Corporations are People Too!

Romney is Right - The Murray Hill Inc. statement on Romney's support for corporate civil rights

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:11:00 +0000

A statement from Murray Hill Inc., on
Mitt Romney's declaration that corporations are people.

WASHINGTON--Murray Hill Inc., the Maryland corporation that rocked the political establishment with its 2010 campaign for Congress, announces its support for Mitt Romney's public statement in support of corporate civil rights.

"While our position is that people get in the way of politics, Murray Hill Inc. greatly appreciates a bodied person candidate willing to speak the truth to the American People--that the Supreme Court says corporations are people too! Mitt Romney, a major party candidate who received a significant anonymous corporate contribution, was brave enough to publcly agree with corporate personhood and our right to give large, unchecked donations to the political process. When corporate civil rights history is written years from now, content providers will point to this moment as a significant turning point in U.S. Politics."

Murray Hill Inc. is the first corporation in U.S. history to run for Congress, following the Supreme Court's Citizens' United ruling. The campaign garnered national and international publicity, including a front-page story in the Washington Post, segments and interviews on NPR, BBC, CBS and numerous national and local radio broadcasts. Complete review of our coverage is at our blog. Our Facebook page reached nearly 15,000 likes and our initial campaign video has nearly a quarter-million hits on YouTube. The spot can be seen here.

As for Murray Hill Inc.'s current political activity, it is scheduling speaking engagements and “personal” appearances that will include a listening tour of college campuses New Hampshire and across the country. “We’re not prepared at this point in time to make any announcements regarding the 2012 presidential primaries,” Murray Hill Inc. says, “but as the leaders in corporate civil rights we have an obligation to discuss the coming transition to a fully corporate federal government with the American people.”

Murray Hill Designated Human Eric Hensal is available for further comment on this story and related topics at 202-262-9152.

Romney Agrees! Corporations are People Too!

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Follow this link to the NY Times blog that covers this historic day--a presidential candidate says corporations are people too!

Mitt Agrees! Says Corporations are People too at Iowa rally!

Murray Hill Inc. will have more to say tomorrow.

Read our latest story on Politico

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:19:00 +0000

Thanks to the great work of our Hired Gun Campaign Manager William Klein, Murray Hill has an Op-Ed on Politico.

Follow the link and see the our latest comments on Tuesday's Elections

DH Eric Hensal guest on Thom Hartmann's "The Big Picture" show

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 15:21:00 +0000

See our Oct. 18th appearance on Thom Hartmann's "The Big Picture" daily television show on RT America. The corporation extends its thanks to Thom for this and our first national radio appearance back in January.

Watch the video of our appearance.

See more of "The Big Picture" with Thom Hartmann

Corporation Running for Congress Runs Radio Ads Supporting Boehner, O’Donnell Opening Salvo in National Media Campaign to Elect Corporate-Friendly Candidates

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Murray Hill Inc., the first corporation to run for Congress following the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission case, is running ads on Ohio and Delaware radio stations in support of Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R-DE). The corporate candidate plans to roll out this campaign to other congressional districts and states between now and the November election.

The 30-second ads hail the candidates for their opposition to the Disclose Act, the legislation sponsored by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) that would blunt the impact of the Court's ruling protecting the rights of corporations to make unlimited, undocumented campaign contributions. Murray Hill Inc.'s campaign against Rep. Van Hollen in Maryland's 8th Congressional District has received national and international press coverage, including a front-page story in the Washington Post, NPR's All Things Considered, CBS' Face the Nation, CNBC, the BBC, and the New York Times and Newsweek online, and numerous national and local radio interviews. Murray Hill Inc.'s campaign video has received more than 220,000 views on YouTube.

"The sinister forces of anti-corporate bigotry are gathering to limit the free-speech spending rights of America's great corporations," Murray Hill Inc. said in a statement. "Thankfully, true patriots like John Boehner and Christine O'Donnell know that corporations are people too, and they have an inalienable right to wield unchecked power in our elections."

"We often hear that we have the 'best Congress money can buy,'" says Murray Hill Inc., "but sadly, this ideal remains elusive. Our goal is to elect a corporate Congress whose loyalty and votes can be openly sold, leased and traded. These priorities are important to John Boehner and Christine O'Donnell, and they are important to the American people."

Here is a video version of our John Boehner Spot.

