This is far more frightening than it should be

But the Supreme Court's at it again.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The fate of a sweeping new campaign finance law aimed at taking big money out of politics now rests with the Supreme Court.

A special three-judge federal court panel on Friday struck down much of the law's cornerstone: a broad ban on the use of corporate and union ``soft money'' contributions by political parties.

In two 2-1 votes, the panel ruled that political parties can raise corporate and union contributions for general party-building activities like get-out-the-vote drives and voter registration, but cannot use them for issue advertising or candidate-specific activities.

In another major finding, the court also ruled as an unconstitutional violation of free speech sweeping new restrictions on election-time political ads by special-interest groups and others. But it said other ad limits the law's sponsors included in the legislation as a backup were constitutional.

The panel made its ruling effective immediately. The nearly 1,700-page decision clears the way for an immediate appeal by the losing parties to the Supreme Court. The high court, which may not hear the case for months, will lay the ground rules for the 2004 elections and beyond.

Sorry, just remembering last time the Supreme Court layed down the ground rules for elections.

If you can't trust the high court anymore, who can you trust? Yoda?