Editorial
Published 01:43 p.m., January 23, 2010
In a decision that is far likelier to harm than to help most Americans, the Supreme Court last week confused the distinction between corporations and people – and awarded the former the same First Amendment rights that the Constitution once reserved for human beings. Free and fair elections, not to mention the processes of law-making and governing, are likely to suffer.
The court struck down a long-standing limit on the ability of corporations (and other organizations) to directly influence elections, overturning the law that had prevented companies from advertising directly on behalf of candidates during the weeks before an election. Now, with that ban gone, companies will be able to use the threat of their pocketbooks to bend lawmakers and other elected officials to their will – an official who defies the interests of big business will face the inevitable onslaught of corporate-funded advertising at the next election ...
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2010/jan/23/supreme-court-wrong/