No Supreme Court decision in recent years has ignited a firestorm of protest and mayhem like the Citizens United decision, now two years old.  The basic finding was that corporations, like people, have certain free speech rights that cannot be curtailed without a “compelling interest”, and none has been described.  The current political campaign is being entirely shaped by this decision and everyone, left and right, agrees that it is not for the better.  But what can be done about it?

There are serious challenges shaping that could overturn this decision, at least in part.  But what’s most astonishing is that the worst offenses are not a direct result of the Supreme Court’s order but how it has been implemented in the chaotic political climate that rules Washington.  Blame the courts, yes, but there is much more that can be done to correct the worst of this.

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Dear Palmetto State:

How are you doing?  It’s been a while.  I’ve always loved South Carolina for reasons that are hard to describe.  Perhaps it’s the history that lies just below the surface – even the bad stuff (you know what I mean here).  It could be the unique “Shag” dancing (no, that’s not a euphemism) or the passion for ACC hoops.  It might just be that I’m a swamp kind of guy.  But whatever it is, I’ve always known you as straight-up and honest people who are kind and decent.

You’ve all heard about the mayhem that native son Stephen Colbert has been plotting in your primary by now.  I’m sure it seems pretty silly, but it isn’t.  The thing is that we in the rest of the nation are asking you to help us out.  You’re on the front lines of nasty campaigning election after election, and you keep taking it and taking it and taking it.  But this year you can take a stand. This could be your second Battle of the Cowpens.  You probably heard this story in grade school, but let me explain:

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When the going gets silly, the silly get going.  Stephen Colbert, the ultimate exercise in personal branding gone horribly amok, is possibly running for President.  The reigns of Colbert  SuperPAC have been turned over to Jon Stewart, who immediately asked the most important question – “Does anybody know where the key to the Super PAC bathroom is?”

It had to be turned over to Jon because what matters in SuperPacLand is that there is no “coordination” between the candidate and the PAC.  If that seems awkward, consider that “awkward” is a synonym for “uncoordinated”, so there you go.  And now Colbert is free to pursue an exploratory campaign to possibly run for President, maybe.

That’s what our political system is today – a kind of performance art.

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After a somewhat slow December, there is a lot of good news and bad. The problem is that both seem to come at the same time, leaving anyone following the flood of information bewildered.  Two main categories of news, economy and national security, are running at odds with each other.  Are things getting better or are they getting worse?  It depends on how you look at it.

This is what a time of revolution and restructuring looks like.  Anything can happen.  Times like these are what separates romantics from pragmatists, optimists from pessimists, and if we aren’t careful politics from any semblance of reality.

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The Iowa poll results took a while to sink in.  Mitt Romney is leading in Iowa, but Ron Paul is well within striking distance of an upset win.  The commentators are coming out of the woodwork to define Rep. Paul as someone on the fringes, but it may be too late with the Caucuses just a day away and everyone’s attention focused on the holidays.

Ron Paul may be the big wildcard in the election cycle, but not just because of this stunning poll result.  The more he and his supporters are marginalized and underestimated, the more powerful they become.  The game of expectations is clearly favoring a surprise on his part – and that could define the rest of this election season.

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