An honorable man should disclose. He should and could set an example…then challenge the rest to do the same.

Everyone should disclose. We should call them out by name…everyone in public life should tell who is paying them money, and how much.

Everyone.

As for Hmmmm..’s point about the rules being equal but reality being different …. that’s hardly a sound basis for policy, is it? It is government’s job to make sure the rules are the same, and evenly applied, not to spare you from the “realities” of having less money than somebody else. Again I say that at the end of that line of reasoning is government funded (and regulated) speech.

Hmmm does raise a good question question regarding the rights of “outsiders” to participate in our political process. Without agreeing, I wonder if he/she would favor no limits on contributions from the resident obscenely rich.

Finally, I don’t assume that money from outside elements makes a better lawmaker. I just trust that if we have a full and open discussion on the issues — which in this day and age takes money, and lots of it sometimes — eventually the system will improve. The campaign finance rules prevent the market for ideas from functioning properly.

I am shocked that some proponents of this new bill (Mr. Gervais et al.) have failed to question why the same legislators whom those pundits so regularly trash have suddenly “seen the light.” Is (insert name of lawmaker regularly accused of being incompetent here) really been moved to sudden enlightenment by the anti-Howard Rich blogosphere? Or is it more likely that they have figured out that this legislation will help them keep their jobs?

And why do you assume that someone will be a better lawmaker because they get thousands of dollars from an outside influence?

You are right. The rules are the same. It’s the reality that is different. So tell me why you think a New Yorker should have more influence in a South Carolina election than a South Carolinian? And you assume that all this money is being pumped into opposition rather than incumbents. As for “obscenely rich,” you’ll have to ask Helvidius what that means. That’s who I was quoting.