Links to MP3 files for both ads

John Boehner ad

Christine O'Donnell ad

Congressman Van Hollen and DH Eric Hensal discuss campaign finance in public forum

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:43:00 +0000

This story sums up the evening very well. We are confident the audience understood what we mean when we say "Corporations are People Too!"

Opensecrets Blog

Anti-Corporate Bigotry Continues in Maryland

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:15:00 +0000

It is sad, but a sign of the long fight ahead for full corporate civil rights. On July 2, The Maryland Board of Elections again barred Murray Hill Incorporated from exercising its lawful civil right to participate in the upcoming election.We are consulting with our legal team on next steps, but we intend to pursue a place on the general election ballot.

In the face of this injustice, we need to remind ourselves that the U.S. Supreme Court believes Corporations are People Too!

Read the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post weblog posts.

Take a look at the rejection for yourself. Show your support for the cause - buy t-shirts, bumper stickers and signs from our Company Store

West Virginia Corporation Approved by State Government to Run for Public Office

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:02:00 +0000

Take a look at how progressive West Virginia truly is. This is the first state in the nation to specifically approve a corporation to run for office. A blow for corporate civil rights has been struck. Look at the final page of Stevens Novelties approved charter. More details to follow.

Obama Nominates Failed Citizens United Opponent to Supreme Court Murray Hill Inc. for Congress campaign says, “Bring It On”

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:05:00 +0000

Released May 12, 2010--

Following is a statement from Murray Hill Inc. for Congress, the first corporation to run for Congress following the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission. The government’s position in the case was argued by Elena Kagan, President Obama’s nominee to replace Justice John Paul Stevens.

“When the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to protect the right of corporate persons to contribute to federal campaigns, a predictable outcry was raised by some who cling to a misguided belief in so-called “inalienable rights” of bodied persons. Such a notion is so 19th Century!

"President Barack Obama joined the fray during his State of the Union address, when he vilified the Court's decision and called for Congress to nullify its impact, provoking a fit of apoplexy in Justice Alito. Now, in a transparent attempt to thwart Murray Hill Inc.'s historic candidacy, the president has stepped up his attack by appointing the very architect of the now thoroughly discredited argument against corporate civil rights.
"Murray Hill Inc. says to Barack Obama, bring it on! It is now the law of the land that corporations are people too--with the same rights and privileges enjoyed by humans. The courts have devoted endless attention to the rights of the "unborn," but finally, they are recognizing the rights of the never born.

"That's why, freed from the shackles of democratic disenfranchisement by an enlightened Supreme Court, Murray Hill Inc. declared its candidacy for Congress and began what has grown into a national, indeed international movement to usher in a new, human-free era of representative democracy. Hundreds of thousands supporters have viewed our YouTube video, and our campaign has been featured on NPR, MSNBC, the BBC, the Washington Post, New York Times and other major media. More people have seen news about Murray Hill Inc. for Congress than have read Elena Kagan's law review articles.

"Murray Hill Inc. will not be intimidated by Barack Obama, Elena Kagan or anyone else seeking to perpetuate anti-corporate bigotry and discrimination. We hope to testify at Elena Kagan's nomination hearing and further amplify our views."

voter registration release

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:57:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, May 3 2010

CONTACT: Campaign Manager William Klein
williamklein@mac.com
301-412-1768 (c)

Designated Human Eric Hensal
congressinc@murrayhillweb.com
(301) 637-2119 (o) 202-262-9152 (c)

Corporate Candidate for Congress Blasts "Anti-Corporate Bigotry" in Voter Registration Rejection by Maryland Board of Elections

Murray Hill Inc. Warns of "Chaos and Confusion" in Post Citizens United Environment

In a stunning and alarming decision that could have wide-ranging consequences to the electoral process, the Maryland Board of Elections again defied the Supreme Court and rejected Murray Hill Inc.'s voter registration for the second time.

The Maryland State Board of Elections' 438-word written opinion denied Murray Hill Inc.'s appeal of the board's initial refusal to register the corporation. The board's rejection memo concluded that "Under Sec.3-102 of the Election Law Article, Annoted Code of Maryland, only "an individual" is qualified to register to vote."

Murray Hill filed for voter registration in January 2010. The state rejected the application in March and today denies an appeal filed in early April.

