Another Case for Campaign Finance Reform
By Steve Levine | September 17, 2009
Last November, America said a resounding NO to Republican ideas and a full-throated YES to change, including a new and sensible health care system. By what tortured logic, then, is the committee drafting new health legislation composed of an EQUAL number of Democrats and Republicans?
What kind of dysfunctional democracy do we have when the shape of that legislation rests in the hands of six senators from some of the smallest states in the Union? When passage of this vital measure is in the hands of just ONE of those senators — Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine – OLYMPIA SNOWE, for God’s sake!
No wonder Americans are taking to the streets. What’s puzzling is why even more of us aren’t storming the barricades to protest this insult to our intelligence and the violation of our public will.
Lord knows we need to reform our broken health care system. But to put the task in the hands of senators who are beholden to the very institutions we’re trying to reform is both futile and idiotic.
There will be no reform of this or any other aspect of our society until there is federal funding of all elections and we have removed the corrupting influence of campaign contributions from our political life.
Topics: Campaign Finance, Congress, General, Health Care, Politics 2.0, U.S. Senate |