The Wall Street Journal labels 2012 as “The year of the Super PAC.”

You can thank the Supreme Court. Its 2010 decision in the Citizens United case – striking down the McCain-Feingold campaign regulation and finding that corporations have identical rights to make political donations as an individual – has changed the rules to favor big money. Really, really big money.

Super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, and then can spend unlimited sums for or against political candidates. They just cannot donate money directly to candidates.

Because of a loophole in the law, PACs don’t have to disclose their donors or donations in a timely manner. That’s something Congress must fix. Transparency at least gives the public an idea of who or what is controlling a PAC’s spending.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, during Wednesday night’s Columbia Forum, said that he and colleagues will pursue legislation as well as constitutional amendments. A bill that would require disclosure of donors to the super PACS has come within one vote of proceeding. It will be brought back. A prospective constitutional amendment would allow congress to set laws for campaign finance. The second amendment would declare that corporations are not people.

Under the Supreme Court’s ruling, individuals are limited to donations of $2,500 to a candidate for a primary and $2,500 for the general election. But, individuals and corporations can give any amount to a PAC.

That’s exactly what’s happening. Restore Our Future, which supports presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has raised more than $12 million, according to the website Open Secrets.org

Democrats have their machines as well. Priorities USA Action supports President Obama, and it has raised more than $3 million. In fact, the president’s supporters are looking to put together a $100 million super PAC. Whew.

Conservative TV analyst and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has joined a chorus of boos against the current big money political action campaigns. Last week, he called super PACs “one of the worst things that ever happened in American politics.”

As the Republican presidential primaries progress, congressmen and senators are seeing the way in which super PACs swamp the electoral process. That is not good for either political party.