Can someone explain or give me a link to...

[tedzbear]

...a site that explains the rules for corporate contributions to political candidates? Also, how corporations manipulate these rules in order to get the most bang for their bucks?

Thanks.

[eyesroll]

1. Try the FEC

www.fec.gov

I can give you the short version: Corporations themselves can't give any money to a federal candidate. (Neither can unions, national banks, minors or foreign nationals.) They usually form PACs or join with other corporations (for example, an industry association) to form PACs.

[tedzbear]

2. What is a PAC?

Google doesn't offer an appropriate link.
Thanks.

Edit: Never mind. Political Action Committee. I followed a link to a pro business pac and everyone of its board members represented some corporation like Intel or General Motors.
Is there a limit to how much $ a single PAC can contribute to a candidate, like there is for an individual? $5,000?

[eyesroll]

4. The limit is $5,000 per election cycle.

Plus, individuals can give up to $5,000 per year to any one PAC.

[tedzbear]

3. The smoking gun: independent expenditures!

Now I see the loop hole: independent expenditures. They are unlimited as long as the promotion is "unaffiliated" with the actual candidate himself. So Boeing can create a sham PAC that pays for a TV commercial touting Bush without identifying itself as the source of the PAC. "Washingtonians for Bush" would be the name, and of course Bush's formal committee would disavow any association with it. How convenient.

Wow.