[EL] "Citizens United poised to destroy judicial impartiality"

Mark Schmitt schmitt.mark at gmail.com
Mon Aug 5 12:42:42 PDT 2013


I don't know who the "they" is here, but both Mr. LaRue and Mr. Bopp 
referred to the goal of supporting candidates. Not speaking about issues.

On 8/5/2013 3:33 PM, Benjamin Barr wrote:
> You're missing the point, Mark.
>
> They don't want to support candidates.  They'd like to speak about 
> issues closely tied to candidates.  Government and bureaucratic 
> overseers believe they can divine the intent of these groups and the 
> "true purpose" of their advocacy.  The groups don't think they need to 
> register with the government or hire scores of expensive cartel 
> members to exercise First Amendment freedoms.
>
> The burden created is ambiguous standards to determine who's in and 
> who's out of the regulatory bucket and overbroad application of PAC 
> rules to groups that don't intend to oppose or support candidates. 
>  Those burdens come from government, as do the ensuing financial 
> costs.  Even those of modest means have full First Amendment rights.
>
> The question is not "are there other less attractive means to speak," 
> but "is the manner in which they'd like to speak freely open to them 
> without undue government interference?"  That government "leaves open 
> 'more burdensome' avenues of communication, does not relieve its 
> burden on First Amendment expression."  Meyer v. Grant (citing, yes, 
> MCFL).  That's settled law, too.
>
> Then there's a question of group autonomy and self-direction.  Why 
> should I be forced to join the NRA if I don't like it?  Why can't I 
> make my own group, absent piles of government burdens, to express my 
> distinct views with my friends?  Why are people of modest means 
> limited to only joining and supporting the tired parade of the status 
> quo?  Why should my coffee clutch have to register with the federal 
> government and declare its "major purpose" is the nomination or defeat 
> of candidates when it is not?  The ACLU has made this argument before, 
> as has the Chamber, and numerous other groups.
>
> Burdens come from government schemes to filter, purify, and cleanse 
> the political process.  That these misguided efforts hit those of 
> modest means most severely should suggest their swift eradication. 
>  Here's hoping so!
>
> Forward,
>
> Ben
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 3:17 PM, Mark Schmitt <schmitt.mark at gmail.com 
> <mailto:schmitt.mark at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> > If the principle is that people of ordinary means should be able to, 
> as Joe LaRue put it, "pool my money with others to support a candidate 
> whose ideas I like", then why is the appropriate measure of a burden 
> on that expression the difficulty of creating a new PAC or new 
> corporation? Shouldn't the question be, whether for an individual, 
> there exists a reasonable mechanism to join with others to support 
> such a candidate?  In my experience, there are usually quite a few 
> ways to do that.  There is, of course, the $5200 (primary and general) 
> that you can pool in hard money, which as I learned when a close 
> relative ran for Congress last year and I actually felt obliged to max 
> out, is really quite a bit of money for an ordinary household. (It was 
> my family's largest single expenditure of the year, on anything.) In 
> addition, there are generally numerous other established PACs or other 
> committees through which one can support one or more candidates, as 
> well as countless opportunities to support candidates that emphasize 
> particular issues, e.g. Club for Growth or League of Conservation 
> Voters. That was the case both before and after CU and SpeechNow. 
> "People of modest means" have no shortage of channels through which 
> they can join to support candidates.
> >
> > The burden on the political speech of "people of modest means" is 
> their modest means, not the paperwork hurdles of starting their own PAC.
> >
> >
> > Mark Schmitt
> > Senior Fellow, The Roosevelt Institute
> > 202/246-2350
> > gchat or Skype: schmitt.mark
> > twitter: mschmitt9
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 2:12 PM, Benjamin Barr 
> <benjamin.barr at gmail.com <mailto:benjamin.barr at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >>
> >> What's more, last I checked the electric company didn't:
> >>
> >> Examine whether your little greenhouse might constitute the 
> "functional equivalent" of electricity and turn your "major purpose" 
> into electricity production;
> >> Change its billing practices on a month-to-month or 
> customer-to-customer basis based on factors like "proximity of 
> customer to the electron's nexus";
> >> Demand that you hire scores of attorneys and accountants to figure 
> out obscure electricity pricing practices known only by a few dozen 
> members of a select cartel;
> >> Use the coercive power of the state to launch civil or criminal 
> investigations;
> >> Haul you before it for investigatory purposes with few basic 
> constitutional rights recognized;
> >> Or otherwise set up convoluted barriers to exercising a fundamental 
> liberty.
