Some House Democrats seek election public funds

[Judi Lynn]

Some House Democrats seek election public funds

By Richard Cowan
Reuters
Friday, January 20, 2006; 7:20 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Public financing of elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, not lobbying reform, is the best way to end ethic scandals, a top Democrat said on Friday.

"You can talk all you want about nibbling at the margins about ethics and House rules and all the rest, but unless we deal with the nexus between politics and money, damned little is actually going to change over time," Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin said in a telephone interview.

Obey said he and fellow Democrat Barney Frank of Massachusetts would offer legislation this month requiring that general elections for the 435 House seats be financed purely with public funds.

Obey, senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, conceded he did not expect "any massive instant support for it" in the Republican-controlled Congress.
(snip/...)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/20/AR2006012001665.html

[Greeby]

1. Don't see why they'd oppose it

Repukes seem to have no qualms about looting the Treasury for just about anything

[hang a left]

2. We pay anyway, one way or another.

Obey noted recent reports that Americans did not want to pay for public financing of campaigns and did not want lobbyists contributing. "What that leaves is campaigns financed through immaculate conception and I don't think that's a reliable financing basis for campaigns," Obey said.

That is an awesome idea. Media outlets donate air time equally. The fact that it costs so much money to run for office leaves lawmakers compromised from the get.

[Peggy Day]

3. Clean money has to be pushed so they can finally do our work

I've been checking it out lately, and it seems like the answer.