Charles Krauthammer hit it right on the head in his Friday column, “McConnell right to use his power to say no.”
By the same token, we voters have the right to elect a liberal or socialist Democrat president who will fill the Supreme Court vacancy and consequently overturn Citizens United vs FEC. This decision essentially granted personhood (without the responsibility) to corporations in the form of “free speech,” allowing them to utterly corrupt our system of government with unlimited cash donations to super PACs.
That decision was made in 2010 by a conservatively biased Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was present when this ruling was announced; it was supported by the ultra right-wing Heritage Foundation and the National Rifle Association. Noteworthy, possibly, is that Republican Sen. John McCain, co-sponsor of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, opposed the ruling.
However, there is good news. After being bled white for the last 36 years by the financial institutions (taxpayer bailouts) the defense industries (corporate welfare), the insurance industry (skyrocketing health care costs) and the oil companies (up until 18 months ago, at least) under an increasingly reactionary Supreme Court and five consecutive presidents all completely beholden to their corporate benefactors, the voters are going to push the pendulum the other way in 2016. The Republicans will not win the White House, and they (and Krauthammer) will regret what they wished for when a considerably more left-wing president nominates their worst nightmare to the Supreme Court in 2017.
When that happens, I look forward to the avalanche of opinions decrying liberal hypocrisy from Krauthammer and the Republic of Camano Island.
Andy Dockhorn
Everett
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