Total Campaign Finance Reform In New York

"Chavez, look at how they captured Saddam. He should have died fighting. If they invade Cuba, I'm going first, and you will see what you do. You're also on the list. But in any case we cannot be captured in a hole."

Fidel Castro

Eliot Spitzer is substance, he is guts. Noone in his or her right mind thinks Spitzer is not going national at some point. He has the option to turn New York state into the progressive engine for the entire country. The fights he will pick and win in New York he will carry on to the national stage.

Two are obvious: campaign finance, and gay marriage. I think he should work on campaign finance first. Gay marriage perhaps should be for his second term. And on both there will have to be gradual progress. With campaign finance, the goal is to have publicly financed elections, and total transparency on expenses by candidates. And it will likely be achieved in two to three steps. This is the issue that Spitzer can use to wrest the Senate from the Republicans. But campaign finance reform is about more than money. It is to do with broader electoral reform.

Democracy is one person, one vote. Campaign finance reform and electoral reform are about moving as close as possible to that ideal.

Before I read up on the topic, let me go ahead and start from scratch and build a model.

On the judiciary: I like Spitzer's idea of no longer electing judges. Instead having a meritocratic bureaucracy that populates the judiciary. The taxpayers pay your salary, and you deliver. Justice should be like garbage pickup: it should be just there.

A directly elected Governor. If no one candidate gets at least 50% of the votes, there is a second round. Publicly financed election. An independent candidate may spend his or her own money, but the amount may not exceed that of the the publicly financed candidate who spends the most money.

Legislature. 150 constituencies of roughly equal population for the lower house. Proportional elections for the 50 members of the upper house. You vote for a party. A party that gets 2% of the votes gets one seat. Elections for both houses on the same day, two separate ballots. Parties are state funded. How many votes you earn determines how much money you get from the state. Parties are not allowed any other source of funding.

This will provide for a healthy breakup of the two party system, and will allow for "startup" parties with new ideas to shape up. The 50% rule will also ensure the Governor has a clear mandate of the people.

If you are going to have publicly financed elections and parties, suddenly the idea of democracy and transparency inside party structures takes center stage. There is a huge need for reform there, or Bloomberg might have been the Democratic candidate for Mayor when he first ran. Again the solution is one person, one vote.

The Democratic Party is taking the lead on campaign finance reform in the state, but if it is serious about going all the way, it is going to have to work hard to also reform itself on the inside. You are looking at a scenario where the only money the party gets is from the state based on how many votes it earns. It will help to have all decision making made transparent, but that will not be enough. There are structural challenges.

This is a tough issue. But it is popular. And if played well, this is the issue that will cost the Republicans the Senate. This issue will also put Spitzer in a position to work for reform inside the Democratic Party in New York City, and he stands to score major points on that one against his inevitable opponent in 2010: Bloomberg. Let Bloomberg be the symbol for big money in elections, at the state and national levels. He cuts it both ways. You can't compete against Bloomberg unless you can raise a lot of money. On the other hand, Bloomberg's behavior of using his own money shows he himself is opposed to the idea of raising money to contest elections. So you can hit him from two sides at once.

It is good news that Bloomberg will be who Spitzer will be up against in 2010. In 2006 Spitzer did not have much in the name of an opponent. Bloomberg will not be easy to beat. And so in a sense Bloomberg will be Spitzer's first primary opponent onto the national stage. The whole country will be watching as Spitzer battles Bloomberg, and that will be good news. Spitzer will acquire a national stature that he does not quite have it right now: Arnold does, Spitzer does not yet.

Campaign finance reform will have to percolate also to the local levels. Giving the same amount of money to all candidates does not quite make sense. The process in the city and state is complex, but as long as basic principles can be agreed on, beyond that it extrapolation. One person one vote democracy, transparency, state funded parties and elections.

It goes beyond candidates, and parties. You also have to regulate interest groups. While you want to encourage people to get organized and involved, if those outside groups end up having outsize influence, the purpose of campaign finance will be compromised. Perhaps all such interest groups should also be subject to finance reform measures. Make their book keeping transparent, put limits on how much they can raise from whom, on when and how they can spend.

Then Spitzer will be in some shape to tackle gay marriage perhaps during his second term. But he does not have to wait to further civil rights issues for gays. There are a lot of incremental steps that can be taken. Those small step will warm up the electorate for the big one.

Child Adoptions: My Number One Reason To Be For Gay Marriage

Right now it is looking like Hillary-Obama-Spitzer for the national scene. We take over the White House for a generation. They got the Supreme Court.

