Time to Turn Back the Clock?
Years ago when President Richard Nixon was in the White House politicians could take unlimited contributions and take corporate contributions. Nixon raised millions.
Scowling, ruling Congress, Democrats passed laws that limited campaign donations – no one could give more than $1,000 and corporations couldn’t give at all.
Thirty years rolled past.
The Supreme Court upended those laws in the ‘Citizens United’ case, ruled a Super PAC could take unlimited donations and corporate donations. After that happened I told a reporter it meant campaigns would have more money to tell voters about candidates and the more voters knew the better.
Another decade rolled by.
In Washington political power-brokers, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, House Republicans, House Democrats all had Super PACs raising hundreds of millions of dollars – a lot of it with help from lobbyists. Unlimited donations fueled favor trading. And corruption.
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill to turn back the clock – and limit contributions. That didn’t make him friends in Washington. But with all the favor trading going on in Washington it’s hard to argue with him.
Time to Turn Back the Clock?
Years ago when President Richard Nixon was in the White House politicians could take unlimited contributions and take corporate contributions. Nixon raised millions.
Scowling, ruling Congress, Democrats passed laws that limited campaign donations – no one could give more than $1,000 and corporations couldn’t give at all.
Thirty years rolled past.
The Supreme Court upended those laws in the ‘Citizens United’ case, ruled a Super PAC could take unlimited donations and corporate donations. After that happened I told a reporter it meant campaigns would have more money to tell voters about candidates and the more voters knew the better.
Another decade rolled by.
In Washington political power-brokers, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, House Republicans, House Democrats all had Super PACs raising hundreds of millions of dollars – a lot of it with help from lobbyists. Unlimited donations fueled favor trading. And corruption.
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill to turn back the clock – and limit contributions. That didn’t make him friends in Washington. But with all the favor trading going on in Washington it’s hard to argue with him.