A divided Supreme Court on Thursday swept aside decades of legislative restrictions on the role of corporations in political campaigns, ruling that companies can dip into their treasuries to spend as much as they want to support or oppose individual candidates. (via Supreme Court rejects limits on corporate spending on political campaigns – washingtonpost.com)

And so it goes…The Bush Supreme Court continues it’s record of decisions against people and for the “corporate citizen”. Isn’t it amazing how a the third rail of our government has perverted itself? Instead of protecting the rights of it’s citizens, it keeps abrogating those rights and expanding the rights of a comercial citizen that doesn’t (not in reality anyway) exist.

Walking down this road is going to mean the death of any hopes of keeping politicians honest. With the ability to spend unlimited corporate money to “speak” to and about candidates, the common man has just had his voice squelched. It’s kind of like standing at a burning house and trying to pee the fire out…When the fire company shows up with their unlimited water supply who do you think the flames will be listening to? The analogy breaks down though, because with the fire the result you are both trying to accomplish is to put out the fire…Corporations have only one reason for being and that is to make a profit. Seldom is their ability to maximize profit aligned with the common good of the people.

I guess the next move we need to watch out for is the vote…Is each corporate citizen going to be given just one vote? Or, as it seems more likely now, will we give them a vote for every “real” body they have on the payroll? Or better yet, can they have every vote they can buy? Since we all know the free market rules, I think I’ll just go ahead and beat the crowd and open a voter’s exchange…Wait, better idea, let’s move the exchange to Washington. We’ll let the people have a market to peddle influence just like their “elected” representatives. Do you think congress will allow us to intrude on their monopoly?

Maybe what we need to do is set up a third house of legislation. One just for these imaginary citizens that lawyers are so insistent must have their rights protected. Let them elect their own representative and keep their money grubbing hands off of ours. We can call it “The House of Chairmen”. It can be kind of like the British House of Lords…except, like all good corporate executives they can sit and meetings all day and blame the failures on the other two houses.

The one thing I have yet to figure out though is…How do we keep these corporate contributions from becoming a way for foreign nationals to influence our elections? I mean, think about it, don’t most large corporations claim legal citizenship in other countries just to avoid taxation? If you are not going to pay your fair share of taxes in America, why do you think you should have a say at all in our elections? Damn, maybe those crazy conservatives are on to something after all…Hell they all claim to be fiscal conservatives. Maybe they are trying to force all of these corporations to become real citizens and “pay to play”…Naw…I doubt it even crossed their minds.

I would say this would really have the “states rights” conservatives up in arms…Can’t you just hear Rick Perry talking about secession over this overturning of Texas constitutional rights. Hell in Texas we don’t allow any “corporate money” in campaigns. But, since it always seems to trip them up when the auditors go looking, I am sure he wont be screaming about this usurpation  of a states right to decide what is best for it’s own citizens…

It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.

~ President Barak Obama

I guess it really is a difference of perspective…Doesn’t it seem strange that it is only the conservatives who equate free speech with money?

The ruling will protect the Constitution’s First Amendment rights of free speech and association.

~ Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

It seems the right of “free association” just got a higher price tag…