Once again, Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) has been forced into playing a political game.

The online retailer sent out notices to its thousands of affiliate marketers in Colorado, informing them that it was discontinuing the commission-generating program for residents of the state.

Amazon Associates is a program where businesses, entrepreneurs, and online hobbyists can earn money by referring leads to the company. Amazon pays as much as 15% of resulting sales back to its affiliates. Whether it's a website operator dedicated to generating third-party e-commerce transactions or a modest blogger with a passion for model trains who links to Amazon rail wares, a healthy cross-section of the country relies on Amazon for either incremental revenue or as an actual business model.

Why is Amazon pulling out of Colorado? Well, just as Amazon Associates bowed out of North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Hawaii last summer, the state's move to tax out-of-state online retailers is at the crux of the decision.

Budget-strapped states have turned to out-of-state e-tailers, enacting laws that would force retailers with affiliates residing in the state to collect state sales tax from transactions by its residents.

Amazon tacks on state sales tax in the few states where it has physical distribution centers, but does not throughout most of the country.

In a realm where every competitor is a click away, Amazon is able to price its wares advantageously as it competes against e-tailers with a physical presence. Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), and Target (NYSE: TGT) have to add state sales tax during the checkout process.

Should online retailers with active affiliate-marketing programs such as Amazon and Overstock.com (Nasdaq: OSTK) be forced to automatically collect state sales tax? It's a touchy topic -- ripe for your next cocktail party or for the comments box below this article -- but I'm only approaching this from the business angle.

Amazon feels that axing its associates helps free it from the in-state presence that triggers the automatic taxation process in many of these state laws. Colorado legislators are arguing otherwise in this particular case, but the end result is that Amazon is flexing its muscles -- pointing out how aggressive state taxation tactics may cost its constituents in terms of the revenue generated by state-based businesses leaning on Amazon for commission payments. It's likely a more popular argument than pointing out that all Coloradoans will be paying more with state sales tax tacked on throughout the site, since that would pit it against hometown retailers.

Amazon is tackling this problem now, hoping to send a message to other states pondering similar legislation. Then again, in a dicey economy where many state budgets are out of whack, this political fight will likely continue to cross into new states.

Is Amazon.com right or wrong here? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.