Let me finish tonight with this dirty, angry money that's begun polluting American politics.
Does it bother you that a farm full of the very rich can pour money into an election and get what they want? Does it tick you off that your little vote is like a sand flea compared to the millions these customers can spring when and where they decide?
It's what happened in Wisconsin, and it's become a gleaming model for what these people are now planning for November.
Seven to one. That's how much Scott Walker, the Republican governor, outspent his Democratic critics. Seven to one! Thirty million to less than four million!
And look at the donors: Bob Perry of Texas, the homebuilder donated $490,000; Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate, Diane Hendricks, another wealthy donor: more than half a million!
Just regular people trying to do their bit, right? Regular people who hate the President and can't wait for any chance to throw some money behind an attack ad. Thanks to the right-leading Supreme Court and its Citizens United ruling, they can spend all they want.
And now they know they can get results. This election in Wisconsin this week, whatever you think of it, could have a huge impact on November. It's going to teach all that dirty, angry money - all those people who love influencing America and American politics, all the while keeping themselves shy of the searchlight - they can get away with it.
Wisconsin was a bad precedent, a bad example. It will encourage the wrong people to get involved in this election so they can spend any amount of money to defend their interests.
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As a Casinno Typhoon...(deliberate typo) How many poor saps did his casino exend lines of credit to, then a 2nd then,when they couldn't pay up, foreclose on their homes?
Yes, it ticks me off. Maybe there should be a rule that only Wisconsin residents can donate to a Wisconsin campaign. And maybe we should have a vote to overturn a Supreme Court decision when it is, in effect, anti-American. The rich are having the last say, again. But not the right rich people. Buffett would like all rich to do their part, but it's obvious that there are many in that tax bracket who don't want to put in their fair share...because they need it to buy an elected office.
I would love a rule that would only let donations come form with in the stated. I currently live in Utah and the democratic Senator from here got 75% of his campaign money from outside of the state. On his own website you can see that only 1/12 of one percent of his funding came from individuals.
Didn't the exit polling show that people had made up their minds even before the ads were shown? Seems to me money was not the issue. At least not in this election. I am not convinced yet that money does anything other than help tell one side of the story. You still have to convince people to vote your way and a slick ad is not enough. At least not for me. If the other side of the story is not being told because they do not have enough money that is where your show comes in to help educate us and help us become better citizens.
Once again you're missing half of the point. Money buys influence at the polls but also buys legislative influence. The second part is more important than the first. Small donors have little to no influence but huge donors can call up those they got elected for favors or simply have their lawyers send them written legislation. That's why billionaires pay 0% -15% income tax as opposed to 29%. That's why they don't pay tax or very little on capital gains and foreign investments etc. Money, especially big money buys legislative influence and judicial influence not just votes and that's the biggest problem with our system.
Sadly I must agree sedwinmars. First, I have heard it said: 'If you want to pass a bill in Congress - buy a Congressperson". Secondly, "damn all the lawyers" whose jobs it is to cast employee-centric business practices into opaqueness and muckiness by effecting law.
(Think of an american infomercials. The working systems you think of as !okay!, instantly seem mucky and outdated by the end of the commercial. Lawyers "go to school" on the American worker!)
Finally, once corporations put their personal lawyers "hired guns" in place on legislative staffs, things are really going to rock and roll for stockholders!
Yes it bothers me, and our dysfunctional government will fall, because of a SCOTUS that legitimized this chicanery.
You mean the Board of Directors for the Republican Party.
