Public funding of Congressional elections

[LiberalPartisan]

If ever there was a time to promote the idea of financing Congressional and Presidential elections with public funds it is now. Let's do away with all campaign contributions and soft money and clean up this mess. We just might get legislators that actually act in the best interests of the electorate. As a Presidential candidate Howard Dean addressed this topic in several debates. He ought to be making more of an effort to promote it as a way to clean up the system and avoid future Jack Abramoffs. It's all conneceted.

Just my 2 cents.

[Coastie for Truth]

1. Agreed. NT

[rumpel]

2. Yes, this will be the ultimate fight, but not only presidential races,

all special interest money should be curbed. All that money can be used for better use. Corporations could actually pay healthcare and pension for their workers and reduce unemployment perhaps.

[Jayhawk Lib]

3. It will not work.

All that will do is spend public money. Individuals and organizations will still spend money one way or the other so support their candidate.

If you try to keep them from doing that you will, and rightfully so, get the ACLU and others claiming the freedom of speech rights being violated.

[stillcool]

4. and therein lies the problem...

The Supreme Court's decision that money=free speech is wrong. Money, as we all can see, buys a whole lot more than my letters to congress or to any editor. If the source of the problem is to be kept intact why bother with a solution? He who has the most money wins...end of story...end of democracy.

[Jayhawk Lib]

5. The rich will always get their word out.

There is no way you can stop it. There are so many subtle ways that they can do it and it would be impossible to pass enough laws to stop it. To try to make laws to stop it would probably limit us such as unions and other organizations we belong to.