Interesting piece in the charlestonexpress

[Mass]

http://www.charlestonexpress.com/articles/2006/02/15/news/news01.txt

He said he and U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., tried and failed to pass legislation authorizing public funding of congressional campaigns. Critics of public campaign financing should look at presidential races, financed with tax money since the 1960s, as proof such methods work, he said.

"There is a feeling that this 'politics as usual' is sort of out of hand," he said.

A Kerry spokeswoman said the senator and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee is considering reintroduction of a bill to authorize public financing of campaigns.

Dont consider it. Do it.

[ProSense]

1. Yes, do it! n/t

[karynnj]

2. I hope he does too

Because it would be a great idea - and because politically this is an issue McCain will use otherwise. In a way this could be to McCain what the cloture vote was to Hillary. Hillary likely thought her Alito speech and "NO" vote kept her ok with her base and didn't carry any risk. Here McCain thinks McCain/Feingold and whatever he does on lobby reform (besides writing nasty letters to Obama) will make him the reform candidate. Kerry should call his bluff by publicly asking that McCain co-sponsor it.

[wisteria]

4. Oh, I like this strategy.Wasn't McCain for public financing at one

time and recently has talked it down?

[_dynamicdems]

8. With all the money McCain is hoarding for a run in 2008, he wouldn't

be for public financing now, would he? LOL!

John McCain is a hypocritical bag of wind without a shred of integrity, but people have been snowed by the mainstream media into believing he has some degree of honor. If he had any honor, he sold it off when he planted his lips on Bush's backside in exchange for political power.

[TayTay]

3. Isthis the Wellstone/Kerry bill?

I would love it if Sen. Kerry would re-introduce that one. The timing has never been better. Call the Rethugs bluff on 'reform.'

BTW, did you see that the Senate Judiciary Committee has shitcanned the NSA hearings? Looks like Rove and his threats got to the Rethugs on the Committee and they caved to White House pressure. Also, Sen. DeWine introduced a bill into the Senate to okay everything the Prez has done with illegal wiretapping. I wonder if that will just pass through the Judiciary committee as well.

[wisteria]

5. No, I hadn't noticed that one. I hate it when they get the upper hand

on issues of real importance like this. Good old Arlen Specter, all talk and no real action or change. The polls suggest "we the people" are ok with these wiretaps because they are being done to protect us, so lets just move along and not address the real concerns about this spying program. The Dem leadership is also responsible for letting this one slip through our hands. Not our guy-JK, but Reid hasn't come up with much of a counter argument. He must be focusing all of his attention on 2006 I suppose.

[TayTay]

7. Actually, 77% of Americans oppose this illegal action.

The American Bar Association, via Harris Interactive, conducted a poll this week, surveying 1,000 respondents by asking a perfectly framed question: Can the president suspend constitutional freedoms "anytime the President thinks it is necessary to protect the country"? A staggering 77% answered with a resounding NO.

I know this is a KOS diary, but the info is completely legitimate. The public would be behind a principled attack on this illegal and unconstitutional activity by the Executive Branch.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/12/142255/929

[ProSense]

6. That's the best one. Here's the link posted

in GD-P:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2445744&mesg_id=2445744