1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to you. Stuff you should know from House Stuff 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Bush and Duccas on crime. Bush supports 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: the death penalty for first degree murderers. Du Concas not 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: only opposes the death penalty, he allowed first degree murderers 5 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: to have weekend passes from prison. One was Willie Horton, 6 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: who murdered a boy and a robbery, stabbing him nineteen times. 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: Despite a life sentence, Horton received ten weekend passes from prison. 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: Horton fled, kidnapped a young couple, stabbing the man and 9 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: repeatedly raping his girlfriend. Weekend prison passes. Ducacas on crime, 10 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 1: Hey and welten to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, there's 11 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: Charles to Be, Chuck Bryant, there's Jerry over there. And 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: what you've just heard was something we brought back with 13 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: us from via the way back machine. An attack ad. 14 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: The attack AD from the election between George Trebert Walker 15 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: Bush and one Michael du Caucus and Uh. That ad 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: is widely credited as turning the tide against du Caucus's campaign, 17 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: which was doing pretty good at the time. Well, some 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,119 Speaker 1: people say so, other people say depends on who you asked. 19 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: Always dissent that's politics. As it turns out, there's always 20 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: more than one opinion. But the reason we bring up 21 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: this ad which UM first aired on September twenty one, nineteen. Yes, UM, 22 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: it's called weekend Passes for obvious reasons, and it was 23 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: UM funded by something called the National Security Political Action 24 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: Committee And n s PACK was a non affiliated pro 25 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: Bush political action committee that was aimed at sinking du 26 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: Caucus and getting Bush elected. Yeah. I think one of 27 00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: Bush's uh maybe it was his chief campaign guy said 28 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: by the time we're done, people are gonna think Willie 29 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 1: Horton is du Caucus is running mate. And it worked too. 30 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: I mean, like still, if if you say the name 31 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 1: Willie Horton, people of a certain age e g. R 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: age can still say, oh I know who that is. Yeah. Well, quickly, 33 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: the story of Willie Horton is he was he was 34 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 1: in prison for murder, was furloughed as part of the 35 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: UH for a weekend as part of the Massachusetts furlough 36 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: program that was UM in effect at the time, and 37 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: he raped and killed somebody on this weekend pass on 38 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: the weekend pass, which was a big sign that it 39 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: may not be a good idea to furlow murders. I 40 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: guess they needed to test it out to find out 41 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: one way or another. But yeah, that pretty much closed 42 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: the book on it. And the thing was the Bush 43 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: campaign linked du Caucus is well, du Caucus himself with 44 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: the weekend passes and insinuated that he had come up 45 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: with this and that he was in support of it. Well, 46 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: he wasn't support of it. He didn't come up with 47 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: it though. Yeah, he inherited it from his Republican predecessor, 48 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: I believe. Yeah, it actually started in nine two, uh 49 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,399 Speaker 1: with a Republican governor governor of Massachusetts, which apparently things 50 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: have been going fine up until then until Willie Horton 51 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: came along. Yeah, it kind of had a weird uh 52 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: along and winding road. Um. The initial program excluded first 53 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: degree murderers, and then the Supreme Court said, no, the 54 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,679 Speaker 1: law doesn't specifically say that, so you can't exclude first 55 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: degree murders. So the legislature said, well, we gotta put 56 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: a stop to this, and we can't let first agree 57 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: murderers out on leave, and Ducacus vetoed that. So he 58 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: did support it until he decided to run for president, 59 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: and that's when he said let's get this off. So 60 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: the n speck ad was very um widely criticized. It 61 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: was criticized as being misleading, It was criticized as fostering 62 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: racist attitudes. Um. And but it still worked. A lot 63 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: of people say, and I understand some people say, no, 64 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: a lot of people say, this did work. So people 65 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: say it was the tank gride remember that. Oh I 66 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: forgot about this road around that tank. Yeah, I totally 67 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: forgot about that. He was off the rails there for 68 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: a little bit. Um. But the the thing is is 69 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 1: George Bush's campaign I was able to say, hey, this 70 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: had nothing to do with us, blame an s pack. 71 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: So it still worked in George Bush's favor. But George 72 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 1: Bush got to got to say, this had nothing to 73 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: do with me. Remodel it. That was Clinton. I just did. Um. 74 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: It was. It was pretty dead on Clinton. Really, it's 75 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: called a political matchup. Um. And the whole way that 76 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: this pack was was funded was with what's called dark money. Yeah. 77 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: We should uh, we should just title this one how 78 00:04:54,520 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: to Exploit a Loophole in America. Yeah, and the Supreme 79 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:05,119 Speaker 1: Court really screwed things up. Yeah. Or if you don't 80 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: like Josh and chuck talking politics. Turn it off now, 81 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: but we're taking down the system. Yeah. Yeah, here's the thing, man, 82 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: Billionaires controlling who gets elected in the United States is 83 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: not a conservative or liberal issue. We're all being screwed 84 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: over equally. Here everyone, I got a stat for you, 85 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 1: and then we'll get right into it. This will shake 86 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: you to the core. Uh. Since two thousand ten of 87 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: the one billion dollars spent in federal elections by superpacks, 88 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: almost sixty of that money came from one hundred and 89 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: ninety five people and their spouses one hundred and nine 90 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 1: people of campaign of superpack spending. And as as it 91 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: is crazy, but it's not that surprising if you really 92 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: step back and look at what's been going on the 93 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: last decade or so. And that's what people I mean, 94 00:05:57,880 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: some people say like spending tons of money on a 95 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 1: elections isn't bad. It's the fact that people are the 96 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: ones doing the majority of the spending that it's not right. 