Supreme Court Weakens our Democracy

With its Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has severely weakened our democracy and given enormous power over our elections to corporate America.
by Charlie Leck

We made this observation months and months ago (stated immediately above in the subtitle); however, we didn’t have a concrete example of how that decision would work within our democracy until the Target Corporation matter this summer. Target came bullying its way into the Minnesota gubernatorial election by making an extremely large financial donation to one of the candidates through a ‘paper’ transaction with an organization called Minnesota Forward.

Tony Regare, From Tony’s Keyboard, has written some awfully good things over the past few weeks about the damage the Supreme Court has done to us with its Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision last autumn (No. 08-205).

Now the best analysis yet of the dangers involved in this decision by our highest court comes from Myles Spicer (as published on MinnPost.Com under the title The Hidden Dangers of the Supreme Court’s Decision).

In a couple of paragraphs, Spicer sums up what many of us fear most… I strongly urge you to read Spicer’s full statement. Below I print only two paragraphs of the total.

Corporate executives are strongly tilted to the right
This may be assumed and self-evident, but still needs added vetting. Gregg Steinhafel, Target's CEO, is a strong Republican supporter. And it is no wonder he would direct his company's funds to a hard-right candidate. He is reported to have given Emmer $2,000 individually (the maximum); and over $25,000 mostly to various Republican causes. Historically, individual contributions from Target's other top executives have gone mainly to Republicans. Moreover, Steinhafel's total compensation, from all sources, at Target last year was over $13 million — not atypical for top executives at major corporations. There is little question where such contributors will send their company's money. When we see other corporate contributions, count on them going the same way Steinhafel's corporate money went.

Interlocking boards
As with most corporations, the Target board is made up of current or former executives with other major American corporations. These include directors associated with such companies as Eli Lilly, General Mills, United States Cellular, Xerox and Wells Fargo. This creates a clique — a "club" — of individuals with a common cause; and that cause is clearly the one espoused by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other similar supporters of the right. If Steinhafel made his contribution to MN Forward with the knowledge and acceptance of the board, then this assumption of a collusive effect is correct; if he did it without board approval, it brings up what I consider an abuse of management power.

When you read through this argument by Spicer, you realize how powerful corporate giving can be and how it will often negate the power of the individual to influence political campaigns.

The Supreme Court of the United States gave one side in America’s historic political contest the overwhelming power to control elections.

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Targeting Target

Target Corp gave Tom Emmer $150,000 and it really irks me!
by Charlie Leck

Let’s put it this way – bluntly! We spend a lot of money at Target. I won’t go into numbers, but it’s a lot. We buy all the grandkids significant gift cards there for their birthdays and special occasions. When we receive a notice that a family member – even a tangential one – is going to graduate, we send a Target gift card. We do an awful lot of our Christmas shopping there and also purchase many gift cards for stockings and special gifts. In addition, we shop there for our own needs on a very frequent basis. Just two weeks ago, I purchased a flat screen television there.

Here’s notice to Mr. Steinhafel, the CEO of Target Corp. You, sir, are now on probation. Know, by this notice, that we are now boycotting you and your stores and will find other outlets to supply our gift cards and general shopping needs.

Your large gift to the campaign of Tom Emmer, Republican candidate for governor is just too sickening for me to handle. It sticks in my craw. Urggh, I can’t get it out!

This Emmer character is not a good man, Mr. Steinhafel. He’s a neighbor out here. We know him. We know how he’s stiffed other neighbors and not paid his bills and gotten around it with legal mumbo-jumbo. This Emmer guy stands out on the fringe of political thinking in this state. He comes nowhere near the center of American or Minnesota politics.

The news is telling us that many of your employees are really angry about this political donation. That may be true, but you really had better think twice or thrice about your shoppers and their feelings. We, here in Minnesota, have friends all over the nation and we have, as you are well aware, means of communicating with them quickly and in large, large numbers.

For instance, Mr. Steinhafel, this blog will be read by thousands of people around the nation and many of them – most of them – nearly all of them – will be sympathetic to my rant about your absurd political contribution to the campaign of an idiot for governor. I am prepared to ask all of them to boycott your stores if you don’t withdraw that contribution and ask to have it returned.

Some of that is my money!
Remember, sir, a percentage of that contribution is my money and I’m damned mad about it. A percentage of that contribution is the money of my friends and they’re steaming about it, too.

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