Mr. Matthews, out of all the opinion givers on MSNBC you are my favorite, but, please stop the propaganda. You and your colleagues have become the Fox News of the far left wing of the Democratic Party and I believe propaganda in any form is probably the most dangerous weapon against democracy. When the so-called news media becomes a surrogate of either party the American people suffer in their decision making capability and ultimately we end up with a very dysfunctional Government. This business about dirty money in Wisconsin or a few bought the election is either an outright lie or President Obama bought the election in 2010 with dirty money too; didn't he raise more money and outspend the republicans?. By making these comments you are basically stating the voters were bought and if that is not the case than you are saying propaganda from the right was better than propaganda from the left. Didn't Gov Walker drastically reduce the budget deficit in Wisconsin? If so, why was this never stated on MSNBC? Why did you and that liberal Reverend openly attempt to affect the election in Wisconsin by informing voters to get out there and support the cause, doesn't MSNBC have a anti-propaganda policy or some kind of neutrality policy when it comes to politics? I noticed over the years that many of you would rant against Fox News for being the political mouth piece of the republicans or not being truthful but as far as I can see and hear, MSNBC is the political mouth piece of the Democratic Party and your spin is no better (btw, I define spin as a lie). The continued reference to "Bush Tax Cuts" or Bush anything is becoming very sickening. President Bush's tax cuts expired at the end of 2010 or 2011 and President Obama signed into law his tax cuts. This is the fact that you and other liberals continue to want to shy away from but you can't. As a matter of fact, once President Obama became sworn in he became the owner of everything, not President Bush. If President Obama doesn't want to accept responsibility he should never had run for the office. Lastly, you and your colleagues framed the election in Wisconsin as a fight between the republicans and organized labor, that stalwart democratic support engine. Well, what about President Obama's anti-labor actions he took against federal workers? I'm certain you and your viewers are aware that President Obama invoked his authority to stop all pay raises for federal Government employees which has been in affect for three years now, right? My wife hasn't gotten a pay raise as a result of President Obama's orders for three years yet you and the left wing propaganda machine call Gov Walker out for wanting to have the same authority that President Obama has! Really. The reason we have a Tea Party and Congress, not the President, can't get anything done is directly related to the propaganda being espoused by both the Democratic and Republican parties. I think its time for the FCC to require your broadcast along with that of Fox News, radio and others mediums to add a warning label to protect the mind just as music CDs or videos or drugs and food are required to carry warning labels. I mean isn't the mind important enough to protect too?
There's a huge difference between taking many small donations from thousands of people and a couple of huge donations from a few billionaires. What's the difference you ask? If you give $250 and call or tweet Obama and ask for anything what do you think you will get? Especially since 500,000 people gave the same amount? If however a billionaire gives $500,000 or $1,000,000 and calls the President first of all they get a private meeting and then get huge changes in legislation. This is fact. Both sides have admitted this over and over again and again. It's not so much about influencing the electorate it's about buying influence from those who are elected. We the people no longer have influence over our representatives. For example, 73% of the population want the rich to pay the same percentage of taxes as everyone else but since the rich are giving the large "donations" as listed above the elected officials don't listen to us they only listen to a couple of super rich billionaires and that completely neutralizes our democracy thus allowing the rich to pay far less as a percentage in taxes. Their "crazy angry money" is destroying our american concept of democracy. We're right back to where we started when King George allowed the rich and corporate entities (East India Tea Company), preferences over the people and fair taxes.
Obama may have reduced raises for federal employees, so pay attention here, Obama has made severe cuts to spending, unlike the Republicans claim. In fact he has reduced spending far more then the past four Presidents. The Republicans however have fired approximately 900,000 to 1,000,000 federal & state employees at a time when we definitely don't need more people out of work. Additionally it is ridiculous to blame Obama for job losses when they are doing the firing and refusing to pass the dozens of jobs bills that have come across their desks.
I agree that it would be great to have a neutral news media. Before Reagan changed the FCC regulations and allowed news programs to air advertising news was neutral. But advertising changed all that. If you want neutrality watch independent news like Democracy Now on FSTV or LINK TV where there isn't advertising and board members and producers won't edit programming or opinions according to board members preferences. Liberals have been trying for years to bring news back to the days before Reagan's changes but whenever they gain any public support Limbaugh, Fox and crew launch into huge attacks against them, and the right wing Congress (who have been in control for 30 years) appoint even more right wing members to the FCC for further de-regulation. Regulation IS good unless you want corporations to have undue influence over everything and I'm afraid we will never have neutral news again like we did in Cronkite's day.
I had to stop watching Chris. He triggers my Vietnam ambush confusion. If he catches me I watch for awhile. He's not looking healthy. This election could kill him.
Our country will not just fail. it is the Civil War between the haves and the have nots, that scares me.
When people don't have anything else to lose....?????
Like a plague it will spread.
