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View Full Version : Edwards to Take Public Funds




lx43
09-29-2007, 05:45 PM
If this is true its good news. :D

http://www.cato.org/view_ddispatch.php?viewdate=20070928#2

Former senator John Edwards said yesterday that he will accept public financing in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, a move that will provide a short-term infusion of cash for his campaign but severely limit his ability to spend in crucial early primary contests," reports The Washington Post. "By opting into the public financing system, Edwards will be eligible to receive matching funds of as much as $250 for each contribution an individual makes to his campaign. In return, he will face strict limits on his spending that could put him at a 10 to 1 spending disadvantage in primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire. He will also be forbidden from contributing his own money to his bid."

In "Public Shouldn't Pay," John Samples, director of Ca'o's Center for Representative Government, writes:

"Campaign-finance laws often raise questions about restricting freedom of speech. Public financing seems to foster more speech by giving candidates money. But such laws restrict liberty in other ways. Government does not fund public financing; taxpayers do. These programs force taxpayers to support candidates they oppose.Taxpayer financing often involves further limiting private contributions and restricting independent spending by anyone other than the candidates and the two major political parties. Such restrictions are inherent in public funding; without them, candidates would reject public funding for fear of being outspent by their opponents. Advocates say public financing brings more electoral competition, giving voters more choices, but most studies indicate such programs have not increased competition in state elections."