SO, WOLFPAC IS BUSY TO GET A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO
GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS, TO GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS,
TO HAVE A CONVENTION TO DO SO.
ARTICLE 5 IN THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO
GET AN AMENDMENT.
ONE IS THROUGH CONGRESS, WELL GOOD LUCK GETTING TWO
THIRDS OF THIS CONGRESS.
OR, TWO THIRDS OF STATES TO CALL FOR A CONVENTION WHERE YOU
PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT, SO NOW WE ARE GOING TO THE STATES, AND WE
WENT TO HAWAII, AND THERE WE ARE MET WITH A WALL OF LOBBYISTS.
OKAY, SEE YOU THINK, I REMEMBER IN NEW JERSEY WITH THE KOCH
BROTHERS LOBBYISTS YOU HAD TO FIGHT, AND A LOT OF
RIGHT-WINGERS.
WELL, IN HAWAII IT IS A SO-CALLED PROGRESSIVE
GROUPS THAT HAVE SENT THEIR LOBBYISTS, BECAUSE
EVENTUALLY THEY DON'T WANT CHANGE EITHER.
WHAT IF WE HAD CHANGED?
AN EVENT ñ A CONVENTION WOULD BRING CHANGE.
HANDWRINGING!
GOOD NEWS IS ABOUT HAWAII, UNLIKE NEW MEXICO THEY
HAVE PRINCIPLED POLITICIANS.
I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT FAIR TO NEW MEXICO, THEY HAVE
WONDERFUL POLITICIANS IN NEW MEXICO, AND WE PASSED IT IN
ONE OF THE HOUSES, BUT IN THE OTHER HOUSE THE LOBBYISTS
CONVINCE THEM NOT TO PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE.
BUT ON THE HAWAIIAN SIDE, A BUNCH OF GREAT FOLKS IN THE
COMMITTEE, WHO ACTUALLY ñ THIS IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT ñ
THEY ACTUALLY TOOK THE TIME TO HEAR BOTH SIDES OUT.
NOW, WE HAD OUR VOLUNTEERS, CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN HAWAII.
SO, ERIC, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A NAVY VETERAN, AND THIS IS WHAT
HE SAID.
AS A COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE U.S.
NAVY FOR MANY YEARS, I PROBABLY UPHELD THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
A POWERFUL DOMESTIC ENEMY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, IT IS THE
INFLUENCE OF BIG MONEY IN OUR GOVERNMENT.
LARGE DONATIONS TO PORTAL CAMPAIGNS, AND THE QUID PRO QUO
EVIDENCED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION AND INACTION --
THAT IS NOT A CONTROVERSIAL POSITION, AND YOU WOULD THINK WE
WOULD HAVE AN EASIER TIME OF IT, BUT THEY ARE GOING TO RUN
INTO THOSE AFFIRMATION LOBBYISTS.
I'M JUST SHOWING YOU ONE, BUT WE HAVE MANY VOLUNTEERS
TESTIFYING, INCLUDING MORGAN, WHO WAS A MECHANICAL
ENGINEER WITH NASA TELESCOPE; REAL AMERICANS THAT ARE OUT
THERE FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT.
WELL, THEY RAN INTO SOME GOOD FOLKS FROM THE OTHER SIDE, BUT
WHAT WAS GREAT IS THAT THE SENATORS HAD A BACK AND
FORTH AND THEY HEARD THEM OUT.
ONE OF THE REAL HEROES OF THIS STORY, AND WHAT SHOW YOU
WHO YEARS, LET'S GO TO GRAPHIC 45 HERE.
SENATOR GILBER KEITH-AGARAN, HE IS ONE OF THE SENATORS FROM
HAWAII, AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT HIM IS THAT HE HAS GOT AN OPEN
MIND, AND IN THAT COMMITTEE, EVEN THE ONE PERSON WHO VOTED
AGAINST IT ASKED GREAT QUESTIONS, BUT AGARAN
LISTENED, ASKED THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS AND DID EXACTLY
WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO IN A DEMOCRACY: HAD A VOTE.
A SMALL CLIP HERE, BUT IT WAS A GOOD POINT.
[INAUDIBLE]
I LOVE THAT, BECAUSE WHEN THE OTHER SIDE SAYS, WELL IF YOU
HAVE A CONVENTION, I MEAN, ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S NOT CONGRESS
THAT IS IN CHARGE.
YOU WENT AROUND THEM, YOU WENT TO THE STATES.
OKAY, BUT THAT'S WHY IT'S IN THE CONSTITUTION, BECAUSE WE
THOUGHT MAYBE WASHINGTON WOULD GET TO CORRUPT, RIGHT?
SECOND OF ALL, YOU SAY, IMAGINE IF THE RIGHT-WING HAD A
CONVENTION.