97 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: And the the that's a billion dollars spent by super 98 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: packs or political action committees, and super packs up until 99 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: recently had to disclose um who donated money to him. 100 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: So this is just the money that's traceable, and what 101 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,720 Speaker 1: we're talking about is the money that's not traceable here. 102 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: So we're gonna go back a little bit um in 103 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: the way back machine, back to the early twentieth century 104 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: once again. Yeah, and um, we're gonna talk about money 105 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: in politics. There's this really good Mother Jones article called 106 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: Follow the Dark Money, and it gives a bit of 107 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: a history of politics and money. Uh and says Congress 108 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: is always reacting to some sort of money scandal, but 109 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: there's this long history and tradition of knowing who is 110 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: funding campaigns transparency in America. Yeah, and it started with 111 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt ran as a trust buster. He 112 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: was against the big corporations that controlled so much in 113 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: the robber barons, but he was also simultaneously secretly going 114 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: to these same corporations and robber barons and getting secret 115 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: funding for his campaigns. Yes, one tycoon said Teddy Roosevelt 116 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: got down on his knees for us. That's not the 117 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: normal description of Teddy Roosevelt. And as far as corporations 118 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: are concerned, not the public image of him. Teddy Roosevelt, 119 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: you wouldn't think got on his knees for anybody. So 120 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: as a result, after Roosevelt was elected, he actually did 121 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: something about it. He signed into law the Tilman Act 122 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: that prevented it. Outlawed corporations from directly contributing to candidates. 123 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: That's illegal, still is today. It is. That's why we 124 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: need loopholes. Watergate came along in uh the I think 125 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventy four, nineteen yeah, nine seventy two election 126 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: when Nixon was running for UM office. He um, okay, 127 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: he accepted twenty million dollars in nineteen seventy two money 128 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: UM in secret political contributions. And we're talking like delivered 129 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: in cash and checks in briefcases by couriers who were 130 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: flying private jets from Texas to d C. For Pete's sake. Yeah, 131 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: and his personal attorney when Herbert Kombach Uh, he was 132 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,839 Speaker 1: the deputy finance chair for the Committee for re Election 133 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: for President, he destroyed this evidence and went to prison 134 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: for it. So it was a real thing that happened. 135 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: What's crazy is their their Political Action Committee was the 136 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: Committee to re Elect the President and the acronym was Creep. 137 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: They called themselves creep and they were trying to reelect Nixon. 138 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: Funny I mean, come on, it's a little on the nose. 139 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: Don't you think maybe it was lost on them? So um, 140 00:08:57,880 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: you fast forward and you just say, okay, guys, let's 141 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: bashing Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon. How about some some 142 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: Democrats in there. And uh, Bill Clinton was a really 143 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: good example of that as well. Yeah, you want to 144 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: go jogging with Bill, I want to play a little 145 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: golf six figure check. Please. Access to the president or 146 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: even somebody who's running for the presidency is not supposed 147 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: to be purchasable. You or you or I. We can't 148 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: do that. We don't have access to the president because 149 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: we don't have that much money. So it's just simply 150 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: not fair for somebody who does have that much money 151 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: to have that much more access to the president or 152 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: somebody running for the president. So over the years have 153 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,599 Speaker 1: been scandal and then uh some sort of change to 154 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: campaign finance laws. But there's been this through thread over 155 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: the twentieth century that America has said, we want to 156 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: know who is giving money to uh two candidates. We 157 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: want to know who they're indebted to when they win. Yeah, 158 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:00,679 Speaker 1: but there's also a been at the head of every 159 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: time law comes into action. There is a loophole that 160 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: is invariably found that can get around that, created by 161 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: the same politicians who passed the Act to begin with, 162 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: because it's a game. They really upsetting if you think 163 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:18,319 Speaker 1: about it. Oh, it's very upsetting. I'm I'm really doing 164 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: a good job here staying calm. Well, you have a 165 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: vein in your forehead that's pulsing. I can see it is. 166 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 1: There's this blood spurting out of it. So um chuck. 167 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: There's a there's another thread to um to all of this. 168 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: It's semi political, and that is the tax code. Right, 169 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: So if you go look at the tax code after, 170 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: you're going to see something called the five oh one 171 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: C four organization called a social welfare organization, or you 172 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: can also be a local association of employees and be 173 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: a five one four Those are also known as unions. Right, 174 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: And as of nineteen thirteen the Underwood terrorf Act, which 175 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: brought back in taxes, five oh one four organizations are 176 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: nonprofits that are tax exempt, right, Yeah, and they can 177 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: accept donations. But because of this uh there five oh 178 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: one C four status, they don't have to reveal who 179 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,079 Speaker 1: their donors are, right, which wouldn't seem like a big 180 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: problem because all nonprofits are are people trying to save 181 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 1: animals and save the rainforest. Right, social welfare. One. Sure, 182 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: so you want to just donate your money and I 183 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: want it to be anonymous and it's no big deal. 184 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: But that is not always the case. Um. By the 185 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: well late nineteen fifty nine, early nineteen sixties, the government 186 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: realized that politics and uh five oh one see where 187 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: they five one c fours at that time, Okay, um, 188 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: they were intertwined. Uh, there was nothing they could do 189 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: about it, and so they started loosening rules. In a 190 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: nineteen eight one they said, you know what, you can 191 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: be politically engaged as long as it's under the banner 192 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: of the promotion of quote social welfare, or that the 193 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: work you're doing is primarily social welfare. And the way 194 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: that that translated as far as the I R S, 195 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: who you know, um enforces the tax code. As far 196 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: as the I R S was concerned, it was if 197 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: fifty one of your funds are spent on social welfare, 198 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: you can spend up to forty on political stuff. Yeah, 199 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: And the I R S had to fight for that 200 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 1: designation because previously it just said primarily which is such 201 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: a loose uh word. You know, they said, you know, 202 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,079 Speaker 1: we what does this really mean? Right? And so that 203 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: they just through I think they released an interpretation a 204 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: rule that said this is what primarily means nine And 205 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: that was the rule from one on basically, um and so, okay, 206 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: you've got five ohen C. Four is they're hanging out 207 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: there over there, they're doing their own thing. Nobody's paying 208 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: too much attention to them. Uh. And then two ten 209 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: rolls along, and there was a lawsuit that had made 210 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: its way through the lower courts up to the Supreme Court, 211 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: and it was called Citizens United versus the Federal Election Committee. 