It's been noted that post-Citizens United, unlimited money would be spent to put corporate-approved candidates in power.
Well, that's happened. And there were skirmishes at the state level, too. The corporate machine has succeeeded.
There was only one house of the federal government that wasn't corporate-controlled; and now, as of January, that little bug has been fixed.
Let's examine the branches of our federal government.
We know because of Citizens United and because of a number of other rulings that the Roberts court is probably the most corporation-friendly in history.
We know because of the behavior of the departments of the Treasury and of Justice that the executive branch, though headed by a charismatic leader who caught the votes of more Americans than any other president, is a corporate entity. Just look at the secret bailout programs we'll never know about. Check out the moves by the department of Justice to seal proceedings around Goldman Sachs's involvement in the collapse of our economy. Note with interest the number of corporate officers installed as leaders within the executive branch and tell me that the White House is a conduit for the powers of the corporate world.
It is. That's not pretty to consider, but it is. If it weren't, one would think that the president would have led loudly and effectively to persuade the legislature to pass real and powerful insurance and financial reform. He hasn't. He won't.
Then let's look at our precious bicameral legislature. One house changed hands tonight, and one didn't.
One house was already corporate-owned. One wasn't.
The house, with assistance from Congressional blue dogs who sacrificed themselves for their corporate masters, is now Republican-controlled. Enough Democrats weren't corporate schmucks that the House was a problem, and good legislation regularly passed out of committee and got media and popular attention. That, for corporations, is a problem.
Problem solved.
Notice, also, that the most alarming senator for corporations -- Russ Feingold -- has been dispatched with.
Additionally, the battle continues at the state level. Arizona, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah are all on their way to passing ballot measures to require a secret ballot for unionization. Card check never made it through the corporate-owned federal government.
With Republicans in control of the House, several key governor's seats, and corporate comity the rule in the Senate, a corporate-owned Supreme Court, and a very smartly corporate executive branch, the government looks just as corporations would like to see it.
America, meet your corporate masters.