How Do You Feel About Campaign Finance Reform?

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

Just FYI:

The Federal Election Commission is announcing a public hearing on the policies and procedures of the Federal Election Commission including but not limited to, policy statements, advisory opinions, and public information, as well as various elements of the compliance and enforcement processes such as audits, matters under review, report analysis, administrative fines, and alternative dispute resolution. The Commission also seeks comment from the public on the procedures contained in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, 2 U.S.C. 431 et. seq. (“FECA” or “the Act”), as well as the Commission’s implementing regulations.

Full info here, if you want to comment or attend.

Full legislation here.

We have a spate of elections coming up in 2010, and they will all need to be funded. This year, SCOTUS weakened the McCain-Feingold Act (incorporated into the FEC regs). Republicans will look for ways to exploit the new loopholes.

While we vote, and campaign, and give money, the system that campaign finance operates under will greatly affect who can run in the future, how money will be raised, and how much money will be necessary for races at various levels.

We learned this year with Barack Obama's implementation of Howard Dean's 50 state program how well things work when we properly fund campaigns and Democratic organizations. While the FEC operates in large part under McCain-Feingold, how they interpret the law is fluid in certain ways. If you want more transparency, more frequent reporting, stronger adherence to rules already in place, here is your opportunity.