I can only hope that the Democratic nominee

[terrya]

Whomever he or she is (I personally support Howard Dean), emphasizes campaign finance reform. Everything we need to do to take our country back from the corporate interests who have a disproportionate amount of influence in Congress and the White House, stems from our stinking, corrupt political system we currently have. From tax breaks ro the rich to environmental laws favoring the polluters, to a lack of a decent national health care system...everything is a result of how our lawmakers are elected...and to whom they are beholden.

I'm not quite sure the overwhelming majority of the American people understands how symbiotic campaign finance reform is to how government works today. It needs to be addressed. Because, and it might be just me, we'll never take our country back again if we don't reform the corrupt system of political campaigns today.

[La_Serpiente]

1. that would be nice

But the power of that lies in the Supreme Court.

[JohnKleeb]

2. From Kucinich's homepage

The largest roadblock toward the American Restoration is a corrupt campaign finance system which promotes plutocracy allowing laws and regulations to be stealthily auctioned to the highest bidder. Less than one percent of the US population contributes 80% of the money in federal elections. The top one percent in income also received more than half the Bush tax cuts. Tax policy has become an engine for transferring wealth upward. Enron had been poised to dominate energy markets worldwide largely because it strongly influenced the White House and donated to 71 Senators and 186 House members.

Private control of campaign financing leads to private control of the government itself and schemes like the privatization of social security which would put trillions in retirement funds of Main Street workers at the disposal of Wall Street speculators. Public control of the political process requires public financing. The restoration of our American Democracy depends upon public financing. The Supreme Court, equating money with free speech, will not restrict the power of corporate interests to dominate government. The establishment of our democracy began with the Constitution. Let us renew the Constitution by amending it, requiring public financing to redeem from the perishable fires of corporate control an imperishable government of the people, by the people and for the people.

[LWolf]

3. I also want campaign finance reform.

And again...Kucinich leads the pack on this issue.

The need is obvious, when front runners are established by how much money they rake in, and when "electability" is based on fundraising.

Who else, besides Dennis, has addressed this issue?

[JohnKleeb]

5. Wolf he leads the charge yet again hes not acknowledged

Still he keeps it up, theres a reason why I support him.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. FYI

Dean addressed public financing in his Economic Policy speech at Georgetown.


http://www.c-span.org/

[sandnsea]

6. Then why Dean?

While Wellstone and Kerry were working to include Clean Elections legislation in McCain-Feingold:
http://www.publicampaign.org/congress/s719-107wellstone.htm
4/5/2001

Dean was working to gut the funding in Vermont:
http://www.commoncause.org/publications/dec01/122101_2.htm
12/21/2001

I will never understand Deanies.

[genius]

7. I know. Dean's the wrong candidate for those wanting campaign

finance reform. I think the problem is that his supporters don't know a lot about Dean.