IMAGINE IF THE RIGHT WING VOTED.
IMAGINE IF THE RIGHT WING COULD PARTICIPATE IN CONGRESS.
WELL, WHEN YOU SAY IF THE RIGHT WING COULD DO IT WE SHOULD
NOT DO IT AT ALL, THAT IS DISTRUSTING THE PUBLIC OPINION.
THAT MEANS YOU DON'T REALLY BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY.
NOW, HE PUT IT MORE GENTLY, AND MORE INTELLECTUAL LIKE, AND
I APPRECIATED IT, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT POINT.
BUT WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR DONE YET.
WE ARE GOING TO GO TO SENATOR LAURA TIELAN, SHE IS GOING TO BE
TALKING ABOUT TWO PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE IN FACT LOBBYISTS.
SHE TALKS ABOUT THE ACLU AND COMMON CAUSE, AND YOU MIGHT
BE SURPRISED BY THE ACLU POSITION, BUT COMMON CAUSE
YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED BY.
THEY ARE THE GROUP PRETENDING TO BE PROGRESSIVE, WHO DOES
NOT WANT A CONVENTION, AND HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO GET
MONEY OUT OF POLITICS, AND OF COURSE THEY ARE FIGHTING ANYONE
TO DO THAT IN REALITY, AND OF COURSE THIS COMMITTEE IN HAWAII.
WHAT I WANT TO ASK IS FOR YOUR TWO ORGANIZATIONS, IF YOU DO NOT
SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS
TO GETTING CITIZENS UNITED OVERTURNED?
YEAH, SO ACTUALLY THE ACLU DOES NOT OPPOSE EVERYTHING ABOUT
CITIZENS UNITED.
IT IS A POPULAR POSITION BUT WE DO SUPPORT PARTS OF IT.
IS A VERY COMPLICATED 184 PAGE DECISION, THAT I HAVE NOT READ
SINCE LAW SCHOOL SO DON'T QUIZ ME
ON IT.
WE ARE OPPOSED TO CITIZENS UNITED.
IN FACT, WE HAVE WORKED WITH YOU FOLKS IN THE PAST TO PAST TWO
REGULATIONS CALLING ON CONGRESS TO INTRODUCE AN AMENDMENT THAT
WAY, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO SUPPORT, SO WE ARE AHEAD OF THE
CURB, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH SISTER ORGANIZATIONS TO GO
THAT ROUTE AS WELL.
IT'S NOT THE FASTEST ROUTE, IN THE APPLICABLE CLIMATE AND
CONGRESS, LAWMAKING IN GENERAL IS NOT THE FASTEST ROUTE IN
ANYTHING, BUT, LIKE WITH OTHER PAST AMENDMENTS IN THE PAST, IT
TOOK MANY YEARS AND MANY VOICES, AND PERSISTENCE AND NOT
GIVING UP.
BUT I MEAN, IT IS A PRETTY POWERFUL ARGUMENT THAT, GIVEN
CITIZENS UNITED, THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY ON CAMPAIGNS IS BIGGER
THAN EVER, AND ON POLICY OUTCOMES, AND HOW DO WE RELY ON,
YOU KNOW, CONGRESS TO CHANGE, AS OPPOSED TO GOING DIRECTLY
TO PEOPLE?
WELL, I MEAN, FOR US, COMMON CAUSE, IT IS NOT JUST A SINGLE
ISSUE, SO I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THE ARTICLE 5 CONVENTION
IS A SILVER BULLET THAT SOME FOLKS ARE MAKING IT OUT TO BE.
SO, SENATOR TIELAN DID NOT VOTE WITH US, BUT I REALLY
APPRECIATED HER INTELLECTUAL HONESTY.
UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE SOME REPRESENTATIVES IN OTHER STATES
THAT DON'T EXHIBIT THAT, AND WE CALL THAT OUT TOO.
OFTENTIMES THEY DON'T ALLOW A VOTE, DON'T REALLY WANT A
BOAT, BUT I THOUGHT THE SENATOR DID A GREAT JOB IN ASKING
THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO, WHEN SHE ASKED THE ACLU WHAT WAS THE ANSWER SHE GOT?
ACTUALLY, THE ACLU IS IN FAVOR OF CITIZENS UNITED, ALTHOUGH
THAT PARTICULAR PERSON HAD NOT READ THE DECISION, APPARENTLY.
THAT'S UNFORTUNATE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW THAT.
THEN WHEN WE GO TO THE COMMON CAUSE LOBBYIST, WELL, SHE
SAID THAT THEY WERE AHEAD OF THE CURB IN FIGHTING TO GET
MONEY OUT OF POLITICS.
REALLY?
HOW SO?
BECAUSE THE SENATOR ASKED YOU, HOW ARE YOU DOING IT?
