I hesitate to respond to trollish comments. Union money is not even a damn dime in the bucket compared to virtually unlimited corporate money.. A more meaningful comment would be that corporate money is used to lie to the voting public. I've worked in a union shop for 28 years, and there are always a pitiful few who complain about union dues. By the clear majority, this is looked upon like someone not wanting to bail water out while the ship is sinking.

Now the Romney campaign is running ads saying that GM is shipping jobs for building jeeps to China--even though the GM CEO and others keep saying, No, we're not shipping jobs to China. But, then, I suppose it's only a little white lie as long as it helps our devout Romeny get elected.

I keep reading comments like this, and I wonder why because there are verified answers -- at least in the amount union spend, because unions MUST DISCLOSE their contributions and businesses and corporations do not. "Corporate interests spend a lot more than unions on lobbying as well as elections. So if business interests' undisclosed political expenditures are in the same proportion to the disclosed ones—as union political expenditures disclosed through Department of Labor filings are to ones businesses also disclose—then unions are still vastly outspent."

I've heard the figure 14 to 1 in terms of corporate and business spending compared to unions. And companies are threatening their employees with suggestions they may lose their jobs if Romney does not win.

It's too many ignorant people to really make any difference now,but nevertheless there will be

a positive change coming soon. This is happening all over the world at this juncture and

that's a positive outcome, or the world will have many white slaves joining the ranks real soon.

I am wondering why MSNBC doesn't fight back and start sharing stories about Mitt Romney such as the one that was in Salon magazine tying him to the Meningitis outbreak. I have yet to hear anywhere on mainstream media about that. What about the story of Mitt Romney's 20 million dollar FDIC bank bailout when he went to the bank and threatened to sell off Bain Assets, give his CEOs big severance packages and then file for bankruptcy if he wasn't allowed to pay the loan back at 30 cents on the dollar. I don't find this money spending on Romney's campaign that surprising at all, given the Bush Tax Cuts are due to expire and the Corporates are really worried. The masses in this country seem to believe anything and the GOP have been masters of spin. This is how Hitler got elected telling one lie after another the difference is we have mass media that will show any campaign commercial whether it is based in fact or not as long as it is paid for.

Corporate CEO fat cats don't give a hoot about the working class they just want to keep increasing their already huge political power, and the workers will wake up to this sham eventually.

I believe they will, in the lame duck session, but they won't be able to in the next congress if President Obama is reelected and the Dems retain control of at least one house, however if Mittens is elected I believe the cons will hold out in the lame duck session and then in the next congress exact their revenge disguised as "fiscal responsibility" if they take controll of both houses. If they retain control of the House but don't gain control of the Senate the cons will still try to reduce the amount of money going for Sandy relief. AND just very well get their way. (To punish Christie and the govenor of Virginia) for extolling the virtues of Presiden Obama re: his help in disater relief for Sandy.

I don't know how many people pay any attention to the political junk mail they get but I never let these flashy fliers influence me to vote against my best interests. For a while, I was scrutinizing them to determine who was really behind them...knowing full well that most were very likely backed by those who really did not have my best interests in mind...ie: Republicans. I certainly hope that most thinking Americans throw these things right into the trash and never let them influence them into voting against their best interests.

Here is one example of the trickery and deceit:

Take one very sneaky mailer from an outfit called Californians Vote Green. Even the predominant background color is green. It even has a picture of Barack Obama and Dianne Feinstein on the lower left corner. In large print it says "VOTE for a GREENER CALIFORNIA!" How can anyone think this was a trick or deception by a group out to get you to vote the wrong way?

Then it highlights some of the propositions they want you to vote for (or against). Most are, in fact, in agreement with the official Democrat and Green Party websites. Most people, by this point will be convinced this is what they should vote for. But there is one that they sneak in that is opposite to the official Democrat and Green party websites. It says NO on 37. The Democrat and Green party web sites say to vote YES on 37, the Food Labeling proposition. On the back of the mailer are more propositions. Both prop 31 and prop 37 are opposite to the Green and Democrat recommendations. If you look at the disclaimer notice to voters: it says that this Californians Vote Green outfit is "not an official political party organization and goes on to say that it "does not necessarily imply endorsement of others appearing in this mailer"....like Obama and Feinstein maybe? Very deceptive! I wonder how many people this will trip up when they go to vote?

Go to the official Democrat Party and Green Party web sites and you will see they virtually agree on the California propositions. The Republican Party web site is completely opposite. The Republican Party is in complete opposition to the majority of American's best interests and they have to resort to deception and trickery to compete.

Thom was talking the last few days about who answers poll calls... well I do. They only call in on my land line, not my cell, in my office, and when I see an 8xx number I figure it's a pollster. Oh boy! I can mislead and lie just like my alleged politcal hero Mitt Rawmoney! it's great fun to punk these folks. I sometimes tell them I'm bringing lots of folks to Romeny's "victory rally". Also a lie, but somehow don't feel bad about it. I do feel good that I might be part of the reason WIllard thinks he's going to win Colorado. I get a polling call every few days. They must have a list of people who will answer, I think, and they keep calling the same people. Which might be why the polls don't reflect any reality

Well, it's not just b/c of a lot of corporate money. It's what that money has bought - lying propaganda. Unfortunately, our political tradition has always accepted political deception and misinformation as acceptable practices. How can a citizenry ever be informed when truth does not matter?

Yep, where does all the involuntarily collected union dues go in the political landscape. Talk about payoff and cronyism.