Obama: Keep public funding of presidential elections

[alp227]

Source: USA Today

President Obama is trying to preserve public financing for presidential elections even though he was the first candidate who didn't need the money.

The White House on Thursday came out against a House bill that would do away with the post-Watergate overhaul of the way White House campaigns are paid for. The measure would ditch the $3 check-off on tax returns and return any leftover money to the Treasury.

An earlier effort this year passed the House but died in the Senate -- the same treatment its likely to face this time. The House today passed the bill, 235-190.

Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/12/obama-keep-public-funding-of-presidential-elections/1

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Roll Call No. 873. Pretty much a party-line vote except for one Republican who voted against...Walter Jones (NC-3, which includes Jacksonville and Morehead City).

Bloomberg News reported:

The current bill also would eliminate the Election Assistance Commission, which provides aid to states and localities to improve their voting processes, and transfer those functions to the Federal Election Commission.

House Republicans cite the need to cut government spending as their rationale for eliminating the public financing system created following the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon in 1974. The Congressional Budget Office has said eliminating public financing would save $617 million over 10 years.

[TheWraith]

1. Simple stopgap to campaign finance: lower the contribution limit.

Stopgap solution versus a completely public funded system or the like: simply lower the maximum contribution. Right now each person can donate up to $4,600. $2,300 for the primary, $2,300 for the general election. Take the maximum contribution down to $150 for a primary, and $300 for a general election.

[msongs]

2. hogtie independent humans? why not eliminate corporate/PAC money instead nt

[TheWraith]

3. Corporate donations are illegal.

And PAC donations are restricted to only a little more than the individual limits. I believe what you mean to gripe about is outside expenditure.

[No Elephants]

5. There are always donations to the DNC and local Democratic Parties as well.

[ellisonz]

4. Obama is bad, very bad.

:sarcasm:

[bemildred]

6. Congress trying to thwart political reform, as usual. nt