Swell

Supreme Court to consider limits on individual political contributions:

The Supreme Court reentered the controversial field of campaign finance Tuesday, agreeing to consider a Republican challenge to decades-old limits on the total amount a person can contribute to candidates, political parties and political action committees.

It is the court's first major campaign finance case since its 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allowed unlimited corporate and union spending in elections. By extension, the decision led to the creation of super PACs, whose multimillion-dollar donations transformed funding of the 2012 presidential contest.

The new case, which will be heard in the court's term that begins in October, concerns the federal limit on the amount an individual can contribute to certain campaigns during each election cycle.

For 2013-14, that would be $123,200 — a maximum of $48,600 to federal candidates and $74,600 to political parties and some political action committees.

Shaun McCutcheon, an Alabama conservative activist and businessman, brought the lawsuit along with the Republican National Committee because he is seeking to contribute more than those amounts.

...Those who favor limits on campaign contributions were alarmed by the Supreme Court's decision to review the ruling.

"It has become readily apparent that there are a number of justices who are willing to usurp Congress's role as legislator when it comes to matter of campaign finance," said Tara Malloy, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center.

Well, this just sounds GREAT. Everything worked out perfectly with Citizens United. And if there's one thing I always say, it's LET'S GET MORE MONEY INTO POLITICS!

[Full disclosure: I never say that.]