Al Franken| If You Ever Wonder Whether We Really Need Public Financing of Elections in this Country

[Demeter]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-franken/if-you-ever-wonder-whethe_b_50344.html



Al Franken| If You Ever Wonder Whether We Really Need Public Financing of Elections in this Country


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As a candidate for the U.S. Senate here in Minnesota, I've become painfully aware of the role money plays in politics....For instance, according to my staff, I'm not supposed to write anything without mentioning that our grassroots campaign needs the support of great progressives like YOU and asking you to click here and chip in a few bucks so I can take on the Republican attack machine.

See? That kind of thing totally distracts the reader from my point, which is this: If you ever wonder whether we really need public financing of elections in this country, try running for office. You might think I spend most of my time kissing babies or shaking hands or having serious policy debates in which my sparkling wit and superior knowledge of the issues combine to sweep audiences off their feet.

But no. I spend most of my time doing this. PICTURE That's me during "call time," which is basically what candidates for public office do all day. The guy on the right is Kris, my call time manager. It's his job to sit with me for hours at a time and make sure I'm "making the ask" on every call. For instance, he's currently pacing behind me reminding me to make another "ask" in here. Here it is, Kris: please click here and give me money. Okay?

While I'm sitting there with Kris, I often think about how badly we need public financing of elections in this country. We need it because I should be out talking to Minnesotans about the issues that matter to their families. We need it so that I can spend my days meeting with policy experts and reading up on legislation and working with progressives all over the state to build a movement that can take on Norm Coleman next fall. And we need it because members of Congress are too beholden to special interests, and that costs taxpayers, big time.

[applegrove]

1. Very true.