[11th_VA]

SFGATE.COM:

The majority also barred the national political parties from raising this kind of money, and said their affiliates in the individual states may not serve as conduits for soft money. Without soft money, politicians and political parties may only take in donations that are already allowed in limited amounts, such as a private individual's small re-election donation to his or her local member of Congress. That means no more huge checks from wealthy donors, and no contributions from the treasuries of corporations or labor unions.

[July 4th]

This decision in no way takes "big money" out of the process. The money just can't go to parties now. It can go to issue advocacy groups, like the NRA and MoveOn - as we have already seen with Soros. How they can spend it may be restricted, but they can raise as much as they want.

I still can believe the issue ad part was upheld. Seriously. I'm in complete and total disbelief. And you can expect the Court will be slammed for it. Remember, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, NRA, AARP...were all in the same side on this one.

[NYC Republican]

The majority also barred the national political parties from raising this kind of money, and said their affiliates in the individual states may not serve as conduits for soft money. Without soft money, politicians and political parties may only take in donations that are already allowed in limited amounts, such as a private individual's small re-election donation to his or her local member of Congress. That means no more huge checks from wealthy donors, and no contributions from the treasuries of corporations or labor unions.

Does this disallow the Soros and (Progressive Insurance's) Lewis' of the world from contributing tens of millions of dollars to political parties or organizations like moveon.org? If so, this coupled with the fact that Dems rely much more heavily on soft money that the GOP, makes it not so bad, IMO.

[El Gato]

That means no more huge checks from wealthy donors, and no contributions from the treasuries of corporations or labor unions.

But neither will advocacy groups, like the NRA or the Brady Bunch for that matter and incumbents are still free to send out "Constituent letters", on your nickel. The incumbent re-election rate is already obcenely high, it will get higher, and they will listen less and less to anyone.