> >>
> >>
> >> Forward,
> >>
> >> Ben
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 1:58 PM, Steve Klein 
> <stephen.klein.esq at gmail.com <mailto:stephen.klein.esq at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Joe,
> >>>
> >>> I think it's worth considering that it's not just each step of PAC 
> (etc.) compliance that burdens political speech, but the fact that one 
> wrong move can result in civil penalties. The alternative between 
> paying attorney and/or accountant fees for compliance versus risking 
> penalties when one tries it with no expertise does not strike me as 
> friendly toward grassroots participation.
> >>>
> >>> Unlike paying the power bill, this is political speech we're 
> talking about. It should be just as easy to engage than to actually 
> vote in a federal election.
> >>>
> >>> Steve
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 11:37 AM, Joseph Birkenstock 
> <jbirkenstock at capdale.com <mailto:jbirkenstock at capdale.com>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> True story: I had a law school roommate (great guy, this was our 
> third year of law school and we’re all still close friends to this 
> day) who came to me and our other roommate one time to complain that 
> we had unfairly divided up the household chores.  Roommate A felt 
> overburdened, he explained, because in addition to doing a full share 
> of kitchen-cleaning and trash-taking-out and so forth, he was also 
> responsible for “paying the power bill.”
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Roommate C & I looked at each other kind of quizzically at this 
> point, since we divided up all the utilities three ways and we each 
> paid a third.  So Roommate A went on to explain that while we did all 
> in fact pay the same share in dollars, only he was responsible for 
> (and I’m pretty sure I can recall this quote verbatim): “Picking up 
> the checks, stuffing the envelope, putting a stamp on the envelope, 
> putting it in the mail, etc.”
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> We all had a lot of fun with that “etc.” in particular over the 
> years, since regardless of the serious threats Roommate A faced from 
> paper cuts and the like in steps one through three, we’re all pretty 
> sure that there’s actually nothing else involved in paying the power 
> bill once you’ve put it in the mail.  And in sum, no matter how you 
> count the steps, physically paying the power bill is in fact pretty 
> trivially easy.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Even easier than running a PAC.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Best,
> >>>>
> >>>> Joe
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> From: Benjamin Barr [mailto:benjamin.barr at gmail.com 
> <mailto:benjamin.barr at gmail.com>]
> >>>> Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 1:27 PM
> >>>> To: Joseph Birkenstock
> >>>> Cc: Brad Smith; Jim Bopp; Salvador Peralta; law-election at uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election at uci.edu>; joseph.e.larue at gmail.com 
> <mailto:joseph.e.larue at gmail.com>; adam at boninlaw.com 
> <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Subject: Re: [EL] "Citizens United poised to destroy judicial 
> impartiality"
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On that point, MCFL lists some 23 burdens related to PAC status. 
> CU eliminates two (corporate prohibition and solicitation). Speechnow 
> removes one more ($5000 limit). I still count twenty burdens 
> (perpetual reporting, accounting and banking methods, detailed 
> disbursements in 12 categories, and so on). Seems like an effective 
> speech gag for most Americans of moderate means.
> >>>>
> >>>> And then again , CU actually says that even if PACs somehow 
> resolved the corporate ban issue , they're still burdensome as a 
> matter of law because they're so difficult to set up and administer. 
> Doesn't seem like there's much wiggle room around that.
> >>>>
> >>>> Forward,
> >>>>
> >>>> Ben
> >>>>
> >>>> Sent by my Android device. Please excuse any typographical errors.
