Biden's 47 year mission.Create a system of public financing for Presidential/Congressional elections

[Budi]

How a Biden win can sink one of McConnell's top priorities


Joe Biden's acceptance of the Democratic nomination for President has brought him closer to accomplishing a mission he started 47 years ago: to create a system of public financing for presidential and congressional elections.

Waiting to oppose in the Senate, however, is an individual who stood with Biden in 1973 in calling for public financing of elections. But that politician then took a very different path.
Today, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the nation's leading opponent of Biden's public financing goal -- and of just about every other campaign finance reform.

The Biden mission began in the middle of the Watergate scandals. I was present at its inception:
While waiting to testify about campaign finance reform before the Senate Rules Committee in June 1973, I watched the then 30-year-old Sen. Biden testify. As legislative director of Common Cause, I was there to advocate for public financing as an essential response to the historic Watergate campaign finance scandals, which included sales of ambassadorships and government decisions made in favor of large donors.


Much to my surprise, the brand new senator from Delaware presented a powerful case to the Committee on the "absolute need for us to begin to finance elections for all federal offices."

Public financing, he explained "would allow candidates -- incumbents and challengers alike -- to compete more on the basis of merit than on the size of the pocketbook -- free from ... special-interest backers." Biden described it as "the swiftest and surest way to purge our elections system of the corruption, that, whatever the safeguards, money inevitably brings."

MORE....

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/08/31/opinions/biden-campaign-finance-reform-mcconnell-priority-wertheimer/index.html

[frazzled]

1. Amen!

I’ve waited for this for decades and given up, but I’m totally on board again today.

Imagine a world where you’re not getting 30-40 emails each day during the months and years of long campaign seasons. Imagine not having to make (and sometimes be guilted into) more donations than are prudent for your pocketbook.

Imagine not getting all those fundraising texts and calls.

Imagine candidates not having to spend untold amounts of time just to raise money when they could be studying issues, meeting with constituents, and actually legislating.

Imagine that your measly $50s here and there don’t have to compete with the big spenders or corporate pacs.

Imagine no big donor fundraisers.

Imagine your taxes going up by a small amount, on a graduated scale to be rid of all this.

Imagine an even playing field, and no handicapping of races based on the amount of money raised.

Do it, Joe!

[Judi Lynn]

2. Thank you, so much, Budi. I had given up hope! Our country would be transformed. ❤️️