The most expensive campaigns are failing to produce good government

Progressive New Jersey Democrat Lisa McCormick today criticized the excessive spending in U.S. political campaigns, arguing that the most expensive campaigns in history are failing to produce the best government.

She urged Americans to embrace their responsibility as citizens and called for significant reforms to ensure fair and clean elections that serve the interests of all people.

"Despite the billions of dollars spent on campaigns, we are not seeing the quality of governance that Americans deserve," McCormick said. "We must rise to the responsibility of citizenship and demand reforms that restore integrity to our electoral process."

McCormick highlighted the need to reverse the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United decision and other rulings that have enabled unlimited spending in elections.

"Super PACs are engaging in coordinated activities with unlimited funding, which obliterates the democracy in our republic," said McCormick. "We must effectively outlaw bribery and regulate fair and clean elections that give all candidates the resources to wage honest campaigns."

To achieve these goals, McCormick proposed several measures:

1. Legislation to Overturn Citizens United: Introducing laws that challenge the precedent set by the Citizens United ruling, aiming to limit corporate and special interest money in politics.
2. Public Financing of Campaigns: Establishing a system of public financing to provide all candidates with the necessary resources to run competitive campaigns without relying on wealthy donors.
3. Enhanced Transparency and Accountability: Requiring full disclosure of all political contributions and expenditures to ensure transparency and hold candidates accountable.
4. Strengthening Anti-Bribery Laws: Implementing stricter regulations to prevent any form of bribery or undue influence in the political process.
5. Wealth and Income Caps: Adopting measures similar to those proposed by Senator Huey Long in 1934 to cap excessive wealth and income, addressing the vast transfer of prosperity from the majority of Americans to a tiny fraction of the uber-rich since the advent of Reaganomics.

"The abuses of wealth that have manifested over the past few decades show the urgent need for these reforms," McCormick argued. "By adopting wealth and income caps, we can begin to reverse the damage and create a more equitable society."

McCormick stressed the importance of these reforms for the republic's health and its citizens' well-being.

"Our democracy depends on its citizens' active participation and vigilance," McCormick said. "It's time for us to take a stand and ensure that our government truly represents the interests of all Americans and not the few who possess vast wealth so great it is impossible for them to use it for good within a lifetime."

"We must dedicate ourselves to a vision of security and peace for all, essential to the pursuit of happiness. We should drive out those who would profane our nation's values and end the stagnation and despair of this time," said McCormick. "As we mark the 237th anniversary of the Constitutional Convention, we shall invoke the same powers to achieve the same objectives: to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty through government action that can meet the demands of our times without compromising democracy."

"We recognize that as human relationships become more complex, the power to govern must also increase—to stop evil and to do good," said McCormick. "Today, we must rededicate our nation to time-honored ideals within a transformed civilization. Across all lands, forces work to separate and unite us. As individuals, we pursue our personal ambitions. In our quest for economic and political advancement as a nation, we all rise or fall together."