By the 2004 presidential election, $64 million was spent; $144 million was spent in 2008. Then came Citizens United in 2010, and the floodgates opened: $206 million was spent in an off-year election. This last presidential election, in 2012, busted all records. More than $1 billion flowed into campaign coffers from contributors, most of whom managed to remain anonymous. But – are you sitting down? – we are, as of this writing, $36 million past 2010’s off-year elections. Big, outside money is eager to buy a Senate and House that most people would argue don’t come close to earning their keep. Of course, I’d argue if you don’t want obstruction, those seeking to move away from the political gridlock will not have much success. The cost per voter is astronomical when we consider many are so discouraged, or turned off, that we will likely once more have a Congress elected by the smallest percentage of citizens ever. We need comprehensive electoral reform. I truly am baffled about how we got here when campaign finance reform is a little over 40 years old. In 1972, Sen. George McGovern became the first candidate, ever, to disclose his contributors and to limit campaign contributions. That grew out of McGovern’s prairie populism, but
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party, but you have to be politically tone-deaf not to see what’s happening across America. Outside groups are dropping big money to show garbage on the airwaves. In Georgia, the secretary of state is launching a politically motivated investigation into a group registering new voters that may have a chilling effect on its voter registration efforts. In Wisconsin, a substantial change in voter ID requirements is estimated to disenfranchise roughly 9 percent of Wisconsin’s voters. We have the power to change the rigging of the political game – no matter which side of the divide you’re on, or simply sitting in the middle as an independent voter. We’ve got our work cut out for us; the politicians and their deep-pocketed donors and sugar daddies are way ahead.
• Donna Brazile is a senior Democratic strategist, a political commentator and contributor to CNN and ABC News, and a contributing columnist to Ms. Magazine and O, the Oprah Magazine.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WE REMEMBER SGT. SIMENSON To the Editor: “Not To Be Forgotten” was the Herald News headline after the spectacular funeral of Crest Hill police Sgt. Timothy Simenson 20 years ago this month. Tim was killed by an armed robber hiding in the trunk of their get-away car. The funeral procession from Lockport, Tim’s hometown, to Bethel Baptist Church in Joliet was accompanied by 750 squad cars and an estimated 2,000 law enforcement personnel. Hundreds of residents
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• BRAZILE Continued from page 39
it was evident that it was necessary in the unraveling corruption of Watergate from 1972 to 1974. It isn’t discussed much, but Watergate involved extortion and bribery from campaign contributors. International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) had an antitrust case against it pending in the Department of Justice, headed by Nixon’s former law partner John Mitchell. A $400,000 contribution was made to the Nixon campaign, and ITT’s case melted away. The dairy industry wanted Nixon to support higher government milk subsidies. It had to pay a bit more, some $2 million, but it got government tax dollars many times more than what they slipped under Nixon’s table. PBS says three of the top four states where the most secret money is being poured – North Carolina, Iowa and Colorado – “are the states that make up the Democratic ‘firewall.’ Democrats believe if they hold those three, they hold the Senate.” I am sure Kansas will soon join the ranks, as another competitive race is brewing there. It’s clear to me that the extraordinary amount of money being spent, along with the electoral rigging of our congressional districts, will produce more gridlock, hyper-partisanship and obstruction. Just take a look online in your state and you’ll definitely see the trends. There’s no question this issue is bigger than just one
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The Herald-News / TheHerald-News.com • Sunday, September 28, 2014
| OPINION
40 More than $1B was raised in 2012 election