California Republicans haven't been faring too well in recent elections. But they have a
shining hope for their future in Proposition 32, a ballot initiative pretending to be about getting money out of politics that leaves giant openings for corporate political spending while effectively defunding unions for political purposes.
The new ad, above, from opponents of Prop. 32, effectively spells out who's behind this; as a San Francisco Chronicle editorial urging a no vote on the initiative puts it,
Proposition 32 purports to be an even-handed attempt to reduce the influence of special interests in California. It is anything but balanced. The most telling way to assess the motive and the effect of this initiative is to follow the money.
The bulk of the financial backing for Prop. 32 has come from conservative ideologues who have made no secret of their desire to tamp down the clout of labor unions. A group linked to the billionaire Koch brothers just poured $4 million into a committee just formed to help pass Prop. 32.
The fight against Prop. 32 is a fight for democracy in California.