super PACs more well-known than comedian Stephen Colbert. And he wouldn’t be able to do that without the help of his attorney, former FEC commissioner Trevor Potter. Potter said the disclosures come too late and too slowly to help voters make decisions.
Tuesday was the day when all of the Super PACs had to report their fundraising for the current election cycle.
While a Mitt Romney-related Super PAC brought in the most money, more than $30 million, the bulk since last July, a smaller Super PAC is generating a massive amount of attention. That would be the Stephen Colbert Super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow. Colbert Super PAC raised more than $850,000 — almost exclusively from individual donors. The Romney-related Super PAC, Restore Our Future Super PAC, generated its contributions from big donors, including 10 who gave $1 million each. Learn more about donors and how much they gave from The New York Times’ interactive graphic of Super PACs and their donors.
But for Colbert, who has regularly waded into politics over the years, his Super PAC isn’t really a way to influence voters in favor of one candidate or another. Instead, it’s a source of jokes and, perhaps, a way to educate American voters on what Colbert and many others consider to be the downright ludicrous elements of America’s campaign finance laws.
Full Article: PRI.org and TheTakeAway.org
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Election Day is still nine months away, but if there’s one flag that’s already been planted firmly in the narrative of the presidential cycle, it is this: Stephen Colbert is owning it — comedically speaking.
“In many ways, Colbert has reinvented political comedy,” said political strategist Mark McKinnon. “He has evolved the model to something completely new and different that we’ve never seen before. And we are loving it. … [Jon] Stewart may own the general cultural comedic zeitgeist, but Colbert is now the undisputed king of political satire.”
For the 2012 race, Colbert has dared to go where comedians don’t.
Full Article: Politico.com
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Stephen Colbert’s quasi-satirical presidential bid has raised serious cash — over $1 million, as of Tuesday morning, the comedian announced.
An announcement on the Web site of Mr. Colbert’s political action committee said the “super PAC” had filed $1,023,121.24 with the Federal Election Commission at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. The super PAC — once known as the “The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC,” then the “Colbert Super PAC,” but officially as “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow” — raised money from viewers to fund things like a commercial shown in South Carolina that equated Mitt Romney with a serial killer.
“We raised it on my show and used it to materially influence the elections – in full accordance with the law. It’s the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a country,” according to a release on the Web site, with contact details of someone named Alberto Rèalnamè, the communications director and an online “Clicktivist Organizr,” at bottom.
Donors listed in the 147-page document include Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governor of California ($500). A representative from Mr. Newsom’s office confirmed in an e-mail that the lieutenant governor had in fact donated to the super PAC. Some celebrities’ names also turned up in the filing, including the actors Laura Sangiacomo, star of “Hot in Cleveland” ($250), and Bradley Whitford, a star of “The West Wing” ($250) — naturally. Mr. Colbert also received money from a Rolling Stones tribute group called “Sticky Fingers Band” ($400). None of these donors’ contributions to the committee could be immediately confirmed.
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Stephen Colbert chases Jon Stewart through the streets of New York City and onto the set of “The View” to try and get Colbert Super PAC back.
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THis Week in the Hub, The Huffington Post asks ‘Could Stephen Colbert be the next Pope?’, Herman Cain praises Stephen Colbert in his Tea Party State Of The Union response, Trevor Potter feels the ‘Colbert Bump’ and a Company DVD release is announced.
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Colbert SuperPac – Part 3
(Thanks to Marla for the Tip!)
Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick has written a wonderful article about Stephen Colbert’s effect on the public’s view of Citizens United.
© AP
(Thanks to Karenatasha for the Tip)
Continue reading
Stephen Colbert chases Jon Stewart through the streets of New York City and onto the set of “The View” to try and get Colbert Super PAC back.
Continue reading
THis Week in the Hub, The Huffington Post asks ‘Could Stephen Colbert be the next Pope?’, Herman Cain praises Stephen Colbert in his Tea Party State Of The Union response, Trevor Potter feels the ‘Colbert Bump’ and a Company DVD release is announced.
Continue reading