Posted by
Billy on Tuesday, February 02, 2010 11:36:24 AM
A
conservative legal scholar and former member of the Federal Election Commission
says President Obama made two claims in his State of the Union speech about the
Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case that are "categorically and
undeniable false." (
See earlier story)
Hans von Spakovsky, a legal scholar at
The Heritage Foundation, notes
that Congress did not ban independent political expenditures by corporations and
labor unions until 1947 -- but for three decades after the law was passed, the
Supreme Court "went out of its way" to avoid upholding its constitutionality.
He says it is also "completely wrong" for the president to claim the Supreme
Court has cleared the way for "foreign corporations" to spend without limit on
U.S. elections.
"There's a federal statute," explains the scholar, "that
bans foreign corporations, foreign governments, foreign political parties, and
foreign individuals from not only contributing money to federal candidates, but
they also cannot engage in what's called 'independent political expenditures.' (
Obama's false claims taken to
task )
(Perhaps it was OK that Obama attacked the high court though I do have some problems with him doing that but he was even more wrong with his facts on the case. President Obama if you are going to attack the court have the right facts.)