> >>>>
> >>>> On Aug 5, 2013 1:13 PM, "Joseph Birkenstock" 
> <jbirkenstock at capdale.com <mailto:jbirkenstock at capdale.com>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> On the point about the ease of pursing the PAC option: I think 
> it’s worth bearing in mind how much those burdens have changed in 
> recent years.  Before Speechnow v. FEC (i.e., under the law at the 
> time Citizens United was litigated), becoming a federal PAC meant 
> complying with a $5,000 per calendar year limit on each individual’s 
> contributions, and sharing that side of each donor’s biennial 
> aggregate limit with every other federal PAC & party committee.  In 
> many states and localities, even IE-only PACs still face at least 
> stated interpretations from regulators that their donors are still 
> subject to respective state or local PAC contribution limits.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> I don’t disagree that opponents of campaign finance regulation 
> continue to greatly overstate the burdens of creating a PAC 
> (especially, as Adam also points out, compared to the burdens of 
> creating a corporation), but too many proponents of campaign finance 
> regulation greatly understated those burdens for a long time too.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Best,
> >>>>
> >>>> Joe
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> ________________________________
> >>>> Joseph M. Birkenstock, Esq.
> >>>> Caplin & Drysdale, Chtd.
> >>>> One Thomas Circle, NW
> >>>> Washington, DC 20005
> >>>> (202) 862-7836
> >>>> www.capdale.com/jbirkenstock <http://www.capdale.com/jbirkenstock>
> >>>> *also admitted to practice in CA
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> 
> [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu>] On Behalf Of 
> Salvador Peralta
> >>>> Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 1:01 PM
> >>>> To: JBoppjr at aol.com <mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com>; adam at boninlaw.com 
> <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com>; joseph.e.larue at gmail.com 
> <mailto:joseph.e.larue at gmail.com>
> >>>> Cc: law-election at uci.edu <mailto:law-election at uci.edu>; 
> BSmith at law.capital.edu <mailto:BSmith at law.capital.edu>
> >>>> Subject: Re: [EL] "Citizens United poised to destroy judicial 
> impartiality"
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> As Adam points out, Jim's argument about the "difficulties in 
> setting up a pac" relative to a corporation is questionable at best. 
>  In practical terms, the main reason to use a corporation rather than 
> a pac is to avoid disclosure of the actual funding sources, not 
> because PAC's are particularly difficult to set up.
> >>>>
> >>>> Regarding Jim's false assertion that most reformers want people 
> of "average means" to spend zero on Independent Expenditures..."  It's 
> a strange argument, given the fact that Jim has the distinction of 
> doing more than just about anyone in our nation's history to ensure 
> that, as a percentage of total spending, people of average means have 
> much less of an ability to influence elections through financial 
> contributions (through IE's or anything else).
> >>>>
> >>>> In 2012, as a percentage of total super pac spending, the amount 
> spent by people of limited means (read:  Anyone who can't afford to 
> spend at least $1,000) is well nigh to zero.
> >>>>
> >>>> The data may not track exactly to "people of ordinary means", but 
> as the link I sent earlier in the week shows, 98% of the money spent 
> on Super Pac IE's in 2012 came from the approximately 2,800 donors who 
> spent more than $10,000 and 60% came from donors who spent at least 
> $1,000,000.
> >>>>
> >>>> 
> http://www.demos.org/publication/election-spending-2012-post-election-analysis-federal-election-commission-data?key=0
> >>>>
> >>>> Out to protect the "little guy" indeed.
