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On behalf of FreedomWorks’ activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and urge him or her to vote NO on the so-called “For the People Act,” H.R. 1, introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.). The bill, which would be more appropriately titled the “Incumbent Protection Act,” includes several problematic provisions, many of which run roughshod over the freedom of speech and freedom of association protected by the First Amendment and privacy.
Slowly making its way through the Senate without too much notice is a joint resolution (S.J.Res. 19), sponsored by Tom Udall and enjoying the vocal support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, that would rewrite the founding document of our country in ways never before imagined.
Covering one decision from Circuits 6 through 11, this article is Part 2 of a collection of court cases that you should know about. Court activism throughout the country affects you and your rights so take a glance at the cases below to see the precedents being established that are threatening your civil liberties.
No matter which circuit boundary you live in, the activism in the courts throughout the country affect you and your rights. Take a gander at the cases below to see the precedents being established that are threatening your civil liberties.
Political speech has been winning a number of incremental victories in recent years, from the 2010 Citizens United decision that allowed SuperPACs to spend money on elections, to the ruling earlier this year that struck down the overall cap on political donations.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling eliminating aggregate caps on the amount of money individual donors can contribute to political campaigns is an important victory for free speech. While caps on donations to individual campaigns remain in place, this ruling offers hope that they too may soon be recognized as unconstitutional and in violation of the First Amendment.
In developing the Growth and Opportunity Project's Autopsy of the 2012 election (pdf), the Republican National Committee correctly identified the reason for the party's loss, but failed to recommend a coherent strategy to reverse it.The report endorses primaries, campaign finance reform, and recommends various ways outside groups can get involved. Some of it's good, some of it's not so good, but in the end it's a half measure where a radical change is needed.
President Obama told small business owners at a campaign event in Roanoke, VA that someone other than themselves is responsible for their success. As it did with that one, the White House routinely posts the transcript each of President Obama's campaign speeches on its web site. The speeches are labeled as taking place at campaign events. That is the kind of abuse the Hatch Act was intended to prohibit.
Actions will always speak louder than words. For instance, President Barack Obama preaching a minimal role for corporations in funding campaigns isn’t ethical when in fact he himself was a major recipient of corporate funds leading up to his presidential election in 2008.