This cartoon image is by Scott Stantis in the Chicago Tribune.When the Supreme Court made their terrible Citizens United vs. FEC decision, Liberals and progressives said it would result in candidates using the decision as a way to get around campaign laws -- laws which still limit the amount of money given a candidate. The court disagreed, saying there were rules in place that kept a candidate from coordinating with a Super-PAC.
It turns out that the court was wrong. A candidate for a federal office can't accept more than $2600 from anyone for a primary or general election campaign. But candidates have realized that all they have to do is get a friend, family member, or "former" employee to create a super-PAC which has only one purpose (to elect a certain candidate) and that super-PAC can accept unlimited donations from anyone (family members, corporations, friends, lobbyists, etc) -- and it is nearly impossible to prove that super-PAC is being directed informally by the candidate or his campaign staff.
According to USA Today, this is now becoming a popular way for rich family members to put unlimited funds into a family members campaign. In fact, there have been more than forty super-PACs raising at least $100,000 since January 1st that have fewer than five people who have donated. It has become the go-to way to get around campaign donation limits for families -- and for other entities.
And if you believe the candidate (or his/her campaign staff) is not directing how and when that super-PAC money is being spent, then I have some oceanfront property here in Amarillo that I'll sell you real cheap. No candidate really wants these super-PACs to truly be on their own -- because they could do something stupid, and turn the public against the candidate.
This is only going to get worse with each election. Soon, only candidates who can tap into large corporate or family or special interest donations through a super-PAC will be able to run, and the candidates who rely on donations by people directly to their campaign will not be able to compete.
The Republicans won't fix this, because the constituencies they represent are the rich and the corporations (the people who love super-PACs because it al;lows them to duck campaign donation limits). This is why the Republicans must be voted out of office. The campaign laws will never be returned to fairness until they are gone, and their rich buddies will continue trying to buy our government.
