Two Years On: ‘Citizens United: How Did It Happen?’

John Wellington Ennis' new documentary short...

Share article:

What a difference two years and one brutally ugly, obscenely cash-based GOP Primary Election cycle makes. One wonders if even Republicans, at this point, are finally beginning to realize the problems wrought by the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Citizens United decision two years ago yesterday.

If this Rasmussen poll can be believed, the Right-leaning polling firm now finds that 58% of Americans are calling for new campaign finance laws. That’s up from three years earlier when, as ThinkProgress notes, a majority of the nation, according to the same polling firm, felt that it would be “good” if then-existing campaign finance laws were struck down by the court.

Well, they got their wish two years ago yesterday. Wonder how they feel about it now.

To mark yesterday’s somber and embarrassing anniversary, John Wellington Ennis, filmmaker of the wonderful, smart, insightful and often deftly amusing 2008 documentary FREE FOR ALL!: One Dude’s Quest to Save Democracy, has another one on the way. The new one will focus on our now even-sorrier state of “democracy” in the long dark shadow of Citizens United. While the new feature-length film, Pay 2 Play: Democracy’s High Stakes is due later this year, yesterday Ennis released a short documentary, based on some of the work he’s done on that film, focusing on how Citizen’s United came about, and what is has meant to the nation.

His new soulful short, Citizens United: How Did It Happen? follows below. I’m honored to say that I appear in it myself, but it’s very good anyway. Ennis has a few additional thoughts on it all right here today. But, at the very least, you owe it to yourself to give his new short documentary below a look on this 2nd anniversary of the horrific SCOTUS decision that is actively undermining our absolutely most central values as a nation…

* * *

By the way, The BRAD BLOG’s 8th(!) anniversary is this Tuesday! Unfortunately, we have not been the recipient of secret millions from corporate “people” in the wake of Citizens United. In fact, we have never enjoyed either corporate or foundational support for our completely independent work here, and continue to rely almost solely on you, our readers, to keep going. We have survived this long, barely, thanks to you! But we desperately need your support to continue.

Please consider an 8th Birthday donation to The BRAD BLOG to help us continue our important work in what is guaranteed to be a long, ugly and difficult Election Year, when your help here is needed the most. Also quite welcome are sustaining monthly donations of any amount you choose! For that (or our snail mail address for olde tyme paper check contributions), please see the light blue box about halfway down the right sidebar of all of our pages. Anything you can offer is greatly appreciated! My sincere thanks in advance!

Share article:

--- COMMENTS follow below Ad Content ---

Reader Comments on

Two Years On: ‘Citizens United: How Did It Happen?’

8 Comments

(Comments are now closed.)


8 Responses

  1. 1)
    Dr. Dean Raffelock said on 1/22/2012 @ 1:24pm PT: [Permalink]

    I totally agree with this. I also think that the 5 Supreme Court Justices responsible for Citizens United AKA Corporation United, should be held personally responsible for undermining our one citizen/one vote electoral system. If you agree please sign my change.org petition :
    http://www.change.org/petitions...itizens-united Thank you!

  2. 3)
    Adam said on 1/22/2012 @ 10:37pm PT: [Permalink]

    It seems that a number of US Supreme Court judges should be impeached. Are they impeachable like all-powerful autocrats?

    Adam8 (Slandered and autocratically banned by RawStory.com)

  3. 8)
    John Wellington Ennis said on 1/23/2012 @ 10:27am PT: [Permalink]

    Thanks Brad for sharing it and for kicking ass in all my incessant interviews with you! And thanks to everyone for checking it out!

    Love to see a link included here on The Powell Memo, because that’s where our film PAY 2 PLAY goes after the above analysis of the Citizens United decision.

    Indie Media Represent!

    xoxo

    John Wellington Ennis
    Director, PAY 2 PLAY: Democracy’s High Stakes
    @Pay2PlayTV

(Comments are now closed.)


--- Ad Content ---

BB SIDEBAR NOTICE

Thanks to you, The BRAD BLOG has been trouble-making and muckraking for … 22 YEARS!!!

Please help The BRAD BLOG, BradCast and Green News Report remain independent and 100% reader and listener supported in our 23rd YEAR!!!

ONE TIME
any amount...

MONTHLY
any amount...

OR VIA SNAIL MAIL
Make check out to...
Brad Friedman / BRAD BLOG
7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594
Los Angeles, CA 90028

RECENT POSTS

‘I’m not a Victim. I was a Criminal’: J6er Says ‘No’ to Trump’s ‘Weaponization’ Slush Fund Money: ‘BradCast’ 6/4/2026

Guest: Convicted MAGA rioter Jason Riddle; Also: Pelley charges new CBS execs pushing 'falsehoods', 'bias' into '60 Minutes'...

‘Green News Report’ – June 4, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

Trump’s Favorite Election Fraud Criminal Now Runs Free: ‘BradCast’ 6/2/2026

Also: Not so 'hot' after all, as data finds international tourism to U.S. plummeted in 2025...

‘Green News Report’ – June 2, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

One Failure After Another: ‘BradCast’ 6/1/2026

We are in an historic moment, as the Trump Presidency begins its collapse; Also: Callers ring in on tomorrow's wild California Gubernatorial primary...

Did Trump and His Attorneys Conspire to Defraud the United States?

The court-ordered reopening of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS could have impacts well beyond blocking access to a $1.8 billion slush fund...

UPDATE, Midday 6/1/26: Trump announces plan to drop 'Weaponization Fund'...

Sunday ‘Slush Fun!’ Toons

THIS WEEK: Dirty Money ... Trump Kennedy Center ... Let's Get Physical ... Forever (and Ever) War ...

Idle Hands…

Time off, and an update on the BRAD BLOG update...

Sunday ‘Have You Considered Treason?’ Toons

THIS WEEK: The Unstoppable Steal ... The Colbert Canary ... The Paxton Primer ...

Republicans Are Revolting: ‘BradCast’ 5/21/2026

Guests: Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' on the primaries, the ballroom, the slush fund, the wars, the media, Stephen Colbert, and much more...

‘Green News Report’ – May 21, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

Primary Results from Six States and Trump’s $1.8 Billion Taxpayer-Funded Grift Machine: ‘BradCast’ 5/20/2026

Results and context from AL, GA, ID, KY, OR, PA; Also: Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol cops file suit to shutdown Trump's 'insurrectionist slush fund'...

NAACP Calls for Voting Rights Boycott of College Sports at Southern Schools: ‘BradCast’ 5/19/2026

Also: We endorse Trump's endorsement in TX GOP U.S. Senate runoff!; DOJ adds MORE corruption to Trump's already 'most corrupt' agreement in U.S. history...

‘Green News Report’ – May 19, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

About Brad Friedman...

Brad is an independent investigative journalist, blogger and broadcaster. Full Bio & Testimonials… Media Appearance Archive… Articles & Editorials Elsewhere… Contact…

He has contributed chapters to these books…
…And is featured in these documentary films…

BRAD BLOG ON THE AIR!

THE BRADCAST on KPFK/Pacifica Radio Network (90.7FM Los Angeles, 98.7FM Santa Barbara, 93.7FM N. San Diego and nationally syndicated, Monday-Thursday, on many other affiliate stations! ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
GREEN NEWS REPORT, nationally syndicated, with new episodes on Tuesday and Thursday. ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
Media Appearance Archives…

--- Ad Content ---

ADDITIONAL STUFF

Brad Friedman/
The BRAD BLOG Named...

Buzz Flash's 'Wings of Justice' Honoree
Project Censored 2010 Award Recipient
The 2008 Weblog Awards