212 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: It sounds so boring that I hazard to say that 213 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: Americans have never even heard of it. And it's and 214 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: it may be one of the most influential Supreme Court 215 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: rulings in the history of this country. But it just 216 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 1: listened to it. Citizens United versus the FEC Snooze. So 217 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: Citizens United was a m a political action committee and uh, well, 218 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: I think it still is as a matter of fact. 219 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: And Citizens United was spending money on advertisements for a 220 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: video on demand movie that was basically um a attack 221 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: ad one giant attack ad on Hillary Clinton. I thought 222 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:50,959 Speaker 1: you're gonna say it was one of those Kirk Camera 223 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: in movies. I think it was similar. He had a 224 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: cameo I think, right, and so in this movie, um, 225 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: like the Citizens United didn't. I don't believe they funded 226 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: the movie Your Finance if, but they were. They were 227 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: running ads about it, and they were running ads within 228 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: I think thirty days of the election, no, sixty days 229 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: of the prime no, sorry, thirty days of a primary election, 230 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: which under the McCain Fine Goal of Act, which is 231 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: a campaign finance Reform Act that came along in two 232 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 1: do to um, you're not allowed to do And Citizens 233 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: United said, you know what, why wouldn't we be allowed 234 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: to do? This is political speech. Um, We're going to 235 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: sue the Federal Elections Commission, And they did, and the 236 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: Supreme Court ruled on it, and the Supreme Court in 237 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: Citizens United ruled in favor of Citizens United. But then 238 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: they released one of the most sweeping explanations of what 239 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: they'd ruled that just completely changed the face of American 240 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: politics from that point on. It said, it's open season. 241 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: Bring in as much money as you want uh into 242 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: the American political system, because we are opening the floodgates 243 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: as wide as they can go. Yeah, what they basically 244 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: did was they equated speech with money. And they said, 245 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:14,480 Speaker 1: basically they took the term money talks to the reaches 246 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: that we can't even comprehend that you can make huge 247 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 1: donations and that is a political statement. That is, your 248 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: speech is a corporation, and you are protected because corporations 249 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: are individuals. Right, So, so that's exactly what they did. 250 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: They said, spending money on political campaigns, any political contribution 251 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: is a form of political speech. Speech is protected under 252 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: the First Amendment, but the speech of individuals is protected. Well. 253 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: Corporations are considered artificial people, so therefore they should have 254 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: that same thing extended to them, right, And so that 255 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: the ruling was that you can spend as much as 256 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: you want as long as it doesn't go directly to 257 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: a candidate. And um, you can also now that since 258 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: there's five four's, you can funnel as much money as 259 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: you want two or five O four and remain an 260 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: anonymous donor. Yeah. And the problem, well, there are a 261 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: lot of problems. One of the biggest problems is is 262 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: these corporations are spending tons and tons, millions and millions 263 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: of dollars. The court essentially said, uh, Joe Schmo on 264 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: the street donating ten dollars to a campaign is the 265 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: same thing as a corporation donating hundred thousand dollars to 266 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: a campaign, because they're both individuals. So it created this 267 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 1: huge loophole. And I think the Supreme Court they were 268 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: relying on was uh that these groups would be independent 269 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: of the candidates. And that's not only not how it 270 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: worked out. That was the plan all along. It was 271 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: extremely naive, the ruling was. And if you look at 272 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: naive or was it, I don't know, but if you 273 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: look at the I have the same questions. You know, 274 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: a lot of people do the the If you look 275 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: at the ruling though, there's a section on transparency where 276 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 1: they say, with the Supreme Court uphold the constitutionality of 277 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: requiring transparency in campaign finance eight to one, which is 278 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: like they're the only person descending was Clarence Thomas, and 279 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: it was like, yes, we're saying you need to be transparent, 280 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: and they said, okay, well, then transparency is going to 281 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: come through people demanding the corporations that they own stock 282 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:23,679 Speaker 1: in to release what what political donations they've done. That 283 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: makes total sense. If you have stock in the company, 284 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: if your life's fortune is invested in a corporation, you 285 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: should know who are they're who they're giving their money to. Okay, 286 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: so that's one way. And they also said, well, the 287 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 1: Federal Elections Commission, they've got their job to do, the 288 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: I R S, the SEC. There's all these regulatory agencies 289 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: that are tasked with keeping transparency in the political process, 290 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 1: and um, we're we're just going to rely on them. 291 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: And as we're about to see after this break, relying 292 00:17:53,560 --> 00:18:15,479 Speaker 1: on that was an enormous mistake. Foolhardy. All all right, 293 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 1: we're back boy. We're getting riled up today. I'm remaining calm. 294 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: Still up election season. So the Supreme Court said, guys, 295 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: spend as much money as you want, spend it anonymously 296 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: if you want. Um, the only thing that remains illegal 297 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: is UH corporations contributing directly to candidates, right, which, once 298 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: you have these loopholes, who cares, you don't need to anymore. Right. Plus, also, 299 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: don't even worry about the mega donors donating directly to 300 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:50,440 Speaker 1: candidates because you, um, there's there's requirements for reporting, there's 301 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: transparency requirements. If you under McCain. Fine gold. If you 302 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 1: contribute a thousand dollars or more to a candidate or 303 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: a pack that has to report donors, um, you have 304 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: to report it. Somebody's got to report it. Sure there's transparency, right, 305 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: the Federal Elections Commission, the i R S, all these 306 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: guys are tasked with making sure that happened. So we're fine. 307 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: Supreme Court went home and took a giant NAT together 308 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: on their enormous nine person bed. UH. And here's one 309 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: of the other big problems is a lot of this 310 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: money goes toward UH campaign ads, television ads, which have 311 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: a lot of sway um nine out of ten and 312 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: people have studied this. The uh Annenberg Public Policy Center 313 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: UH determined that in the two thousand twelve campaign cycle, 314 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: nine out of ten ads UH funded by dark money 315 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: were negative. So that's why you see those negative ads. 316 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: And not only that, but twenty of those were misleading. 