POWER FOR SALE CHEAP.

The article focuses on campaign funding in the U.S. in 2012 and the effect that private patronage has on the electoral system. Information is provided on the campaign funding controversies in the 2012 presidential campaign, which include the funding of candidate Newt Gingrich's campaign by casino and hotel mogul Sheldon Adelson and the U.S. Democratic Party's efforts to win over large donors. The article discusses the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which classified campaign donations as free speech and eliminated the ban on campaign funding by corporations. INSET: PSST! WANNA BUY SOME INFLUENCE?.