Campaign finance reform is dead

Campaign finance reform - the body of law to keep wealthy interests from trying to buy elections - is over. Be ready for what's coming this fall: constant fusillades of deceptive, right-wing, corporate-funded, pro-Republican ads.

Despite Barack Obama's success raising money in 2008, we liberals will not be able to compete dollar-for-dollar. We also have no history of successfully labelling bullshit as bullshit. No matter how frumious, we keep engaging it as if it deserves serious consideration.

The only response that might plausibly work is to speak bluntly, to call the Republican corporate propaganda what it is: rank bullshit. And then we must use their obvious bullshit to impugn their credibility about everything.

In other words, we have to drop our politesse and tell the truth: They are liars, they'll always be liars, their luxurious livelihoods depend on it, and the only consequence they'll understand is to be defeated.

I doubt the American bullshit detector can handle the coming avalanche.