BBC News: Campaign funding free-for-all

[LongTomH]

From across the pond, BBC Commentator Mardell offers his take on the disastrous SCOTUS ruling and American politics in general:

From the British point of view, one of the notable features of American political campaigns is the volume and viciousness of the political adverts, and the amount of money spent on them. Both attacking an opponent in the way that is commonplace here, and spending the amount of money on it, would be illegal in Britain.

So it is perhaps a bit of a surprise that the Supreme Court has just ruled that the current laws in America are too tight, and that corporations should be allowed to spend just like individuals. It's bound to apply to unions, too. Liberals are alarmed that it will mean big business dictating the outcome of a campaign.

<snip>

Will it make a whole heap of difference? Spending is bound to increase, but don't unions and corporations find a way around the rules anyway? One analyst has told a colleague that businesses won't be delighted: they don't want to spend huge amounts on political campaigns in the current economic environment.

And can American politics get any nastier?

I have to agree on that last statement; but, it (American politics) will almost certainly get nastier.

[bemildred]

1. It does apply to unions too.

It will be interesting to see what use unions make of that freedom.

[Daveparts still]

5. Corporations earned $600 billion

in profits while unions are non-profits. Its Peewee Herman against Mike Tyson.

[bemildred]

6. True, I was just responding to the statement in the OP.

"It's bound to apply to unions, too."

I hope you don't think I was defending the USSC decision.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Businesses in general may not be delighted, but the rich and obsessed will be

Richard Mellon Scaife, or Howard Ahmanson, for instance. They're not looking for 'value for money' in their political spending; they just want power and influence, whatever it takes.

[D-Lee]

3. Don't overlook spending on judicial campaigns to favor WHO?

There have been some repulsive judicial campaigns in some states ...

[ginnyinWI]

4. it would be great if our Dem legislators could cancel this ruling by

enacting some sort of ban on all campaign spending--or somehow make it all equal. This is a problem that has been growing year by year and now it's come to a crisis. Time for a do-over!