Gail Collins, on the “Rise of the Richies”:
… Back in the days of the Good John McCain, Congress prohibited corporations from running ad campaigns during the election season that were aimed at influencing a race. (He was so good, the Good John McCain. Always wandering around New Hampshire talking about campaign finance reform. The only person who ever made it interesting. Whatever happened to him?)
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In January, the Roberts court, in a burst of creative overreaching, ruled 5 to 4 that corporations have the same free speech rights as people and knocked out Good John McCain’s law. Right now, people in Congress are trying to find a fix for that one. They’re focusing on transparency, which is something people always claim to like.
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“If you want to run a nasty negative ad, the public should have the right to know who you really are,” said Chuck Schumer, the Senate sponsor of the painfully named Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act. Under the bill, a theoretical ad would not only say it was paid for by Friends of Puppies but also that the top Friends of Puppies donors were BP, Goldman Sachs, A.I.G., Halliburton and Blackwater.
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The bill is scheduled to go to the floor of the House soon, but it has gotten heavy artillery from the Republican leadership, as well as groups of all stripes that don’t want to reveal their big donors.
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“When someone like Schumer wants to know who’s paying for an ad — let’s be honest. They’re taking names,” said R. Bruce Josten of the United States Chamber of Commerce.
Megacorporations and other masters-of-the-universe being exposed to the cruel scrutiny of the plebes! It’s just inhumane! Because the roaches have to scurry away when the light shines on them… it’s in their wiring!
Bleah. I would rather watch musical theatre than roaches, even roaches in human form. And it’s not like I know much about musical theatre, although the DVD of Sondheim’s Putting It Together may just be the single tiny perfect exemplar of the entire genre:
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Who else could put together such a romantic duet from a song originally written for John Hinckley and Squeaky Fromme?
Yutsano
This road can only end in tears. I propose a antidote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTvJdpkdLiw
I can’t remember who showed me this first. It may have been FH #1. Either way, I know it’s one of his favorites. If he can stop watching futbol long enough to notice.
Steeplejack
I have nothing to say here, except that I am going to bed and that Gail Collins is becoming the only reason I have for going to the New York Times op-ed page. (I still read Frank Rich religiously, but even he has been losing his fire lately. Maybe he’s just in a bit of a slump.)
Steeplejack
@Yutsano:
Yeah, that is a great fucking song (and video). I’m still going to bed, though.
Yutsano
@Steeplejack: I’d give you some flak for that, however considering how freaky your schedule is the fact that you post at all falls under the category of Good Thing. And revoke my gay card if you must, but I can’t stand Sondheim. He just sounds so…ordinary to me. Maybe I’m just a freak or something.
Steeplejack
@Yutsano:
Well, you may be a freak, but not because of disliking Sondheim. I have never been a fan either.
(Still going to bed, but passing by the computer as I finish up odds and ends of stuff.)
robertdsc
I’ll bet money that Schumer conveniently included a loophole for AIPAC & the Israeli government.
Trippin
I know it sucks, but so many prominent democrats are in the same boat and pretending not to be, what do we do?
Comrade Kevin
So, Anne, when will this start happening?
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Take my queer card, too, then. He does NOTHING for me. Bleah. Instead, a little Kylie, remixed by the Chemical Brothers. H/T to some BJ’er who first mentioned the song (sorry, don’t remember who it was) and then FH#1, who sent me the remix.
@Steeplejack: Did you go to bed?
Oh, and fuck you, Press of the Word.
r€nato
If you enjoy being a cybersubversive, friend the US Chamber of Commerce in FB and post uncomfortable questions there and in the comments to their posts, like why they oppose disclosure of corporate donations and funding of astroturf groups. USCoC is really bad about pretending to be a friend of the average citizen, when they are anything but.
Mike Kay
@robertdsc: since when does AIPAC run commericals and Israel isn’t allowed to donate money to US campaigns?
Mark S.
Whatever the merits of the bill, please shoot whoever came up with that.
Yutsano
@Mark S.: It’s suppose to be disclose. I think. But yeah I agree with the act title fail there.
@asiangrrlMN: I’ve heard that remix before. I think it became required at all queer events after it came out. I have to admit it’s a nice refreshing change from all Madonna all the time. It got to the point where I wanted to deafen myself every time it started booming out of the speakers. I still react badly to it.
And going off an Aussie riff, same country, different direction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ZKAccgDgs
The simple stuff is always the best to me.
