Political Quotes

“The Republican majority believes the more hidden money in politics, the better. Freedom of speech, they say, requires more and more dark money or that democracy requires the ability of a few key people to write a check of $100 million without anyone knowing who signed the check or, as a Koch brothers executive claimed, Americans have the right to ``anonymous free speech.'' This bill now would help extend that anonymity to foreign individuals and governments who contribute in violation of our laws. We have a crisis in our campaign system, a crisis. Tens of millions of dollars are being spent without full disclosure. So our constituents know and can make their own judgments about who is influencing our elections. To make matters worse, many of the organizations now doing the spending are organized under our Tax Code as groups allegedly engaged in social welfare activities. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, political spending by such tax-exempt groups at this point in the current election cycle is five times the amount spent at the same point during the 2012 cycle. Spending during the 2012 Presidential election cycle by 501(c)(4)s and 501(c)(6)s soared to more than $300 million, up from $100 million in 2008 and just $6 million in 2004, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.…”