BARACK OBAMA WILL BE THE LAST DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT

Thanks, Justice Roberts:

Crossroads GPS, the Super PAC backed by Republican operative Karl Rove, announced Wednesday that it has launched a $25 million ad campaign over the next month — representing the same amount the Obama campaign has pledged to spend in May....

Crossroads has been able to vastly out-raise and out-spend its Democratic counterpart, Priorities USA, which launched a $4 million buy just yesterday....

Last week, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod told reporters that the campaign planned to spend $25 million on television ads in May.

Barack Obama may have the mojo -- and I stress may -- to withstand the fecal tsunami of GOP super PAC attack ads this year. But four years from now -- unless the Democrats have become vastly more friendly to the interests of billionaires than they already are -- how is the first Democratic non-incumbent to run in a Citizens United world possibly going to compete with right-wing billionaire cash? How is anyone with even vaguely progressive ideas on economic issues ever going to compete?

You can talk to me all you want about the so-called emerging Democratic majority; I'm telling you that, if Citizens United isn't reversed or curtailed, or (perhaps) hackers develop a little political savvy and make it impossible for super PACs to keep their donor lists secret, there will never be another Democratic president after Barack Obama. We will have only a far right in our electoral politics.

(X-posted at Booman Tribune.)