> >>>>
> >>>> Best regards,
> >>>>
> >>>> Sal Peralta
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> ________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>> From: "JBoppjr at aol.com <mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com>" <JBoppjr at aol.com 
> <mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com>>
> >>>> To: adam at boninlaw.com <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com>; 
> oregon.properties at yahoo.com <mailto:oregon.properties at yahoo.com>; 
> joseph.e.larue at gmail.com <mailto:joseph.e.larue at gmail.com>
> >>>> Cc: law-election at uci.edu <mailto:law-election at uci.edu>; 
> BSmith at law.capital.edu <mailto:BSmith at law.capital.edu>
> >>>> Sent: Monday, August 5, 2013 4:30 AM
> >>>> Subject: Re: [EL] "Citizens United poised to destroy judicial 
> impartiality"
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> If the reformers had their way, it would be zero.  Jim Bopp
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> In a message dated 8/4/2013 8:50:20 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
> adam at boninlaw.com <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com> writes:
> >>>>
> >>>> Which is all interesting analysis if the corporation already 
> exists, but not if it doesn’t – a PAC doesn’t require by-laws or 
> articles of incorporation; it doesn’t have to publish its existence in 
> classified ads in newspapers of sufficient circulation; its tax 
> obligations are much easier to deal with; it does not have to have a 
> board of directors required to meet regularly and take minutes; etc.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Exactly what percentage of independent expenditures during the 
> 2012 election were funded by “people of average means”?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> From: JBoppjr at aol.com <mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com> 
> [mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com <mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com>]
> >>>> Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2013 8:41 AM
> >>>> To: adam at boninlaw.com <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com>; 
> oregon.properties at yahoo.com <mailto:oregon.properties at yahoo.com>; 
> joseph.e.larue at gmail.com <mailto:joseph.e.larue at gmail.com>
> >>>> Cc: law-election at uci.edu <mailto:law-election at uci.edu>; 
> BSmith at law.capital.edu <mailto:BSmith at law.capital.edu>
> >>>> Subject: Re: [EL] "Citizens United poised to destroy judicial 
> impartiality"
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Requiring political speech to be done through a PAC creates, as 
> the Court in Citizens United explained, a substantial burden on 
> speech.  As a result, there are only a few thousand corporate PACs but 
> millions of corporations.  Only the most wealthy and sophisticated 
> corporations have the wherewithall to and interest in negotiating 
> these burdens, so again the PAC requirement favors the wealthy and 
> disenfranchises the rest of us.  Jim Bopp
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> In a message dated 8/4/2013 8:24:12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
> adam at boninlaw.com <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com> writes:
> >>>>
> >>>> Fine, I’ll bite: what about PACs?  If we’re only talking about 
> people of average means, and not the 0.26% of citizens who’ve given 
> more than $200 to a congressional candidate (or 0.05% who’ve given a 
> maximum contribution), why weren’t PACs already a sufficient answer to 
> the problem you claim existed?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> 
> [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu>] On Behalf Of 
> JBoppjr at aol.com <mailto:JBoppjr at aol.com>
> >>>> Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2013 7:41 AM
> >>>> To: oregon.properties at yahoo.com 
> <mailto:oregon.properties at yahoo.com>; joseph.e.larue at gmail.com 
> <mailto:joseph.e.larue at gmail.com>
> >>>> Cc: law-election at uci.edu <mailto:law-election at uci.edu>; 
> BSmith at law.capital.edu <mailto:BSmith at law.capital.edu>
> >>>> Subject: Re: [EL] "Citizens United poised to destroy judicial 
> impartiality"
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>     Mr. Oregon.Properties, rather than accuse Joe of being 
> disingenuous, try for a second to substantively address his point.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>     I summarize: Rich people can spend their own money but people 
> of average means need to pool their resources to compete.  They do so 
> in labor unions and corporations.  So when you limit labor unions and 
> corporations, you are targeting the only vehicle that people of 
> average means have, and not the wealthy, who can always spend their 
> own money without limitation.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>     No wonder George Soros and the wealthiest foundations fund 
> the "reform" industry.  Jim Bopp
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> In a message dated 8/4/2013 3:08:43 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
> oregon.properties at yahoo.com <mailto:oregon.properties at yahoo.com> writes:
> >>>>
> >>>> Joe - Do you have to practice in front of a mirror to keep a 
> straight face when you say things like that?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> 
> http://www.demos.org/publication/election-spending-2012-post-election-analysis-federal-election-commission-data?key=0
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Sent from my iPhone
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Aug 3, 2013, at 4:47 PM, Joe La Rue <joseph.e.larue at gmail.com 
> <mailto:joseph.e.larue at gmail.com>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> The point of CU was to give people of modest means like me the 
> opportunity to join with other people of modest means and compete with 
> the George Soroses of the world. I can't compete with him otherwise. 
> Remember he can spend as much of his own money as he wants. The only 
> chance a little guy like me has is to associate with other people and 
> pool our money. CU was not about benefiting the powerful. It was about 
> the right to freely associate and do as an association what rich 
> people like George Soros can do by themselves.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Aug 3, 2013, at 7:15 PM, Sal Peralta 
> <oregon.properties at yahoo.com <mailto:oregon.properties at yahoo.com>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> I have not seen anyone suggest that legislating the content or 
> number of add is appropriate -- though many swing state voters might 
> appreciate it.  It seems to me that the nut of the judge's argument 
> takes aim at the legal fiction that IE's supporting a candidate or 
> tearing down their opponent cannot lead to undue influence.  But I 
> guess giving more influence to the powerful was also "sort of the 
> point" of CU.
