Uh oh. This Internet/blogosphere/political activism thing hasn’t gone away after the first Facebook election. Instead, it appears to be getting worse: more blogs, better organized, more money, more transparency … more aggressive. I bet that big roll call posted below (hat tip, RMG) has already made more than a few people very uncomfortable. But I digress.
The latest stinging example is StopFakeReform.com, where a group of bloggers (including your trusty editors) have called out the DSCC and DCCC for their idiotic “one day of reform” plan. Click here to add your name.
Dear DSCC & DCCC -We read that you have chosen to accept President Obama’s ban on fundraising from PACs and lobbyists, but only for June 18 – the day he headlines a fundraiser for you.
This isn’t just hypocritical – it defies common sense that you’d think the public would believe this was a principled stand against special-interest influence.
For 364 days a year, your rules would allow members of Congress to leave a hearing about regulating Wall Street and then walk straight to the DSCC and DCCC offices to “dial for dollars” from Wall Street lobbyists who want more bailout money and less accountability to taxpayers. Most Americans would find that conflict of interest repulsive.
We call on you to ban PAC and lobbyist contributions 365 days a year, just as President Obama did.
This is actually the least you could do to take on special-interest influence.
Will the DSCC and DCCC reject donations from executives of bailout recipients such as AIG, the way you did for Enron? Will you require candidates you support to publicly endorse the real solution to special-interest influence: public funding of congressional elections?
The public is tired of political gamesmanship. Please recognize that your “one day of reform” is absurd on its face and, if left standing, an embarrassment to your organizations. We urge you to announce a 365-day ban of PAC and lobbyist contributions – at a minimum.
Coverage (notwithstanding the Specterization of today’s political news) so far in NYT Activists Urge Top Democratic Groups to Ban Lobby, PAC Donations; HuffPo Progressives Call Out Dems’ “Hypocritical” Fundraising; Politico Activists, bloggers rip DCCC, DSCC; National Journal Dem Groups Urged to Ban Lobby Donors and WaPo To Lure Obama, Fundraisers Briefly Ban Contributions.
WaPo:
The dispute over the fundraising rules also highlights continuing tensions between senior Democrats in Washington and “net-roots” activists, who played a major role in the 2004 presidential run by former Vermont governor Howard Dean and have become an influential force within the Democratic base. Change Congress, which endorses expanded public financing for candidates, was co-founded last year by Trippi, who managed Dean’s campaign, and Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford University law professor and Internet activist.The letter released today was signed by Lessig and 50 national and local political bloggers across the country.
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Wed 23 May 4:14 AM