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Campaign finance reform is all about “getting money out of politics.” Just ask any proponent and they’ll tell you. At eye-rolling, mind-numbing length.
As memes go, however, “getting money out of politics” is effective. It resonates. It sticks. But it isn’t entirely true. Money is, as Jesse Unruh famously said, “the mother’s milk of politics.” Money buys all sorts of things, from air time and mailers to plane tickets and polling data.
Money also buys access. Campaign finance reform, therefore, is about getting the wrong kind of money out of politics. And what’s that? It goes by many names and takes many forms.
“Corporate money.” “Special-interest money.” “Dark money.”
Bad, all bad.
But political campaigning will always cost money. Money gets things done. Just try to run for office without any money and see how far you get. The goal of reform, then, is to replace “bad money” with “good money.” And “good money” invariably means taxpayer money with strings attached.
Enter Congress.
The House of Representatives last week passed House Resolution 1, which Democrats cleverly dubbed the “For the People Act.” Vote against “the people” at your peril, Republicans! Which they did, and rightly so…
Read the rest at the Sacramento Bee.
Photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images