317 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 1: And there's no accountability. So they're being funded anonymously and 318 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: there's no fact checker. They don't have to run it 319 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,920 Speaker 1: by anybody to get approval and say, well, this is 320 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 1: all true, it's not misleading at all. So you could 321 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: basically say whatever you want the ad runs, it's anonymously funded, 322 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: and someone's campaign is destroyed in the process. So the 323 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: point is, as long as the candidate is not coordinating 324 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 1: with the political action committee, the superpacker, the five oh 325 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: one CE four, then it's all kosher. It's all illegal coordinating, 326 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 1: meaning like so blatantly like come on, it's still going on. 327 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: So every every election season as it starts to kick off, 328 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: you'll you'll see on the news like Ted Cruz or 329 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: Bernie Sanders or whoever just released of an eerie twelve 330 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:39,920 Speaker 1: hour tape of them doing different things with no soundtrack whatsoever. 331 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: And and the whole thing is they they'll release a 332 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: real and it's them hanging out with their mom, them 333 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 1: writing a tractor, them like standing on like a mountain 334 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: looking as the sun comes up, with their foot on 335 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: the head of a small child. Sure, they're like there, 336 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 1: and it's just that there's no sound to it whatsoever. 337 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: And they just put it out there. I'm just putting 338 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: it out there, and then anybody wants to use it 339 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: can do whatever they want with it. And then the 340 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: political action committees, the super from the come along use 341 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: that footage to make their ads in support of the candidate. 342 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: I kind of wondered. I was like, how are they 343 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: getting this footage anyway? If they can't be directed putting 344 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: it out there? I had no idea. Yeah, it's pretty 345 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: cynical really if you think about it, the idea that 346 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: they're not coordinating in any way, shape or form. They're 347 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: just putting all this footage out there. And and again, 348 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: guys like if you're getting riled up if you're a 349 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: Republican when we say they like the Democrats do this too, 350 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: But it's really disingenuous to say that all parties are 351 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 1: equally equally at fault here for using dark money, because again, 352 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: studies show that if you quantify the amount of money 353 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:49,480 Speaker 1: spent by the GOP and by the Democrats, the GOP 354 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 1: has outspent the Democrats mind boggling anything to sevent Yes. 355 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: As far as using dark money goes, it's it's definitely 356 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: not a like. The Democrats do it, for sure, and 357 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 1: they sometimes do it cynically. I wade about a a 358 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: dark money committee that released an ad in favor of 359 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: Harry Reid lambasting dark money. That's pretty cynical as well. Yeah, 360 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: so both sides do it. The Republicans just do it way, 361 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 1: way more. Yeah. And I think Hillary Clinton has come 362 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: under fire for her reliance on super packs being attacked 363 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: by Bernie of course, who's like, I don't want any 364 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: part of that stuff. Um, although there are some super 365 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: packs for Bernie, but I think he's disavowed them. Maybe. Yeah, 366 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: you have to look at George Bush disavowed the weekend 367 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 1: passed his ad to you still benefit from it. It's 368 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: not like he's like, guys, you have to stop. Well 369 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: that was my Bernie standards. No, that was your Larry 370 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: David right. Oh wait, same guy. Uh. Leading up to 371 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 1: the primaries here in New Hampshire and Iowa not too 372 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: long ago, Bernie came under fire from Hillary because there's 373 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: a group called Friends of the Earth Action. Uh there 374 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: are five oh one c four and um they are 375 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: in strong support of Bernie. And she's like, hey, dude, 376 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: you're getting dark money too from this outfit. Uh. Friends 377 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: of Earth Action said, Hey, first of all, we've been 378 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 1: around since early seventies. We've been around long before dark 379 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 1: money has been around. Uh, that's not what we are. 380 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: We are mainly small donor based. Um, do not compare 381 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: us to these corporations. Uh, and you know they have 382 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: a point in a lot of ways. You can't compare 383 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: Friends of Earth action to the Koch brothers. UM. But 384 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: I think Hillary was just trying to get in some like, hey, 385 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: you're not completely clean either, Right, It's true. And the 386 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: Koch brothers is good that you mentioned them because they 387 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,439 Speaker 1: are basically the poster boys for dark money contributions. Right, 388 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,680 Speaker 1: Americans for Prosperity spent thirty six million dollars and that's 389 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: their group right in twelve, UM, and they actually got 390 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: outspent by other groups like Karl Rove created UM Crossroads 391 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: GPS and that are so dumb. They spent seventy one 392 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 1: million in two thousand twelve. But the Koch Brothers in 393 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: particular have pledged nine hundred million dollars for the two 394 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 1: thousand and sixteen cycle. That's how much they're going to 395 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: spend on the two thousand and sixteen cycle. And UM, 396 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:24,640 Speaker 1: if you read up on those guys and their dark 397 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: money contributions UM or just their general political contributions, they've 398 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: definitely amassed a lot of friends in state legislatures, in 399 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: the Senate, in the in the the UM, the House, 400 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: and the one that's left is the presidency, and they're 401 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: spending a tremendous amount of money making friends with whoever 402 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: is going to become president. All right, so let's talk 403 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: for a second about does money when you in election? 