Pyramid Scheme

You do need to check out this exhibit A for changing our campaign finance laws, the story of Linda Chavez, who has run several fundraising operations championing conservative causes that do nothing but enrich her and her family:

Of the $24.5 million raised by the PACs from January 2003 to December 2006, $242,000 -- or 1 percent -- was passed on to politicians, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal election reports. The PACs spent even less -- $151,236 -- on independent political activity, such as mailing pamphlets.

Instead, most of the donations were channeled back into new fundraising efforts, and some were used to provide a modest but steady source of income for Chavez and four family members, who served as treasurers and consultants to the committees. Much of the remaining funds went to pay for expenses such as furniture, auto repairs and insurance, and rent for the Sterling office the groups share. Even Chavez's health insurance was paid for a time from political donations.

Wow. I knew there was a lot of welfare on the conservative side, but this is literally theft, to the tune of millions of dollars. And it's not illegal, that's the most infuriating thing (well, not to me; it's not my money). Conservative charity literally is bestowed on the individuals running the charity. This is little different from a megachurch leader who pours donations into their own personal lifestyle, and in a way it mirrors Democratic donations to politicians who then funnel them to consultants who pay themselves for making more and more advertising. The entire system is self-perpetuating, which is why it'll be so hard to radically change. Every Democratic candidate agreed that public financing should be a goal of the next President, and several have made hay out of not taking lobbyist money. None of them are doing anything as egregious as Linda Chavez; but getting off that money wagon is easy to say and harder to do.