If you haven't been paying much attention to new and improved, super-charged Super PACs -- it may be a good time to start.
It seems that everything can be bought, even the National Dialog -- if you got enough money, to get your views out there as an endless loop, in the Messaging ether.
Super PACs
opensecrets.org
[...] Super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. Super PACs must, however, report their donors to the Federal Election Commission on a monthly or quarterly basis -- the Super PAC's choice -- as a traditional PAC would. Unlike traditional PACs, Super PACs are prohibited from donating money directly to political candidates.
"unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals"
-- kind of sounds like a 1%-er's dream ... Big money needs BIG speech, I guess.
If we're not careful, SuperPAC's dark money fire hydrant effect, with no requirement to be fact-based, accurate, or fair ... may end up turning Candidates into props and stagehands, in their billionaire tit-for-tat, soap-opera drama. As the Candidates Turn ...
Dueling Negative ads, have a way of souring nearly everyone on the process of politics. Most of us, expect something miles more serious, than this.
Most of us expect Results. Most of us expect Representation.
A dozen donors account for bulk of 'super PAC' money
by Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars, USA TODAY -- 8/4/2011
[...]
"The super PACs are for the wealthy, by the wealthy and of the wealthy," said Meredith McGehee of the Campaign Legal Center, a watchdog group. "You're setting up a dynamic where the candidates could become bit players in their own campaigns," particularly in less-expensive races for the House of Representatives, she said.
[...]
A dozen wealthy individuals and corporations -- ranging from a Hollywood mogul to Texas billionaires -- gave more than half the money flowing to the biggest outside groups raising unlimited amounts to influence next year's presidential and congressional races, a USA TODAY analysis shows.
[Here are all the donors from that report giving a 1/2 Million or more:]
PAC Amount Contributor State Employer
American Crossroads $2,000,000 Jerry Perenchio Living Trust CA
Priorities USA Action $2,000,000 Katzenberg, Jeffrey CA
Dreamworks Animation
American Crossroads $1,000,000 Rowling, Robert B. TX TRT Holdings Inc.
Restore Our Future $1,000,000 Eli Publishing Inc UT
Restore Our Future $1,000,000 F8 LLC UT
Restore Our Future $1,000,000 Paulson, John NY Paulson and Co., Inc.
Restore Our Future $1,000,000 W Spann LLC NY
American Crossroads $500,000 Perry, Bob J. TX Perry Homes
Priorities USA Action $500,000 Eychaner, Fred IL Newsweb Corporation
Priorities USA Action $500,000 Service Employees International Union COPE DC
Restore Our Future $500,000 Bacon, Louis Moore NY Moore Capital Group, LP
Restore Our Future $500,000 Davis, James S. MA New Balance Athletic Shoes, Inc.
Restore Our Future $500,000 Edgerly, Paul MA Bain Capital
Restore Our Future $500,000 Edgerly, Sandra MA Homemaker
Restore Our Future $500,000 Marriott Jr., J.W. MD Marriott International, Inc.
Restore Our Future $500,000 Marriott, Richard MD Host Hotels and Resorts, Inc.
Restore Our Future $500,000 Perry, Bob TX Perry Homes
[...]
Presidential candidates cannot collect more than $2,500 from an individual for a primary or general election, yet allies of Republican Mitt Romney collected four checks of $1 million each this year for Restore Our Future, a super PAC created to help Romney win the presidency. Overall, the group has raised $12.3 million, dwarfing what Romney's rivals collected for their official campaign committees, Federal Election Commission records show.
Looks like 'Leroy' Newt Gingrich has his work cut out for him, trying to keep pace with 'Willard' Mitt Romney -- especially considering that Newt's new $20 Million dollar bene-PACker, has just mysteriously backed out of the much-hyped SuperPAC deal ... Sunlight does make the roaches scurry ...
Sheldon Adelson Not Donating $20 Million to Newt Gingrich’s Super PAC
ABCNews -- Dec 15, 2011
A spokesman for a Las Vegas casino billionaire and a super PAC official are denying a published report that the billionaire, Sheldon Adelson, has committed $20 million to the super PAC, Time for Newt, which supports Newt Gingrich.
Charlie Smith, founder and president of Time for Newt and the group behind it, Solutions 2012, denied this morning’s report of the commitment by Politico.
Would-be Million dollar PACkers, like Sheldon Adelson, had better be careful about what they are getting for their investment -- there is afterall some "fine print" about some sort of "non-coordination firewall" that is supposed to exist between a SuperPAC and its Campaign of attention.
No planning, No emails, No phone calls, No Co-ordination, No communication
-- that is the price for "unlimited issue advocacy".
It seems some of the GOP Candidates (and their Super Supporters) have yet to get that memo, however. (As CBS reports, in the clip.)
I wonder what is the price for breaking these non-coordination rules?
Whatever the fine or penalty is, it is probably not enough.
Super PACs blur the lines of campaign finance
CBSNews -- Dec 10, 2011
http://www.cbsnews.com/...
The Super PAC is redefining the way money is raised and spent this campaign season. They can raise unlimited funds, but are not allowed to funnel money directly to a candidate or coordinate their activities with a campaign. However, as Wyatt Andrews reports, these lines may blur.
No wonder Congress has only a 9% approval rating when this is how their real business gets done ...
It seems we get the government we pay for,
and unfortunately, the 1%-ers will always have deeper pockets, than the rest of us can even dream of ... "to pay for" the government, that they want.
And it's this "unlimited donations" loophole, that lets them hang onto those tenuous reigns of power -- no matter how unpopular Congress might one day get ...
Is a 1% approval rating somewhere in Congress' future?
-- the rest of us "small money speech" people can only, count our nickels, and wait and see.