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In the lead-up to November’s mid-term elections right-leaning interest groups have promised to spend a record 300 million dollars on election related activities. The National Rifle Association has pledged $20 million, and Karl Rove’s organization, American Crossroads, is the second highest potential donor, promising $52 million dollars. The top pledge of $75 million dollars comes from the US Chamber of Commerce, which typically donates 8 of every 10 dollars to Republican candidates. This spending spree was predicated as one consequence of the highly criticized Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case that equated corporate spending for political purposes as protected free speech activity that could not be restricted. In response to that January ruling a piece of legislation called the DISCLOSE Act was introduced in both houses of Congress. The DISCLOSE Act would have increased transparency by imposing new rules on the way corporations and political advocacy groups advertised and documented their elections spending. A watered-down version of the original bill was passed by the House in late June, but a Senate version has been stalled by a Republican filibuster.

GUEST: Sam Stein, currently a Political Reporter for the Huffington Post.