What is needed is a simple one-line amendment to the Constitution. It would authorize Congress to regulate or control spending in federal elections.
I introduced such an amendment with bipartisan support 20 years ago and got a majority vote but not the two-thirds vote needed for a joint resolution. There's no question as to its favor with the people: The states have demanded that we apply it to their elections as well. With a limit on election spending, senators could do their jobs again. They could go back to working for the country instead of for their campaigns. Recently the cancer of money has metastasized. The Jack Abramoff scandal has revealed the poisoning of our democracy. The money crowd has the money, and representatives and senators need the money. But no one wants to touch the reason for the ethical misconduct. Excise the cancer of money, and most of the misconduct will disappear. |