CINCINNATI (TDB) -- An editorial in The Cincinnati Post, the city's dying and Democratic-leaning afternoon newspaper, slams Sen. Hillary Clinton for opting out of the 32-year-old system of public campaign financing. It says big donors and a fat kitty will help her buy the party's nomination.
''She has $14 million in the bank left over from her Senate campaign; she is expected to raise $100 million this year for the primaries; and a total of about $500 million for the entire campaign. The ability of political fundraisers to shake the money tree has far outstripped the government's ability to cajole the taxpayers into making the $3 check-off that funds public financing. The most the government could have offered Clinton, for primary and general election campaigns both, was maybe $150 million," the opinion piece said.
The Post editorial is called Hillary Opts Out and it points out that the big money flowing into campaigns contributes "mightily to the influence that special interests now enjoy." It doesn't quite come out and say that Sen. Clinton will be bought, but that is clearly implied. Stunning to think $1 billion might be spent overall to win the White House in 2008, or $3.30 per American.
Of course, Ohioans know first-hand how "special interests" and politicians scratch backs. Think Bob Ney. Think Tom Noe. And stop to think about what might be coming in '08.
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