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‘Colbert Report’: Sanders v. Citizens United

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Posted on Jan 4, 2012
colbertnation.com

The thrilling showdown that was the Iowa caucus race wasn’t the only hot political action that went down on Tuesday. It’d be a shame if those eight precious Romney-friendly votes overshadowed this important appearance of Sen. Bernie Sanders on that evening’s edition of “The Colbert Report.”

Sanders was on the ball when it came to his assessment of the collapse of the American middle class, why rich conservatives aren’t the kind of job creators they claim to be, and why the Citizens United Supreme Court decision of 2010 is, in fact, “absurd.” Let’s have a look-see, shall we?  —KA

Colbert Nation:

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By ElkoJohn, January 5, 2012 at 8:35 am Link to this comment

Does anybody know why the ACLU supported Citizens United?

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By SarcastiCanuck, January 5, 2012 at 8:31 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Colbert was brilliant here.He played the bad cop beautifully,forcing Mr.Sanders to articulate his position clearly for all to understand.Excellent tag team effort gents.America’s middle class needs more men with balls like Bernie Sanders going to bat for them.He has my respect and admiration.

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By Marty, January 4, 2012 at 5:47 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Colbert was a bit harsh here. He seemed upset by the wording of the bill Bernie was proposing and argued that it would limit free speech in news organizations like Viacom. He even mocks the bill at the end by pointing out the unlikely hood of it passing.
What they both failed to distinguish was that there should be limits on funding from companies to campaigns, and that funding a show like Colbert is completely different from funding a campaign. If people/companies want to give their money to Fox or Viacom to get whatever point across they can, but if they want to donate to it PACs like Colberts SuperPac (or other political groups) then that is where limits are needed. Colbert really seemed upset with Bernie.
Limits are needed on money to politics. Fin

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By Paul McGuire, January 4, 2012 at 3:22 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m being picky, but Mr. Colbert has the ratification
hurdle wrong, thus do all those who hang on his every
word in these matters ; so does Bernie Sanders, since
he nodded in agreement. Ratification of a proposed
constitutional amendment requires assent by either at
least three-fourths of the state legislatures or at
least three-fourths of fifty special state
conventions called for the purpose of ratification.
The two-thirds fraction mentioned by Colbert is in
play for purposes for proposing an amendment to the
constitution. He might try reading Article V, The
Constitution of the United States of America.

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By gerard, January 4, 2012 at 12:32 pm Link to this comment

Colbert was pretty smart there! (Viacom owes him another million!)
  But the thing that is never addressed is that free speech is not bought speech, no matter who puts up the money or how much.  Without equalizing regulations, bought speech cuts out the possibility of equal time.
  What is needed is to make it impossible for anybody to buy more speech in political campaigns than anyone else, no matter who or how much or in whose interest.
  In other words, a way has to be instituted that will prevent selling media time in any form to anyone to say anything for as long as they want, to influence voters’ decisions.
  It’s all got to be equalized so every candidate and every legislative issue (pro and con)  has the same amount of time and space allowed to them, in the interests of real democracy.  Commercial democracy is not democracy, but commerce.
  Accurate bookkeeping would be a chore, but not impossible. Let’s stop this business of allowing fairness to be turned into unfairness by the highest bidder.
  For those purists among you who gag at criminalizing the buying and selling of “free” speech, why, then, is it okay to limit cigarette and liquor and dope advertising? Surely it’s not a matter of the relative damage done!

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