At the risk of turning myself into a pariah, I don¡¯t think money in politics is a problem.
Voters on the right and left don¡¯t seem to agree on much these days. But they tend to share the belief ¡ª it¡¯s an article of faith, really ¡ª that campaign donations, especially corporate cash, are a corrupting force in American politics. Simply put, voters tend to believe politicians would do the ¡°right thing¡± (whatever that is) if not for money and its influence on their positions on issues big and small.
That view is misguided. It¡¯s the result of a fundamental misunderstanding of the political gravity governing the flow of campaign contributions and the strict limits on donations imposed by federal law. Let¡¯s start with the law. (Full disclosure: My wife is a Republican fundraiser.)
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