Campaign finance reform’s poster boy

isn’t Ken Lay, it’s California Governor Gray Davis. This article (Dan Walters: Rivals prepare for long, expensive, negative campaign for governor) explains why: “Gray, you’re a disgrace,” Riordan said last week, tagging Davis as the “Enron governor” and castigating him for raising campaign funds from interest groups while he has bills affecting them awaiting his … Continue reading “Campaign finance reform’s poster boy”

isn’t Ken Lay, it’s California Governor Gray Davis. This article (Dan Walters: Rivals prepare for long, expensive, negative campaign for governor) explains why:

“Gray, you’re a disgrace,” Riordan said last week, tagging Davis as the “Enron governor” and castigating him for raising campaign funds from interest groups while he has bills affecting them awaiting his signature or veto.

And the best method for reducing the power of Big Money in politics isn’t the unconstitutional Shays-Meehan bill that stifles First Amendment rights, it’s the ballot box. But the media have to do their job, which they have in the case of Davis:

The state’s news media have detailed numerous incidents in which Davis took actions, whether legislative or administrative, that favored major campaign contributors. Davis denies it, insisting that he has often disappointed contributors and doesn’t take money into account when making policy.

This by way of Rough & Tumble.