> >>>>
> >>>> Sent from my iPad
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Aug 3, 2013, at 9:56 AM, Sal Peralta 
> <oregon.properties at yahoo.com <mailto:oregon.properties at yahoo.com>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> http://mediaproject.wesleyan.edu/2012/05/02/jump-in-negativity/
> >>>>
> >>>> Sent from my iPhone
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Aug 3, 2013, at 9:46 AM, "Smith, Brad" <BSmith at law.capital.edu 
> <mailto:BSmith at law.capital.edu>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Isn't the better comparison a negative "issue ad" to a negative 
> "express advocacy" ad, and a positive to a positive?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Is there any evidence that a higher percentage of ads post-CU are 
> negative, or if so, that this is because of CU?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> To the extent we simply see more ads, well, that was sort of the 
> point of CU and SpeechNow. If one is arguing that we should try to 
> legislate fewer ads, doesn't that reveal that the real purpose is 
> directly to limit the quantity of speech?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> And again, none of this accounts for the fact that in a majority 
> of states, pre-CU, corporations could pay for express ads, so to bring 
> it back to my original post, I remain baffled why so many predictions 
> of CU are made with no recognition for what the law, and was the 
> results were, pre-CU.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Bradley A. Smith
> >>>>
> >>>> Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault
> >>>>
> >>>>    Professor of Law
> >>>>
> >>>> Capital University Law School
> >>>>
> >>>> 303 E. Broad St.
> >>>>
> >>>> Columbus, OH 43215
> >>>>
> >>>> 614.236.6317
> >>>>
> >>>> http://law.capital.edu/faculty/bios/bsmith.aspx
> >>>>
> >>>> ________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>> From: Trevor Potter [tpotter at capdale.com 
> <mailto:tpotter at capdale.com>]
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, August 03, 2013 3:10 PM
> >>>> To: Adam Bonin
> >>>> Cc: Smith, Brad; law-election at UCI.edu
> >>>> Subject: Re: [EL] "Citizens United poised to destroy judicial 
> impartiality"
> >>>>
> >>>> Of course, political consultants will tell us that a "thank you" 
> "issue ad" is not as effective as a full- throated negative express 
> advocacy commercial-- which is no doubt why we see more of the latter 
> post- Citizens United in states that prohibited corporate funded IEs-- 
> like Montana.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Trevor Potter
> >>>>
> >>>> Sent from my iPhone
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Aug 3, 2013, at 12:38 PM, "Adam Bonin" <adam at boninlaw.com 
> <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Perhaps my favorite such example: $1.2M in corporate-funded ads 
> aired in the final week of Pennsylvania’s 2007 election cycle 
> encouraging voters to “thank” Judge Maureen Lally-Green, who happened 
> to be on the ballot for the Supreme Court. (Pre-CU, and PA did not 
> allow corporate contributions or independent expenditures at the 
> time.)  Not only did efforts to enjoin the ads fail (because the ads 
> contained no express advocacy), but the Commonwealth was ordered to 
> reimburse the sponsor for its legal fees, and the sponsor was not 
> required to register as a political committee.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnifj2A7Has
> >>>>
> >>>> 
> http://articles.philly.com/2008-05-07/news/24989915_1_corbett-spokesman-kevin-harley-ads-political-expenditures
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Adam C. Bonin
> >>>> The Law Office of Adam C. Bonin
> >>>> 1900 Market Street, 4th Floor
> >>>> Philadelphia, PA 19103
> >>>> (215) 864-8002 (w)
> >>>> (215) 701-2321 (f)
> >>>> (267) 242-5014 (c)
> >>>>
> >>>> adam at boninlaw.com <mailto:adam at boninlaw.com>
> >>>>
> >>>> http://www.boninlaw.com
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> 
> [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu>] On Behalf Of 
> Smith, Brad
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, August 03, 2013 2:19 PM
> >>>> To: law-election at UCI.edu
> >>>> Subject: Re: [EL] “Citizens United poised to destroy judicial 
> impartiality”
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> What I always find odd when I read such commentary as that of 
> Justice Nelson (1st item below) is the sense that this is somehow new. 