(And yes I fully expect to get shit from FH #1 for that one. Don’t care. Been there too many times.)
asiangrrlMN
@Mark S.: The hell? I had to read it three or four times to suss it out. At first, I thought it was “The Casting Light”, which sounds vaguely theaterish. Then, I thought it was a quote of someone saying democracy is strengthened by casting light on the spending in elections. Then, I saw the Act at the end, and I was just befuddled. Ugh.
Trippin
I just think dems should listen the WH about union money. It clearly could be better spent.
Brad Hanon
I have to say, taking out the Manson and Foster references but leaving the rest of the lyrics intact, and having them singing to each other… that makes those characters seem MUCH more mentally disturbed than Hinckley and Fromme. And those two tried to shoot the president, so that’s not an easy bar to clear.
Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)
While I voted against it (in vain), I look forward to the future California Jungle Primaries where it will be the two richest people interested in running on the ballot for every election. Democrats in CA better start courting the Democratic-leaning entertainment/media billionaires and turn them on to politics to avert disaster. Here’s a list: David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey. Or else it’ll be Meg Whitman versus Carly Fiorina in every election from dog catcher to governor. Fun times ahead.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Wow. I don’t normally like Keith Urban, but that’s not bad.
An Aussie classic done acoustically (the actual song starts 1:23).
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: “The lead man’s dead. And what’s more, they’re from Australia!!” I haz me a good snicker. It’s always good to know that people from my 80’s childhood could actually sing and that it wasn’t all electronic.
Keith Urban is a thousand times better when he’s dark and brooding. At least that’s my experience. YMMV.
MikeJ
@Mark S.: You’ll never hear the title. It’ll be acronym only.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Here is another by Colin Hay (who is most emphatically not dead). It’s really good, too.
@MikeJ: Which is sooo close to D.I.S.C.I.P.L.E.
scav
I’m not sure if my sudden attack of angst (?) is due to Sondheim or a sudden catastrophic reaction to Barrowman (I freely admit there are less over-exposed bits of A Little Night Music I’m rather fond of). I’ll turn in whatever cards are required: I’m the one quivering in the heap over in the corner.
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: I also realized that happened in Atlantic City, which means that the guy who said it to him was either A) drunk or B) a shore rat. No offense to any shore rats present. But of course we Americans always have to have our facts, dammit, because shut up, that’s why!
I still say it’s name fail. But then again politicians don’t get too far in their career by getting creative.
Mike Kay
I wonder if John Roberts and Altio send Ralph Nader Christmas cards? They should.
Yutsano
Man, I love singers where the more I hear the more I want to hear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT438wH2M3Y&feature=channel
Batocchio
Boy, you sure like Ruthie Henshall!
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: You just think he’s teh hawt. Not that there’s anything remotely wrong with that. I’m going to bed. Night.
stuckinred
I get up and see these “early morning” thread and everyone has cashed it in. How come it’s not a “late night” thread?
scav
@stuckinred:
A) Time Lords
B) Time Zones
C) Complicated Lives
D) Sheer Orneriness
arguingwithsignposts
@Batocchio:
Speaking of Ruthie Henshall, I Dreamed a Dream. Les Miserables always seems current to me for some reason.
frankdawg
I’ve come around to George Carlin’s way of thinking – I am actively cheering on the apocalypse. The end seems so obvious why delay it any longer.
Just a little black ray of darkshine in your day.
Tattoosydney
@Yutsano:
Keith Fucking Urban? Fuck you fucker.
Jon H
I bet that all this accomplishes is that Friends of Puppies will say its major funders are Friends of Puppies of New York, Friends of Puppies of New Jersey, Friends of Puppies of Texas, etc.
Emma
I agree with you, Annie. That DVD is probably the best. And if don’t know in advance what that song is about — I didn’t since I’m at best a sporadic Sondheim fan — it works beautifully as a love song.
And I’m ignoring politics and the NYT today. It’s the first day of my l-l-long weekend and I’ll be damned if I screw it up with high blood pressure.
Kay Shawn
A mild correction: it is Charlie Manson and Squeaky, and the real lyric [I saw “Assassins” onstage] is, “I am unworthy of your love, Charlie, darlin'” IIRC.
The song makes the blood run cold in the proper context, but here it is merely a love song.
Kay Shawn
Sorry, oops, forgot to add “Jody, Jody,” for Hinckley’s lyric. It is a lovely song, but with the real lyrics it’s much better.