In a statement, Murray Hill Inc. said, "This is the same old anti-corporate bigotry and cultural myopia that refuses to accept the new world the Supreme Court has charted for us in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission. We are shocked and outraged by this attack on our fundamental and inalieanble rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by profit."
Citing what Murray Hill Inc. has previously called the canard of human-only age requirements, the Board of Elections wrote, "Although a corporation may in some instances be a 'person' within the meaning of Maryland law, see Article 1, Sec. 15, Annotated Code of Maryland, a corporation is not included within the term 'individual,' as that term is used in Election Law Article, Sec. 3-102. This is made abundantly clear by the age requirement of Sec. 3-102 (a)(2)."

But Murray Hill Inc. says the Board of Election's logic is flawed. A corporation is a fully formed person from the moment its charter is filed with a Secretary of State.

"Unlike bodied persons," Murray Hill Inc. says, "corporations do not follow an aging process in which they are born, go through childhood, adolescence and then are old enough to buy beer."

Murray Hill Inc. has cited a passage in Justice John Paul Stevens' dissent in Citizens United that clarifies the rights of corporate persons to participate fully in the democratic process.

"Under the majority's view," Stevens wrote, "I suppose it may be a First Amendment problem that corporations are not permitted to vote, given that voting is, among other things, a form of speech."

Within days of the Citizens United decision, Murray Hill Inc. announced its candidacy for U.S. Congress in Maryland's 8th Congressional District.

But in its determination, the Maryland Board of Elections attempts to hide its bias and prejudice under Stevens' judicial robes.

"Justice Stevens's speculative language, expressing concern that the majority's decision might be read so broadly, did not, as Complainant states, 'recogniz[e] a right for corporations to vote.' Justice Stevens certainly disagreed with that proposition, and nothing in the Opinion of the Court or in the concurring opinions even touches on the right of a corporation to vote or hold office."

The state's position is simply wrong, said Designated Human Eric Hensal. "Corporations are people too, with free speech rights. The Court's decision plainly tells everyone, corporate or corporeal, that they can grow up to be president, or a member of Congress."

Campaign Manager William Klein, who had previously promised a campaign that "puts people second," or even third, said it is only a matter of time before other corporate persons follow Murray Hill Inc.'s example.

"Murray Hill Inc. is the first corporation to run for office following the Supreme Court's enlightened decision," Klein says, "but surely not the last."

"It must surely be dawning on BP, for example, how they could vote themselves off the hook from responsibility in the gulf oil spill, or Goldman Sachs granting themselves immunity from prosecution."

"The Board of Elections is grasping at straws," Murray Hill Inc. says. "This ruling can only lead to chaos and confusion."

"Whistling past the graveyard won't change the tune—there's a new day dawning in politics, with corporations in the driver's seat, where they belong."

Murray Hill Inc. says it is now evaluating its options and plans on continuing its campaign.

###

The memo that started it all. See why Murray Hill is running for office.

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:11:00 +0000

Note: From time to time, we will post the significant documents from our historic campaign. This will give the public a sense of the true wisdom behind the Supreme Court's decision and why corporations running for office is the best solution to democracy money can buy.

From: Eric Hensal
To: Board of Directors
Date: January 22, 2010
Re: Market opportunities after Citizens United
______

Introduction

The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC is a landmark decision and an opportunity to seize. The court has said nothing less than “Corporations are People Too.” And, while there will be much hand-wringing about the influence of corporate money in politics, I believe the central point will be lost, even to this ruling’s chief beneficiary--the corporate community.

If corporations are people, corporations can vote. If they can vote, they can hold office. Holding office means direct control over public spending. Instead of lobbying so-called independent representatives to take corporate positions, we can save the time and expense and directly run for these positions. Then government becomes another corporation to corporation negotiation and, in effect, cuts out expensive middlemen who must be continually pushed through election after election.

There are over 500,000 elected officials in the United States controlling the trillions of dollars in public expenditures. That is a tremendous untapped market for us to exploit.

Citizens United--what it means to us.

The telling point is found in the dissent written by Justice John Paul Stevens. "Under the majority's view," Stevens wrote, "I suppose it may be a First Amendment problem that corporations are not permitted to vote, given that voting is, among other things, a form of speech."

Corporations able to vote, recognized as full corporate persons under the U.S. Constitution, that is the new frontier of civil rights for the supreme court and this country. The issue becomes the full recognition of our rights as a corporate person, as opposed to the bodied persons who have held office until today.

My recommendation is to press this issue by becoming the first corporation to run for congress. By entering this market early and developing the procedures and technology necessary to make this a reality, we will be at the cusp of an amazing new market, both here in the United States, but across the world as the corporate model holds increasing sway.

