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Comment by mlindner | Hacker News Reader

Senators don't choose the judges, they just allow or reject them.

And no, no matter what anyone says, there is no structure in the US such that direct bribery of politicians is legal. Lobbying is not bribery.

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You are stunningly naive. It's completely legal for companies to donate to a politician's campaign. This obviously influences the way they vote. I don't understand how you can so confidently claim things while misunderstanding them so completely.

Mitch McConnell effectively blocked Obama from picking a justice, so your take is not in line with what's been happening.

Campaign contributions are effectively bribery if they are large enough.

And Citizens United allowed for a lot of dark money to be spread around...

Genuine question, what is lobbying if not legalized bribery? It’s hard to think it’s anything else when things like this happen - https://youtu.be/CARiB_eYwys

They can't spend it for arbitrary purposes. It must be spent on campaigning for election.

You really don't understand that that then influences how politicians vote, which is called bribery? Your civics education has failed you.

wink-wink nudge nudge back=slapping PACs are absolutely legalized bribery.

The politicians have no access to the PAC campaign donations other than directing them to spend it for the purposes of the campaign. A politician can't use their PAC to buy themselves a house or a fancy car.

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