It appears that Hillary Clinton intends to try to buy the Democratic nomination. To do this, it looks like she is for sale to the highest bidders. Along the way, she is destroying the one meager attempts we have made to get big money out of presidential elections.
The rest of the article is here.
Who was the last presidential candidate to pursue this course? W! Is Clinton blinded by pure ambition or is she really a Blue Dog Democrat?
Clinton Bid Heralds Demise of Public Financing
By Dan Balz and Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, January 23, 2007; Page A01
The public financing system designed to clean up presidential campaigns in the wake of the Watergate scandal may have died on Saturday when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) announced her bid for the White House.
Little noticed amid the announcement rollout was a page on her Web site in which she asked potential contributors to give her campaign checks of up to $4,200. That figure signaled not only that she plans to forgo public funds for primary season but also that, if she becomes the nominee, she will not take public money for the general election.
By opting out of the system, Clinton will be able to spend as much money as she can raise, both for the primaries and for the general election, rather than being forced to abide by strict spending limits imposed by the Federal Election Commission on candidates who accept public financing.
The rest of the article is here.
Who was the last presidential candidate to pursue this course? W! Is Clinton blinded by pure ambition or is she really a Blue Dog Democrat?
January 23, 2007 10:47 AM
Big-Bucks Hillary is the Wrong Strategy
This is disturbing. The benefits Senator H R-C seeks to gain from the big donations must outweigh the damage brought by yet another layer of criticism and distrust.
Rather than pursuing a Progressive candidacy founded on of openness and inclusive practices, this is a fall-back to old-school money is power politics. I am doubtful that this will place her a clear path to the white House. More likely that she is embarking on a vitriolic and combative contest.