Why Congress?

There are practical and public relations reasons for running for Congress. On the practical level, there are fewer restrictions on candidates running for Congress than most state or even local government positions. We will be challenging a substantial bias and we need to pare down the potential roadblocks.

But on the political front, running for congress is a statement. The U.S. Supreme Court says we are corporate person, and the first expression of this expansion of civil rights should not be running for dogcatcher. For the time being, we needed the support of bodied persons if Murray Hill is to be elected, and the most compelling story for voters is running for congress with all the rights our founding fathers meant for us.

The Potential

In 1992, the last year the U.S. Census collected this information, there were 85,006 governments in the United States with 513,200 elected officials—approximately one elected official for every 485 inhabitants, or about 150 people at every NFL game in 2009. There is no reason for these numbers to be substantially different today.

While 513,000 positions is a substantial number, it is well within the reach of a corporation to manage that number of employees. Wal-Mart has 1.8 million employees. McDonald’s has nearly 500,000. While Murray Hill is not in a position today to take on such a task, we can either grow into the task as an industry leader, as Google has done, or develop a business model with the aim to be acquired by Google, Exxon, Bank of China, or any other substantial corporate partner who sees the vision behind our actions and wishes to profit through it.

Obstacles

Our research department is preparing more detailed analyses of this proposal, but we are facing several challenges.

The target district under consideration is the Maryland 8th district. It is a simple choice because it is where the corporate headquarters is located, the district borders Washington DC, putting us in an important media marker, and, symbolically, Chief Justice Roberts lives in this district. The current member of congress is Democrat Chris Van Hollen.

There are two obstacles to overcome. First is the constitutional requirement for a candidate to be 25 years old. We believe the constitution, however, sets no procedure for determining age and the assumption has always been age as bodied persons experience it. Corporations do not age, and are as old they will ever be the day corporation papers are filed. We are working on language for a “reasonable accommodation” that will reflect the new nature of corporate persons.

Second is voter registration. We have determined the best course of action will be to run as a Republican. It is the party most sympathetic to corporate views. While the constitution does not require a candidate for congress to be a registered voter, Maryland requires a candidate be a registered voter to the party in question to run in a party primary. Our task is to register and our paperwork is prepared for submission as we speak.

Next Steps

There are three immediate tasks to undertake. First is to submit an application for voter registration. This will force a debate on our status as a corporate person.

Second is to distribute an introduction video laying out our case for corporate personhood and our campaign.

Third, the corporation should retain the services of William Klein as our campaign manager. We need a skilled “hired gun” to assist in developing a winning strategy.

Conclusion

This is a great opportunity that cannot be passed up. I recommend pressing forward with deliberate speed to position Murray Hill as the first and best corporation running for congress. It is the best solution to democracy money can buy.

Murray Hill Inc. now has column on Huffington Post

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:44:00 +0000

We appreciate Huffington Post's willingness to help us address the anti-corporate person bias in this country. With this platform, everyone will hear the truth about corporations, politics and why corporate candidates are the best solution for democracy money can buy.

Here is our first post, praising Justice Stevens, even though he voted against corporate personhood.

Huffington Post Story 4/16/10

voter registration appeal release

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:30:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Link to online press release here

CONTACT:

Designated Human Eric Hensal

congressinc@murrayhillweb.com

(301) 637-2119 (o) 202-262-9152 (c)

Campaign Manager William Klein

williamklein@mac.com

301-412-1768 (c)

Murray Hill Inc. Appeals Voter Registration Denial by Maryland Board of Elections

Supporters Meet in Annapolis to Protest Premise that Corporate Candidate is "Not a Human Being"

The campaign of the first corporation to run for Congress has shaken the political establishment across state and party lines. In the latest development, the Maryland State Board of Elections rejected Murray Hill Inc's application to register as a Republican in Montgomery County, so that the corporation can run in the party primary for Congress in Maryland's 8th Congressional District.

On Wednesday, March 24, at 12:30 PM, Murray Hill Inc will formally appeal this ruling by submitting a request to the Maryland State Board of Elections, 151 West Street, Suite 200, Annapolis MD. The corporation's "astroturf" supporters are expected to be on hand as Designated Human Eric Hensal and Campaign Manager William Klein file the appeal.

