Mark Shields
Mark Shields
Mark Shieldsis an American political columnist and commentator...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth25 May 1937
CountryUnited States of America
party special interest
We have weakened the parties and strengthened all the special interests.
party thinking way
The way to solve all the money in politics is not to pretend we can get money out of politics. That will never happen. We have to channel it in ways where we can see it and hold it accountable. And I think the parties are the best vehicle for that.
thinking ideas four
Ronald Reagan four times accepted the limits in contributions of what he could take, what he could spend, and the public funding for the general elections. So I just think the idea that it didn't work, and didn't work - it did work. It worked brilliantly.
mean weekend vegas
I saw money change votes.I mean, they just seem unaware of this, that money is something - if they want to see the appearance of corruption, all they had to do was look in Las Vegas last weekend.
subsidies pay corporations
The corporations who invest in lobbyists, it pays in terms of tax loopholes, tax subsidies, all the rest. It pays. Clearly, the money has a big effect.
brother party kissing
The Sheldon Adelsons, the Koch brothers, the George Soroses, what we want to try to do is force them into the parties, not so that Kasich or whoever is going to straight to them and trying to kiss up to special interests, but so the parties have the power and they can direct the money.
giving president dues
Let's give the president some due.
crush party thinking
For many years, we have had these campaign finance reforms, and they have been failures. Money is more coursing through our system than ever before. Incumbents have used the laws to advantage themselves. And one of the reasons I think they have been failures is we have tried to crush down the money in places like the political parties, and it has squished out into opaque super PACs and sort of hidden channels.
country believe trying
Sometimes, you just let the country have its way, and you don't try to determine the shape of the country. You sort of modestly step back and let the country figure out what it believes.
past order iowa
In the past, in order to continue as a candidate, a serious candidate, you had to be in the top three finishes in Iowa. You had to be in the top two out of New Hampshire. All our presidents elected in the past half-century finished either first or second in New Hampshire and in the top three in Iowa. That changed with the Citizens United, when we gave unlimited amounts of money.
thinking scandal shame
The failure to invest in our public transportation and public life, I think, is a scandal and a shame, and it should be a national embarrassment.
cities flood
Washington is a city of money. It's a flood of money.
people tragedy human-trafficking
Human trafficking is a human tragedy. It's an outrage against any decent people.
feet speak stirrups
He who speaks the truth must keep one foot in the stirrup.