Republicans and reform

Probably the six House Republicans who went against the wishes of party leaders last week and supported a vote on campaign finance reform did not read Public Campaign’s arguments and suddenly decide to switch sides. And yet, who knows? The group’s recent newsletter on reasons for conservatives to like reform is persuasive.

Public Campaign, a nonprofit devoted to finding a better way to finance political races, picks up on the observations of conservative writer David Frum, who says, “When reformers allege that the system of financing congressional elections has deteriorated into legalized bribery, they come uncomfortably close to the truth.” He adds, “Politicians should spend less of their time raising money, should receive the funds they need in ways less likely to obligate them to their donors, and should generally behave in ways that assure the public that the political system operates in an honest and aboveboard way, with no special favors granted.”

You might think that reasonable people could spend something less than the last decade arguing the fine points of such a straightforward idea. Turns out you would be wrong. That’s why Public Campaign has set out these five ideas to urge Republicans to join Democrats to abandon the current system in favor of reform.

The current campaign system wastes tax dollars but promoting corporate welfare, in the form of special favors to generous donors. House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich puts the welfare figure at $11 billion; the Cato Institute thinks it is $65 billion. The total depends on what is counted. Protections for the sugar industry, for instance, results in an estimated $1.4 billion in added costs to consumers.

That leads to the second point, which is that the current campaign finance system interferes with the free market. By allowing a few wealthy special interests to unduly influence policy, Congress blocks the efficiencies that open competition would bring.

On the other hand, the system also gives free trade a whole new meaning – as in trading money from China for, well, that isn’t entirely clear yet, although the recent Cox report offers some vivid suggestions.

You, the average voter, however, are just about out of luck with the way campaigns are paid for. Your vote is still important, but the money that can win over 100 votes is worth considerably more. A strong democracy rests on a healthy electorate, or at least a democracy that believes its votes matter.

Republican members of Congress might be especially concerned with how voters in their own party feel. A 1997 poll by the Center for Responsive Politics reported that 72 percent of the GOP wanted to see the campaign-finance system overhauled, with more Republicans than Democrats concerned about the influence of money in politics.

Campaign-finance reform is, in short, a good Republican issue that, with a few exceptions, has been co-opted by Democrats. The GOP has reason and opportunity to reclaim it this summer.