Supreme Court Ruling Is an Invitation to Scandal (Farrell | USNWR)

[struggle4progress]

January 22, 2010 10:43 AM ET | John Aloysius Farrell

... The libertarian and First Amendment purist in me applauds the decision. The political reporter in me, who watched my country's capital become a sleazy and corrupt bazaar even with campaign spending laws, is feeling pretty nauseous ...

Oh, yes. There will be many brave men and women who will tell the lobbyists and corporate moneybags, "Keep your filthy cash. I stand with the People." Sure there will ...

There is no reason, in the Internet age, to not have instantaneous and complete campaign finance reporting--enforced by huge punitive fines and jail time for individuals--available in real time on the Web.

If these harlots on the Hill are going to sell themselves to Citibank (or the NRA or ACORN) the happy buyers should have to post the transaction--on-line, as it's happening, not four weeks later or after the election--so that watchdog groups, bloggers, news reporters and opposition research teams can alert us ...

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2010/01/22/supreme-court-ruling-on-is-an-invitation-to-scandal.html