What's wrong with our campaign finance laws?
What is wrong with our campaign finance laws is he/she who has the gold makes the golden rules. No poor man or woman could ever be president in this country. It is not a race for the best candidate. It is a race to raise the most money and then that decides who will be the next president.
--Rich, McKinney, Texas Until we have government-financed campaigns, the laws will never change. Tinkering with the existing laws doesn't work. Somebody will find out how to get around them in a New York minute.
--Robert, New Philadelphia, Ohio
The problem with campaign finance reform lies with the campaign model itself. Electing officials by means of raising massive amounts of money is fundamentally flawed. We desperately need to find a viable alternative. Until then, we will be continually held in the thrall of corporate interests.
--Andy, Blaine, Washington Is the Bush Administration sending mixed messages about the environment?
Mixed messages? I think it's pretty clear. When it comes to the environment, the President is finally saying what the majority of Americans want to hear, but the Administration isn't doing anything to back it up. --Elizabeth, Seattle
The Bush regime spent years denying there was any problem. Now they have no choice but to accept reality, but still they won't do anything that might actually cost their precious corporate owners a single cent. This Bush blather is nothing more than a pathetic and desperate attempt to leave some kind of legacy that isn't total failure. --Toni, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The Bush administration could not send out a straight message if they tried. The talk of wanting to help with global warming is just that, talk. Over the past 7 years they have always jumped on the topic others are discussing and tried to put their spin on it so it looks like they are doing something. The President is only trying to find some topic he can use to improve his image as he prepares to leave the White House. --M.F., Columbus, Ohio
Why do Americans trust the government less today than during the Watergate era?
Jack, The real question is: if people are so fed up, why are most of them leaning toward candidates that offer no real change? --John, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Jack, Our mistrust in government might have something to do with both parties focusing on repaying favors to their special interests and almost completely ignoring those of us who can't afford to give their campaigns large sums of money. --Ben, Dubuque, Iowa
I think the neo-cons today looked at what Nixon did and learned how to refine their criminal activities. How to successfully cover up, threaten, bribe, and smear all who stand in their way. They have completely ignored the rule of law, and spit on the Constitution. The Supreme Court is now a group of party line ideologues. Who could have imagined that one administration in just 7 years could be so dangerous and so humiliate and embarrass us as a nation? --Barbara, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
