Obama continues to assail Supreme Court decision

By Michael A. Fletcher

President Obama continued to assail the Supreme Court decision striking down limits on corporate spending in political campaigns, saying Saturday that the ruling "strikes at our democracy itself."

Speaking in his weekly address, Obama said the ruling this week "handed a huge victory to the special interests and their lobbyists - and a powerful blow to our efforts to rein in corporate influence."

Though experts agree Democrats have few options, Obama said he has directed members of his administration to work with a bipartisan group of legislators to craft a law setting new limits that meet Constitutional muster.

"We have begun that work, and it will be a priority for us until we repair the damage that has been done," he said.

Without new legislation, he said, Obama said corporations and other special interests would have undue power in Washington. "This ruling opens the floodgates for an unlimited amount of special interest money into our democracy," he said. "It gives the special interest lobbyists new leverage to spend millions on advertising to persuade elected officials to vote their way - or to punish those who don't... I can't think of anything more devastating to the public interest."

The court's 5 to 4 decision concluded that corporations have the same First Amendment rights as individuals and, therefore, can spend as much company money as they wish to oppose or support individual political candidates.

Invoking former President Teddy Roosevelt, who fought against undue corporate influence on government, Obama promised to stand up for the interests of ordinary Americans.

"As long as I'm your President, I'll never stop fighting to make sure that the most powerful voice in Washington belongs to you," he said.