Taking the Lead on Election Reform

Posted by on February 7, 2006 at 01:17 PM

It's one thing to constantly harp on unethical Republicans, and we should continue to shine the light and let all the roaches scatter where they may. But actions speak louder than words, and the Democratic National Committee is taking the lead on the reforms necessary to restore trust in government. From the Associated Press:

In an effort to get the "dirty money out of politics," the Democratic National Committee will ask the U.S. Supreme Court this month to allow states to limit how much is spent on campaigns.

Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic Party, announced Monday that the party will file a friend of the court brief with the Supreme Court in support of Vermont's 1997 campaign finance law.

"I feel very, very strongly that the Democratic Party, in this era of this Republican culture of corruption, has to walk the walk and not just talk the talk," said Dean.

"The Democratic Party of the United States has an opportunity to actually do something," said Dean. "I thought it would be hypocritical to be pilloring the Republican Party for their corruption when this opportunity was coming before the Supreme Court."

In 1997, Governor Dean signed a bill into Vermont law that placed limits on individual and political action committee contribution totals, and implements spending caps on campaigns during an election cycle.

The law was contested and a federal appeals court upheld it, for the most part. Now the case is slated to come before the Supreme Court with oral arguments beginning on February 28, 2006.

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