Dodd's Retirement Highlights Untenable Campaign Finance Regime

/PRNewswire/ -- Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) retirement has led many observers to suggest that overhauling our financial system will be easier, a clear sign that our money-driven political system is broken, according to campaign finance watchdogs Public Campaign and Common Cause.

"As the Senate begins work on the financial system overhaul, a tough reelection battle would have had Sen. Dodd dialing for dollars and attending fundraisers with the same interests he would be working to regulate," said Nick Nyhart, president and CEO of Public Campaign. "That it takes retirement to boost the likelihood of good policy is an indictment of our broken campaign financing system."

"It's a sad commentary that many think that Sen. Dodd's announced retirement will free him to act in the public interest, since he doesn't have to worry about special interest campaign donors," said Bob Edgar, president and CEO of Common Cause. "We need a system that allows members of Congress to act in the public's interest at all times. It's time for Congress to change the way Washington works by passing the Fair Elections Now Act."

The Fair Elections Now Act (S. 752, H.R. 1826) would give candidates for Congress the option to run a competitive race with a blend of small dollar donations and limited public funds. Sen. Dodd, a co-sponsor of the legislation, has long supported the measure. "Whether you're a Washington lobbyist or a Chicago lobbyist, what we ought to have is public financing for congressional and presidential campaigns. That would solve the whole problem," Sen. Dodd told an audience at the YearlyKos convention in 2007.

Sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), this legislation would put people in office unencumbered by special interest campaign cash. In addition to Rep. Larson, the House bill has the broad bipartisan and cross-caucus support of 124 co-sponsors.

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Gary Bauer Expects "Change Conservatives Can Believe In"

/PRNewswire/ -- Former Presidential Candidate Gary Bauer on the eve of mid-term elections Monday said that the electorate seems poised to make "change Conservatives can believe in." Bauer is available for election analysis and commentary as one who played key roles in the races receiving significant attention.

Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, was one of the first conservatives to endorse Doug Hoffman in his bid to take the New York house seat. Bauer's Campaign for Working Families committed tens of thousands of dollars in contributions and independent expenditures in Virginia and New York to promote conservative candidates and mobilize conservative voters. The Campaign is one of the largest pro-family, pro-life political action committees in America.

Bauer said, "Whatever happens tomorrow, Virginia seems to be headed back to the Republican column, and Democratic state New Jersey has an incumbent Democratic governor who clearly will not get 50 percent of the vote even with Barack Obama's help. And in New York's 23rd House Race, a grassroots rebellion threatens to put a Conservative Party candidate into the Congress. It's definitely going to be must see TV tomorrow, and as one who has been very active in the races, I do believe that change is coming."

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Fair Elections Now Coalition Praises Rep. John Lewis for Cosponsoring Fair Elections Now Act

/PRNewswire/ -- The Fair Elections Now Coalition, which represents seven national campaign reform organizations, today praised Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) for his leadership in tackling the issue of special-interest money in Washington, D.C. by cosponsoring the bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act, H.R. 1826.

The groups issued the following statement:

"As the health care reform debate enters a critical stage, the health care industry continues to spend millions on campaign contributions to get what it wants. The best way to ensure that the voices of all citizens are heard is to change the way congressional elections are financed, and that's why we are greatly appreciative of Rep. Lewis for signing onto the Fair Elections Now Act.

"We look forward to working with Rep. Lewis to pass this practical proven campaign reform program."

The Fair Elections Now Act provides qualified congressional candidates public financing once they demonstrate broad public support by raising a large number of small donations. The House legislation, which was introduced by Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), has nearly 90 cosponsors. For a full summary of the legislation, visit www.fairelectionsnow.org.

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Boehner: Secret Ballot Protection Act Preserves Right to Privacy in the Workplace

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) yesterday released the following statement on the introduction of the Secret Ballot Protection Act, legislation he is co-sponsoring to preserve workers’ right to a secret ballot union election in the workplace:

“Middle-class families across this nation are struggling. With costs of living rising and job security diminishing for far too many Americans, the basic privacy rights of many workers today are under assault and in danger of being taken away. Yet, that is precisely what many Democrats in Congress and their special-interest allies are aiming to do.

“Make no mistake, workers must have the right to unionize, but they should be free to do so without intimidation and coercion from either union officials or company management. The Secret Ballot Protection Act preserves that right at a time when American workers and their families need it most. It says that no one – not unions, not companies – can deny workers the right to a secret ballot.

“Few rights are more fundamental to our American democracy than the right to a secret ballot election. I thank Reps. Kline, McKeon, and Price for introducing this legislation to safeguard that right for American workers. House Republicans will continue to fight attempts by powerful special interests to end the critical right to privacy in the workplace.”

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Dose of Reality for Voters Expectations of Change? Dems Realize Fix is Not Easy After All

Democrats Try to Lower Expectations

By Naftail Bendavid

Even as they depict a massive stimulus package as indispensable to turning the economy around, U.S. Democratic leaders are aggressively lowering expectations that the package will yield dramatic accomplishments quickly..... More

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