In its letter to the Board of Elections, Murray Hill Inc. states:

"In January 2010, Murray Hill Incorporated applied for voter registration in Montgomery County. On March 10, 2010, Voter Registration Division Director Ms. Mary Cramer Wagner ordered the Montgomery County Board of Elections to not process our application to vote. Ms. Wagner asserted that 'A corporation “designating” a human does not meet the qualifications to register.'”

"Her direction to the Montgomery County Board of Elections rests on the implied notion that only a “bodied” person may vote and she fails to address the core issue—corporations have a right to vote and run for office, based on the expansion of First Amendment rights defined by the majority opinion in Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U. S. ____ (2010).

"Our decision to register Murray Hill Incorporated resulted from our review of Citizens United. In our opinion, the First Amendment rights extended to corporations brought civil rights law to a point where a corporation, as a corporate person, must be allowed to vote and hold public office. Even in dissent, Justice Stevens recognized a right for corporations to vote under the majority's decision, saying “Under the majority’s view, I suppose it may be a First Amendment problem that corporations are not permitted to vote, given that voting is, among other things, a form of speech.”

In recent weeks, the Murray Hill Inc. campaign has attracted national publicity, from a front-page story in the Washington Post (March 13, 2010) to news coverage on NPR's All Things Considered, MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Show, the Thom Hartmann and Alan Colmes radio programs, among other media. More than 200,000 viewers have seen the campaign's YouTube video, and over 10,000 supporters have become Facebook fans.

"Restricting the civil rights of corporate persons is un-American, unconstitutional and anathema to the fundamental principles of our democracy," Murray Hill Inc. says. "This discriminatory ruling by the Maryland State Board of Elections cannot stand."

The campaign is a guest on KCRW's "To the Point"

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:12:00 +0000

Designated Human Eric Hensal just appeared on KCRW's "To the Point." Here is a link to the podcast. Our portion begins at 25 minutes into the show.

Update: Maryland rejects our voter registration.

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:02:00 +0000

From DH Eric Hensal:

It is disappointing to report that the state of Maryland rejected our application to register to vote. In a clear bias towards bodied persons, the state does not believe we have the right to register.

But this is only the first step in our stand for corporate civil rights. We are sure you agree, our campaign is at the forefront of an historic movement that will eventually win all the rights our founding fathers meant for corporations to have. We will not be deterred in our efforts and will continue moving forward.

With the state's response in hand, we will formulate our legal response to this rejection shortly. For your information, the county and state communications are posted for your review.

Maryland response

Murray Hill Inc. on NPR

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Just a quick post with a link to the NPR All Things Considered interview with Designated Human Eric Hensal on Tuesday March 16, 2010.

Also, the corporation wants to thank the staff at public radio station WTMD in Towson, Maryland for the studio time that made the interview possible.

Washington Post and Face the Nation Coverage

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:53:00 +0000

From DH Eric Hensal:

Here is the latest on the media coverage of our historic campaign:

Here is a link to the Washington Post front page story!

Bob Schieffer's commentary on our campaign on Face the Nation

And a follow-up from the Washington Post reporter's blog on story reaction

Thoughts on a corporate person's age

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:16:00 +0000

From: DH Eric Hensal

There is a great deal of internet traffic regarding the "age" of Murray Hill Inc. We understand that after the U.S. Supreme Court so strongly recognized corporate personhood, our political campaign is breaking new, and sometimes awkward, ground in how this personhood operates in a world biased towards bodied persons.

The age question is the most common brought against our effort. The U.S. Constitution requires a person be at least 25 years old to run for Congress. Murray Hill, our detractors say, is only a few years old, therefore, we cannot run for office. We would like to take this opportunity to discuss, briefly, how the rights recognized in the Citizens United decision are to be implemented in this anti-corporate climate.

The Supreme Court did not create a new class of corporate persons. Instead, the majority simply recognized that a person-under-the-law has two manifestations--bodied and corporate. What we are facing today is analogous to issues addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act--how to make the political process truly accessible to corporate persons in a way our founding fathers wanted us to have?

The constitution does not define how to calculate age, but simply states a minimum age. Corporations are not bodied persons because we are complete from day one and do not have a meaningful age in any way a bodied person would calculate. No infancy, no immaturity, no waiting until a corporation is 21 to buy beer. There is also no distinction between corporations on the basis of age, so a corporation does not ask an older corporation to buy beer on its behalf.

A reasonable accommodation for corporate persons is to get past this old-fashioned notion of birth as a starting point of age. It is a reasonable measure for bodied persons, but not one for corporate persons. This issue is sure to be litigated as those who hate corporations attack this inevitable expansion of civil rights fight to bar our rights as a corporate person. However, here are a few thoughts on how to measure corporate age.