404 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,160 Speaker 1: Because that's really what's it the route here? If money 405 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 1: doesn't win the elections? And who cares? I take issue 406 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: with that, but go ahead? What what was the issue? Well, 407 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: the issue is like in this article, the author says, 408 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: you know a lot of people raise a lot of 409 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,639 Speaker 1: money and flame out, they don't make it even to 410 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: the primary. Look at Jeb Bush. Yeah he I think 411 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: he raised a hundred and three million through super PACs alone. Yeah, 412 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: and and just burned right through it, didn't get anywhere 413 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: with it. But that's a disingenuous that's a straw argument 414 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: because it's it's saying like, yeah, you can raise all 415 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:24,360 Speaker 1: the money you want and you're still not gonna win. 416 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,679 Speaker 1: The thing is somebody's gonna win, and the people that 417 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: help them win through these huge donations, they're gonna be 418 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: indebted to those people. Well, I'll help you out even further, 419 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: my friend. Uh. People that say you can spend a 420 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: ton of money and still not win. Who he or 421 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 1: she who spends the most money almost always wins. Yeah, yeah, 422 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: not sort of. Yeah. Nine out of ten uh in 423 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,919 Speaker 1: the House and eight out of ten in the Senate. Uh, 424 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 1: winners are the people who spent the most money. Yeah, 425 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:58,400 Speaker 1: eight two. So you can't ignore that. If you raise 426 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 1: the most money, you have an eight or nine out, 427 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: it's a chance of winning. So money is buying elections, 428 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: it is. And then people say, well, if these are 429 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: as long as the packs and the super packs in 430 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,440 Speaker 1: the five and one C four is all stay separate 431 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: from the candidate, then and there's no coordination and there's 432 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: no crossover whatever, then the candidates not indebted to these 433 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 1: people who gave nine million dollars to their campaign. Um, 434 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: which is just the most ridiculous assertion you can possibly 435 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: think of. And I really I read this this um. 436 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 1: I think it was a Bloomberg article or U S News, 437 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: I can't remember. And it basically explained it how you're 438 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,680 Speaker 1: indebted to these people. It's not necessarily nefarius, although I'm 439 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: quite sure there is a tremendous amount of nefarious nous 440 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: out there. But even if you remove the nefarious angle, right, 441 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: if you are a presidential candidate, and you're moving and shaken. Yeah, 442 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: you're going to like the local diner and somewhere in 443 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,639 Speaker 1: like Rhode I Land or whatever and shaking hands or whatever. 444 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: But the people you're really interacting with that you see 445 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 1: over and over again at the same fundraisers. Those are 446 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: the mega donors. You don't see the dude who's sitting 447 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: at the diner asking you a question more than that 448 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: one time at that one dime you you you do 449 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,640 Speaker 1: see the same mega donors time after time after time 450 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 1: after time. So the very at least they have your ear, 451 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: and even if they don't have your ear, they become 452 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: who you think of when you think of your electorate, 453 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: These people who you saw time and time and time again, 454 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: who contributed money after money after money. So even if 455 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: you're not saying, yeah, give me some money and I'll 456 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: make your your legal troubles go away with the I 457 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: R S, even if it's not quid pro quo like that, 458 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: there's still a mentality that crops up where if you're 459 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: exposed to these people who are giving you tons of 460 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 1: cash to get you elected, you're going to equate their 461 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: help with your success at being elected. That's at the 462 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 1: very least how it influences politics. Yeah, all right, we 463 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: definitely need to take a break now because I can't 464 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: even coming out of your eye ducks. All right, we're back. 465 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: You're good, You got the tissue. Yeah good, you're crying 466 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,640 Speaker 1: bloody tears. Uh, I get riled up to man, It's 467 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: just it's when you look at the state of American 468 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: politics these days, it's very hard to not want to 469 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: go live on a deserted island somewhere. Canada your own oligarchy. Yeah, myself, 470 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 1: I wonder what it's. I don't know much about politics 471 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 1: around the world. I know other like you know, wealthy 472 00:28:55,920 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: countries are corrupt as well. Um, like we're leading the 473 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: race though, the race downward. Yeah, I'd like to hear 474 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: from other countries out there, other like big wealthy countries, 475 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 1: Um about your systems. Yeah, I'm sure they're largely broken. Right. 476 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 1: Are we the only ones? No, We're definitely not the 477 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: only ones, right the Finns. I mean you look at 478 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: Skaninavia and you're like, yeah, they're like a model of 479 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: of you know, using taxes for good and all that. 480 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: But how much of it do you not hear about? 481 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 1: Like how much like like waste is there, How much 482 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: graft is there? How you know? I'm like, well, they 483 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: pay so much much in taxes over there. But everything 484 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: we hear though from people in that part of the 485 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 1: world say we're happy to because everything's great. It's like 486 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: we have no crime, we have no gun violence, everyone's healthy, 487 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: we all get healthcare, schools are awesome, We're all happy. 488 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe I'll move to Finland. So we 489 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: we've talked about um, like why how money influences politics, 490 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: But the underlying key is this is if you um, 491 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: if you can purchase campaigns, you can purchase everything else. 492 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: Because you get people who owe you or who you 493 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 1: have influenced, or who you just share a tremendous amount 494 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:28,200 Speaker 1: of common viewpoints with into office. You back the right horse, 495 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 1: your guy got in there. Right. You can put it 496 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 1: as crassly or as nicely as you want, but you 497 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: help get somebody into office, and now they kind of 498 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 1: owe you, and now the policies are probably going to 499 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: fall into your favor. And just the ability to do 500 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: this is such a symptom of the inequality in the 501 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: United States that we're dealing with right now that I 502 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 1: think that's what disheartens me the most. It's it's like 503 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: when the Supreme Court rule in two thousand ten, we're 504 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: opening the floodgates, you have a voice individual? Yeah, but 505 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: yeah it did. But did we ever? Was the Supreme 506 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: Court really just saying like, hey, we're gonna take the 507 