“”Poll after poll shows that the majority of voters of all political stripes are alarmed at the record amounts of money pouring into elections. Voters feel they are being drowned out.
“A bi-partisan poll conducted last year by my firm, Chesapeake Beach Consulting (Republican) and Lake Research Partners (Democratic), found that voters favor a constitutional amendment by a 61-28 percent margin. Presented with arguments for and against an amendment, Republicans strongly favor the amendment – by a 54-36 percent margin. Our poll also found that by a 6-1 margin, voters say that reducing the influence of money in politics is an important issue.
“Until recently, campaign finance reform has been part of the conservative agenda. Bipartisan reform efforts included the 1907 Tillman Act, which banned direct corporate contributions, the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act and the strong amendments to that law that were passed after the Watergate scandal. Let’s not forget the McCain-Feingold Act, introduced by Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and signed into law in 2003 by Republican President George W. Bush.”
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