Back in January, the Supreme Court ruled on a 5-4 vote that political spending by corporations in elections is a form of free speech. This raises the fear that corporations can spend large sums of money to essentially buy elections for candidates who will promise to vote their way. Others trumpet it as a victory for the First Amendment. President Obama, in the recent State of the Union speech criticized the ruling saying “Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, …” To which Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito mouthed the words “not true”.
Big spending, and corruption, have been a part of American politics since the birth of the nation. Financial Infographics has created a graphic showing who the largest contributors are, and who the biggest spenders are in Congress. I was quite surprised to see John McCain’s name listed as the biggest spender, by a long shot. He is followed by fellow Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Max Baucus.
via : Corporate Campaigning: Where Do Politicians Get Their Money?
