Republicans blocked bill to requre public disclosure of who pays for political campaign advertising

In July of this year, Republicans blocked a bill to require an unprecedented level of public disclosure of who pays for political campaign advertising.

On a Senate vote of 57-41, Democrats fell short of the needed 60 to clear a procedural hurdle Republicans set up against The Disclose Act, likely killing the measure for the year.

This bill was again blocked last month by the Republicans.

The legislation was offered in response to a Supreme Court decision in January that overturned a decades-old ban on companies using their general funds to run campaign ads supporting or opposing candidates for federal offices.

The Democratic-backed bill would require corporate as well as union and advocacy group leaders to disclose their names in campaign ads rather than allow so-called front groups to take responsibility for the political advertising.

Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin pointedly noted that many Republicans had earlier favored more disclosure.

But this year, Durbin said, "They're betting that most of these ads are going to be on behalf of their candidates and against Democrats. That's what it comes down to."

Durbin made that comment in July and he has been proven right. More contributions to Republicans have been made by corporations than to Democrats.

Republicans, the party of Corporate America.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66Q65I20100727

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-23/republicans-block-campaign-spending-disclosure-bill.html