Common Dreams on Dean, Diebold & Campaign Finance Reform

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Wishing Won't Beat W

Editorial

We are advocates of public financing for all candidates for federal office -- to Congress as well as the presidency -- but we think Howard Dean made the right choice when he decided to skip federal matching funds for his primary campaign. George W. Bush plans to spend upwards of $200 million trashing the Democrats until the Republican convention in September. Democrats who take the $18.7 million in taxpayer money in the primaries are limited to $45 million in overall spending. That likely would leave the Democratic nominee a sitting duck for Bush and Co.'s attack ads next summer.

So Dean consulted with his half-million online supporters, and the 105,000 who responded overwhelmingly agreed to bankroll the primary fight to oust Bush. Dean will need a lot of $100 contributions to keep pace with the $2,000 contributions Bush's fundraisers are scooping up at country clubs and executive suites at a dizzying pace.

The most important point is that Dean has a commendable campaign finance reform plan (see www.deanforamerica.com) that includes: 1) A proposal to fix the presidential public funding system (through, among other things, a higher public-to-private match for the first $100 of every individual contribution, higher primary spending limits and expanding to to House and Senate candidates; 2) a plan similar to the "Our Democracy, Our Airwaves" bill introduced by Sens. John McCain, Russ Feingold and Dick Durbin that would enforce public interest broadcast obligations and create a voucher system for free air time for candidates, funded by a spectrum use fee; 3) a proposal to replace the perennially deadlocked six-member Federal Election Commission with a new three-member commission and administrative law judges; 4) a pledge to nominate tough-minded, pro-reform FEC commissioners; and 5) a tax credit on contributions to federal candidates up to $100.

Dean also embraces a proposal to limit the states' power to redistrict to once a decade. He encourages the Iowa model of redistricting by independent bodies, rather than partisan state legislatures. He would renew the Voting Rights Act when it comes up for reauthorization in 2007. He would appoint a commission to explore ideas such as instant runoff voting, Internet voting, nonpartisan primaries, an election day holiday and abolition of the Electoral College. And he endorses US Rep. Rush Holt's bill (HR 2239, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003) to require that all electronic voting machines produce an actual paper record so voters can check the accuracy of their votes and give election judges a paper trail to audit.

On that point Dean agrees the Democratic National Committee, which went on record Oct. 4 demanding that all electronic voting equipment used in public elections incorporate a voter-verified paper audit trail "as soon as practical, but in no case any later than the November 2004 general election." Although the mainstream media has been dismissing concerns about e-voting accountability, numerous glitches were exposed in November 2002 and more were reported after the Nov. 4 election, where paper trails would have come in handy.

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http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1113-11.htm

[eileen_d]

1. I agree with Dean (and his supporters') decision

to skip the matching funds. With all the money behind Bush, and the momentum Dean has built up, it's the right thing to do.