Lou Dobbs Joins the Chorus

Lou Dobbs, Prominent Business Journalist and Former Host of "Moneyline," Says : Full Public Financing is Critical to Fixing our Political System.

By Josh Zaharoff, Common Cause

Today, Common Cause's Mary Boyle taped an interview with CNN's nightly program "Lou Dobbs Tonight," discussing Clean Elections and the Voters First Pledge. It's scheduled to air tonight. The show airs nightly at 6 p.m. EST.

All along, we've said that those in the business community--and elsewhere--who believe in fiscal responsibility ought to be on our side in fighting for full public financing of elections. Lou Dobbs, an Emmy-award winner and anchor of CNN's "Lou Dobbs tonight," is a prime example. His recent book, "The War on the Middle Class," makes the case loud and clear. Here's an excerpt:

"Over the years I've examined dozens of ideas and proposals to weaken the grip of big money and special interests in our electoral and legislative processes. I've come to the conclusion that the only way we'll ever see their power substantially diminished, and the common good and national interest fully represented in Washington, is through the complete public financing of all elections.

"Lobbying, campaigns, and elections are all about money. And in this case, we have to meet power with power. Only one group of people has more money than corporate America and special interests: taxpayers. I love the idea of our elected officials being beholden to public money and the public interest rather than to corporate America and special interests."

No, I didn't just copy that from our page on public financing--but I could have. That's Lou Dobbs, prominent business journalist and former host of "Moneyline," saying what we've said all along: full public financing is critical to fixing our political system.

Welcome to the chorus, Lou.

The entire transcript of last night's "Lou Dobbs tonight" is on CNN's website, towards the bottom of the page

See the article on Common Cause website

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