WELL, WE'RE ASKING CONGRESS.
OH REALLY?
HOW'S THAT GOING?
WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING ON THIS ISSUE FOR 40 YEARS.
HOW'S THAT GOING?
THERE IS NO ACTUAL PLAN FROM COMMON CAUSE TO GET MONEY
OUT OF POLITICS.
THEY ARE NOT FIGHTING IN CONGRESS, OR ANY OTHER MEANS.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
THEY ARE FIGHTING AGAINST THE ONE PATH I CAN ACTUALLY GET
US THERE, THE CONVENTION, BECAUSE IT IS NOT A SILVER
BULLET, IT'S NOT MAGIC.
THESE THINGS TAKE A LONG TIME, SELECT SIT AROUND FOR
ANOTHER COUPLE OF DECADES AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
WE DIDN'T SEE THAT IT'S A ñ WE DIDN'T SAY IF A SILVER
BULLET, WE SET UNFORTUNATELY IT'S THE ONE PATH WE SEE IT
BUT IT WAS WHILE ANYTHING ELSE IS FORECLOSED, WHICH YOU
GUYS KNOW AND AREN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT ANYWAYS.
NOW, WE GO TO A NAME YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE, SENATOR GABBERED.
HE HAS A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH THE SAME
FOLKS, LET'S WATCH.
EVERY TIME WE BEGIN OUR SESSION, AND DURING SESSION WE TALK ABOUT
HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE 3000+
BILLS EVERY YEAR THAT ARE INTRODUCED, RIGHT?
AND SO, WHAT I'M HEARING, AND YOU MENTIONED A SILVER BULLET, I
DIDN'T PICK UP ON THAT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WERE TESTIFYING,
TO REVERT TO THE ORIGINAL VERSION, BUT UP ñ BUT WHAT
I'M HEARING IS, WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAVING THIS CONVERSATION?
THIS NATIONAL CONVERSATION.
WHAT'S HAPPENED ñ WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAVING THIS CONVERSATION?
IS THERE A LACK OF FAITH IN THE DEMOCRACY OF THIS WONDERFUL
COUNTRY THAT WE LIVE IN, TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION?
SENATOR, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I THINK MY
ORGANIZATION AND QUARRIES WOULD AGREE THAT A CONVERSATION
IS A TEST IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING, AND TO BE TALKING
ABOUT THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF MONEY IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
THESE DAYS, WITH WHAT WE ARE SEEING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO I THINK THE CONVERSATION IS VERY IMPORTANT.
A CONVENTION IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM A CONVERSATION, A
CONVENTION WOULD CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION UPON WHICH OUR
COUNTRY IS BUILT.
WELL, WHEN YOU AMEND THE CONSTITUTION, YES IT IS AN
AMENDMENT.
SO THAT CHANGES IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE 13TH, 14TH AND 15TH
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION SO
THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS COULD BE CONSIDERED AMERICAN CITIZENS.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION SO THAT WE CAN
HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, ETC.
THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT THE ACLU WAS STRUCTURED TO
FIGHT FOR.
SO THEY ARE LIKE, WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION AS LONG AS
THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
GOD FOR BID THEY SHOULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION.
REMEMBER, THE ACLU, FOR THE CONSTITUTION.
SO I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SENATOR MIKE GABBARD ON
THIS AGAIN.
HE HAS BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS, HAVING A REAL DEBATE,
THINKING IT THROUGH, COMING TO HIS OWN CONCLUSIONS,
WONDERFUL, AND VOTED FOR IT, IN FAVOR OF IT AGAIN.
AND FINALLY, WE GO TO SENATOR RHODES, WITH A GREAT QUESTION TO
THE COMMON CAUSE LOBBYISTS, AND WAIT UNTIL YOU GET A LOAD
OF HER ANSWER.
IT'S ALSO A SENSE OF NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED.
YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE A RISK, BUT I'M LOOKING FOR THE
DOWNSIDE RISK AND I JUST DON'T KNOW IF I SEE IT.
WOULD YOU CARE TO COMMENT ON THAT?
I'LL TRY.
YEAH, I MEAN IT IS JUST BASICALLY A COMPLICATED
ISSUE, AND THERE IS RISK EITHER WAY, I AGREE.
BUT FOR US IT IS WEIGHING THESE RISKS.
DO WE WANT TO RISK POTENTIALLY REWRITING THE ENTIRE
CONSTITUTION ñ
AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH OUR FOUNDING FATHERS.
BUT THAT TURNED OUT SO BADLY, YOU KNOW?
WELL, IT DEPENDS WHO YOU ASK, RIGHT?
DOES IT?
OH MY GOD, DOES IT DEPEND WHO YOU ASK?
