The owner of Gold’s Gym put this member in a bind when he supports political groups via corporate contributions. I’m sharing in the diary a comment sent to Gold’s Gym.

This Ad is not paid for by the corporate front groups, oil billionaires, or foreign entities that are trying to buy this election for the Republicans.

Corporate domination of elections has been a long-term problem but in this first post-Citizens United election, abuses are flowing. Concentrated capital is creating front groups to hide their funding. Citizens are pushing back and yesterday a crack in the dike began when Sen. Max Baucus asked the IRS to investigate non-profits improperly being used to influence elections. This is a first step, more are needed, citizens need to remain active.

Political operatives are violating tax and election laws right before our eyes but the Federal Elections Commission, Department of Justice and IRS are taking no actions to stop this democracy crime in progress. What can conscious citizen’s do?

90 Second Summaries is a project of Main Street Insider to bring you brief videos combined with one-page summaries. A quick way for folks to keep up with what’s happening on Capitol Hill.

Have you ever wondered why Politicians continue to receive campaign contributions, even after they announce their retirement?

Video highlights from the Netroots Nation panel, Undoing Citizens United: A Comprehensive Plan to Prevent Corporations from Buying Elections.

In a tasty little bit of schadenfreude, Rep. Joe “I apologize” Barton of Texas has lost some $154,000 of his campaign funds that were invested in the stock market. A big part of that loss was due to the Representative’s penchant for buying funds that go long on energy stocks. With BP’s value falling, it took some of the investments into the tank. I guess when you are willing to supplicate yourself before a big oil company on national T.V. then you are going to stick with investing with them.

The thing that startled me about this story is that you can invest campaign funds at all. The intent of the donor is to give you money to fund your campaign, not for you to take risks with it in the stock market. I can understand the desire, when you are gathering a million dollars or more in a year to maximize the interest you can get, after all no political campaign ever has too much money. Still there is something really not right about being able to put it into the stock market.

"Originally posted at Squarestate.net"

Under the current campaign finance laws, there is no requirement that a campaign committee use all the money for the campaign. There can be all kinds of shenanigans with buying clothes or hair cuts (anyone remember the Wasilla Hillbillies looting Nieman Marcus?) but it is allowed with the idea that if the public does not like the way the candidate is spending the money, well they will not vote for them.

Here’s someone running for Congress who will support congressional efforts to amend the Constitution to undo corporate personhood and the equating of money with speech, but who — as a member of the state legislature in Rhode Island has already done something that, to my knowledge, no one in any other state government has done: propose a national Constitutional Convention.

GRIT tv host Laura Flanders takes up the topic of the Supreme Court, corporate power, and the “Citizens United” ruling.