Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Thursday, April 06, 2006
The Auction House that Jack Built
Faux reform was passed yesterday by the House.

The House approved campaign finance legislation last night that would benefit Republicans by placing strict caps on contributions to nonprofit committees that spent heavily in the last election while removing limits on political parties' spending coordinated with candidates.

The bill passed 218 to 209 in a virtual party-line vote.

Lifting party spending limits would aid Republican candidates because the GOP has consistently raised far more money than the Democratic Party. Similarly, barring "527" committees from accepting large unregulated contributions known as "soft money" would disadvantage Democrats, whose candidates received a disproportionate share of the $424 million spent by nonprofit committees in 2003-2004.

We won't see genuine campaign finance reform in my lifetime. It is the single most important issue we face because everything else is predicated on insuring that the people elect representatives, not corporations. For that to happen you must have an informed and active citizenry, something the U.S. doesn't have. As Marc Maron says, "Wake up, sheeple!"

Written at 4:51 AM by Lynne.
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