Expect major repercussions from this week's (Jan. 21) U.S. Supreme Court
ruling that allows corporations to spend money on political activity. It is likely to result in the overturning
state laws that restrict or prohibit corporate contributions, as does Pennsylvania. But, as this piece in the Times
reports, the lifting of the ban is not likely to result in big business reaching out directly to voters, mostly because they fear antagonizing customers. (Imagine a Walmart ad campaign against health care reform.) More likely, it will result in a profusion of shell groups -- how does Americans United for Real Health Care sound? Or Pennsylvanians for Effective Justice? -- that corporations will funnel cash to. The Big Dogs just got bigger.
