The McCutcheon decision, money as speech, and the end of corruption

SPOILER ALERT: some folks will come refute whatever "facts" Rex will throw out there, Rex will call them idiots and then Rex will parse words to try to prove that something that happened didnt really happen

Jeaux did you see any republicans saying Bloomberg didnt have the right to spend his money fighting the NRA?? Didnt think so

I love when you play lawyer.

The left is only mad about the CU ruling because it allows corporations to compete with union campaign contributions.

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The left is only mad about the CU ruling because it allows corporations to compete with union campaign contributions.

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I hate to quibble, but direct campaign contributions (or even coordination in any way) by unions and corporations are still illegal. Citizens United didn't change that.

What did change was the ability for corporations to spend money on political advertising, as long as it is uncoordinated with the campaign.

Now, the Democrats two years ago were going around, brazenly telling everyone how they were going to coordinate with the unaffiliated political groups. Seems pretty clear they were breaking the law.

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President Obama is signaling to wealthy Democratic donors that he wants them to start contributing to an outside group supporting his re-election, reversing a long-held position as he confronts a deep financial disadvantage on a vital front in the campaign.

Aides said the president had signed off on a plan to dispatch cabinet officials, senior advisers at the White House and top campaign staff members to deliver speeches on behalf of Mr. Obama at fund-raising events for Priorities USA Action, the leading Democratic “super PAC,” whose fund-raising has been dwarfed by Republican groups. The new policy was presented to the campaign’s National Finance Committee in a call Monday evening and announced in an e-mail to supporters.

“We’re not going to fight this fight with one hand tied behind our back,” Jim Messina, the manager of Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign, said in an interview. “With so much at stake, we can’t allow for two sets of rules. Democrats can’t be unilaterally disarmed.”

Neither the president, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., nor their wives will attend fund-raising events or solicit donations for the Democratic group. A handful of officials from the administration and the campaign will appear on behalf of Mr. Obama, aides said, but will not directly ask for money.

The decision, which comes nine months before Election Day, escalates the money wars and is a milestone in Mr. Obama’s evolving stances on political fund-raising. The lines have increasingly blurred between presidential campaigns and super PACs, which have flourished since a 2010 Supreme Court ruling and other legal and regulatory decisions made it easier for outside groups to raise unlimited donations to promote candidates.

The Republican National Committee sharply criticized the decision. A spokesman, Joe Pounder, declared: “Yet again, Barack Obama has proven he will literally do anything to win an election, including changing positions on the type of campaign spending he called nothing short of ‘a threat to our democracy.’ ”

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LINK

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The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.

The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate hoax. It is one of the few venomous mammals, the male platypus having a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognisable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of its 20-cent coin. The platypus is the animal emblem of the state of New South Wales.[3]

Until the early 20th century, it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programmes have had only limited success and the platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

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The platypus stores fat in its tail to help it survive when food is limited.

When on land, their webbing retracts and the claws are more pronounced. They walk awkwardly on their knuckles to protect the webbing.

Platypuses live in burrows they dig near the water's edge. Burrows can be very complex and up to 100 feet long.

A baby platypus is very small and helpless. They stay inside the burrow for nearly four months before they learn to swim.

Platypuses spend nearly 17 hours a day resting in their burrows.

A platypus bill is flexible and feels rubbery to the touch.

Platypuses have two layers of dense, thick fur that helps them stay warm underwater. Until the 1900s, the animals were often hunted for their fur.

When swimming, the platypus shuts its eyes and ears. They usually remain about two minutes underwater before they come up for air.

Platypuses are mainly active at night, using their electroreceptors on their sensitive bills to navigate. They also use the bills to turn up soil for food.

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More later...

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I wonder what platypus tastes like?

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They're endangered so IDK.

Did you know they have no nipples?

ETA: He looks so friendly

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I'd say that you're going to get fat

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I love to cook! And eat! Good thing I spend a LOT of time on my bike. I sometimes feel like I bike so I can eat more. Don't judge.

Platypuses are amazing

A duck-billed, egg laying mammal, with the tail of a beaver, the platypus lives mainly in Eastern Australia and Tasmania. They are quite unique, even bizarre, in their appearance and extraordinary characteristics. Hunted for its fur and almost reached extinction, they are now considered vulnerable species and protected all around Australia. Their population is now growing, but with the destruction of their habitats, they may come close to extinction once more.
Platypuses once swam around with dinosaurs. In Argentina, fossil remains prove that they existed at the time when the South American and Australian land masses were joined in the super-continent Gondwana. A fossil jaw 110 million years old of a platypus prototype was found in New South Wales. However, this animal was almost twice as big and had teeth unlike the modern version. This was possibly the largest mammal in the world at that time.

It is readily distinguished from the water rat or other mammals that swim in Australian rivers and streams by its smooth swimming action, low silhouette, absence of visible ears and its rolling dive. A covering of long flattened guard hairs give it a sleek appearance.
Platypus blood is rich in oxygen-carrying haemoglobin and red blood cells, so it is able to reduce its need for oxygen by reducing its heart rate from more than 200 beats per minute to less than ten.
Living in captivity, individuals have been recorded to live for up to 17 years, and in the wild, up to at least 13 years.
Additional Information: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey

The males are slightly bigger; however the biggest difference between sexes is a physiological feature that is not obvious at a glance.

Because of this competition, Platypus are basically a solitary animal. However, some may be seen in the same stretch of river where boundaries may overlap considerably, especially of the more tolerant females.

They generally live in a burrow dug into the bank, which is often dug amongst tree roots, with a very tiny entrance just above the water line (Ryan and Burwell 2000).

They can be relatively common in the streams of the tropical rainforest of Australia, but their shyness mean they can be difficult to spot. They seem more common at higher altitudes, such as on the Atherton Tablelands.
Script: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide

Additional Information: Platypus of the Lamington National Park.


Oh yeah, more to come