There’s too much money in politics, period.  You can ask people in Iowa about that.  New Hampshire – this is your week to feel the wrath of unlimited “Super PAC” spending.  South Carolina – get ready – it’s building up and heading your way like a tsunami.

Even out here in “Big Sky” country, we’re about to see spending on elections go through the ceiling as we get closer to November 2012.  By the way, candidate filing for the 2012 elections in Montana opens next Thursday (January 12).

It’s free speech.  We can’t stop it, but we can mute the TV. 

Several folks in Montana, along with a few editorial boards, are cheering the recent Montana Supreme Court’s Western Tradition Partnership decision that overturned a lower court ruling and reinstated Montana’s century-old ban on direct spending by corporations for or against political candidates.

Note to readers:  Montana’s Supreme Court justices are elected to eight year terms – they campaign – they hire staff – they raise money – they run campaign commercials.  They are politicians pure and (very) simple.

Montana’s decision was more or less like putting a finger in the dike because by a 5-4 decision the United States Supreme Court (these folks are appointed, not elected) ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations, unions and other special interests are allowed to spend as much as they like to advocate the election or defeat of political candidates.  They just can’t do it directly.

Whether or not the Montana decision is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court won’t matter much in 2012.  Besides, the airwaves and your mailbox can only hold so many commercials or flyers.  I imagine by October 2012 the majority of people will pretty much be “tuned out” to the political commercials.

The candidates should try new methods of meeting and getting voters’ attention.

The best way to handle these “third-party” groups that are for or against a candidate is to shine light on those who paid for the advertisement.  There are a number of easy ways to do that. Politicians could probably save the Postal Service if the rates were significantly increased for campaign literature, too.

I read that Mitt Romney, who won the Iowa Caucus by about eight votes, spent an average of $49.00 per vote in Iowa.  The second place finisher, Rick Santorum, spent about 73 cents.  You can frequently find instances where the most money spent by the candidates and their supporters did not win the election.

Meanwhile, make sure there are fresh batteries in your remote – you don’t want the mute button to fail you in 2012.

Jack is on Twitter @TheWesternWord.