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: scales off your eyes. Right, We're not. We're gonna take 508 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: away any pretense. Here's how it is. Here's probably how 509 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: it's always been. But now it's legal. Man, just get 510 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: used to it. Yeah, but no one was paying attention 511 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: because people but I mean like back in the seventies 512 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,239 Speaker 1: when Watergate happened, people paid attention to that, you know, 513 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: because the idea that if you were wealthy you could 514 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: become an ambassador for k or that you add access 515 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 1: to the president. It's always ticked Americans off. Uh. So 516 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: remember when we talked a little bit ago about um, 517 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: the five oh one c fours have to of their 518 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: uh spending cannot be political. Uh no comment on that part. 519 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 1: But it's unenforceable. Basically, Well, IRIS did try to enforce 520 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: it once. Yes, that's where I was headed. The I 521 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 1: R s uh made the mistake of going too hard 522 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 1: at the tea party um because they felt like they 523 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 1: were the worst offenders, and it backfard on him in 524 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: a big way. Um to say the least, would you say, Yeah, Well, 525 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: the GOP in Congress came down hard on the i 526 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: r S. They got the I R S director removed 527 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: from her position, got a new person installed, and this 528 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: new guy has basically said, like you know this, I'm 529 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,440 Speaker 1: just going with everything the Supreme Court thinks. So I'm 530 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 1: gonna stop enforcing this. And even if the I R 531 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: S wanted to enforce these rules that that they're tasked 532 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: with making sure that there's transparency, right. Um. Uh. The 533 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: Senate actually inserted a couple of bills, and by Senate 534 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: I mean Mitch McConnell, who hates campaign finance laws. Uh, 535 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: he got a couple of bills inserted in the omnibus 536 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: spending bill, a couple of writers. Yes. Um. And if 537 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: you guys, a lot of people may not know what 538 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 1: an omnibus spending bill is. It's basically a big, large, sweeping, uh, 539 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: set of many many bills and writers all under one banner. 540 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: It pays it's the government's budget. Well yeah, but it's 541 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 1: a it's they don't have to do with one another. 542 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: You can when you hear like a writer was attached 543 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: to it. That that a lot of times means someone 544 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: is trying to sort of sneak something through. Right, So 545 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: if you attach a rider to the right bill, you 546 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: can get almost anything passed. And you know, I shouldn't 547 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: say sneak something through because it's not like it's in secret, 548 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 1: but it's a way. It's a very convenient way to 549 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: pass a controversial amendment. Right. Okay, So if you if 550 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: you take a very cherry bill like one that has 551 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,640 Speaker 1: to pass, like the bill that pays for the government 552 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,960 Speaker 1: spending for the next year, and you insert a writer 553 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: in there that says the I R. S is not 554 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: allowed to make clearer rules on UH five oh one, 555 00:33:56,640 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 1: S fours and political action committees spending politics, you're gonna 556 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: get it passed. And it did get passed. Yeah. And 557 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: another thing that got passed was, remember when we talked 558 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,879 Speaker 1: about the fact that shareholders wanted to know if their 559 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 1: corporations who they were donating to, They also got a 560 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 1: almost had snuck it in. They almost also got in 561 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 1: a writer that said, no, corporations don't have to do that. 562 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 1: They did, They said that they said that the SEC 563 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:28,839 Speaker 1: is not allowed to make rules considering making corporations disclosed 564 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 1: political contribution. Yeah, you cannot force them to do that. 565 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 1: So there's a ban on the I R S clarifying 566 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 1: its rules and the SEC creating a rule just clarifying 567 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: they just wanted it more clearly defined in existing You 568 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 1: can't do that, but we like it really nebulous. So 569 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 1: Congress said, sit down when it comes to campaign finance stuff. 570 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,320 Speaker 1: You you don't do your jobs anymore. Your regulatory stuff 571 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 1: is over with now. Uh, individuals have petitioned uh these 572 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 1: companies um, and sometimes they voluntarily given it up. But 573 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 1: if that's the solution, then it's not much of one. 574 00:35:04,239 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 1: And then so lastly, so the SEC is down, the 575 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:11,799 Speaker 1: I R S is down, um, And the last the 576 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 1: last agency that was tasked with enforcing transparency was the 577 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 1: Federal Elections Commission itself. Yeah, surely they would step up 578 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: and do the right thing. So the Federal Elections Commission 579 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 1: is now split three and three along party lines and 580 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,840 Speaker 1: apparently deadlocks as a matter of routine. So you need 581 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:36,320 Speaker 1: four commissioners for FEC commissioners to take action on anything 582 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: to get a quorum, right, they can't even get a quorum. 583 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: So as far as campaign finance stuff goes, they have 584 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:45,799 Speaker 1: been sitting on their hands since two thousand ten. And 585 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:51,280 Speaker 1: there was a couple of rulings about um transparency that 586 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 1: that that are about the last things they did. So 587 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,840 Speaker 1: in two thousand and seven they said, you know that 588 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:59,920 Speaker 1: McCain fine Gold requirement that says if you spend a 589 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:04,320 Speaker 1: thousand dollars or more contributing to a political group or campaign, 590 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:08,800 Speaker 1: you have to disclose it. We the Federal Elections Commission, 591 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 1: decided that that means that if you spend a thousand 592 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: dollars or more on a political like communication like an AD, 593 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 1: then you have to disclose it. So that means that 594 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: if you if you contributed a thousand dollars to a 595 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 1: political action committee, you would have to say this is 596 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,800 Speaker 1: for ads well and for this AD specifically. That came later, 597 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 1: but yeah, that's the way it is now, which no 598 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,239 Speaker 1: one ever does. It's another loophole. So this last thing, 599 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: this last bastion of transparency, to where you had to 600 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: say I donated a thousand dollars or more, you you 601 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: would have to say it is not just for an 602 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,680 Speaker 1: attack AD, it's for attack AD number two thirty eight. 