Outgoing Democratic Congressman John Hall Warns Citizens
United Could Lead To 'Fascism'

The Huffington Post
First Posted: 12-29-10 06:02 PM - Updated: 12-29-10 06:16 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/29/john-hall-citizens-united-fascism_n_802470.html

Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.), who is leaving Capitol Hill after
being defeated by Republican challenger Nan Hayworth,
recently warned that with the massive changes to campaign
finance law prompted by the Supreme Court's Citizens United
decision, the nation could soon descend into fascism.

"The country was bought," Hall told The New York Observer in
an exit interview. "I learned when I was in social studies
class in school that corporate ownership or corporate
control of government is called Fascism. So that's really
the question -- is that the destination if this court
decision goes unchecked?"

Hall then placed the blame on the political leanings of
specific justices.

"The extremist, most recent two appointees to the Supreme
Court, who claimed in their confirmation hearings before the
Senate that they would not be activist judges, made a very
activist decision in that it overturned more than a century
of precedent," Hall explained. "And as a result there were
millions of extra dollars thrown into this race."

While Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the most junior member of the
bench at the time of the ruling, was on the dissenting and
eventually unsuccessful end of the decision, Hall is likely
referring to Bush appointees Samuel Alito and John Roberts,
both of whom favored allowing corporations to anonymously
funnel unlimited amounts of cash into political elections.

Hall was a strong supporter of the DISCLOSE Act earlier this
year, a failed piece of legislation that included provisions
to limit the potential influence of foreign-controlled
corporations on U.S. elections.

Hall told The Observer that he had specific qualms with the
misleadingly named political action groups that have cropped
up in the wake of the decision.

"We are talking about supposedly wholesome names like Revere
America, American Crossroads, Americans for Apple Pie and
Motherhood -- if somebody hasn't trademarked that one I
probably should. The fact is you can call it anything and
the money could be coming from BP or Aramco or any
corporation domestic or foreign," Hall said.

The Observer reports that there is some talk of Hall taking
a job with the Obama administration, or perhaps with newly-
elected New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though the outgoing
congressman has yet to announced any official plans.

==========

Original story in the New York Observer:
http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/soon-be-ex-congressman-john-hall-warns-against-creeping-fascism

Soon To-Be Ex-Congressman John Hall Warns Against Creeping
Fascism

by David Freedlander

The New York Observer
Politicker NY

December 28, 2010

In a wide-ranging interview before he prepares to leave the
House of Representatives, Hudson Valley Congressman John
Hall warned that the nation could quickly descend into
Fascism if more is not done to curb the influence of
corporate money in politics.

Speaking about the Citizen's United decision, which allowed
unregulated flow of cash into campaign coffers, Hall said,
"I learned when I was in social studies class in school that
corporate ownership or corporate control of government is
called Fascism. So that's really the question- is that the
destination if this court decision goes unchecked?"

Hall said that the flow of corporate dollars is why he and
the Democrats lost control of Congress.

"The country was bought," he said.

Read the full story here:
http://www.observer.com/2010/politics/soon-be-ex-congressman-john-hall-warns-against-creeping-fascism

==========

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