David Broder's take on the Campaign Finance Reform Bill

I disagree with his line about "the ugly and indefensible practice of federal elected officials extorting six-figure contributions to their political parties from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals." This makes it sound like the donors are being dragged into buying influence and politicians against their will. The truth is that politicians and people who seek to influence policy with money are made for each other, and no matter what reforms may be passed, there will always be politicians willing to sell their votes and business, labor and activist leaders who are willing to buy as much government as they can get.

I don't think that laws like this one can ever clean up government. The only ones who can do that are informed voters, who pay attention and dig into the truth about the candidates and don't sell their votes for promises of government largesse or desire to use government power to get what they can't through fair, open debate. We should be as angry about Sierra Club money as about NRA money, as angry about Big Labor buying influence as about Enron or other big business getting favorable regulations.