Public Citizen launched a campaign to bring attention to the potentially significant consequences of the Citizens United case, which the Supreme Court will rehear very soon on Sept. 9. Public Citizen warns that the Court may "roll back - a century's worth of legal precedents designed to curb corporate influence over federal elections."

At www.DontGetRolled.org, you can "Pledge to Protest," promising to take action on Sept. 9. There is also some background information and suggestions for various ways to take action, such as using video or blogging. According to Public Citizen, the solution is the implementation of full public financing of elections. Aside from the merits of a public financing system, depending on how the Court rules, such a change may or may not be a direct solution.

Instead, the Court could leave the restrictions on business corporations and unions in place and allow genuine issue advocacy by nonprofit organizations and maintain the disclosure requirements. An editorial in the LA Times recently commented: "Rather than condemn itself to years of deciding which ads meet Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.'s test of having 'no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate,' the court should invalidate the ban on ads that don't explicitly endorse or oppose a candidate."

Meanwhile, the oral argument period has been extended, adding 20 minutes to the schedule allowing time for lawyers representing members of Congress. Citizens United filed its reply brief and the Federal Election Commission's filing is available here. For more background on Citizens United case, click here.

And on a side note, Public Citizen charges that if Austin and parts of McConnell were overturned, "[corporations] influence would reach to virtually all policies made—on health care reform, climate change, trade…everything. The public would be further shut out of its own government." However, isn't this what is occurring now with the health care and climate change debates? For example, news reports have recently noted that the oil industry is behind rallies opposing energy reform.