603 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 1: Hillary hates America. That's what this money is for. And 604 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:01,839 Speaker 1: like you said, no one does that because they don't 605 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: have to. So you so that as far as the 606 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:06,760 Speaker 1: Federal Elections Commission is concerned, you don't have to say 607 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 1: you donated that thousand dollars. Yeah, they don't have to, 608 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:12,520 Speaker 1: so they won't because they don't want their name attached 609 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: to it, which is the most cowardly thing you can do, 610 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: you know if you think about it. Well, yeah, there's this, 611 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 1: Well that's the argument. That's a lot of people's argument 612 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:25,799 Speaker 1: is anonymous political speech keeps you from, um getting blowback 613 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:28,759 Speaker 1: from the powers that be or whatever. And there was 614 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,719 Speaker 1: this woman who has caught handing out anonymous pamphlets that 615 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: she wrote outside of a polling place, which apparently was 616 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 1: illegal under McCain fine Gold, and everybody was like, well, 617 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,839 Speaker 1: there's a long, proud tradition of handing out anonymous right. 618 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: The Federalist papers were originally anonymous, and Justice Scalia, who 619 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:52,480 Speaker 1: was who died recently. Um, he was actually very very conservative, 620 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 1: and in his descent on that ruling in favor of 621 00:37:55,560 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: the woman's right to handle out anonymous pamphlets said anonymous 622 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,520 Speaker 1: pamphlets have about as much historic tradition and precedents as 623 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:06,680 Speaker 1: anonymous phone calls in this country, they're not honorable. There's 624 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:11,200 Speaker 1: something honorable about anonymously lambasting something that didn't translate to 625 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: the rest of the court as far as Citizens United 626 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: is concerned. Yeah, it's the equivalent of of going in 627 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: the dark of night and like spray painting something on 628 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,480 Speaker 1: a wall and running away. Right, it's true, you know. 629 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 1: So here's where we're at right now. The Supreme Court 630 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: ruled that corporations are people. They already had ruled that 631 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:36,279 Speaker 1: they upheld it. Political money is protected speech, right, So 632 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,080 Speaker 1: this opened the floodgates to unlimited money to five O 633 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 1: one s fours, which are nonprofit action groups who do 634 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,319 Speaker 1: not need to disclose their donor's identities, which means that 635 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 1: you could you could contribute as much money as you 636 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:52,880 Speaker 1: wanted to anonymously to a political campaign. So the SEC 637 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,000 Speaker 1: was banned from requiring corporate disclosure, the I r S 638 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 1: was banned from investigating the political action groups themselves, and 639 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:02,839 Speaker 1: then the VC the Federal Elections Commission removed the last 640 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 1: transparency requirements of the donors, and an estimated ten billion 641 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:09,840 Speaker 1: dollars is going to be spent on this two thousand 642 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:13,839 Speaker 1: sixteen campaign, five or six billion on the presidency right, 643 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,279 Speaker 1: two billion was spent in two thousand twelve. So the 644 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 1: big question here is, are you the individual upping your 645 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:28,240 Speaker 1: political contribution five times? Do you account for this enormous 646 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:32,759 Speaker 1: increase from two billion to five or six billion dollars? No? No, 647 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:38,680 Speaker 1: of course not. So there are some folks that started 648 00:39:38,719 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: digging around and said, all right, who's funding Who's funding 649 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 1: some of these uh efforts? Uh? Maybe like climate change denial, 650 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 1: Some somebody's funding this stuff. So there's a guy named 651 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:52,520 Speaker 1: well at direct the University and Environmental It's like a 652 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 1: sociologist named Robert Brule. He said, you know what, let 653 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:58,360 Speaker 1: me look into this and see somebody is giving a 654 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,439 Speaker 1: lot of money to climate change. The aisle and um 655 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,640 Speaker 1: Xon was was given a ton of money like blatantly 656 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:06,800 Speaker 1: for years and years and again the Koke brothers, the 657 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:09,000 Speaker 1: Koke brothers, and we all knew that because it was 658 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,840 Speaker 1: all you know on record. But a weird thing happened 659 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,360 Speaker 1: once these changes came about. Um the Koch Brothers, A 660 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:18,880 Speaker 1: Coke Industries, and x On Mobile their cash flow to 661 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:21,799 Speaker 1: climate change, and I'll disappeared without a trace Yeah, they're 662 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:26,720 Speaker 1: traceable stuff. But a hundred and forty foundations funneled almost 663 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:31,960 Speaker 1: six hundred million dollars to about one hundred climate denial organizations, 664 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:37,880 Speaker 1: uh since then, and their money dried up, This money 665 00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:41,440 Speaker 1: increased into anonymous five. You don't need to be a 666 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes to figure out what's going on here. Yeah. 667 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:45,719 Speaker 1: And the other thing about a five O one C 668 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 1: four is, let's say you have a really great um, 669 00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:52,480 Speaker 1: a really great political action committee. You're a really great 670 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 1: um social uh social awareness group, right um or social 671 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,760 Speaker 1: welfare group, and you don't want to at that brand 672 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 1: die because it's really established itself, but you don't want 673 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 1: to keep funneling money to it because climate denial has 674 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:10,640 Speaker 1: a bad name these days. Right, You can funnel money 675 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,440 Speaker 1: to a five oh one C four that funnels money 676 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:18,920 Speaker 1: to that political action committee, and you your donation, it's 677 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:23,600 Speaker 1: it's it's basically laundered. You're laundering your donation, turning it anonymous. 678 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 1: But it's still having the same effect, the same outcome 679 00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: thanks to that loophole. Yeah, and then one more chuck. 680 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,279 Speaker 1: One more criticism of this whole thing is if you say, 681 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,760 Speaker 1: so what who cares? This is the way the world works, 682 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: especially with corporations in particular, if they start doing what's 683 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:46,160 Speaker 1: called rent seeking, which is there's a there's an established pie, 684 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,160 Speaker 1: and when you rent seek, you go to get your 685 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:53,000 Speaker 1: piece of the pie. It keeps you from innovating. You 686 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:56,560 Speaker 1: start going spending your money on legislation. Yeah, it's like 687 00:41:56,640 --> 00:41:59,440 Speaker 1: renting is basically if you're a big corporation spending a 688 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:03,719 Speaker 1: hundred million dollars on lobbying for regulations against your competitor 689 00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:07,000 Speaker 1: instead of spending that one hundred million dollars investing in 690 00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 1: your own corporation to grow, which is no good for shareholders. No, 691 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:13,240 Speaker 1: your bottom line still kind of goes up, but really 692 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:17,440 Speaker 1: you're just reaching the path towards stagnation because you're not 693 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:23,920 Speaker 1: innovating anymore. And the public loses out because regulation decreases. Right, Um, 694 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:27,040 Speaker 1: jobs are lost because you're not innovating, and then as 695 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: far as consumers are concerned, there's like less stuff to 696 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:32,840 Speaker 1: buy because the corporations are going for the piece of 697 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,160 