Obama blasts GOP for stalling campaign finance bill

WASHINGTON - Stop blocking legislation to limit the amount of money corporations and unions can spend on campaign advertising, President Barack Obama is telling Republicans.

"This is common sense," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday. "In fact, this is the kind of proposal that Democrats and Republicans have agreed on for decades. Yet, the Republican leaders in Congress have so far said, 'No.' "

At issue is a Supreme Court ruling that reversed a century-long trend of limiting the power of big money in politics by saying corporations and unions may spend heavily to influence presidential and congressional elections.

Republicans, seen as mostly benefiting from the ruling, argue that Democrats are only trying to protect themselves with the bill.

The Democratic-controlled House has passed legislation to scale back the ruling and require greater disclosure by donors. Senate Republicans have blocked it and it's unlikely that the Senate will act in time to affect the November elections.

Obama said a partisan minority wants to "ride this wave of unchecked influence all the way to victory" on Nov. 2.

Also, Obama told members of the Congressional Black Caucus at a dinner last night to go back home and rally to support Democrats at the polls. He's likening the task at hand to the grassroots efforts that helped drive the civil rights movement.

Obama doesn't use the word "Republican" in his remarks. Instead he's talking about "the other side" and "a crowd that wants to do what's right politically, instead of what's right - period."

He also says the recession came down with "a particular vengeance" on African-American communities.