Even if you think there is nothing left that Washington could do to shock you; even if you don’t care about campaign-finance reform, take a moment to consider an excerpt from a letter this fall by Rep. Phil Crane, R-Ill., to Speaker Newt Gingrich:

“I understand, however, that a career of service to our party and our candidates means little today, and the only question that now apparently matters, at least when it comes to `properly securing’ a chairmanship is `what have you done for me lately?’ … I promise to beat the heck out of the individual and corporate financial contributors amd make sure they give their last dollar this cycle to me, rather than needy Republican challengers and incumbents, so that I can turn the cash over to you.”

The letter came as a response to Speaker Gingrich, who reportedly warned incumbents that either they gave more to the party or they risked losing their chairmanships. Roll Call magazine noted that Rep. Crane enclosed a $25,000 check along with his letter.

The financing of campaigns is not just about Republicans threatening colleagues or Democrats leaning on foreigners for donations. It’s about both parties and, increasingly, interest groups contributing to a kind of arms race of a sort that hasn’t been seen since the Cold War. The weapon, of course, is ready money, which can be used to attack an opponent or blow up legislation. Money, in the age of television, ensures that the richest are the loudest through commercials that are thoroughly destructive to the very form of government that protects their right to have their say.

Congress has made a couple of honest attempts are real reform, but has yet to turn anything into law. The Shays-Meehan reform bill was one of the few bits of good news to come out of the House all year. Senate leadership, unfortunately, squashed several opportunities to pass similar bills. The legislation could come up again this winter, but will fail again unless the public gets truly angered by the current corrupt system.

To help with the anger part, re-read the exerpt from Rep. Crane.