Common Cause

Tuesday, 05 April 2011 13:05

Written by Scott LaMar, Director of Radio Smart Talk

Radio Smart Talk for Wednesday, April 6:

Tonight at 7, The Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College will host a lecture by Bob Edgar, the national President and CEO of Common Cause, an organization that characterizes itself as an "independent voice for change" and a "watchdog against corruption and abuse of power." It was founded by a Republican. Edgar, its current leader, is a former Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania.

We'll talk with Edgar about Common Cause's reactions to news events of recent months, including its own activities investigating Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's finances, and a recent rally that drew the ire of conservative media.

LISTEN TO PROGRAM:

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comments

# Robert Colgan 2011-04-06 09:09

Does Bob truly believe that reform of election spending ---to a full system of solely public funding--- is possible in America?

Given the control by the rich in this country, I'd say that the chance is equal to The Second Coming.

Wish it weren't.

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# Sadie Smith 2011-04-06 12:54

I can't say how disappointed I was in this morning's show. I listen every morning at work. I own a bakery where we work every morning to Morning Edition, waiting eagerly for SmartTalk. Even when the topic is not one I've ever had a prior interest in, I feel that I am informed and I often find myself engaged and becoming passionate about new things. This morning was a huge let-down. I couldn't believe that Mr. Edgar was allowed to ramble on unchallenged with bizarre conspiracy theories and unfounded, unsubstantiated scare tactics. People who rant about the Koch brothers have about the same amount of credibility as people who think Sarah Palin would make an acceptable president(of anything). Not what I have come to expect from SmartTalk. Pleas4e tell me this was a gross mistake that won't eve
r happen again!

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# Elaine Jones 2011-04-06 16:53

Thank you for giving us a chance to hear Bob Edgar explain why our political system is broken. As a former Congressman, Bob showed us how ridiculous it is to have to spend so much time raising money just to run for office -- and why elected officials get so dependent on their donors. We must clean up this system and I was delighted to learn that Congress has reintroduced the Fair Elections Act. Democracy depends on it.

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# James 2011-04-06 20:07

There are a few groups working for Constitutional Amendments to curtail the political power of corporations:
Move To Ammend: http://www.movetoamend.org
Citizens United Against Corporate America:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Citizens-United-Against-Corporate-America/103973043017956

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# BrettB 2011-04-06 20:13

Sadie it's not a conspiracy. The Koch Brothers are very open about what they do. They just think because they donate more to cancer it isn't a big deal.

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# Robert Colgan 2011-04-07 09:41

An excellent interview with Edgar.

People like him are national treasures-----we need many, many more.

My final thought is that the so-called cusp of transition to full-blown plutocracy that he mentioned Bill Moyers warned about may have already happened, and we are just too laggard in our perceptions to realize it.
I think Citizens United v FEC was merely the lid closing on the coffin of democracy in America.

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