2016 Vice Presidential prospects: on Government Reform


Tim Kaine: Public companies should publish their political spending

Existing SEC rules have enabled public companies to keep their political spending below their shareholders' radar screen. For one, public companies can engage in political spending that does not register in any public record by channeling such expenditures through intermediaries like the US Chamber of Commerce. [There was a] political ad sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce against Tim Kaine, who won a Senate race in Virginia.
Source: N.Y. Times, "Let Shareholders Know", on 2016 Veepstakes Jul 23, 2016

Tim Kaine: Citizens United erodes democracy and undermines elections

The Supreme Court's ruling will allow the money of corporate interests to flood the political process, will undermine free and fair elections and further erode voters' confidence in our system of Democracy. It is a major victory for oil companies, banks, health insurance companies and other special interests that already use their power to drown out the voices of regular Americans.
Source: 2016 Veepstakes: DNC press release, "Campaign finance" Jun 28, 2016

Tim Kaine: Citizens United encourages lobbyists to influence votes

We have seen how armies of corporate lobbyists descend on Capitol Hill to fight everything from health care and financial regulatory reform to efforts to lower energy costs and reverse the effects of global climate change. This ruling undermines the free speech rights of citizens whose views will be drowned out by wealthy corporate interests whose aim will not just be to influence which candidates get elected -- but how they vote once they are in office.
Source: 2016 Veepstakes: DNC press release, "Campaign finance" Jun 26, 2016

Tom Vilsack: Money is the only reason he left presidential race

[After withdrawing from the presidential race], "This process has become to a great extent about money -- a lot of money," Vilsack said at a news conference in Des Moines yesterday. "And it is clear to me that we would not be able to continue to raise money in the amounts necessary to sustain not just a campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire but a campaign across this country. So it is money and only money that is the reason that we are leaving today."
Source: 2016 Veepstakes: Washington Post on 2016 presidential race Jun 10, 2015

Mike Pence: Campaign finance reform is on the road to political serfdom

Mike Pence voted against the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act; declared the Citizens United ruling a "major victory." Pence joined Sen. Mitch McConnell's legal challenge to McCain-Feingold and attached a rider to Justice Department funding that would have prevented DoJ from enforcing McCain-Feingold's ban on electioneering communication spending. He said, "We are on the road to serfdom in American politics with campaign-finance reform."
Source: EndCitizensUnited.org on 2016 Veepstakes Apr 1, 2015

Tim Kaine: Time to rethink Patriot Act

More than a dozen years after Congress authorized the use of military force against nations, groups or individuals involved in or aiding the perpetrators of the Sept. 11, attacks, Sen. Tim Kaine said it's time to rethink that declaration. "The Bush and the Obama administrations have said, 'If a group pops up that affiliates with al-Qaida, even if they had nothing to do with 9/11... this authorization," Kaine said. Kaine said new scrutiny would likely lead to reconsiderations of the Patriot Act.
Source: Kaine's Senate office website, during 2016 Veepstakes Jan 27, 2014

Tim Kaine: Yes to disclosing sources of secret donations

"The DISCLOSE Act would make long-overdue changes to our nation's campaign laws by bringing needed transparency to political spending," said Kaine."Allowing special interest groups to conceal their donors encourages the onslaught of false, negative advertising that Virginians are sick of seeing during political campaigns. Congress needs to step up and make reforms that shine a light on secret money."
Source: 2016 Veepstakes: Senate office press release "DISCLOSE Act" Jan 21, 2010

  • The above quotations are from Vice Presidential possibilities for 2016.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Government Reform:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Nov 30, 2021