Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>>> gop members of the senate voted overwhelmingly in support of a bill that would speed up and
expand offshore oil drilling, even though experts say that such a move has almost nothing
to do with lowering gas prices. what it does do is make the oil companies much richer.
it comes a day after senate republicans blocked an attempt to repeal billions in subsidy for
the big oil companies. this is part and parcel of what the gop is these days. to further
prove that point they're furiously trying to repeal on the banks while --
>>>
from a so-called super- pac. say a candidate approaches a wealthy donor. under federal
law, that person can only get $2,500 to the candidate. in the past, that's the end of
the conversation. but until the new plan, the candidate could ask that same donor to
pony up an unlimited amount of money to the republican super- pac. if the money could
be spent attacking the own. then the super- pac could do all the things that a political
campaign does. if it wasn't clear enough that they were bought before, this will make it
super-clear. they will literally be working for the highest bidder. it's a disaster in
the making. let's see if anyone can stop it. we're going to talk to independent senator
from vermont, bernie sanders, who i know is not in favor of the super- pac. senator sanders,
how do you stop it? it looks like they're on a steamroller, headed in that direction,
how do you get in front of it?
>> in this particular indicates, i think the lawyers are going to have to take a hard look
at it, because it certainly violates the spirit of existing campaign finance law, as weak
as that law currently is. what you're asking is the rnc setting up another organization
with the same members that exist in the rnc to violate the limits on campaign contributions
and to be able to bring in huge amounts of money, to do it in secret. i think the lawyers
are going to take a deeper look. big money owns and controls much of what takes place.
we had a bad situation before, since citizens united, the situation is much, much worse,
and we're going to have to take apart citizens united. we need to pass legislation to minimize
what it is doing. at the end of the day, we probably will have to pass a constitutional
amendment, which makes the radical pin that, get what, a corporation is not a person that
a handful of billionaires cannot pollute and take over the political system by spending
unlimited sums of money in secret in order to elect candidates that support their agenda.
>> i couldn't possibly agree more with on you that front. the guy who is leading this
they're the nonprove groups, he's the -- and he's the -- super- pac. to your point about
how it might be illegal, here's what he says -- who cares the supreme court doesn't care
and i don't care? the fec doesn't care? no one that matters cares. wow, what a quote,
but you know what? is he right about that, senator sanders? if it goes there. the answer
is we have to give him credit for his incredible arrogance and attempt for the -- and his believe
that the supreme court is there to protect big-money interests. i'm not so sure he is
right. even the supreme court i think may take a hard look at this and rule that it
is absolutely in violation of existing campaign finance law. i think in this case they may
have gone too far. at the end of the day, the point he is making is money runs everything,
and we can't be stopped. you're asking me how ultimately we fight back against that.
well, the way you fight back effectively is through grass-roots organizing. these guys
may have billions, they may have a supreme court, they may be able to atracked the money
from the koch brothers and other billionaires, but if we can build a strong grass-roots movement
of politically conscious people who understand the function of government is to represent
working people and the middle class and not billionaires, you know what? we can beat them.
i think one of the important points that we now is have is to make it very, very clear
how corrupt the system is, to what degree the billionaires and large corporations are
manipulating the campaign finance system in order to give tax breaks to the rich, in order
to continue unregulated free trade, in order to deregulate wall street and the other companies
and environmental protection laws. so i think their arrogance may be something that we can
effectively use against them.
>> senator sanders, i think the system is corrupt, but i believe the republican party
is a wholly owned subsidiary of these corporations. i don't think they are honest actors. i think
they only care about how it affects their bottom line. do you think that's accurate?
>> i speak as an independent, and that's the longest standing independent in the united
states congress. i think at this particular point, not all, but many republicans are doing
what they are doing, not for they great philosophical reasons, but for the fact that what they do
can attract huge sums of money. and not bringing back glass-steagall, for example. when you
talk about continuing to give them the tax breaks, you get military industrial complex.
so if you're asking me are there feelings just philosophical and not represented to
the money that's coming in and dependence on big money? i would think you're right,
but as an independent, to say it's only the republicans and not any democrats i think
would be inaccurate. i think there are a number of democrats you can make that charge as well.
>> i couldn't agree more. i think the only difference is the republicans are wholly bought
by the corporations, the democrats are partly bought by the corporations. blue-dog democrats,
a lot lost in the election, a third of them are already lobbyists, working for the same
corporations that he supported while in the house, and those are democrats.
>> i think a better middle classes collapsing, poverty is increasing and the rich are getting
richer. what you're seeing is tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. they working day by day by day no the interests
of the wealthiest. the needs of the middle class and working families are not being heard
at all. in fact, as you well know, the budget that passed the house will decimate med case,
voucherize medicare, huge cuts to education, environmental protection and the needs of
our kids. so this is a party that is there to protect the interests of the wealthy and
powerful. we need to educate, organize and defeat them, and put pressure on the -- who
are indebt ed.
>> absolutely. really appreciate your time tonight.
>> good to be with you.