One thought is that all corporations are as old as the statues they are incorporated under. This is an unbiased measure based on the law governing corporate structures. Another is to connect the corporate measured age to bodied persons within the corporation, such as the median age of the board of directors, or even simply, the age of the designated human.

Whatever the final metric is, we are confident it will be decided in our favor. Any bias we face in state and federal courts along our historic journey will surely be overturned by the Supreme Court. Murray Hill Inc. is supremely confident of this inevitable outcome.

CQ Weekly article

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:47:00 +0000

Company Makes a Run for It

By Rebecca Adams, CQ Staff

Since the Supreme Court has decided that corporations have just as much right as other “persons” to spend what they like to influence elections, a group of liberal activists reasons, why couldn’t a corporation just skip a step and run for political office itself?

Anyway, that’s what the folks think at Murray Hill Inc., an advocacy and media firm in Silver Spring, Md., with a client list mainly of liberal activists. The company has filed candidacy papers to run as a Republican in the Montgomery County congressional district represented by Democrat Chris Van Hollen. The firm’s president, Eric Hensal, says he’s franchising the tools for candidacy and encouraging other “corporate persons” to run for office. The first franchisee is Computer Umbrella Inc. of Sterling, Va., which is plotting a House run.

“The Supreme Court has taken a bold step in planting a flag for corporate civil rights,” Hensal says. “There’s so much money in politics, but we should just get rid of the middleman. People just get in the way of politics.”

The company’s online video ad, which has been viewed on YouTube nearly 170,000 times, heralds a “new day” in corporate candidacy: “Thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, corporations now have all the rights the founding fathers meant for us. It’s our democracy — we bought it, we paid for it, and we’re going to keep it.”

Aside from the fact that federal law recognizes corporations, partnerships and similar arrangements as artificial “persons” in a limited way — for lawsuits, for instance, and to buy and hold property — there are obvious practical problems in running for office.
The Constitution says House members have to be at least 25 years old; Murray Hill was founded only five years ago. And to participate in the Sept. 14 GOP primary, the company has to prove it is a registered Republican. Given the unlikelihood of that, Hensal says the corporation may run as an independent, which would require collecting about 4,000 signatures.

Even then, there’s the problem that the company is, well, not an individual, as Maryland law requires. “That might be a stumbling block for Murray Hill,” saysJared DeMarinis, director of candidacy and campaign finance at the Maryland Board of Elections.

Van Hollen, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and has criticized the court ruling on political contributions, is playing along. “This won’t be the first time Van Hollen has taken on big corporate special interests,” says senior adviser Doug Thornell. However, “it will be the first time he has run against one.”

Source: CQ Weekly
The definitive source for news about Congress.
© 2010 Congressional Quarterly Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Murray Hill Inc. Denounces Maryland Democratic Party Cynicism

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:04:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, February 25 2010

CONTACT: Designated Human Eric Hensal

congressinc@murrayhillweb.com

(301) 637-2119 (o) 202-262-9152 (c)

Campaign Manager William Klein

williamklein@mac.com

301-412-1768

Democratic Party Scrambles To Cope With Murray Hill Inc. for Congress Campaign

Corporation Run Spurs Fundraising Email from Fearful Maryland Democrats

The campaign of the first corporation to run for Congress has shaken the political establishment across state and party lines. In the latest development, the Maryland Democratic Party [MDP] today emailed its supporters a fund raising pitch soliciting contributions to thwart Murray Hill Inc.’s historic effort to secure the rights of corporate persons.

In a statement, Murray Hill Inc. calls the email, and similar language on the MPD website, “a cynical and twisted move to use one corporation’s free speech and lawful pursuit of profit for the most craven fundraising purposes.”

The MPD message begins, according to Murray Hill Inc., with an objective and correct summation of the Court decision.

“Last month,” the email says, “the Supreme Court ruled in favor of corporations over working people. The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns. Now, a corporation in Maryland is wasting no time to take advantage of this decision to run for Congress.”

But the next line, according to Murray Hill Inc., goes too far.

“Will you make a contribution,” the party pleads, “to demonstrate that the people’s voice will not be drowned out in elections?”

“While some may question our motives or our intent,” Murray Hill Inc. says, “we are as serious as the supreme court. The hundreds of thousands of citizens who’ve seen our video and read about us on the web agree—corporations are people too!”

