Billionaire Romney Donor Bullies Critics

Frank VanderSloot, an Idaho billionaire, is a huge donor to Mitt Romney's campaign and is its Finance co-chair. In 2004, Forbes magazine accused VanderSloot's company, Melaleuca, of being a pyramid scheme in selling dietary supplements and cleaning products. VanderSloot has filed costly lawsuits against Forbes, Mother Jones, and others that led these publications to remove articles that cast him in a harsh light for his anti-gay activism. Even local Idahoan bloggers have felt his wrath as he sued for infringing on copyrights by publishing a harsh letter his lawyers sent them. He now seeks to take this approach nationally. Billionaires who can use their riches to initimdate people in this way are threat to them and freedom of speech guaranteed in the First Amendment. Often called "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" (SLAPP), these actions are used by billionaires to protect their wealth when they feel threatened. Nearly 30 states have anti-SLAPP laws. All Ameircans should have the ability to investigate individuals like VanderSloot, especially when they can secretly contribute unlimited money through SuperPACS to Presidential campaigns. http://www.salon.com/2012/02/19/billionaire_romney_donor_uses_threats_to_silence_critics/singleton/

House GOP Orders Gasland Journalists Arrested (for 2/1/12)

Josh Fox, the maker of the documentary film Gasland, arrived with his crew at Capitol Hill to film a public Congressional hearing on fracking, which is causing extensive groundwater contamination in the extraction of natural gas. Instead, Republican Chairman Andy Harris of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment ordered Capitol Police to arrest Fox and his crew in a shocking disdain for the First Amendment protections of freedom of the press. The filmmakers tried to get permits, which would let them film the hearing. This is standard operating procedure and crews never have had trouble like this before this hearing. There were only two cameras at the hearing, so there has to be a suspicious motive for House Republicans to do this. One can only suspect the millions of dollars that Republicans take from oil and gas companies drives them to suppress public dissent against these wealthy multi-national companies. These companies and their executives often enrich themselves by polluting the environment. When they become wealthy enough, they contribute huge sums of money to the campaigns of individuals like Harris and lie low while he deceives the people in his home district, which is District No. 1 in Maryland. Those people then foolishly vote for him and he pulls off a stunt like this. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/house-republicans-order-j_n_1246971.html?ref=green&ir=Green