Obama Blasts Supreme Court Ruling
- 15 years ago
President Barack Obama launched an extraordinary attack on the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday, saying a ruling on corporate donations "strikes at democracy itself."
Obama's broadside was triggered by a 5-4 ruling, where the court's conservative majority said the limits had violated corporations' constitutional right to free speech.
The ruling is expected to unleash a flood of money into this year's congressional elections. Obama's fellow Democrats face a struggle to retain control of the U.S. Congress amid voter unrest over double-digit unemployment, a record deficit and political gridlock.
[Barack Obama, U.S. President]:
“This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy. It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way."
The Democrats fear that much of the corporate money spent on U.S. political campaigns will go to Republicans that are traditional allies of big business.
The ruling is also expected impede efforts to pass financial regulatory reforms and give the health insurance industry more leverage to fend off.
Obama says he told his administration to work immediately with Congress.
[Barack Obama, U.S. President]:
"I instructed my administration to get to work immediately with Members of Congress willing tofight for the American people to develop a forceful, bipartisan response to this decision."
Obama's broadside was triggered by a 5-4 ruling, where the court's conservative majority said the limits had violated corporations' constitutional right to free speech.
The ruling is expected to unleash a flood of money into this year's congressional elections. Obama's fellow Democrats face a struggle to retain control of the U.S. Congress amid voter unrest over double-digit unemployment, a record deficit and political gridlock.
[Barack Obama, U.S. President]:
“This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy. It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way."
The Democrats fear that much of the corporate money spent on U.S. political campaigns will go to Republicans that are traditional allies of big business.
The ruling is also expected impede efforts to pass financial regulatory reforms and give the health insurance industry more leverage to fend off.
Obama says he told his administration to work immediately with Congress.
[Barack Obama, U.S. President]:
"I instructed my administration to get to work immediately with Members of Congress willing tofight for the American people to develop a forceful, bipartisan response to this decision."