O’Hara’s Conclusion re “Janus” Strong Enough to Lead

“SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) Renders… ‘State of the Union’ in Janus Decision”  

O’Hara concludes:  

“

Rather than striking a position based on the impact a decision might have on the power and coffers of a particular party, we should learn to focus on the facts of the case and leverage them to eliminate the undue influence that money has on our elections.  If we do, we might even return POWER TO THE PEOPLE.” [My caps]

And, by the by, for you anti-Ruskie/everything “Russia/Putin did it”, O’Hara writers this.

“

…for those who are concerned with Russian ‘interference’ [which never happened] in our elections, let me assure you that corporate and union interference poses a far greater threat.

The reality is that countries (including the United States) have historically tried to influence the elections of other countries. They simply haven’t been as effective at ‘buying’ results AS HAVE OUR CORPORATIONS AND UNIONS.” [My caps]

“

In Janus, the Court held that, “The First Amendment, made applicable to the States by the Fourteenth Amendment, forbids abridgment of the freedom of speech… (and) freedom of speech ‘includes both the right to speak freely and the right to refrain from speaking at all.’” 

The flaw in “Citizens United is that it essentially confers individual status on corporations and unions.… Janus argues against this.”

Sources

Independent Voter Network June 27, 2018 “SCOTUS Renders Its Own ‘State of the Union’ in Janus Decision” post by T. J. O’Hara in Civil Rights  https://ivn.us/2018/06/27/scotus-renders-state-union-janus-decision/

Independent Voter Network’s principal political analyst, T.J. O'Hara, is profiled as “an internationally recognized author, speaker,” public and private sector “strategic consultant,” and politician, O’Hara’s satire includes a political trilogy, “‘The Left isn’t Right – The Right is Wrong - and The National Platform of Common Sense.’” https://ivn.us/author/tjohara/

Cases referenced

·       JANUS v. AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, COUNCIL 31, ET AL. CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT No. 16–1466. Argued February 26, 2018—Decided June 27, 2018 https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/16-1466_2b3j.pdf

·       CITIZENS UNITED v. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA No. 08–205. Argued March 24, 2009—Reargued September 9, 2009–– Decided January 21, 2010 https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf

My inserted caps and brackets.

Insight Beyond Today’s News, CLB