What to do with all that leftover election 'war chest' money?

[Philosoraptor]

I'm slightly insane in the head, and it seems to bother me that candidates can raise many millions of donation dollars, lose the election, and then they get to keep all that money and call it a war chest. Maybe this is a good thing, I don't know, like I said, I have a very confused brain.

I guess it might be too difficult to send it back to the donors, and maybe they don't mind this system, but some have suggested that individual swollen war chests might be effectively spread around to other candidates, or used for other elective purposes, etc.

I suspect, being the suspicious type, that while they have these massive war chests, they can tap into them, use them for investing in real estate and stocks, and stuff like that. The less scrupulous ones that is.

I guess I wouldn't feel so bad if it were found that these funds are locked and can't be used in unethical ways, but I see no reason to become suddenly trusting of these candidates who live like kings among us.

[MessiahRp]

1. I think that all campaign money

should be used to pay off campaign debt and then leftover funds should be put into the social security fund.

I figure it this way. We are donating to get these guys a job where they have a pension and health care that makes our own pale in comparison, in return their leftover funds should be used to help us with ours.

I think every campaign should have to start anew with zero funds and that would even the playing field for new upstart candidates to have a chance against filthy rich incumbents who have run unopposed for several years and now have a ton of money to use the one time they face a challenger.

Give the money back to the people by helping to fund social security.

For those who really want their money to go into other campaigns, donate to political parties directly.

Rp

[Der Blaue Engel]

2. Maybe I'm slightly insane in the head

but I thought they spent most of their donations on their campaigns. I think there are actually laws about using campaign money for anything else.

[MessiahRp]

4. There are with exceptions...

I don't think it is fair that candidates can hoard money from campaign to campaign and even carry those over if they run for other office.

People who donated to Hillary's Senate campaign may have supported her as a Senate candidate but might not want her as President. In Wisconsin Mark Green took his House of Representatives money that came in nationally and illegally transferred it into his campaign against Jim Doyle for Governor.

I think they can also take those funds and shift them into other races.

I personally think the money should go back to the people, and while it would be hard to divide it up and send it back to individuals, that could occur by just donating it back to the Social Security fund. See my post above. :)

Rp

[Just-plain-Kathy]

3. Wow, I never thought about it. You bring up a good point.

I personally would like to see democratic candidates open up their war chests and form an alliance against funding this surge. I like to see dems create a media blitz informing Americans why we can’t fund Bush‘s escalation.

Wouldn’t it be something if dems appear as heroes who are willing to go against Bush by not funding another lie; instead of worrying how they look politically?

Pelosi should say...'We'll fund the safe return of our troops and NOTHING ELSE'!

We have to bring our troops home!!

[MessiahRp]

5. I think the OP means left over Campaign funds

not actual War funding.

Rp

[Just-plain-Kathy]

6. I wasn't talking about funding the war...

I was talking about using money (be it left over campaign money or war chest money). Money, period. Should now be used as a tool to bring our troops home.