> Is Justice Nelson unaware that prior to 2010 a majority of states, 
> many of which have an elected judiciary, allowed unlimited corporate 
> expenditures? That even in other states and federally, corporations 
> could fund "issue ads," in some states right up until the election, in 
> a few only more than some days out?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> I can understand arguments against Citizens United, and why 
> people disagree with the decision, but I am constantly baffled by what 
> seems to be the sheer unwillingness to consider the probable 
> consequences of Citizens United in light of the law prior to 2010.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Bradley A. Smith
> >>>>
> >>>> Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault
> >>>>
> >>>>    Professor of Law
> >>>>
> >>>> Capital University Law School
> >>>>
> >>>> 303 E. Broad St.
> >>>>
> >>>> Columbus, OH 43215
> >>>>
> >>>> 614.236.6317
> >>>>
> >>>> http://law.capital.edu/faculty/bios/bsmith.aspx
> >>>>
> >>>> ________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>> From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> 
> [law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu>] on behalf of 
> Rick Hasen [rhasen at law.uci.edu <mailto:rhasen at law.uci.edu>]
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, August 03, 2013 1:56 PM
> >>>> To: law-election at UCI.edu
> >>>> Subject: [EL] ELB News and Commentary 8/3/13
> >>>>
> >>>> “Citizens United poised to destroy judicial impartiality”
> >>>>
> >>>> Posted on August 3, 2013 10:50 am by Rick Hasen
> >>>>
> >>>> Former Montana Supreme Court Justice James C. Nelson, Supreme 
>  who dissented (and was ultimately vindicated) by the United States 
> Supreme Court in ATP v. Bullock, has written this oped for the Missoulian.
> >>>>
> >>>> [A}ccording to the Supreme Court, while contributions directly to 
> a candidate breed corruption, corporate expenditures on behalf of a 
> candidate do not have any such corruptive effect.
> >>>>
> >>>> For those living in a parallel universe that nuance may make 
> sense, but, in reality it is a dichotomy grounded in utter fiction. 
> Worse, this canard presents a clear and present danger for the 
> majority of states, like Montana, where voters elect their judges and 
> justices. Citizens United applies to judicial elections, too. Make no 
> mistake; its effects will dominate judicial elections.
> >>>>
> >>>> <image001.png>
> >>>>
> >>>> Posted in campaign finance, judicial elections | Comments Off
> >>>>
> >>>> “D.C. group not happy with how Indiana handling complaint”
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Law-election mailing list
> >>>> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> >>>> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Law-election mailing list
> >>>> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> >>>> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Law-election mailing list
> >>>> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> >>>> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
> >>>>
> >>>> =
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Law-election mailing list
> >>>> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> >>>> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
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> -> To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we 
> inform you that, unless specifically indicated otherwise, any tax 
> advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) was 
> not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the 
> purpose of (i) avoiding tax-related penalties under the Internal 
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> >>>>
> >>>>
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> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
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> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> <- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
> -> To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we 
> inform you that, unless specifically indicated otherwise, any tax 
> advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) was 
> not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the 
> purpose of (i) avoiding tax-related penalties under the Internal 
> Revenue Code, or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to another 
> party any tax-related matter addressed herein. This message is for the 
> use of the intended recipient only. It is from a law firm and may 
> contain information that is privileged and confidential. If you are 
> not the intended recipient any disclosure, copying, future 
> distribution, or use of this communication is prohibited. If you have 
> received this communication in error, please advise us by return 
> e-mail, or if you have received this communication by fax advise us by 
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> >>>>
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> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> >>>> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Steve Klein
> >>> Staff Attorney & Research Counsel*
> >>> Wyoming Liberty Group
> >>> www.wyliberty.org <http://www.wyliberty.org>
> >>>
> >>> *Licensed to practice law in Illinois. Counsel to the Wyoming 
> Liberty Group pursuant to Rule 5.5(d) of the Wyoming Rules of 
> Professional Conduct.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Law-election mailing list
> >> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> >> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu 
> <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> > http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election

-- 
Mark Schmitt
Senior Fellow, The Roosevelt Institute <http://www.nextnewdeal.net/>
202/246-2350
gchat or Skype: schmitt.mark twitter: mschmitt9

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