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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sam who wrote (129646)	1/29/2010 3:22:45 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 541977

They don't have a single modern form, they are diverse. People see "corporations" and they think large for profit companies, but many of them are small and/or not-for profit, and some of them where explicitly created as political organizations. Most of the arguments used against the idea of freedom of speech for people acting within a corporation, would also apply to any other type of organization, political parties and non-corporate groups are not individuals. Is it constitutional to pass a law that says the Republican party or Democratic party can not run adds? That the NRA, or NARAL, or the ACLU has no freedom of speech and can no try to influence politics? They spend money as organizations. Also the "congress shall pass no law" statement is also what protects freedom of the press. If the 1st amendment isn't an individual right, than the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times don't have a constitutional right to publish. After all press corporations like we have now didn't exist in 18th century America, so they must not have any constitutional rights, the right to publish would only be protected by federal statue which could be revoked at any time (or by state law including their constitutions, but a number of them where created before their where large press corporations).