In today’s political and legal environment there is no fully right answer. I would favor requiring the government to treat all private associations and businesses on an equal basis, establishing a “level playing field.” This would mean no special privileges for corporations, labor unions, political parties, businesses or religious organizations. I would also favor requiring any communications between legislators and private citizens seeking to influence legislation (in other words, lobbyists) to be totally transparent and available to everyone, perhaps through the Internet. Once these reforms were implemented, I would favor having no limits on the amount that could be spent on political advertising by individuals or voluntary associations of any kind.

I think that a corporation should be free to express opinions on matters that affect the interests of its stockholders -- and that can mean spending money on ads.