The “newfound freedoms” granted in the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision will allow the conservative movement to participate on a “level playing field” with groups like MoveOn.org and labor unions, Citizens United President David Bossie said Tuesday.
Bossie also said he enjoys hearing liberals complain about the outcome of the Citizens United case. “Somebody’s always bitching and moaning,” Bossie said.
He specifically mentioned former Justice John Paul Stevens, who said in an interview aired on 60 Minutes over the weekend that the court made several mistakes in the Citizens United ruling.
Putting aside the constitutional issue, TPM asked Bossie if he thought that the influx of large sums of money was healthy for democracy.
“The Supreme Court said that money is speech,” Bossie said. “In this day and age, in order to fully participate and have your First Amendment rights, you have to be able to spend money.”
“I didn’t go into the case because I wanted Exxon-Mobile to participate,” Bossie said. “Certainly I’m tickled pink that the United States Chamber of Commerce is fully able to participate in a way to repay and reshape an administration that is completely anti-business.”
That wasn’t the only criticism Bossie leveled against the Obama administration. He said that in criticizing the Supreme Court during his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama was “belittling the Presidency.”
“In a few months, we’ll see the result of that,” said Bossie, wondering how many of the Supreme Court members would show up to be “badgered and belittled again.”
Citizens United hopes to have an impact not only on politics in D.C. but also on the “pop culture side,” Bossie said.
Bossie revealed that Citizens United has a new audience in mind for the coming year: children. Citizens United has their first children’s film on tap for 2011 — an animated piece on the Constitution and American history “as it should be taught,” Bossie said.
“I always get up everyday hoping to have impact, that’s what I do,” Bossie said. “I want to be able to further the conservative movement first and foremost.”
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
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