Campaign finance reform and electoral reform in New York has major national implications. Imagine directly electing the president. Imagine adding DC to Virgina or Maryland. Imagine electing the 100 members of the US Senate through proportional elections. Ralph Nader should have been Senator. He was never cut to be president.

Gay marriage and immigration are the civil rights issues for today. 50 years from now people will look back and wonder the way we look back and wonder about segregationists today. How could they!

Fitting In Hillary, Obama, Spitzer
Obama-Spitzer Vs. Giuliani-Romney
An Obama Spitzer Ticket
Obama, Hillary, Spitzer
Two Terms As Governor
Eliot Spitzer, Governor
Eliot Spitzer For Running Mate
Eliot Spitzer, Aliza Fatima
Eliot Spitzer

On The Web

Campaign finance reform - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Other opponents of public financing claim that public financing has already corrupted the political process, with big government advocates buying voters' votes with promises of increases in entitlement programs, welfare, and pork barrel spending.
Campaign Finance Reform: The Issue The total price of the 2004 presidential and congressional elections was $4 billion (and perhaps a lot more) .... The more money that is involved in running for office, critics say, the more influence that donors – wealthy individuals, companies, labor unions, interest groups – have over elected officials and public policy.
Public Campaign -- Real Campaign Finance Reform
GS Campaign Finance Reform, a Project at the Brookings Institution Campaign finance remains one of the most important and controversial aspects of U.S. democracy
Campaign Finance Homepage
Public Citizen | Campaign Finance Reform - Campaign Finance Reform ...
Public Agenda Issue Guide: Campaign Reform
Campaign Finance Reform
LWV | Campaign Finance Reform

In The News

Senate criticized for not acting on campaign reform legislation Elmira Star-Gazette, NY The issue has been a point of contention for months, with Gov. Eliot Spitzer and the Democrat-dominated Assembly calling for sweeping reforms while the GOP-led Senate has not moved on any legislation, saying it's not a priority. ....... The reforms that Spitzer and government watchdog groups are seeking often have little or no effect on incumbency or the diversity of candidates ...... Spitzer's proposal, which would greatly reduce contribution limits, ban donations from corporations and limited-liability companies, and require more disclosure from candidates ........ campaign finance is at the top of the governor's agenda ...... The ultimate goal, they said, is to have full public financing of elections. ...... In January, Spitzer announced he would impose limits of $10,000 on individual contributions to his own campaign, far below the legal limit of $50,000. ...... the U.S. Supreme Court in 1979 ..... campaign finance laws only violate free speech if they place spending caps on candidates without providing public financing.
Senate GOP ignores Spitzer timetable on campaign reform Auburn Citizen, NY
Senate GOP ignores Spitzer timetable on campaign reform WCAX, VT
Senate GOP ignores Spitzer timetable on campaign reform Staten Island Advance, NY
GOP, groups spar over campaign finance Auburn Citizen, NY the League of Women Voters, which has pushed campaign finance reform as the key to reforming Albany ..... Bruno has questioned the need for reform and noted that Spitzer can rely on his personal wealth and power as elected incumbent governor to raise campaign funds. ..... The Senate Republicans' meeting announcement put Spitzer on notice that the conference is either planning to - or threatening to - block Spitzer's campaign finance reform. ...... Spitzer and lawmakers have held public leaders meetings in an attempt to avoid Albany's notorious late-budget negotiations in which disparate issues are settled in one big deal, then rushed to a vote in the closing hours of the session with little debate or public review.
Campaign finance reform on the agenda in Albany News 10 Now, NY
State Senate GOP, Groups Spar Over Campaign Finance 13WHAM-TV, NY
Civic groups blast Senate GOP on reform WSTM-TV, NY
Senate GOP, good-government groups spar over campaign finance WSTM-TV, NY
Senate GOP, good-government groups spar over campaign finance Staten Island Advance, NY
The Empire Zone As Legislative Session Wanes, So Does Leaders ... New York Times, United States
Republicans block needed legislation Auburn Citizen, NY
Open government, Albany style Ithaca Journal, NY power producers say that the current process is so complicated that it all but prevents construction of new plants, even as the margin between available power and demand continues to shrink. ...... Both Gov. George Pataki, first elected in 1994, and Spitzer, who took office this year, vowed to change the closed-door system. ..... Spitzer .... hammered out deals on the state's $120.9 billion budget almost exclusively in private sessions with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, Rensselaer County, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan.

