by Devilstower on the Daily Kos Blog, (excerpted)

If anyone thinks that the biggest problem in cleaning up congress is lobbyists, theyre way off base.  A free golf trip may be a nice way to put a congressman in the mood to support your Native American extortion racket, but it doesnt come close to the influence gained by stuffing campaign coffers with millions of dollars.  Weve stopped someone from buying congress favor with a nice dinner, but left open the door that allows them to buy the congressional seat itself.  

The cost of campaigning for congress, the Senate, and the White House has risen astronomically.  Just since 1990, the cost of running for congress has grown more than three-fold, after adjusting for inflation.  When even the most secure congressmen are expected to raise a million dollars every two years just to hold their seats, its ridiculous to assume that their first concern doesnt lie with those who feed that eternal need.

At the presidential level, things are even worse.   In 2000, George W. Bush was the first person to opt out of the public financing system that had lent elections a degree of sanity since Watergate.  By raising the then-astounding amount of $100 million, Bush opened up a presidential money arms race that threatens to rewrite all the rules.

In 2004, not only did Bush skip public funds, but both Kerry and Dean followed.  The results were amazing. Kerry raised $234 million for the primaries and Bush $269 million, according to FEC records. $100 million had revolutionized the system in 2000, but it wasnt even in the ballpark for 2004.