Speaker 1: the pie rather than making the pie bigger or creating 698 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:37,360 Speaker 1: new pies. Yeah, they going for the money that's already 699 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: out there. So so the solution I think is strictly 700 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: public financing of campaigns, like I have no problem with that. 701 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:52,280 Speaker 1: Just say, here's a hundred million dollars to the candidates 702 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:56,719 Speaker 1: who won the primaries, right and um, get creative. This 703 00:42:56,760 --> 00:42:59,080 Speaker 1: is all you got, you are. It's illegal to use 704 00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:02,480 Speaker 1: another penny outside of these public funds that were just 705 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:06,920 Speaker 1: given to you as the the party candidates go to it. 706 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:10,960 Speaker 1: Everything else is totally illegal. I can't imagine what a 707 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:14,240 Speaker 1: sea change it would be in politics. I can't imagine 708 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,040 Speaker 1: there would be another loophole. Well, you know what would 709 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:21,359 Speaker 1: happen is suddenly these um, these political action committees would 710 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:25,120 Speaker 1: start attacking this idea, saying, you, Joe Schmo, you can't 711 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:28,719 Speaker 1: vote with your or you can't your political speech from 712 00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:31,960 Speaker 1: your campaign contributions being restricted. Your First Amendment rights are 713 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:36,040 Speaker 1: being restricted. Going to give which is suddenly taken on 714 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 1: huge dimensions of import Uh, it's being restricted. And that's 715 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:46,799 Speaker 1: exactly what would happen. Who So we moved into Finland. No, 716 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:49,319 Speaker 1: we need to take this country back. Man. What's the 717 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:51,720 Speaker 1: best country? That's what I want to know from listeners, 718 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:54,279 Speaker 1: which one is the best? I can't wait to hear 719 00:43:55,239 --> 00:43:58,600 Speaker 1: Costa Rica. That's pretty nice, right if you want to 720 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:03,400 Speaker 1: know more about campaign finance, dark money, all that jazz, 721 00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:06,040 Speaker 1: we want you to go check it out. Look up 722 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:08,040 Speaker 1: dark money in the search bar at how stuff works 723 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:10,640 Speaker 1: dot com, and just check out dark money all over 724 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:13,759 Speaker 1: the web, including Jane Mayer from The New Yorker wrote 725 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:16,120 Speaker 1: a really interesting book called dark Money All about the 726 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:20,799 Speaker 1: Koch Brothers. Yeah, fantastic. Well, since I said Jane Mayer, 727 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:24,960 Speaker 1: it's time for listener now, all right, I'm gonna call 728 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:30,799 Speaker 1: this one uh maybe appropriate for this well, not really 729 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:35,479 Speaker 1: somebody funding us. This is from a coal miner about 730 00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:37,920 Speaker 1: our Bill Gates podcast. He said, Hey, guys, one problem 731 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:40,680 Speaker 1: that no one ever seems to talk about with renewable 732 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:44,080 Speaker 1: energy is the people. The people you ask, well, I 733 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:46,360 Speaker 1: was an underground coal miner for seven years until the 734 00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:48,320 Speaker 1: market got so bad that I lost my job. And 735 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:51,239 Speaker 1: I'm just one of seven thousand plus people here in 736 00:44:51,239 --> 00:44:54,040 Speaker 1: eastern Kentucky that has been hit hard by this. I'm 737 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: not saying we need to stick with coal, it's just 738 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,399 Speaker 1: the people. Don't think about the people that are behind 739 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 1: the fossil fuel industry losing jobs. Not only are people 740 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,440 Speaker 1: losing their way of life, but entire towns are being killed. 741 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: I can't count how many people have had to leave 742 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:09,920 Speaker 1: the place that they've called home their entire life to 743 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:13,799 Speaker 1: find work. Along with new renewable, cheaper energy, we need 744 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:16,319 Speaker 1: to find jobs to fill that void of those who 745 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:21,200 Speaker 1: have been lost. Yeah you know. I mean it's not 746 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:24,320 Speaker 1: like because creating renewable energy creates a lot of jobs, 747 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:26,320 Speaker 1: but they're not going to the coal miners. You know 748 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:29,120 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. But however, this is kind of neat. UM. 749 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:31,040 Speaker 1: I was lucky enough to find work at bit Source, 750 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:33,759 Speaker 1: a tech start up here. Uh. The company hired ten 751 00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:36,880 Speaker 1: former coal miners and began teaching us how to web 752 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:40,400 Speaker 1: and how to be web and software developers. Uh. The 753 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 1: only problem is there only ten of us, uh, and 754 00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:44,840 Speaker 1: it's just this one company, and they cannot feel the 755 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 1: void of all those who lost jobs. I know that 756 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 1: you guys might be able to help shed some light 757 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,560 Speaker 1: on this problem. Like I said, no one thinks about 758 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:53,440 Speaker 1: the people and the families that are hurt by progress, 759 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:56,680 Speaker 1: but it happens. Someone told me once, you can be 760 00:45:56,719 --> 00:45:59,120 Speaker 1: the best wheelmaker out there, but if no one needs 761 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:02,719 Speaker 1: wheels anymore, doesn't matter how good you are. Thanks for 762 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:04,680 Speaker 1: the podcast. I love to listen on my drive to 763 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:07,640 Speaker 1: and from work. That is Michael Harrison. That is a 764 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:12,239 Speaker 1: great point, Michael. Everybody should do something or maybe train 765 00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:15,080 Speaker 1: these people in new renewable energy boards. Sure, and this 766 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:17,520 Speaker 1: bit source company is a pretty good example of how 767 00:46:17,560 --> 00:46:25,120 Speaker 1: the market can can swoop in and in foster progress basically, right. Sure, 768 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:29,359 Speaker 1: But the fact that they're hiring ten coal miners out 769 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:33,760 Speaker 1: of seven thousand who need jobs is also an example 770 00:46:33,800 --> 00:46:36,640 Speaker 1: of how the market doesn't do that. And like you could, 771 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:40,800 Speaker 1: this is where government comes in government spending. Say okay, 772 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:44,760 Speaker 1: let's move forward and lay the infrastructure for an enormous 773 00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:50,320 Speaker 1: high speed internet um national grid. We need people to 774 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:52,759 Speaker 1: install that, we need people to design it, we need 775 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:54,799 Speaker 1: people to develop it, we need people to maintain it. 776 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 1: Let's take people who don't have jobs, train them to 777 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:01,160 Speaker 1: do this stuff, build this infrastruct sure, and just take 778 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:04,600 Speaker 1: off like a rocket from there. That's one thing you 779 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:08,959 Speaker 1: could do, agreed. Uh. Man, we're gonna get some mail 780 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:12,680 Speaker 1: for this whole episode. Good. Uh. If you want to 781 00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:14,200 Speaker 1: get in touch with us to let us know what 782 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:16,920 Speaker 1: you think about this whole jam, you can tweet to 783 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:19,480 Speaker 1: us at s Y s K podcast. You can join 784 00:47:19,560 --> 00:47:21,640 Speaker 1: us on Facebook, dot com slash Stuff you Should Know 785 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,120 Speaker 1: You can send us an email to stuff podcast how 786 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:26,880 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com and as always, joined us at 787 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:28,799 Speaker 1: our home on the web. Stuff you Should Know dot 788 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:36,800 Speaker 1: com For more on this and thousands of other topics. 789 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:45,200 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff Works dot com