The MDP message concludes with a misguided and inaccurate call to action, Murray Hill Inc. says. A link to the party’s donor page reads:

“Will you make a contribution today? Every individual matters. Every dollar counts.”

Nonsense, says Murray Hill Inc.

“Every individual matters?” commented Murray Hill Inc. “Bodied politicians just do not understand the futility of individual effort."

“The Supreme Court’s majority opinion casts aside the 18th century superstition that we are endowed by a creator with inalienable rights. There is now nothing special about bodied people, no difference between them, corporate persons or toasters. This decision does not elevate corporations, but sets a lower and fair market value on bodied persons.”

Combating prejudice and bias against corporate persons is one of the primary motivations behind Murray Hill Inc.’s run for office.

“Anti-corporate bigotry has no place in our great democracy,” Murray Hill Inc. says. “Our forefathers lived and died for the inalienable rights of every person, human and corporate, to pursue life (or its corporate equivalent), liberty and the pursuit of happiness (or profit).”

Murray Hill Inc. is running as a Republican in Maryland’s 8^th Congressional District, and recently announced it was offering franchise opportunities to other corporations seeking to exercise their constitutional rights.

"If your campaign conforms to Murray Hill Inc.’s exacting standards,” the campaign says, “your materials may use our logo and official graphics, which tell the world you are an affiliate of the leader in corporate civil rights.”

###

Website - Murrayhillincforcongress.com

Facebook –Murray Hill Inc for Congress

YouTube - Campaign Video

Send us your video endorsements

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Announcing YouTube Video Contest!

Our historic campaign is developing its next campaign video—and you can be a part of it! Upload your personal video endorsement to YouTube. We’ll select the best entries for our new campaign commercial.

It is a new day. While the fundamental principle of the Murray Hill Inc. for Congress campaign is to eliminate bodied humans from the electoral process, the corporation knows you will require a transition period. That’s why first-person endorsements are so important right now. Help your fellow bodied persons accept this new day.

Guidelines:

Record a message from 15 to 30 seconds long. Submissions over time limit are not eligible.

Send your submission as a video response to our "New Day" commercial.

Your personal message must tell the world why you support Murray Hill Inc for Congress. Suggested themes include but are not limited to:

We must support this historic corporate civil rights struggle.
Our current government is a failed business model of politicians seeking corporate contributions, and then voting with so-called “free will.”
Political corruption and the rising cost of campaigns will stop when we get rid of the greed and self-interest of bodied humans.

All submissions must end by you saying “Murray Hill Inc for Congress—because corporations are people too!” Submissions must have this tagline to be eligible.

Sample script: "The supreme court secured the future our founding fathers envisioned for everyone. Murray Hill Incorporated for Congress. Because corporations are people too!"

When you submit a video, you agree it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

All videos will appear as responses to our original campaign commercial. Potential finalists will appear on our Murray Hill Inc. for Congress YouTube channel.

Thank you for helping fellow bodied persons accept this new day!

Follow this link to submit your video

Text of Annapolis Speech on Corporate Personhood

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:35:00 +0000

Text of Annapolis Speech on Corporate Personhood

presented by DH Eric Hensal on Monday, Feb. 22, 2010

My name is Eric Hensal, designated human, DH for the baseball minded, for Murray Hill Incorporated's 8^th district congressional campaign. Duly authorized by shareholder resolution, I speak for the corporation, and, by proxy, all corporations in this new world of corporate civil rights.

With the supreme court's Citizens United decision, our corporation saw a new day. A day when we are not judged by having a body, but the by balance in our bank accounts. Just as our founding fathers meant for us.

Corporations are people too! This belief is our campaign's heart and soul, if corporations believed in such superstitions, that is. And this enlightened decision finally puts such superstitions to rest. This case is not about corporate first amendment rights—all nine justices agree we have them. No, the majority made a different, bold stroke. By equating money with speech, speech becomes a product. A toaster, if you will. Bodied people who speak are are simply product packaging.

The majority opinion casts aside the 18^th century superstition that we are endowed by a creator with inalienable rights. There is now nothing special about bodied people, no difference between them, the corporate and toasters. This decision does not elevate corporations, but sets a lower and fair market value on bodied persons. The justices crafted an elegant, thoughtful decision which I am sure they all rightly see as their Brown versus Board of Education, and not the Dredd Scott as some alarmists claim. It is now time for a corporation to run for office as the person the court says we are.

