The Citizens United election

It’s the economy. No, it’s health care and medicare. Or Libya and Iran’s nuke potential. It’s the debate performances, the swing states…

Nah, it’s all about the money. Interesting to read in The New York Times that many incumbent federal legislators are starting to think again about campaign finance reform. Why? They’re getting hammered. They don’t even know from where, but vicious, negative advertisements that haven’t even been approved by their opponents are banging the beejeesus out of them. Telling the truth? Sometimes. Not often.

We sat here in our office and met with the congressional candidates, Democrat Julian Schreibman and Republican Chris Gibson. Showed them each nasty literature about themselves, and about the other guy. Each reaction was about the same. Both disavowed the heinous attacks on their opponent as not coming from them, said they had never even seen them, much less approved of them. And both were horribly offended by what was said about them and blamed the other guy.

We’re lucky that we’re not in a swing state. Television in states like Ohio and Virginia are sold out, wall to wall presidential political ads, sometimes the same ad three times in a row. The candidates bob up and down in a sea of sewage desperately attempting to stay afloat and not swallow too much.

We’re not Pollyanna here. We like a good bruising political fight and we know that genteel discussions of issues aren’t likely move the masses of voters that claim to be at stake. But if it’s not the candidates themselves pulling the strings, then it’s safe to wonder who is. And it’s clear…the guys with the big bucks, the faceless corporations who perceive an advantage in one candidate, or party, over the other. And somewhere along the line it all tips. The billionaires who Obama didn’t want to meet with and cozy up to, will have bought it all and whoever is president won’t be able to get a meeting with them.

The people be damned. The people’s business be damned.

So hopefully, once the election is over, some cool heads will seek campaign finance reform and see to it that corporations are not considered people. Put a lid on it, already.