Supreme Court at a crossroads on campaign funding limits (LA Times)

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Supreme Court at a crossroads on campaign funding limits

Justices appear divided in McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission, which could lift limits on giving directly to candidates.

By David G. Savage
October 8, 2013

WASHINGTON — Over the last seven years, a series of decisions by the Supreme Court has opened the way for hundreds of millions of additional dollars to flow into the nation's political campaign system.

On Tuesday, the justices appeared sharply divided over whether to allow the wealthy to contribute even more by lifting restrictions on the amounts they can give directly to candidates. At times, the argument turned into a debate among the justices over the relationship between money and the political process.

"I don't think $3.5 million is a heck of a lot of money," said Justice Antonin Scalia, citing the amount a single donor could give if he or she contributed the maximum allowed in every congressional race. "It seems to me fanciful to think" senators or representatives will feel indebted to their party's big donors, he said.

"You give $3.5 million, you get a very, very special place at the table," responded Justice Elena Kagan, voicing the view of the four liberal justices, who said the court should stop now before making a bad situation worse.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-court-campaign-money-20131009,0,670388.story