Dan Rather: Republicans turning against Citizens United ruling

Dan Rather, host of Dan Rather Reports on HDNet, said Monday that Republicans and conservatives were beginning to re-think their support for the Supreme Court's controversial ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

"When the decision first came through, I think it was practically unanimous thinking among Republicans and self-described conservatives, 'This is a dream come true,'" he said on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show.

"But it turns out the dream has some nightmarish hues and here's why: the candidates don't necessarily control their own campaign any more nor does the state Republican Party nor does the national Republican Party. Any big money super millionaire who chooses to do so can pour money in any statewide or national campaign."

The ruling allowed corporations and other groups to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, so long as their actions were not directly coordinated with a candidate’s campaign.

Rather noted that both the tea party movement and the "Occupy Wall Street" movement had asked whether "we still have a government of the people, by the people, for the people, or do we have a government that is for big corporations?"

"I think this is beginning to seep into all parties and most candidates, by not means all," he said.

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