Nepal Welcomes Former US President Jimmy Carter Student Operated Press
LA Outrage Grows Over Paris Hilton ABC News Norma Lune, who arrived about 6 a.m. to make sure she could visit her son in jail, rolled her eyes at the gathering throng. "No one here is paying attention to my son," she said. ...... "This might be my big break," the 23-year-old bail bond company employee said, showing off a photo he had taken of Paris' sister, Nicky, when she visited Sunday. ..... "I'm going to start carrying this camera around everywhere. You never know when she might come out." ...... Sonenshein said he expected to see a slew of new lawsuits from inmates claiming they weren't treated as well as Hilton. ..... The Hiltons were allowed to see their daughter when the jail's visitor center was closed for lunch — a fact that rankled some less-than-famous visitors. Similar complaints were lodged Sunday, when Paris' sister, Nicky, waited a scant 15 minutes to see Paris, bypassing most of the long visitors line. ...... A few chased the Mercedes down the block. ..... "Y'all make me not want to be rich anymore," Deseree Diehl, who was watching from the sidewalk, said to no one in particular. A radio reporter turned to a cameraman and asked, "So, are you ashamed of yourself yet?" ...... As for Johnny Garcia, the amateur paparazzo, he jumped into a tree to get a clear shot of the Hiltons. He came away with a photo of the back of their heads, surrounded by cameras. "That looks like it could be them, right?" he asked, smiling.
Steven Speilberg Drops Obama for Hillary NewsMax.com "Jaws,""E.T. The Extraterrestrial,""Jurassic Park,""Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan."
Spielberg Backs Clinton Los Angeles Times after an initial interest in Barack Obama, is officially in the Hillary Clinton camp. ..... Endorsements are one of those rituals in the campaign process with a debatable impact. They don't hurt, and in some cases a celebrity's embrace may win a candidate a second look from some members of the public. But lots of politicians boasting impressive supporter lists have gone down to defeat.

Sweet column: Clinton said it means "nothing" if Obama outraises ... Chicago Sun-Times
she — or former President Clinton — has booked at least 26 fund-raising events between May 31 and June 30, the end of the second fund-raising quarter. ..... the prospect chief rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will beat Clinton in second quarter fund-raising .... Obama’s fund-raising team booked at least 23 events between May 22 and June 29. ..... Obama’s camp has been down-playing fund-raising expectations, giving out a lowball $20 million estimate. The haul likely will be at least $25 million between April 1 and June 30. .... Clinton is on track to raise about $20 million. ...... Longtime Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe hosts a barbecue with both Clintons July 1 — the start of the third quarter — at his home in McLean, Va.

Remnants of Famous Samarra Shiite Shrine Destroyed Washington Post
Rudy Giuliani unveils his “12 Commitments to the American People” Blogger News Network
Bush presses GOP on immigration bill Boston Globe Bush was warmly received at a luncheon meeting -- his first with Senate Republicans in five years .... For most of his presidency, with the GOP controlling both chambers of Congress, Bush barely had to ask to get his way on domestic and foreign policy bills, relying on a disciplined GOP leadership to grant his wish list of tax cuts, Iraq war funding, and an education overhaul. ...... "He needs to back off," said Senator Jeff Sessions , Republican of Alabama and a fierce opponent of the bill .... Leaders in both parties contend they have a majority willing to pass the measure, but Senate rules require 60 votes to close debate and hold a final vote on the bill.
Clinton leads in NH Portsmouth Herald News
Poll update: Clinton maintains lead in Democratic race Blogger News Network
Clinton owes poll wins to women Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Poll Shows Fred Thompson Gaining on Giuliani, Obama Catching Clinton LifeNews.com Thompson compiled a 100% pro-life voting record in Congress and has said twice in recent months that he favors overturning Roe v. Wade. ..... Giuliani with 32 percent, Thompson higher at 28 percent, McCain with 17 percent and Romney with 14 percent. ..... Romney is shown with leads or ranked in second in numerous polls in Iowa and New Hampshire .... Clinton holds a 33-22 percent lead over ... Obama ..... Though he is behind Clinton among Democrats, the poll finds he’s the strongest general election candidate as the only one in his party to beat Giuliani, McCain and Romney. Clinton runs behind each of the three marquee Republicans.
Poll: Obama, Thompson gain ground on Clinton, Giuliani The News Journal

Wife Won't Do, Got To Court Women With Policy And Outreach

If Barack Obama's sole tactic to get women is to send his wife around - "He is a gifted man, but he is just a man" - then Clinton will widen her lead. Barack Obama should be courting women like Clinton is courting ethnic minorities. She got two major recent Hispanic endorsements.

Muscular Gender Agenda

The President of the United States is the most powerful person on earth. That is like saying Bill Gates is the richest human on earth. The world has not seen a more powerful office. This is not like being Chancellor of Germany. This is not running for president of France. This is different.

