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MONEY

Turns Out That Liberals Love Super PACs

Not only were liberal and progressive organizations well organized, they were also well-funded

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by PolitixMayday

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

The most vocal critics of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision in 2010 turned out to be also the law's most skillful exploiters, according to the Atlantic's Molly Ball.

Despite liberal loathing of the super PAC concept, Democratic superPACs like Priorities USA was more successful at driving the campaign narrative against Mitt Romney, although it was vastly outspent by Karl Rove's superPAC American Crossroads. So successful was Priorities that they're continuing their activities post-election, and are now pressuring swing-vote Congressmen to not compromise in fiscal cliff talks.

Citizens United also freed up unions to exert more influence. In the past, unions were only allowed to communicate politically within their organizations, and not with the general public, explains Michael Podhorzer, political director of the AFL-CIO. The Citizens United decision was like "taking off the handcuffs" Podhorzer said.

For all the outrage over conservative superPACs, the liberal variant received scant negative attention: "We got very little blowback at all," Becky Bond, director for a progressive super PAC, told the Atlantic. "People were very excited that this was our superPAC. People thought the superPAC was super."

Via the Atlantic
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Comments (view in Forum)

  • PNWest
    !
    @woodtick57 Corporations are NOT people. They should not have the right to free speech. Individuals have the right to free speech. CEOs and stockholders do have the right to free speech. Corporations should not.
  • RoyFloyd
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    @woodtick57 Corporations are property, not people. Their owners pay corporate taxes on their behalf are already able to contribute to the political process. Like saying my car pays taxes, so it also has a right to free speech.
  • martydotcom
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    Gthat the donors to these super PAC are wealthy intelligent men. They've made their fortune by understanding what ROI means. What could have been a poorer investment than trying to buy Voters. All the money had the opposite effect it stirred up the opposition. Just ask Allen West who out spent his competition 5-1 and still lost to an unknown. Ask Karl Rove what $300mil bought.

  • View all 12 replies >

  • u
    Libertyiskey
    !
    Well I don't necessarily like them you can decide for yourself the good one and bad ones. As I am a strong believer in Liberty I think it would be hypocritical to say I'm not in favor of them just to use consumer caution and look into who your giving your money to or what big business is backing who. I think if people don't like them then research the candidate you are voting for and if you don't like the Superpac backing them then don't vote for them.
  • PNWest
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    Thank God some nameless minimum wage earning 47%er set up that cellphone camera and recorded Romney's 47% rant. This one act overcame $400M of rightwing SuperPAC propaganda.
  • PNWest
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    @twinertia JC's grandson publicized the recording that the anonymous 47%er shot. He deserves all of our thanks also.
  • PNWest
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    Unions like corporations should not enjoy free speech. Union members do have the right to free speech. Unions should not.
  • PNWest
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    @FFX_VA The union as an organization should not have free speech. Individuals do. Collective bargaining is between one group of people (unions) and another (owners).
  • DARSB
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    "Those who would tell others how they should live their lives, love super pac's."

    Social conservatives come immediately to mind, along with trans-vaginal ultrasounds, marriage equality opponents, and people who have objections to reproductive health services.
  • DARSB
    !
    The only part of the PAC/SuperPAC system that bothers me is donor anonymity. If you want to give money to a candidate or a cause by all means do so - but don't try to be coy about, stand up for your own decisions and actions.
  • lawnmowrman
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    That the donors are anonymous led me to add almost every corporation that I'm aware of to my Temporary Boycott List. None of them will ever removed from that list without a retroactive disclose act being passed and signed.
  • stepped_in_it
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    @lawnmowrman Now that's a lot of corporations.....every "brand name" is a corporation. You must grow, can and "kill" a lot of food!
  • lawnmowrman
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    @stepped_in_it The past two years have been disasters in my gardens. The okra should have produced at least five-hundred-sixty pounds this past summer yet produced less than five. The beans were a failure. Now 1100 square feet of ground is not covered by an 1100 square feet of winter greens. Yes I do have to buy some things from corporations and sometimes those things are made by companies that belong on The Permanent Boycott List. I pay out of work men to make most of the things I need. It's a win win. I get something that worth paying for. A man makes $25 an hour making it for me.

    oh well, will never buy new BOSE sound canceling headphones, what a shame
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    @lawnmowrman "oh well, will never buy new BOSE sound canceling headphones, what a shame"....My fingers inserted properly plus singing LA LA LA do the same thing and are a whole lot cheaper.....LOL. Proud of ya....you do try NOT to buy that corp. chit! Good job!
  • lawnmowrman
    !
    I'd like to know who started the saying "Corporations are people because people work there." The last man that said it to me stormed out of his living room and left me sitting there alone. The existence and use of SuperPACs cost both Romney and Obama my vote. I'm thankful that there were at least three others candidates for President were worth considering.
  • u
    mtkopf
    !
    I say its about time to reform campaign finance overall. I believe that PACs and super PACs made this last election cycle very ugly with attack ads, a lot of them not true.
    ***Before anyone starts getting all psycho-partisan ( that's a clinical term) on me I'm talking BOTH sides were guilty.***
    We don't know where these superpacs are getting their money. Who says China, Egypt, or al-qaeda are not throwing money into these elections. We don't know BC super PACs are not legally obligated to disclose their donors.
  • Denizen_Kate
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    Politix: yet another deliberately provocative headline? Liberals love PACs? Just because Obama's liberal base made good use doesn't indicate approval of Citizens United. It was use 'em or lose the election.
  • SavageMazx
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    Why are we still discussing the election and the carp that both sides pulled. Over all this campaign was horrid, like watching children on a playground calling each other names and making up lies.
  • u
    KyleMFb
    !
    This is a stupid headline......I know super pacs are a needed evil (bc of republicans) but money and politics do not mix...lobbyist are evil pricks
    if money and politics are never separated were all DOOMED
  • o
    Big-R
    !
    Is anyone really surprised the politicians are falling all over the money? True Change can only come from a third party in power. It is really simple. The Democrat wins, screws everyone and everything they can, so it pisses everyone off, forcing the country to vote for the the Republican. Then the Republican wins, screws everyone and everything they can, so it pisses everyone off, forcing the country to vote for the Democrat again. Then the same thing happens again, then again, then again, and so on. They all know in eight years they will be back in power, so who cares what they do. There is no true accountability, when there is no one to hold accountable. Wake up people!