If we are really going to get Change, with a capital "C," there has to be

Campaign finance reform.

Without it, we lose.

Look what's happening in the health care debate.

Watch what happens with the coming climate change bill.

Every time, they start out with some good ideas and it just gets watered down and watered down and we get shit out the other end.

It's all about the money.

They need to do something to take the money out of politics FIRST, then work on the issues.

everybody's got a price "they" say, and once you accept the dollars they own you. end of the line, no way to rationalize the righteousness of our politics. period

Bribery has been illegal for as long as this country has been around... what's changed is that it now happens shamelessly in broad daylight because the participants know NO ONE is going to stop them!

"Only those who are eligible to vote for a candidate may donate to that candidate."

i recently found out that some corporations have a fund that they ask employees to donate to, and then they donate the money to candidates from the fund. So if you stop allowing corporations to donate, they would just remove that layer and ask employees to donate for certain candidates directly.

So as long as a rich person can donate more money than a poor person, I think we still have a problem.

I think they really have to put a limit on cash donations, period.

Personally I think the easiest way to do it is just remove ALL money. Stop all the ads and the money that pays for them. Have a televised debate, paid for by the networks. Let each candidate prepare a document outlining their positions on issues, and let people decide. Is that too simple?

...as long as the donors live in the district of the recipient of the money.

a rich person should be able to donate more money to a candidate they like than a poor person

...and it's their money. As long as all contributions are public record, there shouldn't be any problem.

Set up a mechanism of public funding with these goals in mind:

1. Candidate must agree to rules regarding the spending of taxpayer funds provided.
2. Candidate must agree to forego all private sources of funding.
3. Candidate must not donate use own money in running campaign.

In return, candidate gets:

1. Lump sum cash amount to cover the campaign including cash for TV ads/print ads/radio ads/etc.
2. The right to advertise as a "Clean Candidate."
3. Matching funds in case candidate is being outspent by privately funded opponent.