Hillary's Beijing Speech

Hillary so far has been heavy on symbolism. There I see an opening. If Barack Obama were to take a lead on the Equal Pay issue, he could get some attention from women. He could also take up the global domestic violence issue, and that could help him. There is the trafficking of women. On gender issues that are largely global, he could score much on symbolism. Women voters will feel respected. He will be offering substance. Right now it is like, hi women, I am a uniter not a divider, vote for me. That is not enough. That makes you feel good, but it is still too vague.

During the first debate, Barack went after Kucinich. During the second debate he went after Edwards. But so far he has not gone after Hillary. Hillary on the other hand has gone after Barack. Right after the first debate she went to Chicago to say, "I am not voting any vote anywhere to anyone." Hillary is smart and hardworking. She does her homework. You have to give her credit for that.

Forget women, Obama is not even aggressively courting Hispanics and Blacks.

The Clintons have the advantage of having the most famous last name in American politics, and they have the most extensive personal network of anyone too. So one can see why she has an early lead.

Obama-Clinton: Ali-Frazier

In short, to court women in 2008, there is policy involved. And that is made tougher because there is this first woman president thing working for Hillary, the history thing. And hence bigger the reason for Obama to get behind some kind of a Muscular Gender Agenda.

I Told You So
Barack's Primary Opponents
Not Leading In The Polls Is Good News At This Point
Barack, The Comeback Kid
Hillary Is Pulling Ahead
I Watch Politics, World Cup Soccer, And The Olympics
If There Is Another 9/11 Style Attack
Barack, You Can Do Debates

In The News

Clinton owes lead in poll to support from women Arizona Republic Clinton led Obama by a 2 to 1 margin among female voters. Her 15-point lead in the poll is entirely attributable to that margin. Clinton drew support from 51 percent of the women surveyed, compared with 24 percent who said they supported Obama and 11 percent who said they backed former senator John Edwards ..... Clinton is drawing especially strong support from lower-income, lesser-educated women - voters her campaign strategists describe as "women with needs." Obama, by contrast, is faring better among highly educated women, who his campaign says are interested in elevating the political discourse. ...... "The excitement of Hillary's candidacy, the historic nature of it, is capturing the attention of women ..... women 18 to 44 years old are more likely to see Clinton as the most inspiring of the candidates. Clinton drew support from 61 percent of women who had at most a high school degree, compared with 18 percent for Obama. By contrast, female college graduates were more evenly split: 38 percent said they preferred Clinton, and 34 percent backed Obama ...... Clinton was considered most honest by 42 percent of women who had only a high school education, compared with 16 percent for Obama. But only 19 percent of college-educated women said Clinton is the most honest; 50 percent chose Obama...... "She ran the country for eight years, so I feel like she could do it again," said Juanita Anders, 71 ...... Clinton is pursuing multiple tracks in hopes of widening the gender gap. She recently banked endorsements from key women's political organizations, including Emily's List and the National Organization for Women. ...... Ellen Malcolm, the president of Emily's List, will serve as a national co-chairman of her campaign...... women have accounted for less than a third of individual "hard money" contributions to political candidates but make up a huge untapped source for future donations.
Clinton Courts Women of Color Vote TIME Clinton's presidential campaign has scheduled a meeting Tuesday with some 300 "women of color" ...... Both Obama and John Edwards have launched aggressive campaigns targeting women voters, using their popular wives, Michelle Obama and Elizabeth Edwards, as prominent campaign surrogates.
Women Voters Make the Difference in Clinton's Support Ms. Magazine
Clinton's Achilles Heel Yahoo! News
Poll: Obama, Thompson gain ground on Clinton, Giuliani The News Journal
Poll places Giuliani, Clinton atop parties Denver Post on the Republican side the momentum is with Fred Thompson and Democrat Barack Obama has the broadest appeal of any candidate. .... Clinton is in first place, with 33 percent, followed by Obama with 22 percent .... June 7-10 .... plus or minus 3 percentage points .... Obama is the strongest general-election candidate. He is the only Democrat who beats all three major Republican contenders: Giuliani, McCain and Romney. Clinton runs behind all three Republican contenders in head-to-head match-ups.
Menendez to Co-Chair Clinton Campaign Washington Post Menendez is one of just three Hispanics in the Senate ...... Menendez said he trusts Clinton to get the United States out of a "mismanaged and misguided" war in Iraq. ..... The Menendez endorsement follows that of another prominent Hispanic Democrat, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Both California and New Jersey are among several large states hosting primaries Feb. 5.