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When talking campaign reform, it is wise to analyze how the problem arose and how it can be ameliorated. Laws limiting campaign contributions will always be either bent or broken. The source of the problem is the real need for a big campaign warchest. Even a good honest man needs that money. Looking at the President, the Senate, and the House, it is clear that the primary target for corruption by money is the President. There is only one President, buy him and you have something. However, the Presidential campaign cannot be bought. He is chosen by the electoral college, and while they may choose the winner of the popular campaign, they do not always do so. Lincoln was elected despite the popular vote. The electoral college is thus a final safeguard against corruption of the office of the President. One could wish they had chosen Bush rather than Clinton, but safeguards do not always work.
The Senate is the next target for corruption. There are only two per state. Buy a Senator and you have a powerful voice. Members of the House are less attractive, as there are more of them, and thus you get less bang for your buck when you buy one. Let us therefore focus on the Senate. Is there a way that we can put a safeguard against corruption in the selection process for the Senate? Something like the Electoral College for the Presidency?
The source of the problem with the Senate is that they are popularly elected, and thus forced to accept campaign contributions in order to have a chance at office. This system of election puts them in the pockets of those with the money to make contributions, multinationals and special interest groups. It was not always this way. Up until this Century, the Senate was elected by State Legislatures. Thus, they were known to the members of the State Legislature and selected there. No public campaign was necessary. The representatives elected by the people to serve in the State Legislature selected the state representatives to the Federal Government. This meant that Senators represented the interests of the State in Washington, today, the Senators represent multinationals and special interest groups.
How did this happen? What happened to put our Senators in the pockets of Multinational Corporations and Special Interest Groups? Well, something called the 17th amendment happened. Passed in the same shortsighted but well meaning passion that gave us prohibition (the 19th amendment) the 17th amendment changed the way in which Senators were elected. Instead of being representatives of the State, they were supposed to become representatives of the people directly elected by them. Why this was thought to be better is hard to understand. The people already had direct representatives elected by popular vote. The Members of the House are and always have been so chosen. The Senate was supposed to be selected differently to ensure that the two houses were different in character. Thus ensuring that bills and laws would not be passed without careful consideration. By selecting the two houses in the same manner, this difference between the Houses was destroyed. In fact the two houses became more like one house. The end result was not more representation for the people, but a Senate that became the target for corruption, and Senators put into the pockets of Multinationals and Special Interest Groups, not the people.
Let us free the Senators from their bondage to Multinationals and Special Interest Groups. If we repeal the 17th amendment as we did the 19th (prohibition) the need for large campaign contributions will vanish. The Senators will be chosen by the State Legislatures, and will have to honestly represent to interests of the State (and thus the people of the state) to be reelected.
Of course, some Senators may prefer the huge campaign contributions, and be afraid that their state might not choose them without a huge and not particularly honest ad campaign. Some Senators may fear being judged by their state legislators on their records. Too bad, I say, an honest man will take their place.
It will take an amendment to the Constitution to undo the mistake of the 17th amendment, but it is something that needs to be done. It is the only real method of campaign reform available for the Senate.
We all know campaign reform is necessary.