SO THERE BIG FEAR TACTIC IS, WE HAD ONE CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION AND IT CREATED THE CONSTITUTION, THE GREATEST
DOCUMENT EVER WRITTEN.
WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK.
DOES IT?
THINK ABOUT IT, FIRST OF ALL THEY ARE WRONG ON THE
FACTS, AS USUAL, AGAIN.
IT'S AMAZING HOW LITTLE RESEARCH THEY DO.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WAS ACTUALLY ASKED FOR BY THE
STATES.
THE MAJORITY OF THE STATES ASKED TO REWRITE THE DOCUMENT, SO
IT IS A MYTH THAT THEY WENT ROGUE AND REWROTE IT, ETC.
AND IN FACT, IT HAD TO GET RATIFIED.
NEW YORK DID NOT ALLOW FOR THEIR DELEGATES TO OVERTURN THE
ENTIRE CONSTITUTION, SO IN THE BEGINNING THEY VOTED NO
WITHIN THE CONSTITUTION, AND ALEXANDER HAMILTON WHICH
REPRESENTED NEW YORK SIGNED AS A CITIZEN, AND NOT A DELEGATE
AS NEW YORK ñ DELEGATE FROM NEW YORK.
WENT THROUGH A PROCESS.
THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR HISTORY RIGHT AT ALL.
SECOND OF ALL, IT WAS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT,
AND AGAIN, THE STATES ASKED FOR IT TO BE THAT.
I WOULD SAY THEY KNOW THAT AND THEY ARE BEING MISLEADING,
BUT THERE'S SOME CHANCE THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT.
THEY DON'T KNOW THE BASICS OF WHAT THEY ARE ARGUING ABOUT.
THE ARTICLE 5 CONVENTION IS PART OF THE CONSTITUTION.
REMEMBER, THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND
SAID, WE ARE REVOLUTIONARIES SO WE ARE GOING TO WRITE
REVOLUTION INTO THE DOCUMENT.
WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU SEVERAL WAYS TO AMEND THIS DOCUMENT, AND
ONE OF THEM IS AN ARTICLE 5
CONVENTION WHERE YOU PROPOSE AMENDMENTS.
SHE'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, THAT SOUNDS PRETTY SCARY.
WHAT IS THE OTHER SIDE?
THE OTHER SIDE IS THE DISASTER WE LIVE IN TODAY, WHERE
MONEY HAS COMPLETELY TAKEN OVER POLITICS.
WHERE WE HAVE LEGALIZED BRIBERY.
WHERE THEY SAY SUCH ABSURD THINGS AS CORPORATIONS ARE HUMAN
BEINGS, AND MONEY IS SPEECH, AND WE'VE ALL AGREED TO THESE
FANTASIES, WHICH OF COURSE 90% OF US HAVE NOT BUT CONGRESS HAS.
WE ARE BATHED IN CORRUPTION RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE LOST OUR
DEMOCRACY.
AND THEY SAY, BUT WHAT IF SOMETHING SCARY HAPPENS?
SOMETHING SCARY ALREADY HAPPENED.
AND THEN WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION, I DON'T KNOW,
SOME SAY THAT IT DIDN'T TURN OUT WELL.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT TURNED OUT REALLY REALLY WELL, AND YOU
WANT TO FORECLOSE THAT OPTION?
I THINK THAT IS CRAZY.
LUCKILY, THE SENATORS FROM HAWAII, IN THAT COMMITTEE,
AGREED.
THIS IS SENATOR KARL RHOADS.
IT GOES TO THE FULL SENATE, SO HAWAII @ WOLF-PAC.COM.
GET IN THE FIGHT.
THE PEOPLE I SHOWED YOU FROM OUR SIDE, THEY ARE NOT LOBBYISTS,
THEY ARE NOT PAID, THEY ARE VOLUNTEERS.
WARRIORS ALWAYS BEAT MERCENARIES.
YOU CARE TO, YOU CARE TO LEARN THE FACTS, THAT'S WHY YOU
WENT WHEN THERE WAS A VOTE.
WE ARE GOING TO WIN IN HAWAII, WE ARE GOING TO WIN IN THE
SENATE, AND I HOPE THAT WE PASSED THE WHOLE STATES
THAT GIVE CREDIT TO THE WHOLE LEGISLATION AND LEGISLATORS
OF HAWAII, AND IT IS ONE OF THE MOST PROGRESSIVE STATES,
AND OF COURSE YOU SHOULD BE ON BOARD FOR REAL CHANGE, AND
TO GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS AND TO GET FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.
WE ARE ON THAT ROAD NEXT TO THE SENATORS, SO LET'S KEEP IT
GOING.
HAWAII AT WOLF-PAC.COM.
I TOLD YOU WE COULD DO IT, AND WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF
DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
YOUNG TURKS.