Chris Matthews is a loyal and dedicated Obama fan. His frustrations are just like mine and many others who are exasperated with how these republicans get away with huge lies whether on the air, or speeches and interviews - even after they've been corrected or fact-checked. This is the Boldest, most UNETHICAL rightwing party I've ever seen in my life. It's beyond me how they can get away with it. And to have so much money pouring in to their campaign makes them oh, so dangerous! Who polices those guys? Why are they, including Boehner and Cantor allowed to be criminal SNAKES????
Why is the DNC not making public the fact that Romney and pals dined with one of their mega-donors on Walker's victory night. Rachel Maddow had photos of dining room with HITLER portraits overlooking the dining table. What does that tell everyone?
Where's the publicity gang exposing these racists to the American people?
With the results of the recall election being almost the same % of people voting the same as the first election. It seems that it really didnt change anybodys mind.
True to a point. Voter suppression laws didn't allow students to vote or the elderly without drivers licenses. So it would appear more people in the middle of the spectrum showed up but many more were denied the "American Dream." Gotta love republicans and their hatred of democracy.
How do the elderly cash their social security checks without Id?
Ha Ha Ha! Banks don't require squat when they're taking your money. America is the ONLY country in the western world where you can hand your credit card to a family member (like your child), they can walk into a place of business and use it without problem. There is no other country in the world that allows that. Your id MUST match your credit card and they ALWAYS check.
Deregulation was one of the top three causes of our huge crash (Bush 2008). Why was Brazil, Germany and just a couple of other countries not touched? Ask a Republican and they'll launch into a half-hour indecipherable diatribe. Ask those countries or look at their policies and it's easy to see they had strong regulations that kept the banks and escrow companies from making those horrible trades and investments.
No one can cash a check without money in their account. Otherwise they must wait for it to clear and the bank to get the "float" or the interest.
How do they cash their social security checks? You can get them cashed at the ABC store if you have Id. How do they cash on a big jackpot at the casino?
Rolla: Is this a serious question? Not all seniors lack I.D., shop at ABC or go to the casino. Some people believe all African Americans are on welfare, all Republicans are rich and/or serve in the military, all liberals are environmentalists and college professors.
These are what we call racist, bigoted beliefs. While stereotypes may represent some view into averages surrounding group behavior when one starts believing it is true of all in a particular group you have lost you perspective and are allowing people who like to manipulate peoples racist/bigoted/fearful feelings to their own end.
Here's hoping that the move to deny students and seniors the right to vote because they are "Democrats" will backfire because I know many, many students and seniors who are, in fact Republican. This is exactly why suppressing the vote should be making everyone upset, R & D, with the Republican party. Suppressing votes is undermining the very fabric of this country and it's just one of the many things the Republicans are currently doing in that vein.
Are they to stupid to get a ID? Are dems that dumb that they dont know how to get an ID? Its not that hard to get an ID, hell when I lived in Vegas I lost my wallet. I had to replace eveything from ID to social security card. I had no job are money, but yet I waS still able to find places that helped me get em.
Did you have a car? Are you young enough to get around? Do you live in a nice rich Republican district where a DMV exists because in many of these Republican states where these laws have been instituted they have closed down the DMV's in the poor 'Democrat' districts requiring elderly people who cant drive and don't have vehicles to travel many many miles to get their ID's and once they get there the DMV employees all of sudden tell them that they need additional requirements like birth certificates AND bills AND passports AND a bank account with a minimum amount of money in it AND whatever they DON'T have with them to get their ID's. Pay attention to what's going on in these states why don't you dude.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/232963-mccain-says-adelson-routing-foreign-money-to-romney-campaign
Breaking News by John McCain: (Is Mr. McCain mavericking? Good!)
The "McCain" is back! Now as Mr. McNamus(?) blogged: Some one should ask the courts to look into foreign money in American politics.
Disclaimer: At least on one day, June 15, 2012, the John McCain I, a former sailor, can accept has stood up for truth again.
Two publications: Fortune Magazine and The National Review have said the NRA-"They coming to take your guns away" Paranoia on 'Fast & Furious' is False. Has Mr. Wayne La Pierre Jr. CEO of the NRA been drinking the Cool aid over at Fox News or vise versa? I'm sure there are members of the NRA who see this for what it is; pre, sick Paranoia. Why hasn't anyone, in the NRA, spoken out about this? Are they ALL sipping the cool aid from the Big Red Solo cups?