This is sure to excite the Occupy crowd Pelosi so admires…
Via Terence P. Jeffrey of CNS News reports:
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday endorsed a movement announced by other congressional Democrats on Wednesday to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow Congress to regulate political speech when it is engaged in by corporations as opposed to individuals.
The First Amendment says in part: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…”
Television networks, newspapers, publishing houses, movie studios and think tanks, as well as political action committees, are usually organized as, or elements of, corporations.
Pelosi said the Democrats’ effort to amend the Constitution is part of a three-pronged strategy that also includes promoting the DISCLOSE Act, which would increase disclosure requirements for organizations running political ads, and “reducing the roll of money in campaigns” (which some Democrats have said can be done through taxpayer funding of campaigns).
The constitutional amendment the Democrats seek would reverse the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In that decision the court said that the First Amendment protects a right of free speech for corporations as well as for individuals, and that corporations (including those that produce newspapers, films and books) have a right to speak about politicians and their records just as individuals do.
Read the full report at CNS News.
April, 19, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Convenient relapse in her participation in the rewriting of history, eh? Funny how Progressives twist and turn the Law into agreement with their agenda, isn’t it? I do think, however, there ought to be a reasonable limit. Government for the People, not necessarily for the corporation … anyway, I think there is room for more debate on the issue for those of us not knowledgeable in the letter of the Law. But throw her to the wind! lol
April, 19, 2012 at 8:32 pm
I agree that there is too much corporate money in our elections, but this is not the way to solve the problem.
April, 19, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Thom Hartmann: Why Fox News has the Right to Lie to Us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDKLFn0pty4
April, 19, 2012 at 8:58 pm
It’s a good thing the First doesn’t ban speech by idiots – she would be permanently silenced!
On the other hand, she would be permanently silenced, and that couldn’t be a bad thing either…
Actually, I’m glad she has the chance to speak her piece. I just wish she didn’t have a national stage to do it on, and that the mindless blobs that keep sending that socialist/statist/communist to our Congress would wise up and begin thinking of what is best for our nation, not their own private little fiefdoms.
April, 19, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Every Republican I know hates Fox News. Yeppers.
April, 19, 2012 at 11:10 pm
“… ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution ….”
She may be unfamiliar with the Constitution, which says that Amendments must be approved by a whole lot of States.
This will be delicious material come election time.
April, 20, 2012 at 8:22 am
[...] Video: Nancy Pelosi Wants To Amend the First Amendment (nicedeb.wordpress.com) [...]
April, 20, 2012 at 10:50 am
I agree that there is too much corporate money in our elections,
Do you feel the same way about union money in our elections?
She may be unfamiliar with the Constitution, which says that Amendments must be approved by a whole lot of States.
Didn’t you hear? Congress has the right to unilaterally amend the Constitution on issues it deems important. Its in the penumbras and emminations of the Good and Plenty Clause.
April, 20, 2012 at 12:40 pm
[...] Video: Nancy Pelosi Wants To Amend the First Amendment (nicedeb.wordpress.com) [...]
April, 20, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Actually, B.I.C., it’s the president that has been able to unilaterally amend (read: disregard) the Constitution, with both more-than-willing houses of Congress willing accompices.
If this were not so, wouldn’t one think that the “honorable” opposition might, just might, bring such issues to the floor to discuss them in the open? Where are our “honorable” leaders that either don’t know what the Constitution says or are willing accomplices to such tyranny? Mr. McConnel? Mr. Boehner? Anyone? Maybe they’re hoping they can do the same when they come to power? Is that what our politics has degraded to, whoever is in power gets to ignore what’s good for the nation in a headlong grab for power?
(Dead silence – not even the chirping of crickets.)
April, 20, 2012 at 8:14 pm
[...] Video: Nancy Pelosi Wants To Amend the First Amendment (nicedeb.wordpress.com) [...]
April, 20, 2012 at 9:30 pm
[...] Hate Liberty – So What Else Is New? Posted on April 20, 2012 7:30 pm by Bill Quick Video: Nancy Pelosi Wants To Amend the First Amendment « Nice Deb Via Terence P. Jeffrey of CNS News reports: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday endorsed [...]
April, 22, 2012 at 7:12 am
Blackiswhite, Imperial Consigliere -Congress cannot unilaterally amend the Bill of Rights. The whole point of the Bill of Rights was to tell government these rights are off the table and not a matter of public opinion or regulated by those in power or seek power. The Constitution is our contract with Government- not government’s contract with us. It is valid ONLY as long government abides by this contract. It is the nature of the beast for government to constantly seek to expand its powers. Unlike wealth, power is a finite pie and the only way for government to lay claim to more and more powers is by stripping it from us-we the people.
Pelosi is perfect example of the left-they believe some speech is just too dangerous to allow others to hear. And claiming to be so noble-y and all, believe they should control the flow of information. In fact controlling the flow of information is the documented game plan of the left as a major means of gaining and maintaining power.. The 1st amendment wasn’t written to protect cursing and obscenity -but to protect POLITICAL SPEECH. All of it -because they knew there would be people like Pelosi and other supporting Democrats who would have designs to control and regulate what YOU can be allowed to hear. (oh for your own good since they believe you can’t be trusted to know what is best for you-as THEY define “best” of course, not you.)
Remember -newspapers, magazines, tv news stations and even Internet search engines are all owned by corporations. Corporations don’t engage in speech though. It is the people who are shareholders, owners, employees of these corporations who engage in political speech. Political speech Pelosi believes she is ENTITLED to regulate and become gatekeeper between us and certain political speech? What political speech do you really think she finds so objectionable she believes herself entitled (and arrogant enough) she wants to amend the Bill of Rights in order to regulate and control it?
April, 22, 2012 at 11:12 am
Blackiswhite, Imperial Consigliere -Congress cannot unilaterally amend the Bill of Rights.
BiW was joking. Hence the “Good and Plenty” clause.
April, 24, 2012 at 12:35 pm
[...] Video: Nancy Pelosi Wants To Amend the First Amendment (nicedeb.wordpress.com) [...]
April, 26, 2012 at 12:03 pm
I just read the first sentence and realised this was going to be a page of absurdity. Regulate speech for “Corporation”? Seriously. So, we’re going to regulate speech for hammers too? What about blenders? The very notion that Corporation can even speak in the first place is so absurd that anyone who would suggest it needs to be committed. I say we should commit Nancy Pelosi for hearing voices that aren’t there.