And what will all that money get the average American? Nothing. I fully expect the status quo with whomever is in office.

I think we already beat that number in 2000, what with the “independent expenditures” and all. I did note you omly listed spending by “all campaigns and affiliates.”

It’s too bad Bush/McCain opted out/in/out of public financing, most of this would be unnecessary. Is the Post looking into the legality of Bush/McCain’s financing his now private election with the “promised” federal dollars when he “opted in?”

Who actually lent Bush/McCain the money?

How much?

Under what terms?

Has it been repaid?

Are they on Bush/McCain’s contributor lists?

Is the lender a bank owned by any foreign persons, corporations or nations?

Does the original owner of the paper still own the loan, or has it been transferred to anyone else, perhaps a foreign person, corporation or nation?

Did someone conspire to defraud the American people?

Hey! “FOLLOW THE MONEY!”

So depending on turnout, we’re probably looking at around ten bucks per vote. I wonder if I could just get them to direct deposit my $10 kinda like they did the stimulus cash?

My understanding is that since he accepted public funding - as Obama also promised to do - McCain won’t be raising anything.

Nick,

Just to clarify — once McCain officially and formally accepts public funding, he will no longer be able to raise (or spend) private contributions.

http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/pubfund.shtml

But until the official acceptance of public funding goes into effect in September, after McCain is formally certified as the nominee at the Republican convention, McCain is free to raise and spend as much as he can. He has only said that he “intends” to accept public funding — still two months away.

In addition, while campaign spending during the September-November period will be limited to the $84.1 million in public funds…

“Private contributions may, however, be accepted for a special account maintained exclusively to pay for legal and accounting expenses associated with complying with the campaign finance law. These legal and accounting expenses are not subject to the expenditure limit.”

Why not limit all contributions to individuals, NO organizations?
1. Preserves freedom of speech for individuals (whoever said it was guarenteed to organizations?)
2. Makes open the origin of the contributions. (Present PACs and “Committees” hide the real persons buying the candidates)
3. Lets members of any organization support their own choice, not that of the organization’s leaders.
4. The old claim that opening wide the doors to unlimited contributions by an individual was well disproven by te recent POST-DISPATCH story “The Missouri Money Maze”.
5. Lets require only that the money sit in an account for 30 days befiore it can be used; This to let everybody see what’s happening, and who’s buying whom.Present laws require full disclosure; when its an individual, we know the source. When the contribution is from an organization, the name conceals all.