Democrats' Supreme Court Litmus Test: Citizens United
Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland, speaks while announcing he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination at Federal Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., on Saturday, May 30, 2015. O'Malley said he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2016, launching a long-shot challenge against front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Martin O'MalleyIn past presidential elections, Supreme Court litmus tests were a Republican issue, with candidates vying for the evangelical vote by attacking the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. This year, Democrats have a litmus test of their own: All four of the party's declared presidential candidates are suggesting they'll seek Supreme Court nominees who want to overturn Citizens United.
Martin O'Malley on Wednesday became the latest contender to jump aboard the bandwagon. In an interview with Bloomberg, he made it clear he will try to engineer a reversal of the landmark 2010 ruling, widely blamed for a new wave of big money in politics. The 5-4 ruling, which pitted justices appointed by Republican presidents against those appointed by Democrats, paved the way for super PACs and unlimited spending by corporations and unions to influence elections. In the 2014 election cycle, super PACs -- entities that can raise and spend political money in unlimited amounts -- raised close to $1 billion to influence Senate and House elections, according to the non-partisan Sunlight Foundation.