Subject: [EL] Bribery or extortion?
From: Jon Roland
Date: 4/23/2011, 9:35 AM
To: "election-law@mailman.lls.edu" <election-law@mailman.lls.edu>
Reply-to:
"jon.roland@constitution.org"

Much of the demand for regulation of campaign donations or expenditures seems to be based on a model of veiled bribery, but perhaps more often, it is a shakedown. Incumbents will conspire with members of the opposite party to introduce legislation intended not to actually be adopted, but to scaring the constituents of the opposite member into supporting him. It is like having two protection racket gangs cooperating to each extort money from the same merchants by promising to protect them from the opposite gang. That is why so many (reluctantly) donate to both parties.

Shakedown: Why we need public financing of campaigns

Contrary to the article, I do not favor public financing of campaigns, except perhaps to provide candidate forums at which all candidate are invited to appear.
-- Jon

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