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To: P-Marlowe
Does the government have the constitutional power to target campaign finance laws against corporations if such campaign finance laws prevent individuals from exercising their freedom of speech rights and their freedom of association rights?

If? No. But whose individual freedom of speech rights is violated when the government limits the ability of corporate business entities from donating money to candidates?

The individuals who are in the corporation, their freedom of speech and freedom of association rights are violated.

The individual owners of the corporation (if they are citizens) would not be affected, nor would the individual employees of the corporation (if they are citizens) be affected.

I don't agree.

But if you think there is no effect on the individual when campaign finance laws targeting corporations are passed, then what business is it of the government to pass such unconstitutional laws if as you say it has no effect.?

...And campaign finance laws of any kind are unconstitutional.


268 posted on 09/18/2009 12:09:06 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: FreeReign
The individuals who are in the corporation, their freedom of speech and freedom of association rights are violated.

Wrong. By statute there are no individuals in a corporation. A Corporation is not an association of individuals, it is a separate entity altogether unto itself. It may have stockholders and employees who all have individual constitutional rights, but the corporation has no constitutional rights (at least none that are mentioned in the Constitution). Corporations are not people, nor are they associations of "people". They are business entities created by statute.

For whatever reasons, the Supreme Court ruled over a century ago that corporations are "persons" under the Constitution. That ruling was an example of judicial activism and very liberal constitutional interpretation with no basis in the orginal intent of the founders. It was the same kind of judicial activism that ultimately brought us Roe v. Wade.

270 posted on 09/18/2009 12:44:43 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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