Murray Hill Incorporated is moving into this new democracy market, positioning ourselves early as a leader in manufacturing consent. Our view is people get in the way of politics. There are over 500,000 bodied elected officials in the United States who daily complicate corporate life. With corporations now free to purchase as much speech as possible to influence every government level, unchecked officials will ask for ever-increasing contributions, auctioning votes to the highest bidder. Our business model will succeed because we will cut out these middlemen by running corporations directly for office, increasing profits for everyone. The Murray Hill way will provide government to corporations at the lowest wholesale price. And with corporate accounting, the books will always look good.

I am sure there those in the audience uncomfortable with this new day. We can only say, get used to it. Our entire political culture rests on a corporate worldview that will quash any effort to set back our civil rights. Campaign finance laws? Our supreme court majority is young and will keep knocking out statues like a day at the driving range. Constitutional amendments? The last one took 200 years to enact. Shareholder resolutions for political spending? That's done in five minutes. A real assault against us would be changes to corporate law to increase shareholder influence and promote union organizing. Actions like these would force today's confused politics into corporate governance and, perhaps, make the corporate as accountable as the bodied. Our research department, however, assures us that any bodied opposition will pursue predictable lines.

So, today, our campaign's primary marketing objective is for the bodied to embrace this new corporeal diversity. Murray Hill understands that corporations may live forever, but we need cubicles filled every day, cleaning crews at work every night and, for the time being, votes cast every election. Our goal is for the bodied to see that following corporate enlightened self-interest is the only way and that it will make the world a better place for us. Let me assure you that Murray Hill eventually cares for the bodied person.

After all, you are people too!

For more information on Murray Hill Incorporated's historic run for congress, visit

• Website - Murrayhillincforcongress.com

• Facebook – Murray Hill Inc for Congress

• YouTube - www.youtube.com/murrayhillcongress

Let's Franchise Democracy

noreply@blogger.com (Murray Hill Inc.for Congress) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:44:00 +0000

Let’s Franchise Democracy!”

First Corporation Running for Congress Offers Franchise Opportunity

Murray Hill Inc., the first corporation to run for federal office following the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, announced today it was franchising its campaign for Congress to other corporations.

“Our goal is to create a truly national movement to call attention to the Supreme Court's ruling establishing the rights of corporate persons and what that means for everyone in our country,” Murray Hill Inc. said in a statement.

Since Murray Hill Inc. launched its campaign in late January, its YouTube video has drawn 170,000 views and its Facebook page acquired 2,600 friends. The campaign has been covered by the New York Times, Newsweek, Atlantic Politics, the Huffington Post, Daily Kos and numerous news sites and blogs. Designated Human Eric Hensal and Campaign Manager William Klein have appeared on MSNBC, the Thom Hartmann show, the Alan Colmes show, the Kojo Nnamdi show and other radio and TV programs.

But now, says Murray Hill Inc., it’s time to roll out the campaign for equal rights for corporations to other districts and states across the U.S.

Murray Hill Inc. has prepared step-by-step toolkits for corporations to use in their own Congressional campaigns, under the rubric of the Murray Hill Inc. “brand.” The toolkits include a model press release, franchise overview, media outreach guidelines, talking points and templates for campaign materials.

Murray Hill Inc.’s groundbreaking campaign has generated controversy and criticism from political traditionalists who insist that only humans can be elected to office. One comment on YouTube said,

“This is the most UN American thing to ever happen in this country. Just wait till its’ foreign companies doing this and they will buy our elections. I hope this company fails completely in every venture they try. Corporate Communists!”

Combating prejudice and bias against corporate persons is one of the primary motivations behind Murray Hill Inc.’s run for office.

The first corporation to enter into a franchise agreement with Murray Hill Inc. is Computer Umbrella Inc. of Sterling Virginia. Computer Umbrella’s own Designated Human, Jonathan Stewart, is charting the corporation's run for U.S. Congress in Virginia’s 10th District.

“We are proud to embrace the Murray Hill Inc. Brand,“ Stewart says. “From steel to silicon, it's America's entrepreneurs who find and exploit the new markets. The democracy market in Washington DC today looks like Silicon Valley 30 years ago. CUI wants to position itself as early leader in this emerging market along with Murray Hill Inc. ”

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Website - Murrayhillincforcongress.com

Facebook – Murray Hill Inc for Congress

YouTube - Murray Hill Inc. YouTube Channel