Cobb vs Bopp (Citizens United debate)

Monday, September 8, 2014 - 7:00pm

On Monday, September 8th, Indiana University will host a debate between David Cobb (Move to Amend) and James Bopp (James Madison Center). “Citizens Divided: Corporate Money, Speech, and Politics” will be held in the Maurer Law School’s Moot Court Room, 211 South Indiana Avenue, from 7:00PM to 8:30PM. The public is encouraged to attend and political views of all persuasions are welcomed.

Indiana University’s Civic Leaders Center, the SPEA Law and Public Policy Program, the Mauer Law School American Constitution Society,  and  Move to Amend of South Central Indiana are sponsoring this discussion between Cobb and Bopp, two prominent figures in the national debate over corporate personhood, campaign finance, and the proper definition of political speech. The debate will explore the relationship between corporations and political speech following the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission ruling, featuring questions from a 3-person panel and the audience.   Cobb, an attorney and former Green Party presidential nominee, serves as the spokesperson for Move to Amend, a national coalition of over 360,000 people and organizations working to amend the US Constitution to state that constitutional rights belong to human beings only and that money is not protected speech. “We are a diverse coalition with deep roots in communities nationwide. We recognize that amending the Constitution to restore the power of the people over corporations will not be easy, but we know correcting the Supreme Court is imperative to the progress of our nation,” stated Cobb, who is visiting Bloomington as part of a national tour taking place in Indiana and states across the country to help local residents understand the history behind corporate constitutional rights and how they can work to end corporate rule and reestablish a government of, by, and for the people. Bopp, a legal advisor to Citizens United and a former Republican National Committeeman, has spent 30 years working to eliminate or significantly loosen campaign spending limits and donor-disclosure rules, defending what he calls a “basically absolute” interpretation of the First Amendment. “Voters in the United States have always had a healthy skepticism about government and politicians, and I think it’s a good thing,” said Bopp. “But the problem we have is we don’t have enough information available to voters to allow them to make informed choices, so we need more spending.” “We are inspired by historic social movements that recognized the necessity of altering fundamental power relationships,” said Cobb. “America has progressed through ordinary people joining together—from the Revolutionaries to Abolitionists, Suffragists, Trade Unionists, and Civil Rights activists through to today. Move to Amend is a long-term effort to make the U.S.  Constitution more democratic.” For more information, call (707) 269-0984 or visit www.MoveToAmend.org. CONTACT: George Rehrey, (812) 320-9872, bloomington-in@movetoamend.orgKeyan Bliss, (707) 269-0984, keyanb@movetoamend.org

David Cobb, (707) 362-0333, david@movetoamend.org