Congress and politicians in general have all-time low public approval ratings in what’s become an age of polarization, divisiveness and dysfunctional government. Yet before you think this is a contemporary phenomenon, consider some wit and wisdom from yesteryear.
Mark Twain observed, “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”
And Will Rogers had the legendary line, “America has the best politicians money can buy.”
Back in the days of Twain and Rogers, the norm included the stereotypical cigar smoke-filled backrooms where politicians and powerful special interests secretly made their deals. That still goes on–perhaps sans the tobacco–though there are at least some public disclosure rules which provide limited access to information as to who is meeting whom.
What is different about today is the secrecy behind very public support for candidates of various stripes and for stances on various pressing issues; this secrecy is embodied in the super political action committee (PAC) commercials backed by unidentified groups, unions, corporations and the like. It’s an outgrowth of that “corporations are people, too” Supreme Court ruling. Like people, they have the right to express viewpoints. But unlike you and me, they can express them often without attribution, under the cloak of anonymity so as to keep agendas hidden. And they have the money to make their voices heard loud and clear–the only clarity lacking relates to their identities.
Groups with nonprofit arms do not have to disclose their donors. And other groups required to provide such information don’t have to do so in a timely manner. (For instance, super PACS active in advertising during the Republican presidential primaries can hold off on disclosing the identities of their contributors until after those primaries are concluded.)
An Associated Press report quoted Trevor Potter, a former Republican Federal Election Commission commissioner, as saying, “It is secret money–you won’t know until after the primaries have occurred who helped fund them. Whether they’re doing this for the right or wrong reasons, it’s the opposite of what the disclosure system was designed to do.”
While this column has been a long-time supporter of the health of commercialmaking and the economic benefits it generates, we for the first time find ourselves not on the side of more ads if they are of the Super PAC variety.
Furthermore, with anonymity as an ally, such ads have grown increasingly negative, adding to the aforementioned polarization plaguing public discourse. Largely unidentified special interests now have a new conduit for influencing opinion, distorting issues and in some cases helping to buy elections.
Yet while this form of unattributed influence peddling is relatively new, at the same time there’s nothing all that new under the sun as evidenced by the observations of Twain, Rogers and Groucho Marx.
The latter, speaking in the 1933 movie Duck Soup in which he portrayed the president of the country Freedonia, made a simple campaign promise. I’m paraphrasing but the great Groucho’s pledge went something like this–there will be no graft unless I get my share.
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More