A Really Good Idea

The 2012 presidential race is heating up, and big donors are pulling out their checkbooks. President Obama—who recently reaffirmed his promise to "change how things get done in Washington"—just asked his top fundraisers to bring in $350,000 each for his reelection campaign. His 2012 bid is expected to cost more than $1 billion—35% more than his campaign in 2008. The GOP is firing back. Sarah Palin raised $3.5 million in 2010, Mitt Romney raised $1.9 million in the first quarter of 2011, and the RNC raised $5.2 million in February alone. No high profile candidate is talking about reform. Instead, both sides are building networks of anonymous donors—most of them wealthy special interests—to fuel their campaigns. Because of Citizens United, these groups can spend unlimited amounts on political communications. 2012 will be the most expensive election in history by far. We want the candidates to start talking about money in politics. Here's one way to do it. Buddy Roemer, former governor of Louisiana, recently announced his candidacy for president. He refuses to take PAC money to fund his campaign. He's pledged not to accept contributions over $100, and all contributions will be fully disclosed. Corruption is his central issue. Next week, there will be a presidential forum in South Carolina, and we want Buddy Roemer to be part of the debate. The debate commission, run by Fox News, is undecided about allowing him to participate. We need your help to convince them. Call the debate commission at 1-888-369-4762 and tell them you want Buddy Roemer to participate. To be included, Roemer also needs to pay a $25,000 entrance fee. He needs to raise $25,000 by the end of the weekend. If you can, please click here to make a contribution (but not more than $100). We don't endorse Roemer's candidacy, but we're excited to see a credible candidate who's trying to make corruption a central issue. Some of you might be unhappy that we're calling attention to a particular candidate. We want to hear what you have to say—so if you feel strongly, we invite you to visit our Rootstrikers community and post your thoughts. With your help, we can grow a conversation around these issues and continue to work together towards reform. Thanks, Joey Mornin Fix Congress First

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