Thanks all five of you -- non-politicians

It's nice to have lifetime appointments, lack experience in politics and decide that money equals speech, and with Citizen's United decision in 2010 that is jut what the Supreme Court's conservative block did -- shake your head more Alito. Behold, the value of money over discourse.

Kathy Kiely, managing editor of the Sunlight Foundation...said around 78% of outside spending in 2012 – $365m of the total $465m – could be attributed to the "Citizens United effect"... Of $465m of outside money spent so far in 2012 $460.8m comes from Super Pacs, corporations and other groups which do not have to register as political groups. An additional $4.1m comes from "electioneering communications": advertisements or political activities that focus on issues and policies – the oil industry, for example – and encourage voters to support a candidate without mentioning any politicians by name.

And what value it has produced, a series of slanders and cribbed edits that truly give us want any free society could want, more money allowing more screaming in defense of those with money. [cross-posted at Firedoglake]