links for 2010-02-04

1. Huffington Post | Mark Green: Why Citizen’s United Is a Fraud: A Guide for Non-Lawyers

   I commented earlier that the parties must have wanted to talk about the First Amendment because it played such a prominent role in the oral arguments. Here it is clarified that this was not an issue in lower courts and it was not an issue during an earlier trip to the Supreme Court. So it looks like I need to go back a little further to research the origins.

2. PBS | Bill Moyers Journal: Monica Youn and Zephyr Teachout

   The errors of thought: 1) Corporations all speak with the same voice. 2) They speak in opposition to “the people”. It just might be the case that some corporations may agree with some of “the people” on some of the issues. If you save money at Wal-mart, or if you buy a Ford automobile that enriches your life, then, in at least one sense, your interests are in line with those of the corporations. You will cheer for those corporations when they spend gobs of money to speak in your interest in opposition to other corporations who disagree. As to the judicial over-reaching, Youn and Teachout claim that the parties stipulated that this case would not be about a narrow issue and not the First Amendment. For what it’s worth, the oral argument available at SCOTUSWiki speaks of nothing but the First Amendment for at least the first ten pages of its transcript (all I’ve listened to so far: http://is.gd/7F0Kw). Somebody other than the justices was interested in discussing the issue.

   Update: I’m interested in reviewing the “activism” question. See the above link for more info. I need to review the case thoroughly and come to my own conclusion.

3. PBS | Bill Moyers Journal: The Health Industry Lobby

   Question: “Polls show the overwhelming majority of Americans favor a non-profit alternative — like Medicare — that would give the private health insurance industry some competition. But if so many Americans and the President himself want that public option, how come we’re not getting one?” —- Answer: My first guess was: “We aren’t entitled to one.” Bill Moyers’s answer would have been my second guess. My question for Mr. Moyers is: “Do you think this will stop if Congress votes for a public option?” —- Also, the idea that a public option will give the private health care industry “some competition” is really an abuse of the word “competition”. Those who would like to see private health care industry “compete” with the public option should have no objection to giving the private health care industry the power to tax, too. Well, maybe I shouldn’t give people ideas. We’ll end up with Universal Healthcare.

4. Coinflation.com | Coin Composition Change Included In Obama’s 2011 Budget

   Maybe this time….