
When you talk about the hundreds of millions of dollars that multi-billionaires use to exercise what the US Supreme Court thinks of as their First Amendment Rights–after all, corporations are just people like us, it’s hard to fathom what you’re really describing. By any measure it’s a hell of a lot of money. And as Jess Unruh pointed out, in America “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.”
To put a hundred million dollars worth of “contributions” in perspective, consider this – to a wealthy individual or large corporation, a hundred million dollars First Amendment gift to a politician or political campaign is like a hundred dollars to a mere millionaire. Maybe five or ten bucks to you and me.
But to the Chair of an important congressional committee, or someone running for President it’s NOT like five or ten bucks, it’s like a treasure chest of solid gold bullion.. And you better believe that when the time comes, the recipient will remember where the money came from.. Bribery??? Heavens no! A Payoff??? Certainly not!
Take a look at Jane Mayer’s book about the Koch brothers: Dark Money. Take a look at it and see what the billionaires are really up to.