Will the Real PAC Please Stand UP?

Holy campaign finance reform! A crisis grips corporate America. Boards of directors at corporations everywhere find their hard-money, political donations greatly slimmed-down by Federal Election Commission PAC guidelines. What to do? Who to call? This looks like a job for not-so-Slim-Shady, who bursts into the boardroom rapping,

'Cause I'm 527, yes I'm the real committee
All you other contributors are just imitating
So won't the real PAC please stand up
please stand up, please stand up?'

PACs (Political Action Committees) are groups set up to support political candidates. Due to their direct advocacy, the scope of their donations have been limited and regulated by the Federal Election Commission. Since these committees are limited by a $5000 donation cap per candidate, PACs are limited in their ability to sway elections.

However, a group that avoids using “'magic' words that expressly advocate someone's election or defeat” (Public Citizen), and avoids direct contributions to political campaigns can remain outside the supervision of the FEC, and can raise unlimited amounts of corporate cash to buy elections. These alter-egos of the federally limited PACs, 527 groups, are massively invested in swaying elections, from “Get Out the Vote” efforts to media advertising (i.e. SEIU video ad).

On January 20th, 2009, the Chief Justice will likely begin Inauguration Day proceedings by asking: “So will the real corporately elected candidate please stand up, please stand up, please stand up?”

Revolutionarily yours,
Thommunist