Bill Moyers: The Cowardly Lions of 'Free Speech'!

In all the hullabaloo over the Supreme Court's decision on health care, another of its rulings quickly fell off the public radar. Before deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act, the Court announced it would not reconsider Citizens United, the odious 5-4 decision two years ago, that opened our elections to unlimited contributions. Within minutes of that announcement, right wing partisans were crowing about the advantage they now own, an advantage not due to ideas or personalities, but to the sheer force of money. They were remarkably candid and specific. For three weeks in May, Republica super Pac's took turns attacking Democratic senator Claire McCaskill in TV ads, Republicans hadn't held their primary, it's not until August 7, but McCaskill wound up trailing all three of the GOP candidates in polls. Now McCaskill, unnerved, is struggling to recover: That's what super-PAC's can do! When they emerged in 2010 and worked in tandem, they were a critical force in the Republican landslide in the congressional elections. This year, they're playing an even bigger role. The size and reach of their efforts dwarf what they did two years ago. Attaboy, Fred, for telling it like it is, for exposing the hoax that the Court's original decision was about "free" speech. No, it's about carpet bombing elections with all the tonnage your rich paymasters want to buy. Try not to laugh, when you hear one of its perpetrators, the noted lawyer Floyd Abrams, say, as he did not too long ago: "I don't think we should want as a matter of policy, to make decisions which are essentially, people can't do all the speaking that they can in a political campaign: I don't think we can ration speech." Speech already is rationed. On your playing field, Barnes and Abrams, those who have no money have no speech!