Jim Hightower

Let's hear it for American Tradition Partnership! It's an organization that stands up for the politically dispossessed in our land. It goes to the highest courts to assert the fundamental rights of a minority that's been denied its full voice in America's political and governmental power circles. Yes, American Tradition Partnership is a tenacious advocate for (cue the patriotic music): corporations.

Huh? Despite its grandiose name, American Tradition Partnership is a front group that funnels money from corporations into various political ads attacking candidates whom the corporations don't like – without identifying the corporate backers. Hoping to expand its laundry services for these secret donors, ATP filed suit in Montana to overtrun the state's century-old ban on spending corporate funds in state and local elections. The front group argued that the ban restricts corporate influence over government policies.

Wow. That's so twisted and anti-democratic that it'd make an American eagle scream in pain. But for arrogant corporate elites and their political lackeys, too much is never enough.

The good news is that corporate lackeys don't yet control Montana's Supreme Court. On December 30th, The Court's majority sided with democracy, common sense, and state Attorney General Steve Bullock, who argued for the people of Montana that corporations already have beaucoup ways to assert their oversized political power, without needing to funnel secret money into our elections.

Of course, the front group will now scamper to the corporate-friendly U.S. Supreme Court, pleading with it to stomp on this victory for democracy by overruling the state court. To keep posted on the case and to fight for people power over corporate rule, go to www.FreeSpeechForPeople.org.